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Juli Gittinger’s,"Saffron Terror: Splinter or Symptom"(Issue : VOL 46 No. 37 September 10 - September 16, 2011) made an interesting reading. The author had argued the hardcore reality beset to the Indian society today that too in a simpler tune. Yes India’s age old pluralistic but Unitarian ethos and we feeling amidst diversities, what the author simply calls ‘secular nationalism’, is today at cross roads, not because of the outer forces and factors but the indigenous ideologies resting upon communalism, political hatred ,extremist mindset schema and above all vested interests. The splinter groups pointed by author exclusively as Sang Parivar are not holistically responsible for the contemporary chaos among Indians or it is not the Sang Parivar only responsible for the apparent cracks in to the project of homogeneity and mutual understanding among Indians of diverse religions and ethnicity but today we are developing into a multiplicity of radicalized schools of thought be it secessionists, regionalists, armed groups, extremist ideology corners, self claimed mass leaders in conflict ridden zones, extremist political agenda holders, etc,. The reality is from extreme north to north -east there has evolved a plethora of extremist ideologies and saffron brigades, green brigades, red brigades, terror factories of all colours not saffron only, so on and so forth, posing a bigger threat to the historical unity , sense of homogeneity and sprit of belonging to one India. In many cases either religion or culture appears to be the reason for secessionism and saffronisation of political landscape. The writer also amply argues that target of saffron terror is not the Muslim community but secular nationalism but I believe the target of all kinds of terror in this country is common masses because it is the Aam Aadmi who faces the wrath and bears the brunt of every wrongful activity be it the recent Delhi High court blast or uncontrolled inflation or rising security issues in the country as whole. I also agree upon the fact that contemporary terror is not community centered or from a particular one organization but terror is shaping itself as a profit industry where radicalization is education,fundamentalism the principle ,devastation the goal, killings the hobby and disintegration the idea. (published in EPW:Issue : VOL 46 No. 38 September 17 - September 23, 2011) (Adfar Rashid Shah is a Ph.D Candidate-Sociology at Jamia Millia Islamia-Central University,New Delhi)
Related Articles -
EPW published letter, ‘Saffron Terror: Splinter or Symptom’, AFSPA, Plagarism, turning the clock back, Adfar Shah epw letters,
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