A different encounter
by Girish on 2008-10-12 17:21:19.119496+05:30
Sensible Article Mr Gupta. Just one addition it falls on the aam admi and non politicians also to fill the vacuum if the politicians do not.
Kahan Se layen aisa HIndustan
by Ashok Joshi on 2008-10-12 03:55:25.620886+05:30
Dear ShekharThe Muslim community is not as isolated and frustrated as their leaders and patronising friends are. Its' people like Prof Mushirul Hasan, Shabnam Hashmi, Sabah Naqvi, MJ Akbar, Mahesh Bhatt, Arjun Singh and Amar Singh. When even Shabana Azami says that Indian Muslim have got a raw deal in India, there there is no hope. Its' the Muslim intellectuals who are really sowing the seeds of discontent among their youth.They want everything to offered to them on platter. They want a perfact society free from all kinds of discrimination and a govt free from all corruption and police that is polite and respectful of citizens. And if it is not there, they claim, they must have a right to unleash jehad. Kahan se layen aapke liay hindustan jahan koi bhooka nanga na ho?
Bringing them all together
by Jojo on 2008-10-11 22:00:10.077589+05:30
I really wonder who is happy. Muslims feel alienated, Christians feel threatened, others feel betrayed, SC/ST feel that they are down trodden, upper castes feel robbed, higher class feels unsafe, middle class feels victimized and lower class feels bullied. Minorities feel they are not properly represented, and majority feels that they are over represented. Really, who is happy in all this? Except for a few thick skinned politicians like Arjun Singh and Lalu? I think what will really bring everyone close together is - low level small scale community programs. Nothing binds people together like when they are in the same boat. Give them a chance to do something together, all the problems will take care of themselves.
Counter encounter
by Ashutosh Kaul on 2008-10-11 21:18:09.09108+05:30
Although Shekhar is right to find parallels with Sikh extremism ; Islamic terrorism is in its core fundamentally divergent from it. Sikhs never ever wavered in their faith in the land. Muslims in India unfortunately are ambivalent about her at best. Their sense of alienation has been sharpened by their supposed dethronement ;from being the 'Shah's of Hindustan' to being ordinary citizens. This plays in their mind always. Victors will not equate themselves with the vanquished people. This is the reason we had to partition India, this is is why Kashmiri muslims want to secede and this thought is behind the sometimes silent, sometimes vocal support a terrorist receives from the Muslim community in general. Somehow they can't feel Indian enough. We keep ignoring it and hiding it in meaningless words but honestly only Muslims themselves can decide to end this alienation or not . No amount of cajoling or guidance from outside will help. We can only fit our response ; if we have one!
Good Politics!
by SG on 2008-10-11 18:53:46.888152+05:30
Do you Believe there is Good sincere politics in India? Yes the Congress instead of talking to them raised stupid demands like ban the Bajrang Dal and VHP, but what will any political party say (or convince if that's what u want) to them? No one can reason anything with them, they have to come out of their own insecure mindsets and show that all of them are not from the same mould.
a different encounter
by MeMarathi on 2008-10-11 16:45:55.700303+05:30
Thank you Mr. Shekar Gupta for your very kind gesture. Muslims have every right to suspect the encounter after their isolation by fake arrests, fake killings and now the greatest of all times fake Commission report in Gujarat - which even the ex Chief Justice of India and then head of Human Rights Commission objected to. Give me a reply as to why in Malegaon when the people informed the police about the unclaimed motorcycle, they did not bother to turn up until after the blasts. Why now after nearly two weeks after the blast, not a single person has been charged or detained. Why our intelligence is so intelligent that within 24 hours after the Delhi blasts they traced all the culprits and within days also killed the key conspirator, but the same intelligence is so impotent and imprudent about the Malegaon blasts? Isn't this a nationwide conspiracy against the community???
Undestanding Insurgencies
by Atul Chandra on 2008-10-11 13:41:55.43362+05:30
Sikh insurgency was born out of dreams of Khalistan-where Sikhs would be 'rulers'. The driving emotion was to be absolute rulers. It failed only because Sikh diaspora was not large enough to keep on feeding the jaws of war. Muslim insurgency too is driven by this 'root cause'-desire to be absolute rulers. No amount of pussyfooting will hide this fact. Both Sikhs and Muslims have past examples of such 'kingdoms'. Muslims have a wider larger and more resourseful diaspora-this has resulted in the wider, longer and more sustained effort on their part. They shall only lose out if all channels of 'supply' to jaws of war are blocked so severely, that there is no option left but to abandon the dream. Till such time umpteen such pious efforts as yours would keep on happening and we shall keep getting into deeper swamp. The latest funny addition to this band of past glory and rulership dream is the so called Hindutva band. It is tragic, for the effort is quite contrary to its ethos and resource
Insurgencies
by Kishan Sharma on 2008-10-12 11:15:37.03795+05:30
I agree with Atul. Muslims ruled this country for centuries. When,in the pre-independence years they found they cannot regain their ruler position they divided the country and got a new country for them. The game-plan is the same now. Sikh insurgency ended when they realised that it was an impossible dream. Also the ruling party never questioned the killing of insurgents. Now a huge storm is raised even when the police takes some people for questioning. Another point, is Shekhar not profiling the community for which people of his persuation accuse the BJP?
Dissolve the Congress
by Nanda on 2008-10-11 11:58:09.857295+05:30
Solution to this problem is to dissolve the congress party as per the wish of our great Mahatma Gandhi. Nothing Else
Dissolve congress
by Bob on 2008-10-12 15:56:32.393425+05:30
and then call ............ friends all are alike two sides of coin each waiting for other's downfall
Dealing with Muslim Denial
by Ghulam Faruki on 2008-10-11 11:34:56.442316+05:30
Insightful and very fair-minded editorial by Mr.Shekhar Gupta. Muslims particularly should read it.
Islamic terror
by sitaraman on 2008-10-11 10:24:17.588811+05:30
Islamic terror has more supporters and funders outside India and cannot be compared with the turbulence in Punjab. This terror war may be localised but is funded, emotionally supported from outside. Islamic terror is a world-wide phenomenon, inspired by the Osamas and Ayatollahs. IF what Shekhar says is true, iwhy is not tried in western countries with success? Moderated countries in Europe and America are also affected by Islamic terror. What Shekhar Gupta is suggesting is to give a sense of credibility to the terrorists. The terrorists are only boldened by the sleeping cells in various parts of teh country, mosques, local politicians, beurocrats, policemen and those who have a small influence on the ground. When terrorists are sure that people like Laloo, Mulayam, Salman and other congress leaders will talk for them, they will never see reason. Terrorists hold the public to ransom through their vote bank and kill at will. Not so simple, Shekhar, it is not just talk the way
a diiferent encounter
by Shafique on 2008-10-11 09:55:40.510359+05:30
Only we have some hope from like you Shekhar ji and other people like you. . Please keep writing . I have been working for 10 yrs in saudi , now i affriad to go India due to this type of behaviour of our police.
Congress Express
by Seem on 2008-10-11 06:59:16.426389+05:30
And Mr. Gupta proves that this is nothing but a pro-congress mouthpiece. You have never so diligently written any article on the suppression of rights and civil liberties of Hindus Mr Gupta. Why? We don't have any sentiments. Our religious heritage can be destroyed, muslims can attack our religious procession in Hyderabad because their so-called namaz was disturbed by the bhajans but when they shout in those ridiculous loud speakers it is fine. Grow up people.
A different encounter
by R S R Murty on 2008-10-11 06:25:22.41375+05:30
I appreciate his concern for UPA Govt.'s (Congress vote bank politics) and trying to search needle in the haystack.
A different encounter by Shekhar Gupta
by Anil Mahajan on 2008-10-11 04:05:20.266646+05:30
It is sheer polyanish optimism to expect sincere politics in Indian system as we are living in the age of crisis of faith (not the religious one!). There is so much of "chalta hai" and "chalugiri" that a sincere person is always explaining the reasons to the world and the latter is being manipulated and reined by the unscrupulous trickesters. Remember Amar Singh!Please remember that the reason for "Muslim Problem" is that we always think about them as "Muslims", not like everybody else. It is true from Muslims too. And, this compartmental thinking is the mother of whole divisive attitude towards each other. That's what sends chill to the spine of any sensitive, sincere individual be it a leader or a common man on the street.
