Community Sandwitched

India's civilization dating back atleast to 7500 years when rest of the world was running around jungles with rabbit skins, how wonderous it is to think that it is one of the two living civilizations in the world, other being China. Ages elapsed, seasons turned, seas rose high, rivers dried up, typhoons thrashed,famines broke, still we find people live the same way, follow the same customs, perform the same rituals, share the same culture, speak the same quotient. They were first in many, contributed medicine, mathematics, sturctural engineering, handlooms, geometry, astronomy, ship building, metellurgy, yoga, astrology, music, magic, epics, cooking, sanitation what not? Still many which remain undicovered, and falsely attributed to various oirigins due to our own lethargy to prove.They lived with very refined tastes, lead quality life, practiced impregnable Dharma , designed exemplary community living, enjoyed fabulous riches.

It basked in many golden periods under great kings who cared for people.Eventually it's fabled riches which made it vulnerable for so many invasions. After the fall of mighty kingdoms it fragmented into tiny kingdoms , caught with their internal feuds, it gave away to some illeterate barbaric invaders from far away drought stricken barren lands.

Some muslim invaders who penetrated into India took away riches to their motherlands, but many preferred to stay. Many thwarted natives , destroyed their temples in a blind belief that it was pagan, forced many to their faith , penalised for not adhering to it. This continued till many invaders truely started believing that it was their home. True integration started then. We get some examples of good governance from Sher shah Suri. Moghuls came retreated , again came to stay for ever, leaving one great Akbar who closely resembles Ashoka the great, becoming a true paragon of Mughal empire. Slave kings, Khiljis, Tuglaqs, Lodhis, Bahmanis country saw so many rulers, some able, some fanatical. It begot illustrious sons like Tippu Sultan, Sirajuddoula who fought their tooth to nail with British.

By this time India has already come to terms with it's muslim rulers and ever growing muslim population. The straits of intimidation, violence and destruction of the yester years though left deep scars in the Indian psyche, but it truced with the ground reality of it's large numbers with changed identities, and numerous posterity of new incumbents. All of them coexisted for centuries, till British divided them again on the basis of religion in their poles in 1926 which ultimately led to the division of country in 1947.

With many muslims opting to stay in India, it remained the largest minority group in India , probably the largest in any country, after the formation as an independent nation. India for long had no problems with the presence of muslims along with other minority communities, who were absorbed in to it's mainstream in a smooth and natural way. The differences never surfced gravely. The sense of nationalism was infused into the minds of all the communities, and national inetgration surmounted all other considerations. They were psychologically united until the oil money attracted many muslims to the offshores. Plush banglows, fat bank balances and high living, triggered large exodus of the community to the Midddle East. Many Indian muslims were looked down in the international parleys as if they were spoiled with their local mix up. Indian muslim started becoming global muslim. Many world wide changes leading to faith in fundamental tenets started changing the loyalties of the some Indian muslims to it's universal brotherhood than to their country of origin. Many started communicating to their alikes in the world with more likemindedness than with their Indian counterparts. Many who stayed back in India languished in poverty and illiteracy. The new ruling class of India has failed to identify the poverty pockets in the community and administer any remedy . Continuously waged and failed wars with Isreal consolidated Arab world and few started to believe that Islam is in trouble. Some have decided to take to arms to defend the Islam in peril. Indian claim on Kashmir with ever present armed forces, brewed plebicite and it's softer version as self rule among some, and after the death of towering leader Shaik Abdulla, finally fell into the hands of new insurgent Afgan groups after Soviet evacuation, who made alliances with local seperatist groups . Militancy made inroads into the picturesque Kashmir giving a death blow to it's tourism and peace. Indian claim of Kahmir was viewed more as oppression of muslims by Hindus as hundreds died during the militant operations. Pakistan ever on it's own mission of internationalising Kashmir issue, could sucessfully sow anti Indian sentiments in it's land, already brutally injured by partition . Few organisations truely convinced about the oppression of muslim brothern by Hindus, took vows to free Kashmir from Hindu hands. In the global front, terror organizations formed with fundamental precepts viewed the whole of west to be their enemies, the rivalry dating back to centuries. Iraq war emphatically proved to their minds that US, and UK as their arch enemies of Islamic nations. After 9/11 with no place to hide AL Quaida marched to Afgan terrains and there from to Pakistan borders, to carry on their activities, made close contact with some organisations of Pakistan to make a beginning of Jihadi terrorism on the Indian soil.

When India with the rest of the world is trying to break the shackles of orthodxy, the growing number of lace caps and beards threw Indian public into fear psychosis and embarassed whether it is the return of law of jungle by any means.Once stylish Imran khan team turning into beards and caps perplexed many Indian minds, and every utterance suffixed or prefixed by chant of God's name might have made them more pious, but frieghtened an outsider. Constant reprobation of Sufi music, calls to abandon Durgas faith seemingly thinning down to very limited original pure practices, marked changes were witnessed. By this time the ugly face of terrorism started targetting the Indian soil causing many deaths. It started unvailing it's presence very much in the Indian soil along with cross borders ,with many turning as carriers of the diabolic machine with many operatives. The final blow struck at Mumbai mayhem followed by combat, verifications, enquiry, protests, heads rolling down, negotitions and finally internationalisation. India has learnt many lessons with this attack, and importantly astonishing facts as under.

Many muslims in India condemned the attacks as against the popular belief that they support it. They showed their solidarity with a national cause in no uncertain words. It is proving to be increasingly burdensome for many to prove their integrity. There is a growing sense of sarrow in their circles that they were viewed with suspicion and mistrust. It is the time that many Indians sensed the unquestionable patriotic temper in many Indian muslims. Economic growth and opening of opportunties in India gave the confidence to many of them that India is place worth living.They are born here. They want to live here. They have no allegiance to Pakistan or any other nation. They regard themselves as Indians. To few who help terrorism vicariously , it is like a trade, where they can make money irrespective of the fact that humanity is at risk. They have no religion.They have to be handled ruthlessly than attributing the whole claim to the community. Many moderates claim that jihadi is unislamic. It is high time that our people at the helm of affairs to look into the poverty that is widely prevalent in the community and make some concerted efforts to alleviate it. All our leaders have to take moderate intellectuals into confidence and act upon their suggestions. This country belongs to every one who stayed here for generations. They have nowhere to go. Cordinating with the good willed local muslims in combating terrorism, is the most effective way of deling with it. Any organisation or party who wants to flare up communal animosities whether it is Hindu or muslim should be strickly be dealt with. Any body who preaches revenge or retaliation should be slapped and distanced. Confidence begets confidence. We have to bear it in mind that mistrust breeds more terorists. Let us not alienate the people who genuinely are interested in peace. They have to be assured that they are not suspected. We do not suspect Moulana Abdul Kalam Azad, M.C.Chagla and Abdul Kalam.