The myth of Hindu Terror – insider account of Ministry of Home Affairs, RVS Mani, Vitasta Publishing, New Delhi, Pp. 219, Rs. 495
Malegaon Blasts, Samjhauta Blasts and Nanded – Blast, which were the bedrock of ‘Hindu Terror’ narrative, have been explained, painstakingly demolishing the canard of ‘saffron terrorists’
Nidhi Bahuguna
Indians will remember 2005 -2009 as a time of nearly daily terror activities. These terror activities were mostly in the form of Bomb Blasts, often traced to radical Islamist organisations. At this point, out of the blue, a narrative of Hindu/saffron terror began to be propagated by the media with the active connivance of the UPA government in power. It caused serious anxiety within the Hindu community, as they were being termed as terrorists without proof, while the real perpetrators were being protected for Vote Bank politics.
Hindu Terror
There was no stage available to voice the Hindu concerns at being labelled saffron terrorists when prime space was taken up by shrill debates on saffron terrorists like Col Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya, Malegaon Blasts, Nanded Blasts- every terror attack by radical Islamist outfits was sought to be blamed on Saffron forces.
The book by RVS Mani brings to fore the dangerous conspiracy that was the creation of ‘saffron terror’ narrative. The seeds of the narrative began with Nanded Blasts and were carried forward by Malegaon and Samjhauta Blasts. The author recounts a meeting with the Then Home minister, Shiv Raj Patil, where Digvijay Singh and Hemant Karkare were present. RVS Mani had given information on Islamist modules being behind all the blasts like Samjhauta, Mecca Masjid, Varanasi, Modasa, Jaunpur, Delhi, Indian Institute for Science (IISc) etc. It was after this meeting that the seeds of ‘Saffron Terror’ began getting planted. He states that ‘at a time when we had the best team in the IS Division of the MHA, the attitude of the government in power and intent to colour every terror incident as ‘saffron’ and their ambivalence in acting against the real perpetrators of the terror attacks was making this country a cannon fodder for those with evil designs against India.’
Mani has documented every terror attack, right from IISc blast, Mumbai train Blasts, Malegaon, Samjauta Express Blasts, Mecca Masjid Blasts, Lumbini Park Hyderabad Blasts, Ajmer Sharif Blasts, District court Blasts at Jaunpur, Faizabad and Varanasi, CRPF camp Rampur, Modasa, Delhi Blasts and Batla house, RSS Headquarters, Nagpur blast. He has provided painstaking details of the organisations behind the Blasts, and how many of these incidents were sought to be painted saffron. Mumbai Blasts of 26 Nov 2008, have been dealt in great detail. The reader gets a good input into the deep conspiracy that went behind the incident and especially the participation by the local elements- which never gets highlighted anywhere in the discourse on 26/11.
The book makes for chilling reading- how a complicit Government can twist facts and with the help of a pliant media create a fake narrative of Saffron Terror. By providing documents, Parliamentary records, news reports and other evidence, RVS Mani in this book has torn apart the myth of Hindu Terror quite effectively. He has provided documents, data and named the real perpetrators behind every blast. Interestingly, in every Parliamentary debate on various blasts, the Home Ministry gave real information on the perpetrators, while maintaining in public that ‘Saffron Terror’ was a threat.
This book needs to be read by every Indian, every patriotic citizen who was pained by being termed a ‘Hindu terrorist’. It is a vindication of sorts for those who called ‘Hindu Terror’ as a myth.
