Friday, July 11, 2008

Gandhi- Confession and Suggestion

It is ironic that Gandhi’s own “confession and suggestion” put him on the witness stand under oath to expose his “experiments with the truth.”

Who can say how much I must give and how much omit in the interests of truth? And what would be the value in a court of law of the inadequate ex parte evidence being tendered by me of certain events in my life? If some busybody were to cross-examine me on the chapters already written, he would probably shed more light on them, and if it were a hostile critic’s cross-examination, he might even flatter himself for having shown up “the hollowness of many of my pretensions.”
- Mahatma Gandhi
An Autobiography

Gandhi’s biographies, autobiographies and other writings about him are laced with false information, imaginary stories, inconsistencies and contradictions. It is a pity that for almost a century none of the authors, not even academicians, ever bothered to check the veracity of various accounts in Gandhi’s autobiography. It is only in 2004 when G. B. Singh pulled the mask off Mahatma to expose the real Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948) to the world in Gandhi: Behind the Mask of Divinity. Now G. B. Singh has joined hands with Tim Watson to put the apostle of peace, a modern Hindu Avatar, on the witness stand by publishing Gandhi: Under Cross Examination [Sovereign Star Publishing, Inc., 2008.
Gandhi, his biographers, and Gandhiites of various shades and colors are in full agreement that the humiliating racial incidents that Gandhi experienced in the month of June 1893, after arriving in South Africa, while traveling from Durban to Pretoria transformed him from a typical attorney of mundane variety to a fighter against racial discrimination. We are told that this transformation in Gandhi made him the “soul of Congress Party,” the foremost leader of India’s struggle for independence through non-violence, a champion of untouchables, the apostle of peace, and a modern Hindu Avatar embodying the “trinity” of Vishnu, Jesus, and Buddha (A photo circulated in the early 1920s placed messianic Gandhi higher to Krishna, Buddha, Jesus, Tolstoy, Lenin and Prof. McSweenie).

But it is difficult to comprehend that Gandhi, a man fond of and adept in writing letters to newspapers and government officials, did not write about these incidents to newspapers or complain to government officials in South Africa, India, and England. Moreover, it is strange that Gandhi does not mention these incidents in his own newspaper and diary.
These incidents that are considered as a turning point in Gandhi’s life came to light for the first time sixteen years later in his first biography, M. K. Gandhi: An Indian Patriot in South Africa (1909). This book was authored by Reverend J. J. Doke. Doke’s account is inconsistent with the subsequent three contradictory versions given by Gandhi himself in Satyagraha in South Africa, An Autobiography and The story of My Experiments with the Truth, and the interview he gave to Reverend Mott in 1938. Of the four times that Gandhi mentioned these incidents, there is no question that the account as enumerated in his autobiography had far-reaching impact on readers and commentators. It is an inescapable fact that some apologists and scholars have used Gandhi’s autobiography to twist the narrative somewhat to provide more credence and validity to the racial sufferings of Gandhi in South Africa.

The contradictions in the life and experiences of Gandhi, a sensitive man with acute race and caste consciousness, educated in Law in England, who regarded himself as an “English gentleman,” a man of distinction and status in India and whose father was the Dewan of the Raja of Porbandar, raised red flags in the minds of G.B. Singh and Tim Watson. One would expect that details of these humiliating racial incidents would be etched in the memory of a person like Gandhi, like diamond point markings on stainless steel. But that was not the case. Gandhi kept changing the story as he went along!
After many years of painstaking research and on examining a plethora of well-known, not so well-known, and unknown documents pertaining to Gandhi, with solid evidences in their hands, the authors have argued forcefully and logically with great precision to expose the fraud which the “experimenter with truth,” his apologists, and the “Gandhi propaganda machine” have perpetrated over the last one hundred years relentlessly.
These racial incidents are fictitious episodes contrived by Gandhi and Reverend Doke to make Gandhi a living martyr using the “politics of victimization” argument. Later, other fellow preachers and myth promoters used Reverend Doke’s account to create a “new Christ” in the person of M. K. Gandhi. According to Bishop James K. Mathews’s dissertation at Columbia University the idea of making Gandhi into a living martyr was put into his head by Reverenced Doke (1861-1913), a Baptist minister in Johannesburg, South Africa, during a conversation between the two in 1908:
He was really “tricked” into allowing this to be done. Mr. Doke came to the office in about 1908, asking Gandhi if he were ready to be a martyr. The ready reply was, “I am nothing. I am willing to die at any time or to do anything for the cause.” The “martyrdom” consisted in allowing the biography to be written, for the minister felt that it would help the cause of the Indians for their leader to be known in England.

Was Gandhi a member or a close associate of the Freemasonry? This book addresses that question, and it is quite likely Gandhi had benefited from such a relationship. Interestingly the current website hosted by “Grand Lodge of India” lists the names of prominent Indians of the 20th century like Motilal Nehru, Rajendra Prasad, S. Radhakrishnan and C. Rajagopalachari as noteworthy members of Freemasonry.
In addition to the contradictions and inconsistencies in the four accounts given by Gandhi relating to the humiliating experience and brutal beating he suffered in June 1893 while traveling from Durban to Pretoria, there are other evidences and arguments that refute the validity of the alleged incidents such as:

a. Within days after his arrival in South Africa, Gandhi started writing letters to South African newspapers regarding racial incidents experienced by Indians, but there is no evidence that he wrote any letter about his racial humiliation and beatings. He wrote two letters in September and October 1893 to the Natal Advertiser about racial discrimination faced by Indians, but he made no mention of any incident related to him.

b. Gandhi went back to India on June 5, 1896, and there is not a single shred of evidence that he had commiserated with anyone over the racial incidents he experienced. He stayed in India for six months and traveled extensively in his home state of Gujarat and traveled to Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Poona and so forth telling Indians the terrible things to which Indians were subjected in South Africa, but nowhere did he talk about his own experiences. He even authored a booklet of about 33 pages called “The Grievances of British Indians in South Africa: An Appeal to the Indian Public” and fails to mention what happened to him in June 1893.

c. Gandhi’s very close disciple, Henry S. L. Polak (1882-1959) who was well aware of Doke’s biography of Gandhi authored two booklets, The Indians of South Africa and M. K. Gandhi; both published in 1909 and 1910. Similarly, a close fiend of Gandhi, Dr. P. J. Mehta (1858-1932) who was a recipient of Doke’s biography also published M. K. Gandhi and the South African Indian Problem in 1912. But the three books by Gandhi’s very close friends do not mention the June 1983 racial incidents.

d. A movie, Mahatma – Life of Gandhi, released by the government of India and The Gandhi National Memorial on October 2, 1968, celebrating Gandhi’s birth centenary failed to depict the racial incidents of 1893 which are claimed to be a pivotal turning point in his life, in spite of the detailed description of his life shown in that movie.

e. In his book, The Birth and Development of National Railways (1951), Edward D. Campbell, who was the Station Master at the Pietermaritzburg station in 1893, has recorded a sensational incident that took place in June 1893 at the Pietermaritzburg station dealing with an engine and its operator. He makes no mention of the ill treatment of Gandhi at the Pietermaritzburg station in June 1893.

f. After Gandhi’s assassination in 1948, an article “Gandhiji in South Africa” published by South African attorney F. E. T. Krause who met Gandhi in 1893 in Pretoria throws startling light on Gandhi’s life style, but makes no mention the racial incidences experienced by Gandhi in in1983. F.E. T. Krause’s older brother A. E. J Krause who was at that time Attorney General of Transvaal Republic exempted Gandhi from showing papers and other requirements that were required of the people of color and not only granted him a Certificate of Exemption but also treated Gandhi as a dignitary when they were together. One night the Attorney General invited Gandhi to dinner. The natives [meaning Black Africans] serving the table protested at being called upon to attend an Indian, and it was only after it was explained to them that Gandhi was a great man, just like a native chief, that they were prepared to continue their service.
g. Interestingly, the privileged status enjoyed by Gandhi in the iron clad apartheid society is confirmed by Gandhi’s closest white disciple Henry S. L. Polak, who noted that the so-called “coolie lawyer” was a well-known passenger who went about the country on professional or public business travelling generally first-class, often having the whole compartment to himself.
I think there is nothing unusual from Gandhi’s point of view about the contradictory and inconsistent narratives pertaining to the fictitious 1893 racial incidents or his “experiments with the truth”. To understand why Gandhi would indulge in self-serving lies one only needs to read Bhagwan Krishna’s sermons to Pandvas in Bhagvad Gita, which Gandhi regarded as the essence of Hinduism. In Bhagvad Gita, Bhagwan Krishna urged the Pandvas to tell lies, cheat, manipulate and do whatever it took to win the battle because victory is all that matters!

I highly recommend Gandhi: Under Cross-Examination to all readers and especially for those who love truth, stand for truth, and promote the truth.

Gandhi On Cross Examination

In the course of the Moplah riot of 1921 anything was practised from arson to conversion to pregnant women being cut into pieces with unborn babies protruding from the mothers' corpses. Smt Annie Besant, the Irish lady, and the 1913 president of the Congress, after her visit to Malabar, exhorted Gandhiji to see for himself the ghastly horrors.
Mohan Das Karm Chandra Gandhi – A Masochism flagellating Indian
Hindu Ethos Prevalent amongst the Intelligentsia encourages Maqhool Fida Hussain , a sadistic perverse Human believing in the concept of “Hurreyen” and “Nihamateyan” for Molestation for their sisters and seducing his son on seventh ocean is such a sadistic in drawing satisfaction by hurting the sentiments of nationalists to attempt for committing the perversity upon portrayal of deities projecting sexual union with animals without being aware with the history of the period of subjugation and abrogation of these people gratifying a Slave’s frustrated Ego Indian denigrate during the payment of Zajiya (khirajguzar) may allow without hesitation Qazi (Mughisuddin of Bayana) to spit in their mouth. Hindus were afraid and concealed their resentment towards invaders, who were the object of hatred. This was equivalent to the worst curse and Gandhi repeatedly recommended such submission. This was shown by British manifestation to get the eradication of the prevailing maladies generated by the axes subjugation of the Muslim aggression which was equivalent to the worst curse. The more educated and well of Hindus tried to prevent sophisticated excuses for being submissive and to adhere with the norms of non-violence, whatsoever, no matter, what the ruler did they took it lying down. Gandhi recommended that if one was slapped on the cheek instead of slapping back the other cheek should be offered.
In this regard the recital of the truth which was evident just after the partition of India, in the speech of Jinnah is relevant-recital. Partition of India was purely a political game fought with a mark of religious fundamentalism the speech of Quaid Azam Zinnah on 11-08-1947 who vehemently advocated the two nation theory was enunciated the Government of Pakistan policy has also realised the folly committed in accepting partition on communal lines in these words:
“If you change your past and work together in spirit that every one of you , no matter what community he belongs to, no matter what his colour , caste or creed , is first , second and last , a citizen of this state with equal rights, privileges and obligation there will be no end to the progress you will make. I cannot emphasise it too much ; we should begin to work in that spirit , and in course of time , all these angularities , of the majority and minority communities, the Hindu community and the Muslim community , because even as regards Muslims, you have Pathans, Punjabis, Shias , Sunnis, and so on and among the Hindus you have Brahmins , Vaishnavas, Khatris also Bengalis Madrasi’s and so on , will vanish. You may go to your temples, Mosques or any religion or caste or creed, that has nothing to do with the business of the state …….We are starting with the fundamental principle that we all citizens and equal citizens of one State….”
The general expectations that by accepting partition of India , communal madness would subside and peace would prevail and both countries would live like good neighbours and friends, were belied immediately on the wake of partition , in human tale of woe and misery followed communal hatred ., madness, barbarism and its free hands both in Pakistan and India according to an estimate about 6 lacs people lost their lives and 14 lacs had lost their homes. The religious fanatism spread over the Indian continent in bitterness and repeated the story of shame and barbarity. Large scale exodus of refugees and their rehabilitation , subsequent three wars fought with severity loosing the life of many patriot living in both the sub continent, river water dispute and still continuing to create fresh problems of terrorism and sabotage with hostility and mutual suspicion in the inhabitants living between the two states, large scale violence , regional problem are the direct out come and the after effect the partition of India

This envisaged that there was a thrust to have the secularism being adhered with as Jinnah was more secular than Abdul Kalam Azad and Sir Syed and Devband. If you go through the perception of the true history, the son of Zakir Hussain, who was plying the aircraft, has given a shift to cross the Indian Border as to enter into the zone of Pakistan, Air Martial Arjun Singh, who was sitting in that plane has taken out the revolver, enter into the cockpit and put it upon his head with a warning to kill him. The country was protected by the apprehended exchange of one Air Martial with a terrorist. People should remember that Abdul Kalam Azad has said in his deliberation just after the Independence of India that we were opposing the creation of the Pakistan not because of the reason that we do not want to follow Darul-e-Islam upon Darul-e- hurb but we were oppose to take only one by fourth of the territory as prior to the subjugation of this country by the British Empire, Muslims remain in power. The history will demonstrate that if we became 15% of the population in any corner of the world, the other non-violent population became automatically the Muslim as our religion is for the expansion of the horizon of the Islam without having the limitation of the boundaries of the different nation. Thus, the two nation theory was not created by Jinnah as he was the son of a Hindu, but by Mahatma Gandhi and the opportunist politician i.e. Nehru and his associate.
People do not know that the name of the Grand father of Jawahar Lal Nehru was Ganga Dhar Nehru living in Meerganj area of Allahabad and supplying the prostitute to Izrat Villa, a place owned by Mubarak Ali, a Barrister at Allahabad High Court. The great Grand father of Jawahar Lal Nehru was Bal Mukund Kaul then how they became Nehru. The truth is that it was the bagging giving to them after migrating from Kashmir to Delhi near a canal (Nahar) by Bahadur Shah Jafar and as such the title ‘Nehru’ was itself a deceptive tile of Muslim citizen. He was the bachelor and inducted Moti Lal Nehru in his premises as the gardener. Mubarak Ali died in mysterious circumstances and Izrat Villa was converted to Anand Bhawan. This is the relevetion of the facts in a book suppressed by Governemtn of India “ Reminces of Nehru age” written by M.O.Mothai, a long time of 35 years Secretary to Jawahar Lal Nehru during his political life and after adherence of the thrown of Prime Ministership on the mere desire of Mahatma Gandhi.
People are so ignorant as they do not know who was the father of Firoz Gandhi, neither try to know it. Why ? the answer to this fact is revealed in a book written Jawahar Lal Nehru’s astrologer K.N. Rao in his book namely, “Nehru Dynasty”. The name of the father of Firoz Gandhi was Nawab Khan of Junagarh Gujrat then how Firoz Khan became Firoz Gandhi.
People do not know the name of Indira Gandhi after her marriage with Firoz Gandhi. It was Mammoona Begam and shortly she separated from Firoz Gandhi. From where the scone son Sanjay Gandhi borne. The book written by Mohd. Yunus “person, passion and politics” is the revelation of the truth that Sanjay Gandhi, who was earlier known as Sanjeeve Khan after being borne from the illicit relationship of Indira Gandhi with Mohammad Yunus, the grand son of Abdul Gaffar Khan, the frontier Gandhi, who was inducted in Indian Foreign service just after the Ipendence and remained in Teen Murthi Bhawan throughout his career till the death of Jawahar Lal Nehru and shifted to his bungalow, from where the marriage ceremony of Sanjay Gandhi with Menaka Gandhi was organized by Mohd. Yunus alongwith the parents of Menaka Gandshi. People have seen the photograph of the marriage, but nobody noticed that why Mohd. Yunus was standing with Indira Gandhi alongwith Colonel Anand and his wife. Actually, the passport of Sanjeeve Khan alias Gandhi was forfeited in early 1960 by British people for stealing a car at the age of 14-16 years and it was a Kirshna Manon, who was then an External Minister got the passport issued in the name of Sanjay Gandhi. The controversy was raised during the issuance of the passport of Menka Gandhi in passport case, commonly known as Manka Gandhi case but nobody in our country know the truth which is revealed by the book written by the father of Sanjay Gandhi after his death. This book is also banned in our country.
Rajeev Gandhi became Rajeev Roborto before marrying with Sania Manio of Turin of Italy commonly known as Sonia Gandhi, a Roman Catholic and the names of the children or Rajeev Soniya are mentoned else Baintika Roberto and Raul Roberto in their school register which was placed before the District Magistrate, Rae-Bareilly when Soniya Gandhi filed his nomination paper for contesting the election of the Member of Parliament, but the Election Commission of India while dealing with the objection of Subramanyam Swami regarding the effect of Article 102 (1) (d) of the Constitution of India laying down the disqualification for adherence and allegiance with the a foreign State as a disqualification to become M.P.has laid down in his decision that even if the affidavit is false, the candidature of Soniya Gandhi shall not be rejected. The District Magistrate Rae Bareilly advised Subramanyam Swam to leave Rae-Bareilly otherwise he will not provide any security upon the prospective threat of the death by Sanjay Singh and other commarade of Soniya Gandhi, the President of Indian Congress Party. The writ petition filed before the Lucknow Bench by Sri Ravi Kant Khare discloses all such facts but inspite the argument raised by the writer of this article before the Bench comprising of Hon’ble Mr. Justice Bhalla and Hon’ble Mr. Justice B.B.Agrawal. The decision came that the undersigned advocate may approach the human resourced ministry to avail these three books disclosing all such facts to enlighten the people of our country but since the election process is started and the bar envisaged in our Constitution of India may not decide these controversial dispute.
This was the second incident which took place when Allahabad High Court decline to decide the petition filed on behalf of the institute of rewriting history through it President Purshottam Nath Oak to expose that every monument including Taz Mahal was the Hindu Temple but the same converted to Muslim monument and thereafter came under the supervision of Archeological Survey of India and now under the Waqf Act. The intellectual may not protect this nation as the exposer of the truth is a crime in our country.
Since 9/11, Islamic terrorists have perpetrated any numbers of blasts and explosions. On record since October 2001 are 13 bomb blasts in the different cities of India from New Delhi in the north, to Bangalore in the south, to Gandhinagar in the west to Guwahati in the east. The terrorists could well be misguided youth but what is particularly disturbing is that hardly ever does a responsible Muslim leader condemn the barbaric action. Nor does he apologize for any of them. For the people of India, that is rubbing salt by the Muslim elite on the wounds inflicted by their misguided fellow religionists.
A time has come when the major crimes of Islamists are enumerated and Muslim leaders are confronted with them along with a demand for their apology. There are nine mega crimes for which apologies are called for.
The governments in India have taken the boycott of vande mataram lightly although, in effect, the Muslims refusing to participate is an insult to the nation. Vande mataram was the song of the Independence movement and would have been the national anthem but for Jawaharlal Nehru's weakness for Muslim prejudices, Jana gana mana was therefore chosen although it was originally written as a tribute to King George V.
Over the decades, Hindu Muslim riots were mostly started by the latter. If this were not so, why have there not been Hindu Christian riots even in districts where the latter are dominant as in Nagarcoil? Until the political advent of the British, the communal equation wasso loaded that the Muslims felt secure. Once the Muslims were also reduced to subject status, their insecurity began the corollary of which were riots. In the course of the Moplah riot of 1921 anything was practiced from arson to conversion to pregnant women being cut into pieces with unborn babies protruding from the mothers' corpses. Smt Annie Besant, the Irish lady and the 1913 president of the Congress, after her visit to Malabar, exhorted Gandhiji to see for himself the ghastly horrors, which had been created by his beloved brothers, Mohammad and Shaukat Ali.
The success of an Islamic expedition to non-Muslim land was also judged on the basis of the number of slaves made and sold. But for the late Dr K.S. Lal who wrote his magnum opus Legacy of Muslim Rule in India and Muslim Slave System in Medieval India, this aspect of Muslim atrocity might have been completely forgotten. It began with the despatch of Parimal Devi and Suraj Devi, the two daughters of Raja Dahir to the harem of the Caliph, soon after he was defeated by Muhammad bin Qasim in 712 D. This was carried forward by Muhammad Ghauri, Khilji and Tughlaq. Even Emperor Jehangir traded in this export business.
The imposition of jazia on the Hindus on the excuse of protecting their life and property is legendary. The object of protection was called a zimmi. The subject was dealt at length by Dr P. Saran in his book Studies in Medieval Indian History whose introduction was written by Prof. Mohammad Habib. The purpose of jazia was three fold: to raise money for the state, to impoverish the Hindu and to remind him that he was an inferior subject.


Warning all India about the vicious plan of the J&K Govt hand in hand with the Union Govt, VHP International President Ashok Singhal and General Secretary Dr Pravin Togadia said,” To revoke Amarnath Land is only the tip of the iceberg. The real game-plan is to declare all Hindu pilgrimage places in India as either Jungle, mountain, sea or river places & STOP HINDU PILGRIMAGE ALL OVER INDIA.” Drawing comparison, Dr Togadia pointed out, ”They are doing same with the Rameshwaram Ramsetu, did same when Archaeology department prevented Hindus from worshipping ancient Navagrahas in Konark Sun temple & there are many more such experiences. Once they get away with AmarnathLand revocation, then they will even claim that Sabarimala in Kerala, Swamimalai in TN, Vindhyavasini in U.P., Tirupati Balaji on Tirumala, Ashtavinayaks in Maharashtra, Jtyotirlingams are in jungles, on mountains, near sea, near river…so these lands revoked. This is a serious anti-Hindu game-plan. They did the same in Malaysia, Jordan, Indonesia etc. Hindus need to wake up against this Jehad before it is too late otherwise these anti-Hindu forces will not leave any Hindu place of worship”. VHP demanded: 1. At no cost Amarnath Yaatra will ever be allowed to be stopped or pilgrims affected. 2. We will NOT STOP until the AmarnathLand is given back to Amarnath Shrines Board. BHAGVAN SHIV AMARNATH CAME FIRST IN THAT JUNGLE WHEN THERE WERE NO BRITISH LAWS ABOUT JUNGLES & OBVIOUSLY NO RELIGIONS THAT STARTED JUST 1500 OR 2000 YEARS BACK. SO THE LAND BELONGS TO AMARNATH. 3. All Hajj Houses must be taken back & converted into charity hospitals for the poor. 4. Haj Subsidy must be cancelled. No flights for Haj to be sent wasting precious fuel which costs have been increased by none other that these Jehadis to hurt economies of the non-Muslim countries. 5. No Namaz be allowed in India or on Indian streets. 4 speakers 5 times a day pollute much more. 6. Article 370 must be immediately scrapped. All Indians have a fundamental right to travel & buy land anywhere in India including Jammu & Kashmir. 7. Give Kashmir in the hands of the Army & hang all Jehadis who flashed Pakistan flags & shouted “We are Pakistani” slogans and anti-Amarnath slogans. This is sedition & treason. Making these clear demands, VHP announced the phase-wise Agitation against revocation of AmarnathLand:
London could not persuade either the Congress Party or the Muslim League to accept the 1946 Cabinet Mission plan of a loose federation to be created in the wake of the British departure from India. It was equally clear that the Muslim League could not dominate the all India political scene, nor could Mohammed Ali Jinnah be the prime minister of an undivided India. If therefore, he had to be the head of the government or the state; Partition of the country was essential. The surest way to precipitate Partition, in the wisdom of the League led by Jinnah, was to engineer riots. They would frighten the Hindus into realising that it would be wise of them to let go the Muslim League dominated areas into Pakistan. The riots would demonstrate to the British that the Hindus and the Muslims were incompatible co-citizens. They had to be allowed to go their separate ways.
The Muslim League Supreme Council met in Bombay and on July 29 declared for "Direct Action", August 16 was fixed as the day for the initiation of the movement. Fiery speeches containing thinly veiled threats of Civil War and drastic action against "Quislings" followed. The League Press and the League spokesmen started a tirade against the Congress in particular and Hindus in general in Calcutta, the League papers started stepping up their programme of incitement causing great apprehension amongst all national circles.
The uneasy dawn of the 16th found large bands of "processionists" armed with long sticks, iron rods, bludgeons and sharp weapons parading the city all over with League flags. Any shop that was even partially open was immediately stoned and the shopkeepers belabored. Vehicular traffic was forcibly stopped and the passengers beaten up. Sikh taxi-drivers were a special target and even lone cyclists did not escape. Any resistance merely increased the fury of the "peaceful processionists," looted shops, cracked heads and stab-wounds being the reply given to protests or remonstrance's. Police were significantly inactive; indeed the city was totally innocent of police protection.
Soon the city was ablaze from North to South and from East to West. The telephone wires were jammed with frantic appeals for police-aid from Hindus of all sections of the city, but these appeals were disregarded in toto. Even where by chance there were some police, they seldom did lift a finger, excepting in certain instances where they bestirred themselves in gleaning some loot. In some cases the police present are alleged to have said that they had orders not to interfere in such political demonstrations.
Mass butchery started with the early dawn of Saturday, while loot and arson spread like wild fire all over the city. The police had let the situation deteriorate till it was completely out of control and yet military aid was not called for. The carnage continued for two more days until the military took matters entirely into their own hands and very large forces were employed in penetrating deep over a widespread area. The situation was brought under control only after the direction and control of affairs relating to law and order had virtually passed out of the hands of the League Minister-in-charge of Law and Order, Mr. H.S. Suhrawardy, and his henchmen in officialdom.
Iconoclasm is a face of barbarism in the name of God. Which divine likes or dislikes icons or idols is a matter of opinion based on imagination or inculcation. But one thing is certain, for anyone to impose one opinion or the other is inhuman. My God is supreme as the Ten Commandments ordain in the Old Testament. My God is the only god and there can be no other god, the holy Quran contends. Both are wrong. Simply because there flourished civilizations for long before the holy Bible was penned and well before Prophet Muhammad had his visions, which means that either there are other Gods or there is no god.
God or no god, it is desirable for men and women to switch off from the material and to pray or meditate about the spiritual. To enable ordinary people to focus on the spiritual, it is useful to provide icons, idols or walls. A Hindu idol, a Parsee fire, a crucifix over an altar for the Christian or a mimbar for the Muslim are helpful. For a mimbar to claim that it is sacred but an idol is profane deserving to be destroyed, is patently wrong. Similarly for an Imam to feel fulfilled because a temple or a church has been desecrated is reprehensible. For him to worship in a mandir so converted to a masjid is more immoral.
Ignorant scholars often dismiss iconoclasm as being medieval; no point in wasting discussion on what happened centuries ago. If that be so, what is the need for pursuit of history which is always about centuries past. Medieval history is not myth. Iconoclasm is equally contemporary. A Buddha statue was destroyed at Swat in Pakistan as recently as September 2007 (red letters). The tragic fate of the Bamiyan Buddhas as late as 2001 is well known. The 20th century especially in its latter half has witnessed hundreds of desecrations. Unless the perpetrators are punished or retaliatory action taken, this barbarism will continue to prevail.
The biggest on going crime is terrorism. Since October 2001, post 9/11, there have been 13 major bomb blasts in India which have butchered hundreds of innocent people, women, children, ordinary citizens et al. The officially reported figures are low because they are announced soon after the incident and can only be based on dead bodies found. Those that are not recorded are not taken into account. What is shameful is that the acts of terrorism are seldom condemned by Muslim leaders probably because they are looked upon as episodes in jihad. How can anything sacred be condemned?