Leftist Hinduphobia

On Dec-16, 2014, in a gruesome massacre at Army public school, Peshawar, allegedly by Pakistani Taliban, also refereed as "Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)" more than 140 school children were murdered. A school teacher was also burned alive. This mindless killing has been justified using Islamic holy scriptures by murderers. Impact of this news, as it broke, was such that simple "condemnation" without any action seemed "putting the issue in cold storage" or "It was just another event".

Despite worldwide condemnation, echoes  of the gunshots fired upon unsuspecting school children reflected in civil society of India and Pakistan are more shocking. Taking lead from attackers burning school teacher alive, "Eminent Journalists and Intellectuals" of Pakistan are attempting their best to convince locals that Indians (Hindus, if community is not specified in Pakistan context) are behind this massacre (See video of one well known Pakistani intellectual Dr Sahid Masood below). 

 

Indian "secular" bloc are busy expressing their views comparing Taliban with "Sanghis" in their peculiar way. While Pakistanis were calling people to come forward and file an FIR against the criminals, Indian intellectuals are propagating idea of "reclaiming mosques" based on report published in popular news paper "The independent" that reads

"The leader of the group that carried out the massacre has issued a warning. “If our women and children die as martyrs, your children will not escape,” Umar Mansoor warned. In the past, such threats provoked a terrified silence. No longer. In Islamabad, hundreds gathered outside the Red Mosque where extremist preacher Maulana Abdul Aziz is based. In recent days, he had been much in evidence on television supporting the Taliban."

Furthermore, 

" “We are reclaiming our mosques,” Jibran Nasir, the organiser of the protest told The Independent. “These are our houses of worship and they should represent our concerns and not that of our enemies.” They came bearing signs, “Go Taliban Go” and “Apologists are the enemy”. One sign said, “Run, burka, run”."

Nowhere in the report, Hindus are even remotely addressed. However, some authors took the lead in deriving "useful" conclusions/confusions, that demonstrate prevalent "Hinduphobia" among left leaning Indian intelligentsia .

The conversation begins with Ms Versey, for whatever reason, opining that Hindus should reclaim temples from "sanghis" or "Hindu Taliban", a term invented by "Secular" bloc. A local general knowledge says that barring [probably] only 2 temples (Padmanabhswami temple, Kerala and Tirupati, Andra Pradesh), all Hindu temples are under state control. On contrary, Hindus are actively working to get rid of state intervention in temple management and improving conditions of the temples.

Conversation continues to reveal true nature, purpose and location of gathering (Thanks, Tarek Fatah).

What else can be clear manifestation of "hinduphobia" among "leftist intellectuals"? They did not miss even this tragedy from using for their predetermined motives.

update (23/12/2014): Pakistan urdu media blames India for Peshawar attack. (Link)

Religion that impacts in Electoral politics

Recently Karantka state elections 2013 concluded. Indian National Congress (INC) won decisively. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ended in third place. Lot of joy was seen on congress supporters on social media. BJP supporters were searching for reasons for BJP's defeat.

In all this one important picture that shows light on how a specific religion impacts electoral politics.

Is this appeal, or recommendation in behalf of candidates listed, by religious body changed the electoral outcome? How appropriate for a religious body to issue a whip in the name of "appeal" to voters? How different it is from "imposing one's will on others"? This is surely a dangerous sign in electoral politics in democracies.

Congress has won elections with near majority. This "appeal", to support congress and subsequent congress victory, is indicator that "Muslims" in India is a "vote bank"?

Religion that impacts in Electoral politics

Recently Karantka state elections 2013 concluded. Indian National Congress (INC) won decisively. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ended in third place. Lot of joy was seen on congress supporters on social media. BJP supporters were searching for reasons for BJP's defeat.

In all this one important picture that shows light on how a specific religion impacts electoral politics can be seen.

Is this appeal, or recommendation in behalf of candidates listed, by religious body changed the electoral outcome? How appropriate for a religious body to issue a whip in the name of "appeal" to voters? How different it is from "imposing one's will on others"? This is surely a dangerous sign in electoral politics in democracies.

Congress has won elections with near majority. This "appeal", to support congress and subsequent congress victory, is indicator that "Muslims" in India is a "vote bank"?

Culcutta Chromosome synthesised

The ghost of Subhash Chandra Bose (Bose) has greatly haunted Nehru-Gandhi legacy during Indian freedom struggle in India. The British, or may be Europeans in general, who see M K Gandhi as epitome of non-violence, give full credit to Indian National Congress (INC) for Indian independence. Furthermore, apart from M K Gandhi (Gandhi) and J L Nehru (Nehru), all other important leaders of INC hardly get any mention in western historical narrative. This selective approach builds an impression of INC as 2 men army, who fought for freedom without arms i.e. using non-violent methods.

Is it true narrative adopted by officially appointed historians? Or is it the case that historians were hired to perpetuate 2 men army model of the INC? The article, "Culcutta Chromosome" by Patrick French (P French), is another such article to emphasis 2 men army model of INC, who led India to Independence undermining important contributions of others, Bose in particular.

P French argues, that "it was Gandhi and Nehru's policy of patience that secured Indian independence". This statement is lack of substance and long perpetuated myth by colonial rulers and historians of Marxist flavor in Independent India. 

This blog is to break this myth using most available information in the public domain and hence not making any new revelations. It is known that Bose was advocating armed fight against British. Therefore, British were keen to arrest him. Bose, as P French mentioned, "escaped" from prison in "Calcutta and travelled abroad disguised as a Pathan pilgrim". Bose also went into negotiations with world leaders, during WWII including Hitler, for his cause - armed Indian freedom struggle.

Hitler is a most polarizing figure in world. Someone, who is not vehemently criticizing Hitler, is often dubbed as Nazi supporter and Holocaust denier (From my personal experience in Australia). Horrors of Holocaust hits first mention whenever Hitler is quoted. This information is nicely used by P French when he pose question "Why should Bose be a hero after his embrace of Hitler?" This question has to be answered. 

It is true that Hitler had no positive opinion for Indians. P French rightly mentions, Hitler saying to Lord Halifax, "Gandhi ought to be shot and the Congress leadership executed in batches of 200 at a time". However, Bose had never expressed slightest consent to Hitler's thoughts. In fact, his opinions for Indians were so negative, Hitler declined to meet Bose and ignored his cause.

Bose was planning to build army using Indian soldiers. He saw opportunity, of building army, in Indian prisoners of war (PoWs) kept in enemy camp. Probably P French forgot to mention that Indian PoWs were used as shooting targets by Japanese army. Following Picture (taken from Wikipedia) should refresh these memories.

Bose, talking to Hitler and Japanese for his cause of Indian independence, really saved many lives of Indian PoWs. This, in my opinion, is sufficient to make him a hero. As a hero, a leader, he made Indian National Army (INA) and fought against British for his cause. He nurtured a sense of Indian nationalism in demoralized Indian PoWs. This sense of Indian Nationalism in British Indian Forces, made British government of that time grant India independence.

P French may be ignoring the conversation of the then prime minister of UK C Attlee and Bengal governer B P Chakravarti that states among several reasons, "the most important were the activities of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose which weakened the very foundation of the attachment of the Indian land and naval forces to the British Government." Furthermore, on questioning contribution of nonviolent movements of Gandhi and Nehru in granting India independence, C Attlee replied "'mi-ni-mal' (Emphasis added)." (from http://folks.co.in/blog/2012/01/23/who-brought-freedom-gandhi-or-netaji/)

N S Rajaraman argues that the fall of British empire began with fall of Singapore.  Therefore, independence of India is more closely linked with freedom of South-East Asia. Furthermore, post-war trials of INA members lead to mutiny in British Indian forces. This new development is generally ignored by historians of Marxist flavor. From impeccable British sources, it can be said that Bose made a great contribution in cultivating Indian nationalism. INC, on the other hand, miserably failed to do the same despite enjoying massive popular support. Sometimes, I ask myself, what exactly was the purpose of A O Hume to establish Congress in India.

In article published in The Week, P French makes a subtle and weak attempt to undermine contributions of Bose and therefore fails to decode Calcutta chromosome.

Intellectual skirmish

A skirmish between MaCauley Putras and Anglophiles  can be seen here. "MaCauley putras" is a term referred to those elites of India who take pride in speaking flawless English. Furthermore, they thank British for coming to India, and enslaving (ooops. educating and hence civilizing) them. On the other hand, "Anglophiles" are those who speak fluent English but refuse to accept that British brought education and hence civilization to India. They also put a bad light on British crimes during British raj.

Bose family politics and the great escape, but no mention of what Nirad babu said about it in Thy Hand, Great Anarch! outlookindia.com/article.aspx?2…
— Patrick French (@PatrickFrench2) March 30, 2013

@nesoron @patrickfrench2 As long as Nirad babu tops the list, I would feel no anguish
— Swapan Dasgupta (@swapan55) March 30, 2013

@patrickfrench2Many candidates but only fewwilling 2 come out of closet. One 'Lord" Sarkar of Calcutta would qualify, as would K.Thapar
— Swapan Dasgupta (@swapan55) March 31, 2013

I included this post in blog to show that sledging can be done in a respectful manner. This skirmish also show how Anglophiles are countering MaCaulay Putras in India.

A systematic sale of Girl

In Islamic world, it is allowed to marry more than one wife subject to condition that the husband treat all his wives equally. Whatever may be the reason for having multiple wives, there is an ample scope of it being abused. 

Some poverty stricken Indian Muslims forget that they are responsible for their daughter's future. For sake of small money paid in return for marriage, they are playing with emotions of their own daughter.

Marriage being a "contract" in Islam, here is a classic report by Sreenivas Janyala published in Indian Express on Mar 10, 2013 that can be said as "a systematic sale of girl" to a foreign tourist.

"Osama Ibrahim arrived in Hyderabad a month ago with very specific requirements: he wanted to marry a girl below 20; he would pay Rs 1 lakh to her family as bride price; the marriage would last a month; and that he would leave the country after a divorce.

The 44-year-old Sudanese engineer, who has a wife and two children back home, had no problem finding what he wanted. At least five brokers agreed to provide girls and families meeting his specifications. He rejected three brides-to-be, before selecting a 17-year-old.

Her story would have become one of many in Hyderabad's bride bazaar but for the fact that this girl decided to fight back. On March 1, eight days after the nikaah, she managed to escape, reached Moghalpura police station and filed a complaint.

Since then, Ibrahim, the girl's father Yousuf Ali, her aunt Mumtaz Begum, the qazi who conducted the wedding, Mohammed Nasiruddin, and an alleged broker, Zahira Begum, have been arrested. On March 5, the girl was shifted into protective custody at a Government Girls' Home on the recommendation of the Investigating Officer in the case, Vijay Kumar.

"I was surprised when I came to know that the marriage was performed by a government-appointed qazi. It is illegal. He claims he did not know about the contract (for the wedding), but I do not believe him," Inspector Kumar says.

The 17-year-old from Moghalpura's Tallabkatta area has eight younger siblings—two brothers and six sisters. Both her parents, Yousuf and wife Ayesha, work as labourers. Yousuf has two other wives, with several more children. His two brothers and their families also live with them.

An intermediate drop-out, the girl says she was told she would be marrying a wealthy engineer, who would pay her father Rs 1 lakh. "I did not know that he was 44 years old and already married. On February 21, the nikaah was performed at our house and, even before I could give my consent, the ceremony was over. I was in shock and do not even remember saying kabool. Only after the ceremony did I see him," she says.

"After the wedding, he came to our house every day but I always found one excuse or the other not to be alone with him. My friend helped me slip away from home and call the police," she says.

Zahira Begum, who is accused of brokering the marriage between the Sudanese and the girl's family, initially tried to pass herself off as a distant relative. But police have found that she was not related and allege that she is a well-known broker operating in Charminar, Moghalpura and Barkas areas.

The girl's aunt met Ibrahim through brokers, who also contacted families of several other girls. "Ibrahim chose this girl, paid the money to her aunt and within hours, a qazi performed the nikaah. The girl was taken home and was to return to the guesthouse where Ibrahim was staying, but she slipped away from home and lodged a police complaint," says Kumar.

Ibrahim is among the many "grooms" from Sudan and Nigeria believed to be scouting Hyderabad for young girls to marry and leave. The racket that was earlier confined to sheikhs from the Gulf has spread to these African countries. There are cases where young students from East African countries have entered into contracts with girls' families with a clause that the alliance is to automatically end the day they complete their studies and return home.

"It is often girls from poverty-ridden families who are forced to agree. Sometimes there are six to eight girls in a family, and they feel there is no way out. The understanding is that the bride price received would pay off debts, if any, and help the family in dire straits. It also paves the way for other girls in the family to marry," says Shiraz Amina Khan of the NGO Women and Child Welfare Society.

If anything, getting such brides has become easier. "Earlier, at least the bride price was a few lakh rupees, now it is just about one lakh. After brokers take their cut, the family ends up getting less," says Khan.

The Waqf Board says that government-appointed qazis do not perform these contract marriages. But the girl's case proves this to be wrong. "Such marriages cannot be considered valid under the law of the land or Islamic law. Poor families are falling into this trap lured by brokers and fixers," says Ikramullah, chief of the government-appointed qazis for Hyderabad. He adds that he would make sure that Nasiruddin, who performed the girl's marriage, is convicted and never performs another nikaah.

Last July, concerned over the increasing number of such marriages, the Waqf Board had called a meeting of government-appointed qazis. "Our aim was to convey to the qazis that they should desist from performing contract marriages," Waqf Board chairman Syed Gulam Afzal Biyabani says. However, of the 14 government-appointed qazis, only eight turned up. "Of the eight, two said they would not perform a marriage if they 'felt' something was not right or the girl 'appeared' to be a minor. Only after we talked tough did they agree to scrutinise all marriages involving foreign nationals," a Waqf official says.

Officials admit the demand and the ready supply, given the desperation of the families, make it difficult to break the nexus. Still, they believe, the Waqf Board is not strict enough. "The board should not attest marriage certificates in suspicious cases and insist on couples registering their marriages. Qazis should be asked to file copies of all nikaahnamas of marriages they perform. If the board wants, it can ask the qazis to insist that foreign nationals get permission from their governments to marry here," says Zahid Ali Khan, editor of Siasat newspaper, which ran a campaign a few years ago against contract marriages.

One of the senior-most qazis in Hyderabad, Ali Abdullah Rafai, was arrested in 2011 and his licence cancelled after he arranged contract marriages of several minor girls with Arabs. In the past two years, at least six government-appointed qazis have been either suspended or arrested, according to the Waqf Board.

"Everyone knows that in Islam, such contract marriages do not have any validity," says Khan of the Women and Child Welfare Society. "They are just disguising what they do by labelling it a contract marriage." "


(Last edited May 15, 2013). 

Secularist vs Communal thought - Mumbai Riot 2012

Following two articles published in Indian Express presents an insight of so called "Secular" and "communal" mindset. The first article was jointly written by Javed Anand, general secretary, Muslims for Secular Democracy and Teesta Setalvad, secretary, Citizens for Justice and Peace on Aug 17, 2012. In response to above article, Madhu Trehan, Journalist/Director, News Laundry, wrote another article on Aug 22, 2012.

Teesta Shetalwad become famous after her "Anti-Modi" campaign in Post-Godhara riots in Gujarat that occurred in 2002. She has become a brand ambassador for "Secularism" in India. Let her views on recent Mumbai riots that originated from azad maidan speak for her.

"Ask all the questions, seek explanations, make comments on what the Mumbai police did or did not do before, during and after a Muslim mob behaved in despicable fashion — torching OB vans, attacking media persons and the police, molesting women constables, snatching arms from the police — in the backdrop of a rally at Azad Maidan last Saturday, to protest atrocities against Muslims in Assam and in Myanmar. (Police and the organisers agree that it was an armed group that suddenly surfaced outside the maidan and turned to violence.) But do allow for the possibility that responding in a most “un-police-like” fashion to extreme provocation, the city’s police commissioner, Arup Patnaik, may have opened a happy chapter in the otherwise unhappy Muslim-police relationship in the metropolis.
Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray is most unhappy that the police commissioner did not issue a blanket shoot-to-kill order. But the latter’s exemplary restraint is precisely what peace-loving Mumbaikars need to thank him for. Instead of repeating history, Patnaik has tried creating one.
Flashback to 1989. Even after the then Union government had issued a ban on The Satanic Verses, a few hundred Muslims instigated allegedly by one man took to the streets raising incendiary slogans, provoking the police. The cops gunned down 14 Muslims, to which the additional commissioner of police (law-and-order), S.M. Shingare, added the threat: “If they come for us, we’ll draw more blood.”
Fast forward to December 1992: in the immediate aftermath of the demolition of the Babri Masjid, under orders from the then police commissioner Bapat, well over 200 Muslims were gunned down in less than 72 hours. Bapat’s justification: a “shock treatment” was essential to control the mobs.
Add to these the conviction of over 80 per cent of the more than 123 accused in Mumbai’s March 1993 serial blasts in sharp contrast to the total impunity to the perpetrators of the January 1993 anti-Muslim violence, plus frequent complaints about alleged arbitrary arrests of Muslim youth in recent years, to get some sense of the highly strained, estranged community-cop relationship.
Senior journalists and social activists from Mumbai are aware that, given the absence of justice, the wounds of 1989 and 1992 are still festering. Thankfully, Patnaik, who was a deputy commissioner of police when Bombay burned (1992-93), has not forgotten either. It’s his act of remembering, and reminding, that prevented yet another bloodbath and ensured that the situation did not spin entirely out of control last Saturday.
It perhaps needed both courage and conviction on his part to march up to the dais in the midst of a highly volatile atmosphere and grab the mike to remind the charged gathering that neither police nor Muslims should forget what happened in 1992 and that both must do everything possible to prevent a repeat and reopen wounds. For the violent mob outside the maidan, the message meant nothing. But to the much larger assembly of Muslims gathered inside the maidan, it got home. As most of them dispersed peacefully from the other end of the maidan, it became easier for the police to deal with the murderous mob and to disperse them with the minimum use of force.
Those inclined to think this is too charitable an interpretation of the role of the police may wish to recall that whenever under attack, the police themselves tend to run riot. Every human life is precious and the tragic loss of two Muslim lives is not to be ignored. But nor must we forget that the mob was entirely responsible for the provocation and the overwhelming majority of those injured were policemen and policewomen, not to mention the unpardonable molestation of the latter. Peace was restored in about 30 minutes and mercifully the situation in the city is under control.
What if Patnaik had opted for the “shock treatment” precedent of his predecessors? For well over a week, MMS clips are being forwarded mobile to mobile, in Mumbai and elsewhere, with gory pictures of what’s being done to Muslims in Assam and Myanmar. Many of these pictures are obviously doctored, having nothing to do with Assam or Myanmar. But who cares? They are enough to inflame untutored minds, being told to see for themselves how Islam is under attack everywhere and to ask whether they will remain mute spectators. Imagine if pictures of Muslims being gunned down by the police in Mumbai were to get added to the MMS clips?
Mercifully, the Mumbai police have denied such an opportunity to those, whoever they might be, who seem to be working overtime to incite Muslims. As things stand today, the Mumbai police are the injured party, while the city’s Muslim leadership, such as it is, is compelled do all the explaining, apologising, forgiveness-seeking, appreciating the role of the police.
It must not be easy for Patnaik and the top rung of the Mumbai police to calm the nerves of those whom they lead. But the police commissioner’s remarkable restraint has opened up an opportunity to heal wounds, open a new chapter. It’s an opportunity Muslims must grab with both hands. Patnaik and his police having done their duty, it’s the duty of each one of us now to help identify those who seemed determined to set the city aflame last Saturday and to isolate parties like the Shiv Sena and the BJP who are all too eager to communalise the situation, whether in Mumbai or Assam."


This is how above article rebutted in an extremely communal (Anti-secular) manner by Ms. Madhu Trehan.

"Rarely has an article befuddled me as much as Teesta Setalvad and Javed Anand’s article, ‘Making history, not repeating it’, in The Indian Express (August 17).
The first paragraph describes the violence in Azad Maidan: “...a Muslim mob behaved in despicable fashion — torching OB vans, attacking media persons and the police, molesting women constables, snatching arms from the police....” Then the authors laud Mumbai Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik for not acting against the violent mob. The article continues, “But do allow for the possibility that responding in a most ‘un-police-like’ fashion to extreme provocation, the city’s police commissioner, Arup Patnaik, may have opened a happy chapter in the otherwise unhappy Muslim-police relationship in the metropolis.”
Let’s replace some of the words in the first paragraph with substitutes and see how it plays.
Replace “Muslim” with “Hindu”. Would the authors have written the first paragraph if the mobs were Hindus? Is the law to be adjusted according to the religion of the miscreant?
There is shocking footage of Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik ordering Deputy Commissioner of Police Ravindra Shisve to release a rioter who is being arrested. The video link has been blocked on YouTube but can be seen on Twitter links. This is how Twitter transforms from social media into political-info media.
The footage shows PC Arup Patnaik shouting at DCP Ravindra Shisve who holds a (should I say “alleged”?) goon (pleading for mercy) by the collar, “Tumhala koni hyala pakdayala sangitla (Who has told you to catch him?)” Patnaik then threatens to have the DCP suspended.
“You take directions from the commissioner. You are not SP of Sangli. You are DCP here. You will not fall out of line or you will be suspended, stupid,” Patnaik bellows.
Am I missing something because I am not a Mumbaiker? No, because there are questions raised in Mumbai’s Mid Day newspaper (August 16, 2012). Some of the questions: “Why did Commissioner of Police Arup Patnaik force a DCP to release an apprehended rioter from the spot? If speakers incited the protesters with hate speeches, why are they still roaming free?”
The Setalvad-Anand article then reads: “Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray is most unhappy that the police commissioner did not issue a blanket shoot-to-kill order. But the latter’s exemplary restraint is precisely what peace-loving Mumbaikars need to thank him for. Instead of repeating history, Patnaik has tried creating one.” Why is Bal Thackeray’s emotional temperature relevant in this? I really don’t care much about Bal Thackeray. A fact checker would ask: How did they gauge his emotional state? It is a mystery. The gloating over Bal Thackeray’s mental state stoops to the lowest denominator of one-upmanship.
The authors continue: “Thankfully, Patnaik, who was a deputy commissioner of police when Bombay burned (1992-93), has not forgotten either. It’s his act of remembering, and reminding, that prevented yet another bloodbath and ensured that the situation did not spin entirely out of control last Saturday.”
Every community is scarred by wounds that cannot be picked up selectively as a response justification. A fact checker would ask: How do the authors know that Patnaik’s mind “remembering and reminding” was his reason for asking his DCP to release a goon? A slight understanding of how India works would tell you that the order to do exactly that had come from political bosses.
More pearls: “As things stand today, the Mumbai police are the injured party, while the city’s Muslim leadership, such as it is, is compelled to do all the explaining, apologising, forgiveness-seeking, appreciating the role of the police.”
The authors seem to believe that there is a moral high ground in becoming the “injured party”, possibly from a habit of victim-self-righteous-politics. No security force should ever be reduced to an “injured party”. Their morale to protect our nation could hardly be triggered by the satisfaction — let them run riot, but hey, now THEY will have to explain, apologise and seek forgiveness! Is there any dot of understanding about how demoralising it was for the police force?
The authors conclude: “But the police commissioner’s remarkable restraint has opened up an opportunity to heal wounds, open a new chapter. It’s an opportunity Muslims must grab with both hands.”
“Muslims must grab with both hands”? They expect the same mobsters to be so moved to soft emotion that they will grab hands and sing Hum Honge Kamyaab some d-a-ay? A Bollywood screenwriter would say: Yeh realistic ending nahin hai! Badlo!
We have all read about the controversy magnet Teesta Setalvad. I believed she worked hard for what she believed in: getting justice for victims of violence in Gujarat 2002. But, with Teesta it was difficult to keep up with the spiralling versions of each issue. Even then, I gave her the benefit of a busybody do-gooder. Now this article puts a complete end to that assessment.What motivates social activists? Let’s play with humanistic psychologist Abraham Maslow’s Humanistic Theory of Self-Actualisation (the “Hierarchy of Needs” theory and self-actualisation). First, it starts with the need to help others and it is altruistic. With a bit of success and acknowledgement of the good work he/she is doing, the activist becomes a hero. He/she gains followers and is surrounded by sycophants. Any challenging views are dismissed. The final stage takes place — the activist falls in love with himself/herself. Now this activist who started with altruistic reasons, has become a danger to society. The activist is so taken in by his/her Jungian Hero Archetype bordering on the Martyr Archetype, that anyone else’s opinion or perspective is held in contempt. Because the Archetype is so enthralled by his/her own sacrifices to the cause, to make them worthwhile, blind faith in one’s self is essential. If he/she admits he/she is wrong on any point, it means a lifetime of service has been wasted.
Gujarat 2002 upset and shook me up. Many Tweeters have sincerely tried to convince me that Narendra Modi was not responsible. I, sincerely, have not been convinced so far, since I have seen stories with evidence and footage that show the opposite. But an article like this one by Setalvad-Anand is enough to turn me into what is called an Internet Hindu. India cannot afford to have different rules of engagement based on people’s religion, caste or gender. I believe that is enshrined in our Constitution. Destroying the Constitution for a vote-bank is worse corruption than black money. An incendiary article by Setalvad-Anand can do as much damage as violence in Azad Maidan. To paraphrase Arun Shourie: This is bending over backwards." (This full article is available with full video on newslaundry)

Looking at the "Secularist Manifesto", it is not surprising that Secularism favors specific brand of communalism (Islamism in this case). This kind of "communalism" first attempts to find a reason to claim "victimhood" and commit violent acts. This kind of selective "Secularism" poses severe threat to multi-cultural fabric of India.