The danger posed by politics of hate

MANY MUSLIM BOYS HAVE BEEN WRONGFULLY PICKED UP BY POLICEMEN ACROSS STATES FOR VARIOUS ACTS OF TERRORISM AND LATER RELEASED BY COURTS FOR LACK OF EVIDENCE

radicalised and full of Hindutva rhetoric that they think nothing of protesting against the arrest of a potential terrorist, who could have killed them too, just because the eventual goal of his organisation was to secure a Hindu Rashtra. What would they say if members of the minority community had similarly thronged the streets to protest the arrest of an alleged terrorist from their community?

I remember, Indian Muslim communities did not even offer six feet of space to the 26/11 terrorists who had to be eventually buried at sea.

But even presuming they were Pakistani and Indian Muslims were not obliged to offer them burial space in the country, what about those innumerous Muslim parents, shocked at the involvement of their children in terrorist or anti-social activities who ostracised them and cut them out of their will?

Then, again, I remember a similar cache of arms being uncovered by the Aurangabad police a few years ago which had been put together by some terrorists in the city with the specific aim of targeting the Ajanta and Ellora caves.

Although some parents were shocked and others were in denial, there was never any protest against the authorities in seeking their release.

Many Muslim boys have been wrongfully picked up by policemen across states for various acts of terrorism and later released by courts for lack of evidence. They lost precious years of their lives and careers, yet chose the due course of law for honourable discharge from the cases.

The difference in attitudes also shows that even before 2014, minorities had no protection in this country but for the Constitution and the Sanatanis and their friends seem to continue to believe they are above the law and the Constitution.

They seem to be worse than our home-grown Muslim terrorists who so far have targeted only their obvious “enemies” , sparing members of their own religion. In targeting Ganpati pandals and Diwali celebrations, they seem to be worse than Narkasura, who may have proved too much for the gods but spared people of his own.