The other day I wrote about the northern tip of India, Jammu&Kashmir, India's sorrow and perennial headache due to frequent incursions by the hard-core terrorist elements, the havoc they wreak upon the State ostensibly in connivance with the separatist elements owing allegiance to Pakistan. In the beginning if it was confined to the entire State of J&K, in due course its manifestations began to reflect across other parts of India like our Capital NewDelhi, financial capital Mumbai, India's Silicon valley of Bangalore, Pune in Maharashtra, Gujarat creating a terror-psychosis across whole India. The hard-core Hindutva elements also contributed their 'mite' at Malegaon in Maharashtra, the Mecca Masjid at Hyderabad in AndhraPradesh, Samjhauta Express bound for Pakistan by planting bombs and explosives. A lull of course was there with the Centre and States turning more vigilant, the Intelligence agencies going more pro-active, resultantly the terror elements keeping a low profile. India still is in the grip of terror, for example the manifestations of terrorism getting reflected across other States even the once unaffected Kerala alarmingly the terrorist hydra was baring its tentacles without the knowledge of our govt., its law-enforcement dept. and Intelligence agencies. Even youth were recruited in large numbers by the militant outfits, provided them with training and even without the knowledge of their families sent across the border to fight against their own land along with the militant elements of Pakistan. A few of them while sneaking to India under the cover of darkness apparently with the help of Pak Army men were gunned down by Indian Jawans to the shock of citizens and our rulers.
Kerala, once was well-known for its secular approach with people living in harmony, Hindus and Muslims peacefully co-existing like brothers and sisters gradually turned into a communal hot-spot. With Hindus looking at Muslims with suspicion and hatred and vice-versa.
Actually who were behind this vertical divide between Hindus and Muslims - among them sub-groups like Nairs, Christians, Ezhavas, Dalits, thus go the list. Natural. Even India as a whole is a number of groups, sub-groups, combined together, people speaking different languages, their heritage, geography, all diverse to be specific Unity in Diversity as is widely known. The whole fabric, political and social is in doldrums now, with the Centre and States frankly speaking the rulers and bureaucrats, in the corridors of power sharing the blame equally.
Back to Kerala. The recent unfortunate and shocking developmens across once calm and peaceful state with militants chopping the hands of a college professor in broad-daylight allegedly for hurting their communal sentiments while preparing question paper for an examination, thus inflaming the communal passions of a community angering the citizens across the social spectrum. Police went on a search for the culprits involved in the incident, some caught and many others still at large.
Compared to other deplorable developments, the Malayalam Professor's case is a lesser crime. The sawing of the brake-pipes of a passenger train allegedly by communal elements at Nilambur, planting of explosives in the Express train running between Shornur-Nilambur, at Mavelikara and planting of three hundred gelatins and fuse wires in a bus especially on the occasion of our Vice-President Hamid Ansari's visit to Kannur district, all within a gap of 2-3 days. It seems things are running out of hands and what all are going to affect our State, forcing the people to shudder. How is it possible for Keralites to undertake travels, long distance or otherwise without fear and apprehension with dangers lurking at unexpected corners- our rulers will have to ponder over and expedite steps.
The vote-bank politics of all political parties helped the fissiparous tendencies of communal elements grow sky-level eventually and thus our State has plunged into the abyss of communal clashes and hard-core militancy. Our political parties not heeding the warnings , advices and admonitions of independent thinkers adopted a line of appeasing communalism still continue to appease those elements to garner large chunk of votes for gaining power. Now those elements are demanding their pound of flesh and Kerala thus witnesses this tragic scenario. In the 15th General elections 2009 we witnessed such a scenario shameless appeasing of the communal elements by both LDF & UDF alike. People, alas could see through their game. Whether our so-called secular political parties will desist from such gimmicks and I can't as a citizen predict anything awaiting us.
The only way out is not to encourage or get into the trap of vote-bank politics for the sake of capturing a few seats by aligning with the communal elements which will in the long run turn Frankenstein monsters.
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