New Evidence about Hindu Terrorism

By Sajjad Shaukat

Last year, Indian Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of the Maharashtra arrested a serving Lt. Col. Srikant Purohit, a retired army Major Samir Kulkarniand and some other officials in connection with the bomb blasts in the Malegaon and some other Indian cities including explosion of Samjhota express which killed many Muslims and 68 Pakistani passengers. But latest reports suggest that after receiving directions from high level, an Indian team, consisting of police and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)has compromised with the Hindu terrorists, especially of Indore regarding the incident of Smjhota Express.

New evidence has revealed that with the help of Indian secret agency, RAW, certain items such as suitcases, bottles and batteries used in the blasts were purchased by the Hindu extremists from Indore.

One of the most ruthless anti-Muslim extremist group, Ramji’s links have been proved with a local leader BJP, which was involved in the Malegaon blasts, targeting Muslims.

Apparently, probe in relation to Smajhota Express had met a dead end as New Delhi had decided to keep it pending because Indian army officers were involved. But for its own information, Indian government continued investigation clandestinely, which has leaked out by some reliable sources.

According to new revelations, the investigators have checked the records of phone calls which proved that members of the BJP-linked Ramji killed an extremist, Sunil, pertaining to the RSS—a member of their own affiliated organization so that unaware police officers could not reach all the network of the Hindu terrorists whom high officials of Indian RAW and the concerned army officials themselves want to conceal.

However, further details have indicated that before the recent elections in Maharashtra, blasts in Goa were carried out by a Hindu terrorist group, Sanatan Sanstha which was also involved in the communal riots in Miraj and Sangli. In this regard, those fundamentalists officials who are well-penetrated in Indian police and RAW, provoked violence with hateful anti-Muslim propaganda—its result was that Hindu mobs pelted stones and damaged mosques at more than seven places, hoisting saffron flags. This fact was also verified by various human rights activities which pointed out that the main aim of the communal riots during election times was to lead to massive votes for Hindu right-wing parties, especially BJP.

Nevertheless, in Margao, Thane and Kanpur, Hindu terrorists had carried out the bombs, which also went up accidentally, killing them at some places where they were engaged in bomb-making.

Notably, on October 19, this year, The Times of India quoted Goa Home Minister Ravi Naik statingthat the police would probe links of the state transport minister’s wife with Sanathan Sanstha. In this respect, reliable sources have also disclosed that his wife has close ties with the members of this extremist group. Under the cover of family terms with some of its fundamentalists, she has provided the latter with secret information in order to conduct subversive acts against Muslims and their premises.

On the same day, Indian Zee News TV channel also cited the statement of Naik as saying that police is also probing foreign connections of Sanathan Sanstha because some foreigners often visited its ashram (temple) without registering their particulars in the police office as required under Indian law. As a matter of fact, Naik avoided mentioning thousands of Israeli tourists who frequently visit Goa. New secret inquiry has also shown that Col. Purohit with the backing of RAW and Indian fundamentalists had prepared a plan for displacing the Indian government, and setting up a government in exile in Israel. Some anti-Muslim Indo-Israeli lobbies were also supporting the plan.

It is notable that Indian Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) which had arrested Col. Purohit and other army officials including a Hindu Sadhu (holy man) and a Sadhvi (holy woman) had already disclosed the confession of Purohit in respect of  Smajhota Express and bombing at various Muslim places. ATS had also revealed after a thorough inquiry that Col Purohit and some other army officers were helping in training the Hindu terrorists, providing them with the military-grade explosive RDX, used in the Malegaon bombings and terrorist attacks in other Indian cities.

It is of particular attention that last year, prominent politicians of the Hindu extremist parties having close ties with the arrested officials have been pressurizing the Congress regime to release the culprits. In this respect, last year, the prosecutor told an Indian court about the confession of Purohit, but next day, he backed out of his statement due to threats of Hindu fundamentalists.

In this context, during simultaneous attacks in Mumbai on November 26, 2008, the death of Anti-Terrorism Squad Chief Hemant Karkare exposed that Indian intelligence agencies in coordination with Hindu extremists had planned the scheme to pressurize Pakistan and to take political advantage over the latter especially on Kashmir issue as the US President Obama and UK seemed serious to resolve this dispute. New Delhi not only wanted to divert their attention from this issue, but also desired to abandon peace process with Pakistan, which it had suspended under the pretext of Mumbai carnage.

As regards the assassination of Karkare, in the Indian Mail Today, Narayan Rane, an Indian-Hindu leader of the Congress had remarked on December 16, 2008 that Hindu politicians of India provided logistical and financial support to Hindutva terrorists for killing Karkare.

While, Indian Minority Affairs Minister Abdul Rahman Antulay who had changed his statement after duress from Congress had clearly revealed in the Lok Sabha that the killing of Karkare in Mumbai was a conspiracy, saying that he was assassinated owing to his leading role in the investigation against Hindus regarding the Malegaon bombings which had killed eight people outside a mosque. He further elaborated, “Anyone trying to go to the roots of terror has always been a target”, calling for a separate inquiry into Karkare’s death.

It is mentionable that concrete evidene had emerged about the existence of Hindu terrorism which was exposed on April 6, 2008 when in the house of Bajrang Dal fundamentalists in Nanded, a bomb went off. The police seized the Muslim clothing, fake beards, names and addresses which showed the location of mosques and houses of the prominent Muslims. The investigations proved that the militants belonging to the Bajrang Dal were found in the bomb-making and attack on a mosque in Parbhani in 2003. They were also involved in bomb blasts in Purna and Jalna in August 2004.

It was also proved that Hindu extremists with the help of fundamentalist parties, Shiv Sena, BJP, VHP and RSS were responsible for bombings of Malegaon, Modasa, Ajmar and Hyderabad including some other cities.

Before these revelations about Hindu terrorism, Indian government has been accusing Pakistan-based Islamic organizations in contacts with its intelligence agencies for carrying out bomb blasts in Malegaon and other Indian places.

It is interesting to note that quite contrary to the real facts which are now on record, in the meetings of Joint Anti Terror Mechanism (JATM), Indian side has even handed over a folder, alleging that the attack on Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad and explosion in the Samjhota Express were identical—and their perpetrator, Shahid Bilal has been hiding in Karachi.

The fact of the matter is that in the aftermath of Mumbai catastrophe, Islamabad had repeatedly asked New Delhi to send exact information regarding the investigation of Col. Purohit including other accused in relation to the bombing of Samjhota Express. Although India has promised to share its findings with Pakistan, yet little has been shared in this regard. In fact, by concealing the details of the incident, New Delhi has been trying to hide Hindu terrorism.

But amazingly, it had already been exposed by the evidence as witnessed during the anti-Muslim terror events of the last couple of years. But such developments as role of Indian extremist group, Sanatan Sanstha behind blasts in Goa and communal riots in Miraj and Sangli before elections in Maharashtra including the revelations of Naik in relation to the activities of fundamentalists—especially in connection with the state transport minister’s wife’s secret relationship with the group have shown new evidence about Hindu terrorism.

Interestingly, regarding Hindu terrorism, BBC had indicated on November 21, 2008, “a new phrase has entered the sometimes cliche-riddled Indian press: “Hindu terrorism”, calling it the latest addition to the media lexicon. But now latest evidence has endorsed the fact.

Sajjad Shaukat is a regular writer for Opinion Maker, he writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations

Raja Mujtaba

After graduating from college, I joined Pakistan Army and was commissioned in a Tank Regiment.   I am a veteran of the Indo-Pakistan war. After leaving the Army, I joined IT as a profession. I was hired by Kuwait Air Force And Air Defence as an Adviser to computerize its entire operation.   Here I was the Chief Coordinator of the Project, Kuwait Automated Support System (KASS).   It was a state-of-the-art leading-edge technology where we established over 500 online terminals network with dedicated voice and data communications. It had Satellite linkups to connect with other systems and track the inventory movement for KAF & AD.   On this project, I was coordinating with the US Navy, IBM World, AT&T, and Martin Marietta for the development, deployment, and operation of the KASS.  Writing has always been a passion for me, been writing for 25 years for various newspapers and periodicals. Now for the last four years, I have formed my virtual Think Tank, Opinion Maker.  Here we have some renowned writers from Pakistan and abroad who contribute regularly that’s helping the world opinion in some way.  I am a keen golfer may not be a good one but play on a daily basis. I am also fond of using the camera to picture nature and people.