- In the end, even Hindus won’t be safe
By Younus Sandeela
Hindu fanatics have ransacked Indian society and culture beyond repair. They have successfully managed to marginalise and silence every minority in India– well this seems to be the case for now at-least. On the way to implementing their RSS agenda that openly and shamelessly demands complete expulsion of all minorities from India or allowing them to live there only if they accepted lesser rights than animals, the Hindu extremists have crossed all limits of barbarism. Supported by countries with their own notorious history of human rights violations and forceful occupation of sovereign lands, the BJP and its supporters have clearly been intoxicated by unmanageable power.
This power is presently being brutally unleashed against the unarmed and helpless Muslim population in Kashmir and the rest of India. Only time would tell if BJP terrorists will always be confronted by unarmed and presumably helpless opposition, as Kashmiris are, or in future they will have to face some kind of guerrilla warfare in their own cities across India which could turn the country into another Rwanda. At present the BJP’s mindless lust for power blinds its leadership to any possibility of civil war in India. They seem to firmly believe that their nexus with Israel and the USA will allow them similar use of disproportionate power that has been exercised in other parts of the world to silence oppositions and to crush independence movements. Again, only time would tell if India’s current BJP government would get away with its crimes against humanity in Kashmir and other parts of India or will be made to pay the price for shedding the blood of its own citizens.
In the process of implementing their bizarre Hindutva agenda, the Hindu fanatics have destroyed the very fabric of Indian society– the Hindus and Muslims of India will have to relive the painful experience of Partition. The Indian claim to secularism has been thrown out of the window for good and its belief in democracy questioned and largely rejected, at least by those who place morality above economics. The biggest damage caused is to the Indian media that has lost all credibility amongst sane and well-informed people around the globe.
Indian PM Narendra Modi’s BJP seems to have made some serious miscalculations. First of all, India is home to around 250 million Muslims. Would it be practically possible for BJP terrorists to kill or expel all Muslims living in India without any serious retaliation? Sooner or later these people would revolt and fight for their life and honour. What would be the form, timing and severity of that retaliation is anybody’s guess.
Sikhs, who have already been feeling restless in the face of rising Hindu fundamentalism, will have no choice but to either strive for independence or risk being executed by Hindu nationalists. No outside power could have rejuvenated the Khalistan movement as effectively as the Modi-led BJP has
Secondly, for the first time after Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Pakistan is being ruled by an extremely popular leader with strong international following. Imran Khan is known for achieving the unachievable. Unlike Pakistani heads of government in last decade or so, it is impossible to cow him down or to entice him through personal offers or short-term national gains.
Thirdly, in-spite of all media manoeuvring it will be impossible to hide that the Hindutva movement is not about ethnic cleansing of Muslims only– it necessarily requires ridding India of all minorities, including Christians and Sikhs who also are in substantial numbers in India. Christians have already been subjected to Hindutva terrorism. Reports of killings and forced conversions of Christians in India have been frequently surfacing in the media. Most Western governments have so far preferred not to take a strong position against Indian atrocities in Kashmir presumable due to their economic and commercial interests in the country. How easy would it be for these governments to remain silent and watch the Christian population being butchered or forcefully converted to Hinduism? Above all, how would the Church react to atrocities committed against Christians in India once the issue gains international attention?
Lastly, the world order is changing rapidly. For many rising powers stakes in the region that is frequently referred to as the new “Chinese- and Russian-led economic bloc” are higher today than ever before. Realignments are taking place all over the world. India’s increasing coziness with Israel and the USA; and Pakistan’s diminishing warmth in relations with the USA and Saudi Arabia is encouraging countries like Iran to seriously reconsider her position with regards to her relations with India and Pakistan. Taliban have proved themselves to be the main force, if not the rightful rulers, in Afghanistan. The battle-hardened Taliban fighters would have a significant say over what happens on Pakistan’s western border.
Indian aggression against Pakistan will necessarily disturb balance of power in the region which will translate into future threats to China and Russia as Indian success against Pakistan would necessarily mean increased US influence in the region. Also, the Chinese must be knowing full well that Indian designs are not limited to annexing Kashmir. It would be naive to believe that China has not figured out Indian plan of killing two birds with one stone– destabilise Imran Khan’s efforts of rebuilding Pakistan’s economy by creating tensions in Kashmir and in the process disrupting the One Belt One Road initiative to restrict Chinese political influence and economic growth. Regional powers are likely to be dragged into the conflict to protect their own interests if not for the love of Pakistan. Turkey has already made its position clear with respect to Indian aggression in Kashmir.
Indian adventurism in Kashmir will have repercussions for not just the region but the entire world. Even a conventional war, once started between Pakistan and India over Kashmir will get out of control and would only serve the purpose of destructive forces. Internal damage to India will also be huge. Hindus who genuinely believe in secularism will either be silenced and forced to comply to Hindutva philosophy, or would be eliminated if they tried to raise their voice against the senseless RSS ideology. Sikhs, who have already been feeling restless in the face of rising Hindu fundamentalism, will have no choice but to either strive for independence or risk being executed by Hindu nationalists. No outside power could have rejuvenated the Khalistan movement as effectively as the Modi-led BJP has.
Many Indian Hindus disapprove of what is happening in Kashmir and the rest of India, but are too scared to oppose the fascist BJP. These people will pay a huge price in the long run. If in the end BJP actually manages to achieve its objectives and its terrorists actually manage to kill or expel all minorities from the so called “Hindu land”, what would they do afterwards? These people would have become killing machines armed with deadly weapons. By then these terrorists would have become used to dictating their terms to everyone around them. Once they would be done with killing every Muslim, Sikh, Christian and members of other minorities they will turn to those Hindus who did not approve of their ideology– a very scary scenario for moderate Hindus living in India.
The writer is a freelance columnist.
