Is Self Righteous Anti-Hindu Bigotry the new normal for Indian Secularism?

On December 6, 2010, a book titled “26/11 : RSS ki Sazish” (26/11: Conspiracy by RSS) written by Aziz Burney, who is the Editor-in-Chief of Urdu Sahara newspaper was released by Congress General Secreatary Digvijay Singh on in Delhi.

The book is about the attack by Pakistani terrorists on Mumbai which went on for 3 days – from November 26, 2008 to November 29th, 2008 – killing 164 people and wounding at least 308. Targets were specifically picked up by the terrorists for maximum psychological impact and damage to certain communities. For example, Leopold cafe, a place frequented by Westerners was attacked. So was the Nariman House Jewish community centre!

Within hours, the conversations between the terrorists and their Pakistani handlers were intercepted and recorded. One of the terrorist – Ajmal Kasab – was caught alive thanks to the courage of a police constable. He revealed the details of his handlers – including Hafeez Saeed in Pakistan.

Despite the various loony extremist and fringe elements in Pakistani media making it a “conspiracy of the Hindu zionists (sic) – Pakistani Government and the top media group Dawn admitted that Ajmal Kasab indeed a Pakistani. Not just that, Dawn TV went on to show how all the terrorists apart from Kasab – who were killed – were from Pakistan.

In fact the particular villages and towns to which they belonged were also revealed!

It is therefore indeed interesting that the General Secretary of Congress – a title within the Indian National Congress which is at the highest level – was not just acquiescing to the conspiracy theory of the extremist Islamic loony fringe of Pakistan, but fully backing it up in an official capacity! The salient points made in the book are:

The BJP and RSS have been implicated in orchestrating the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
ATS Chief Hemant Karkare was on the verge of revealing crucial information related to the Malegaon blast, which was expected to expose several sadhus, saints, and political figures, including those linked to the BJP and RSS. Contrary to official reports, Karkare was allegedly not killed by an AK-47, but by a police service revolver. The RAW and Home Ministry are reportedly investigating the possible involvement of the Gujarat ATS in Karkare’s murder, which is believed to have been executed by Hindutva-aligned police officials and members of the Chota Rajan gang.
The involvement of international agencies, such as Mossad and the CIA, is alleged in the support provided to the Sangh Parivar during the Mumbai attacks.
It is claimed that since 1993, a series of attacks in India have resulted from a covert alliance between the RSS and Mossad.
The Congress party has raised suspicions about the BJP's involvement in the Malegaon blast, alongside the RSS and Bajrang Dal.
Allegations have surfaced that the RSS and Israel are collaborating to destabilize India (p. 190).
The notion that such attacks are part of a broader strategy to transform India into a Hindu nation has been suggested (p. 219).
While the RSS is reportedly arming youths and women with 'Trishuls,' the Bajrang Dal is accused of training individuals to make bombs and orchestrate blasts. There are allegations that the VHP planted bombs in several mosques across Maharashtra (p. 584).
The RSS and VHP are accused of attempting to tarnish the image of Muslims by creating terrorist organizations like the Indian Mujahideen and Islamic Security Force. It is claimed that the Indian Mujahideen was not responsible for the Assam bomb blasts, and that Bajrang Dal is a shadowy organization, with the Indian Mujahideen being a code name for it. Communalism Combat Editor Teesta Setalvad reported that the CBI is allegedly covering up Hindu terrorism, and that the Batla House encounter was staged (p. 597).
It is proposed that the Election Commission of India should consider banning the BJP from participating in elections.

If one looks at the above points, one realizes that this was unabashedly a Hate Campaign against the Hindu community and the Opposition Party of that time – Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) as well as its associates – that was attempted by the author and the Congress General Secretary. By equating Hinduism in totality with RSS and BJP, and attacking Hinduism, and by association implicating BJP, Congress was running a whole religious community down! Given the vitriolic against the Hindus while cloaking the basic and inherent narrative as an attack on a political opposition party (clearly to argue plausible deniability) one wonders – Is Anti-Hindu Bigotry in India being sold in the cloak of Political opposition?

For, the inherent hatred against the common “culprits” – i.e.; Hindus, Jews and Americans – in the Islamic Terrorist Narrative across the world is too well known by now. As is the instrument of Conspiracy Theories. By juxtaposing the Big Three – Idolaters (Hindus in plain English), Jews and Americans – Islamic Extremists the world over instantly assign a Victimhood status to themselves and therefore, any act of terror is henceforth justified.

So, in the process of recruiting and training and justifying the Islamic Terror, two ingredients are paramount – Demonizing the “Big Three” and Self-assignment of Victimhood. Conspiracy theories achieve both. Congress did all of them and escaped the media's wrath unscathed – without any explanation or questioning! Such are egregious levels of media double standards! Alarmingly, the very people in India who forward the Islamic Extremist and Terror Narrative are considered “Secular”.

In fact, not only do they get the certificate of Secularism – but with that comes an unlimited right to express outrage at anything that is related to Hinduism – customs, Priests, rituals, Scriptures, language (Sanskrit), and Gurus or Teachers – in a way that really is structured to denounce Hinduism by association.

A critical question that one needs to ask and ponder upon given the above episode and the continued free pass given to Digvijay Singh, the Congress General Secretary and the Party itself is – Is Hinduphobia the real Indian Secularism?

AAP Victory in Delhi – an Open Invitation to Anti-Hindu Bigotry Cloaked as Secularism

In the recent Delhi elections, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was pitted against the incumbent BJP. While AAP seeked the blessing and a special Fatwa by the main Mullah of the influential Jama Masjid mosque to vote for them, it was considered a communal act if any Guru with a large following even expressed any level of agreement with the ruling party. None of the Gurus asked their supporters to vote for any party mind you.. unlike the Mullah of the Grand Jama Masjid mosque.

But the Fatwa was somehow a “Secular” act in the increasingly hypocritical political debate and landscape of India. What seemed like clear double standards and bastardization of the whole concept of Secularism prior to the Delhi Elections, became even more outrageously bigoted when AAP one.

This small representation of the election results has become a common sight on many AAP supporters and self-appointed Secular people on Social Media.

The intelligent cartooning skills of the artist are more than well matched by his/her unbridled anti-Hindu bigotry! Here is why:

The swastika is probably one of the two most sacred symbols in Hinduism. It represents the Universal balance and oneness of the Existence. No Hindu ritual, prayer, temple or new undertaking is complete without a Swastika!
Swastika has nothing to do with BJP – the party that lost to AAP! It is NOT something that the BJP uses in any of the political works or undertakings.
Swatika’s construction is considered to be its most important aspect. If done wrong it is not only inauspicious but also derogatory. That is why, when Hitler used the symbol facing left, it was considered to be a bad omen by the Hindus. In each of the quadrants, there is a dot to balance the form. The artist, to demonstrate his form of a man, has chosen to distort Swastika.

What one fails to understand is – When did political hatred for your opponent party become a good excuse to mock a religious symbol of the Hindus?

It gets more interesting because one of the partner parties of BJP also fielded candidates in Delhi – who incidentally lost. That party is an avowedly Sikh party – the Akali Dal, unlike BJP, which has explicitly declared itself a National party working for all and having Muslims in important posts. So the obvious question is – how come the Sikh symbol of Kanda was left out of those being chased out? If one wants – turning the kanda around and using it creatively – one can have a Sikh being chased out as well. The obvious question given the three issues with the use of Swatika (and Swastika alone!) is – was the Delhi Elections an election against the Hindus? Because the celebratory illustrations – so righteously shared by many on social media – does suggest so!

Or Is Self Righteous Anti-Hindu Bigotry the new normal for Indian Secularism?