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Can terrorism be labeled or given the
prefix of a holy color associated with religious sentiments? This
debate came to the surface with P. Chidmbaram stating, "There has
been a recent uncovered phenomenon of saffron terrorism that has
been implicated in many bomb blasts in the past. My advice to you is
that we must remain ever vigilant and continue to build, at both
Central and state level, our capacities in counter-terrorism," to
the top policemen (August 25, 2010). There was a strong reaction to
this from the Hindutva parties, parties working for the goal of
Hindu Nation, BJP and Shiv Sena. The Congress spokespersons were
also in a quandary, one of them supported the statement and the
other one disowned it, saying that terrorism has just one color
black. BJP spokesperson demanded apology. Shiv Sena’s Uddhav
Thackeray demanded resignation of Mr. Chidambaram, while his father,
the supreme dictator of Shiv Sena Bal Thackeray, demanded to know
the color of bloodshed in Kashmir and Delhi anti Sikh violence.
Chidambaram’s statement has a background of multiple acts of terror
coming to light since the Malegaon blast of Sept 2008, when role of
Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Swami Dayanand Pandey, and Swami
Aseemanand came to surface. It was Hemant Karkre, Chief of
Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad, who successfully unearthed the
whole conspiracy by these saffron clad people. They had other
associates in Lt. Col. Prasad Shrikant Purohit, Retired Major
Upadhayay and many others, who are working for the goal of Hindu
Rashtra. This blast was preceded by many similar one’s in which
associates of Abhinav Bharat, Sanatan Prabhat and Bajrang Dal were
suspected. Just to recall, when this conspiracy by all those
inspired by the ideology of ‘Hindu Rashtra’ came to surface, there
was a great discomfort in BJP-Shiv Sena RSS quarters. Shiv Sena
mouth piece Samana stated ‘we spit on Karkare who is investigating
this case’. On the other hand a major BJP leader stated that Karkare
is anti National (Deshdrohi). Same Karkare was killed when the
terror attack took place in Mumbai on 26/11, 2008. The real
undercurrent of this complex story is yet to be unraveled and
recognized fully, still the situation leading to the death of
Karkare led the then minority affairs Minister A R Antulay to say
that there might have been terrorism plus something, which led to
the killing of Karkare the man investigating these terror blasts.
It is after this event that the word Saffron Terror, Hindu terror
came to be coined and got wide currency. This prefixing of religion
and a holy color of a religion came in the backdrop of wide usage of
another word Islamic terrorism, Jihadi terrorism, the words coined
by American media and picked up world over. Surely these
terminologies Islamic terrorism and Hindu terrorism are misnomers.
The word Jihadi Terrorism and Saffron terrorism have been used to
describe a pattern in these acts of terror. Jihadi word was a
deliberate concoction as Jihad does not mean killing, it stands for
striving for betterment etc.
What about Saffron Terrorism, the term used by Chidambaram and many
other scholars-activists-journalists? It can be explained in the
context of this word, saffron, being high jacked by the believers of
‘Hindu Nation’, the believers of Hindutva, a political ideology
using the identity of Hindu religion. One knows that to use the word
Hindutva is fraught with dangers. It is a politics but gives the
impression of being a religion. This word was coined by Savarkar,
the ideologue of Hindu Mahasabha. As per him it means whole of
Hinduness, race (Aryan) geographical area between Sindhu to Seas and
Culture (Vedic). This was a word parallel to political Islam, which
was made the base of politics of Muslim League. Muslim League used a
green flag, Hindu Mahsabha used saffron flag. Later RSS from 1925
picked up the ideology of Hindutva to attain Hindu Rashtra.
In contrast to Indian tricolor, RSS insisted on using Saffron flag.
Saffron color which stands for renunciation and devotion in Hindu
tradition was usurped for political goals, the goals which were
opposed to the goals of Indian National Movement. Indian National
Movement was struggling for plural, secular democratic India, while
the bearers of green flag, Muslim league wanted and Islamic Nation
and those waving saffron flag wanted Hindu Nation, both these
political currents were a throw back to times when the concept of
democracy, human rights was absent and the status of dalits and
women was subordinate to men of high social status.
During the decade of 1980, RSS, VHP and associates launched their
campaign for Ram Temple and there was a blatant use of religious
imagery and symbols for political goals. As such the political goals
of RSS progeny, the agenda of Hindu nation harps to the values of
Manu Smiriti in modern form. Surely this politics asserts the
supremacy of social system prevalent in ancient times. No wonder,
Ambedkar burnt the Manusmirit and later drafted the Indian
Constitution to project the values of Liberty, Equality and
Fraternity.
RSS and company used the symbols of saffron flag in its mobilization
campaigns all through 1980s and 1990s. There was extensive use of
saffron stickers for political propaganda for Ram Temple and Hindu
Rashtra. RSS has a whole wing of assorted saffron clad sadhus,
asserting that Hindu holy books have a primacy over Indian legal
system; Indian Constitution. VHP, to which these sadhus belong is
the other major RSS associate. VHP stated that decision of the Holy,
saffron clad, Sadhus is more important than that of Indian courts.
In nutshell saffron color, the color associated with religious
sentiments came to be abused by this political outfit for its
political goals. No wonder its politics came to be associated with
saffron color. During NDA regime when BJP’s Murli Manohar Joshi was
communalizing the school text books and education system, it came to
be labeled as Saffronization of education. It is pity that a holy
color of renunciation has been associated with a political ideology.
The present statement by Chidambaram is just a continuation of the
popular association of the word saffron with Hindutva-RSS politics
in the political arena. In the present era of monopolar World,
dictated by the ambitions of US greed for oil and plunder of the
global resources, politics has been given the veneer of religion.
That’s why they use the word ‘Clash of Civilizations’ for their
political goals. That’s why so far Islam and Muslims have been
demonized. U.S. and large section of globe, India in particular are
in the grip of Islamophobia. It is time we see the sanctity of
religions and oppose the use of religious symbols, colors and
terminologies for political goals.
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