Abhinav Bharat, a base of terrorism

[Bill Longley]

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan
My article ‘India Pakistan: hiding behind excuses again?’ (Daily Times, March 4, 2010) got several responses from readers in India. Most of these were in good grace as those from the cultured Indians are expected to be. Some got very angry, almost threatening and looking down on Pakistan. Both kinds of responses are representative of the Indian mindset. Fortunately, the majority is of people with a good balance of mind. But one cannot ignore the minority, as more often than not, it is vociferous and effective. In a nutshell, the hard-hitting letters stressed that Pakistan is a bed of terrorists, and India is a great economic power, which can teach a couple of lessons to Pakistan. They also ignored the possibility of any terror networks in India.

The purposes of this article is not point scoring. It is meant to have a better understanding of the situation so the people of the two countries can hope to have peaceful relations. There is no denying the fact that India has made remarkable progress in many fields, including economics, culture and infrastructure development. It is true that Pakistan has been plagued by terrorist networks like al Qaeda, the Taliban and others. But it is also true that India has had a strong and substantial homegrown terrorism for a long time and its intention has been to intimidate the minorities, in particular the Muslims and Christians. It also has a dream to dominate the world, a dream common with the Pakistani Taliban. If Pakistan-based Taliban want to force their brand of religion on the world, the Hindutva terrorists want to enforce their brand of Brahmanism on everyone else. So people of both countries need to look at the ground realities and devise a corrective strategy.

I am bringing to the notice of our readers just one of the Indian organisations, Abhinav Bharat, which has a long history of terror. It is not to be confused with a trust of the same name. The trust disowns the terror organisation. The extremist Abinav Bharat was born before independence. Led by Vinayak Savarkar, initially it called for an ‘armed struggle’ against the British occupation of India. It performed several terrorist acts. Its home was India House in London. The activities of India House did not go unnoticed. By 1909, India House was under surveillance from Scotland Yard and Indian intelligence. Savarkar’s elder brother, Ganesh, was arrested in India in June that year, and was subsequently tried and exiled to the Andamans for publication of seditionist literature. Savarkar’s speeches grew increasingly strident and called for widespread violence, and murder of all Englishmen in India. The culmination of these events was the assassination of Sir William Curzon Wyllie, the political aide-de-camp to the secretary of state to India, by Madanlal Dhingra on the evening of July 1, 1909. Dhingra was arrested and later tried and executed. A number of sources suggested the assassination was in fact Savarkar’s brainchild and that he planned further action in Britain as well as India. In March 1910, Savarkar was arrested and deported to India. In the following year, the police and political sources brought pressure on the residents of India House to leave England. While some of its leaders like Krishna Varma had already fled to Europe, others like Chattopadhyaya moved to Germany. Many others moved to Paris.

A branch of Abhinav Bharat with the philosophy that arose from the works of Savarkar was consolidated in India in the 1920s. It had an explicit ideology of Hindu nationalism, exemplified by the ‘Hindu Mahasabha’. It was distinct from Gandhi’s devotionalism. Savarkar’s philosophy earned the support of Hindu chauvinism. In recent years, the Abhinav Bharat has been led by Savarkar’s granddaughter Himani Savarkar. This organisation undertook a super active and violent programme after the joining of Lieutenant Colonel Purohit as its main protagonist since 2006.

Lieutenant Colonel Purohit, during his stint in Jammu and Kashmir, collected a stock of explosives, particularly RDX, and probably hid it in Pune, his hometown. He appeared to have struck an understanding with some other extremist organisations like Bajrang Dal, Vishva Hindu Prishad (VHP) and Jagran Munch. The training to use explosives was provided by Major (retired) Ramesh Upadhyay. The hate speeches are generally carried out by many members including Sameer Kulkarni. A religious cover to the terrorists is provided by the swamis, and the political cover by Sangh Parivar parties like the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Shiv Sena and BJP. The technical and logistic guidance is available from the Intelligence Bureau (IB). The large media network of Sangh Parivar is used to propagate that every terror work is sourced from Pakistan.

The Abhinav Bharat network has been found involved in several terrorist acts. Of these, the most well known are the ‘Samjhota Express’ blast killing 68 persons, the Ajmer Blast and the Malegaon Blast 2007. In each case, the main targets were Muslims. In the investigations by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief of Maharashtra, Hemant Karkare, the network was identified and 11 members and associates of Abhinav Bharat were arrested. The case was filed in the Nasik court of Maharashtra. The charge-sheet also said that the ultimate aim of the group was to establish a separate Hindu Rashtra with its own constitution. This case is being heard now, but Hemant Karkare was mysteriously killed.

Unfortunately, terrorism flourishes under the cover of religious or extreme nationalistic movements. The extremists in such movements lead the others astray and bring discredit to their movements. The Talban, Abhinav Bharat, al Qaeda, etc., are basically the same.

In a democratic set-up, of which India takes pride, there should be firm actions to exercise control. Pakistan also must control but it has a more difficult path because it is not a ‘secular’ state. There are no angels anywhere. We need to learn and work hard to make it possible to live as good humans and serve the humanity. Denial is not the answer to the problem; facing the facts and taking firm action will lead the way to peace.

Naeem Tahir has been associated with performing arts for over 40 years. He was the Chief Executive/Director General of Pakistan’s apex cultural organisation, the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA). He can be reached at naeemtahir37@gmail.com

 

[notsuperstitious]

This is part purely unsubstatiated

He appeared to have struck an understanding with some other extremist organisations like Bajrang Dal, Vishva Hindu Prishad (VHP) and Jagran Munch. The training to use explosives was provided by Major (retired) Ramesh Upadhyay. The hate speeches are generally carried out by many members including Sameer Kulkarni. A religious cover to the terrorists is provided by the swamis, and the political cover by Sangh Parivar parties like the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Shiv Sena and BJP. The technical and logistic guidance is available from the Intelligence Bureau (IB). The large media network of Sangh Parivar is used to propagate that every terror work is sourced from Pakistan.

The Abhinav Bharat network has been found involved in several terrorist acts. Of these, the most well known are the ‘Samjhota Express’ blast killing 68 persons,

Nobody has indicted Abhinav Bharat for Samjhauta express attacks, yes pakistani authors keep repeating it as if they have something to hide.

Well they do.

The Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee - 1267

Arif Qasmani is the chief coordinator of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba’s (LeT) (QE.L.118.05) dealings with other organizations and has provided significant support for LeT terrorist operations. Qasmani has worked with LeT to facilitate terrorist attacks, including the July 2006 train bombing in Mumbai, India, and the February 2007 Samjota Express bombing in Panipat, India.

 

[PeaceForAll]

If Pakistan-based Taliban want to force their brand of religion on the world, the Hindutva terrorists want to enforce their brand of Brahmanism on everyone else.

If Hindus wanted to make evryone else hindus, we would call india a "hindu" state and not a secular state, the % of minorities in population will decrease (which it hasnt - unlike some of its neighbouring countries) and some people who dont even know the basic tenets of hinduism need not talk about it.

It also has a dream to dominate the world, a dream common with the Pakistani Taliban.

you equated taliban to India because both want to dominate the world?? so in your analogy, China, US, Russia everyone is taliban!!

The extremist Abinav Bharat was born before independence. Led by Vinayak Savarkar, initially it called for an ‘armed struggle’ against the British occupation of India. It performed several terrorist acts. Its home was India House in London. The activities of India House did not go unnoticed. By 1909, India House was under surveillance from Scotland Yard and Indian intelligence. Savarkar’s elder brother, Ganesh, was arrested in India in June that year, and was subsequently tried and exiled to the Andamans for publication of seditionist literature. Savarkar’s speeches grew increasingly strident and called for widespread violence, and murder of all Englishmen in India. The culmination of these events was the assassination of Sir William Curzon Wyllie, the political aide-de-camp to the secretary of state to India, by Madanlal Dhingra on the evening of July 1, 1909. Dhingra was arrested and later tried and executed. A number of sources suggested the assassination was in fact Savarkar’s brainchild and that he planned further action in Britain as well as India. In March 1910, Savarkar was arrested and deported to India. In the following year, the police and political sources brought pressure on the residents of India House to leave England. While some of its leaders like Krishna Varma had already fled to Europe, others like Chattopadhyaya moved to Germany. Many others moved to Paris.

the guy should be praised by both India and Pak for having done his part for the struggle towards independence of the land from britishers!!

Unfortunately, terrorism flourishes under the cover of religious or extreme nationalistic movements. The extremists in such movements lead the others astray and bring discredit to their movements. The Talban, Abhinav Bharat, al Qaeda, etc., are basically the same.

ay terrorist activity is wrong. however, abhinav bharat and taliban differ a lot because taliban, alqaeda has caused global problems because of their "islam only in this world" rule and also because they even kill other muslims because they are different from the taliban style muslims.

abhinav bharat - hmm i dont think anyone in US or UK have ever had problems wth it.. hmm they dint even hear abt it. they seem to be crooks alright but petty criminals are everywhere. to compare them with global threats like taliban and alqaeda and then washing your dirt off saying "the others are also dirty" isnt a sign of a proper introspection within your society.

In a democratic set-up, of which India takes pride, there should be firm actions to exercise control. Pakistan also must control but it has a more difficult path because it is not a ‘secular’ state.

exactly how does that make it dificult for a state to curb terrorism?? are terrorists allowd in non secular states?

Denial is not the answer to the problem; facing the facts and taking firm action will lead the way to peace.

getting the facts right is the first step.

 

[Bill Longley]

NEW DELHI: Lieutenant-Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit’s ageing mother isn’t the only one who isn’t willing to believe he could be a terrorist.

Just like the communities of many Islamist terror suspects held this summer, his Pune neighbours are struggling to understand why a soft-spoken middle-class man would want the blood of innocents on his hands. The Maharashtra Police’s Anti-Terrorism Squad is working overtime to answer that question. Along with India’s intelligence services, it hopes to establish if Purohit’s case was a one-off or whether, as some fear, it points to a large-scale penetration of India’s armed forces by Hindutva groups. Some answers are beginning to emerge.

Hate school
The son of a bank officer with no particular political leanings, Purohit seems to have first encountered Hindutva politics in his late teens when he attended a special coaching class for short service commission officer-aspirants at the Bhonsala Military School in Pune.

Founded in 1937 by B.S. Moonje, the controversial school drew on fascist pedagogical practices the Hindutva ideologue encountered on a visit to Europe. Moonje, who had earlier served with the British Indian army as a doctor during the visit, met with Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and studied fascist institutions.

Purohit’s education at the school helped him secure a commission in the Indian Army. His subsequent career, however, was unexceptional.

In 2002, he participated in 15 Maratha Light Infantry’s counter-terrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir, but won no special honours. Later, he was given an administrative job linked to the raising of 41 Rashtriya Rifles, a dedicated counter-terrorism formation that operates out of Kupwara, in northern Kashmir. His tenure in Jammu and Kashmir ended in January, 2005, while serving in the Awantipora-based 31-Counter Intelligence Unit of the Military Intelligence Directorate, an assignment not considered among the most prestigious.

Officers who knew Purohit in Jammu and Kashmir described him as devoted to his wife Aparna, a military homoeopath, and their two children. To his colleagues, he appeared pious and soft spoken but made no secret of his political views. He believed that the Indian state was unable to defend Hindus, one contemporary says, and thought it was incumbent on all of us to do something about it.

Investigators suspect Purohit’s decision to set up Abhinav Bharat germinated soon after he moved to Maharashtra in 2005.

Purohit was assigned charge of an Army Liaison Unit, an MI cell responsible for developing and maintaining links between the army and local communities. The job provided a perfect cover for developing contacts with his old school, and the circle of Pune-region Hindutva activists who were connected to it

School commandant Colonel S.S. Raikar, the investigators say, played a key role in putting Purohit in touch with the activists who went on to form Abhinav Bharat. Colonel Raikar, who retired from the Indian Army as head of a Military Intelligence detachment in Manipur, has denied any criminal wrongdoing. The Bhonsala Military School, too, insists it has no links to political groups.

In the summer of 2006, though, Abhinav Bharat held the first of what was to be a series of meetings in rooms provided by the Bhonsala Military School. From the outset, it made no secret of its objectives. Abhinav Bharat drew its name from a terrorist group set up by Hindutva activists in 1904 to fight colonial Britain. Himani Savarkar, grandniece of the Hindutva movement’s founding patriarch Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and niece of Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse, was appointed the organisation’s president.

Purohit is alleged to have told Abhinav Bharat supporters that his military background had equipped him, unlike the political leadership of existing Hindutva organisations, to prepare for what he saw as an inevitable Hindu-Muslim civilisational war. He would often invent stories of heroic covert exploits against jihadi terrorists to impress his recruits, member of the investigation team told The Hindu.

Full-time cadre of the organisation were known by the honorific Chanakya, a reference to the scholar-advisor who is reputed to have helped build the foundations for the rule of the emperor Chandragupta Maurya.

In August, 2007, Purohit volunteered for a course in Arabic, a move, the investigators now believe, that was driven less by a desire for learning and more by the prospect of remaining in regular contact with Abhinav Bharat.

When the Indian Mujahideen offensive gathered pace this summer, the investigators say, Abhinav Bharat’s core leadership saw the opportunity to strike. Plans for the Malegaon attack were rapidly put in place, plans that the ATS hopes Purohit’s arrest will help them unravel.

Corrections and Clarifications

The Bhonsala Military School is in Nashik, and not Pune as given in a report "Purohit's improbable path to becoming a terrorist"
The Hindu : National : Purohit’s improbable path to becoming a terrorist

--------------------------------
Investigations have revealed that serving and retired army officers associated with Abhinav Bharat “hijacked” the organisation that was initially started by a prominent Pune historian for inculcating patriotism in the youth. The army personnel, it now transpires, motivated the youth to take up “armed” struggle against Islamic terrorism of which the Malegaon blast was a fallout.

The state Anti-Terrorism Squad has arrested five persons, including two Abhinav Bharat members from Pune, for alleged links with the blast. Lt. Col Prasad Purohit, whom the ATS is grilling, is also said to be a member of Abhinav Bharat. Sources said Purohit was brought to Pune on Saturday for investigation.

A senior ATS officer said the historian who started Abhinav Bharat is a genuine activist having no links with the blast. The army officers, along with some hardliners in the outfit, may have motivated young Hindu men to take up arms for combating terrorism, he said.

Investigators believe that the present-day organisation was modelled after freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar’s revolutionary outfit Abhinav Bharat he flagged off in 1905 to start an armed struggle against the British.

Savarkar, who dissolved his Abhinav Bharat in 1952 saying there was no need for armed struggle in Independent India, had called upon the youth to join the Indian army.

The historian, along with a group of intellectuals, revived Abhinav Bharat in mid-2006 and carried out several programmes aimed at creating awareness on present day social problems such as terrorism.

But later, hardliners in the organisation having an army background, who believed in Savarkar’s “armed struggle” concept, took control as they felt the government was not firm in handling Islamic terror. The website of Abhinav Bharat, which was registered in Nashik on May 19, 2007 also criticised the Ministry of Defence.

According to the website, retired major Ramesh Upadhyay was working president of the Abhinav Bharat, which was revived at Raigad in June 2006. Sources said Lt.Col Prasad Purohit was associated with it since then.

Another accused, Sameer Kulkarni, who police say was the pointman for Abhinav Bharat in Madhya Pradesh, joined after Vishwa Hindu Parishad in Pune sidelined him for not following the discipline of the outfit. ATS is now on the lookout for Mayaram Jaswani, vice- president of Abhinav Bharat in MP. Investigators believe some Abhinav Bharat members were trained in making and using of bombs.

The ATS has also detained retired Lt.Col Shailesh Raikar, commandant of Bhonsala Military School in Nashik for questioning. It is suspected that Raikar was aware of the meetings held by Abhinav Bharat members in Nashik. Those present at the meetings included Upadhyay, Kulkarni and Sadhvi Pragya, some 10 days before the Malegaon blast on September 29.

When asked about Hemani Savarkar, President of Hindu Mahasabha, who spoke to the media as national President of Abhinav Bharat, inspector Peter Lobo of Pune ATS said, “Savarkar’s name has not come up in investigations so far. Otherwise we would have interrogated her.”

Savarkar had told The Indian Express that she became national President of Abhinav Bharat some eight months back. “Abhinav Bharat is a truly social outfit.

After Maharashtra and MP, our plan was to form teams of Abhinav Bharat in all states for creating awareness, by non-violent ways, on social problems and injustice to Hindus. Hindu Mahasabha is a political outfit that would take part in elections,” she said.

Sources said Kulkarni, Upadhyay and Lt.Col Purohit met a few times in Pune. When and where the meetings were held and for what, were being probed.

“The trio hail form Pune. Kulkarni has a strong network in Bhopal. We cannot share more details as investigations are on,” said Lobo.
Abhinav Bharat was ‘hijacked’ by hardliners: probe - Express India

-----------------------------------
The RDX bomb used in last September's terror attack in Malegaon was assembled at Sudhakar Chaturvedi's residence in Deolali near Nashik, the Anti-Terrorism Squad has found after interrogating him. Chaturvedi, a member of Abhinav Bharat, has been arrested in the case.

ATS officials said Chaturvedi, a key fund collector for the outfit, had provided his rented room in Deolali to the other accused in the case. It was there Lt Col Prasad Purohit allegedly manufactured the bomb.

But the ATS, despite making the first arrest in the case last October 23, is still struggling for physical evidence to club with the chargesheet that can help it secure conviction. The chargesheet would be filed in the next two weeks.
Abhinav Bharat member's house used for making bomb: ATS - India - The Times of India

-----------------------------

 

[Nemesis]

The article connects Abhinav Bharat, a complete non entity, to the entire history of right wing movements in 20th century India. What BS. I just don't understand why people, when they have no idea what they are talking about, insist on speaking.

 

[Bill Longley]

The article connects Abhinav Bharat, a complete non entity, to the entire history of right wing movements in 20th century India. What BS. I just don't understand why people, when they have no idea what they are talking about, insist on speaking.

hmmmmmmmmm

well said

 

[Bill Longley]

now you people will call bhagat singh a terrorist!and make same as osama or betulaa masood!!!!!!!!

Baghat singh was not terrorist as he was fighting against occupation
but prohit type thugs against minority and for hindu rashtra . they burned and killed pakistani muslims in hate

 

[TaimiKhan]

Discuss as per the posted material, anyone derailing the thread or getting unwanted discussion in the thread, will be taken out of the forum.

Stick to the topic, if you can't then keep it shut, and especially refrain from personal attacks, or would be history.

 

[notsuperstitious]

Baghat singh was not terrorist as he was fighting against occupation
but prohit type thugs against minority and for hindu rashtra . they burned and killed pakistani muslims in hate

No he did not, Arif Qasmani is a pakistani muslim.

The Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee - 1267

Arif Qasmani is the chief coordinator of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba’s (LeT) (QE.L.118.05) dealings with other organizations and has provided significant support for LeT terrorist operations. Qasmani has worked with LeT to facilitate terrorist attacks, including the July 2006 train bombing in Mumbai, India, and the February 2007 Samjota Express bombing in Panipat, India.

 

[Bill Longley]

No he did not, Arif Qasmani is a pakistani muslim.

The Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee - 1267

boy tell me one thing

WHO IS COL PROHIT>?????????

 

[notsuperstitious]

boy tell me one thing

WHO IS COL PROHIT>?????????

Not Arif Qasmani.

 

[SMC]

The UN thing was instantiated on the request of US without any feedback from indian government. Indian government has not spoken anything about involvement of LeT on the matter. It has spoken something different. The indian government is the authority on the matter as the attack took place in india. Right now as it is, the attack was carried out by hindu terrorists.

 

[notsuperstitious]

The UN thing was instantiated on the request of US without any feedback from indian government. Indian government has not spoken anything about involvement of LeT on the matter. It has spoken something different. The indian government is the authority on the matter as the attack took place in india. Right now as it is, the attack was carried out by hindu terrorists.

Indian govt has not said samjhauta was carried out by purohit, they did investigate that angle and concluded it was the work of LET and purohit had nothing to do with it.

You are simply telling lies, the point i was making earlier, pakistanis lie blatantly abt this, i do not know why.

 

[SMC]

Now that's a first. When did they conclude it was done by LeT?

 

[Bill Longley]

Indian govt has not said samjhauta was carried out by purohit, they did investigate that angle and concluded it was the work of LET and purohit had nothing to do with it.

You are simply telling lies, the point i was making earlier, pakistanis lie blatantly abt this, i do not know why.

now shut ur beak

you are continuously barking not admitting what the reality is

why hindu tva was against late kurkuray

can you plz try to tell us

and why the hell indian govt as reported by ur media accused prohit and his type chicken hawks about samjhota express

btw before farting read ur media how hindutva thugs kill, burn and torture minorities if you want i will give u indian links

before uttering any lie see ur own face in mirror