Al-Faida (beneficiary) of Mumbai Bombings:Indian Army or BJP?
By Dr Shahid Qureshi
Mumbai bombings seem to be the desperate move of the Hindu terrorists and supremacists who want to blame everything on Muslims but also want to enjoy the full benefits? Perhaps the arrests of Indian army officers involved in bombings have panicked the Indian establishment? Many analysts believe it is a cover up and inside job because there are so many gaps in the reports.
Since 9/11 everything Al-Qaeda did is always proved to be Al-Faida (beneficiary) for the enemies of the Muslims and harmed its interests, helped neo cons starting from President Bushs help in low rating times to even issuing a statement during recent US elections? The two main beneficiaries of the so called war on terror apart from defence industry are Israel and India? Both countries have killed innocent people in the name of counter terrorism and both have occupied lands of millions of Muslims in Kashmir and Palestine.
India is seemingly led by people who are living in false sense of security, that they can walk over Pakistan and station their troops in Afghanistan and have a happy life? Like it or not it is a fact that Muslims have ruled over India much bigger than the size BJP control for more than five hundred years. Indian strategists must understand the fact that they can not marginalise around 200 million Muslims and other minorities living in India? This slogan of being biggest democracy and a secular Sate has fallen apart.
In last 60 years Muslim, Sikh, Dalits and Christian minorities in India have been treated so badly by the Hindu Supremacists that fibber of the country is going to fall apart sooner or later. The Nazi supremacist ideology ended in defeat and division Germany. Indian dream of becoming super power can not be fulfilled if it keep on fighting with its neighbours big or small, treat its own people with resentment?
The Indian Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) has obtained confessional statements of Indian Army Officer Lt Col Purohit admitting his pivotal role in plotting and executing the act of terrorism on September 29. The ATS further said that it would like to question at least three more men in uniform believed to be one Major General and two colonels. Investigations further revealed that the accused managed to procure weapons and explosives including RDX using fake documents while he was posted in occupied Kashmir in 2004-05, reported in the press.
The brave investigating officer and head of the ATS, Hement Karkare have been shot dead by terrorists in Mumbai shootout. Who benefited from his death Indian army, BJP or both is a big question mark for the investigators?
The Times of India reported on 28th November 2008 an account after the death of Hement Karkare's friend, Col (retired) Rahul Gowardhan was travelling in a train to Nagpur from Mumbai when he got a call from his wife Anuradha informing about the death Karkare.
Just some hours before that, Karkare had sent a letter to him in an envelop which had some personal content. Hemant had called me up on Wednesday, said Gowardhan, a top official with MSEDCL.
As I was in a meeting, we decided to postpone the talk. He hung up saying he would be sending me an envelope. When I wanted to know the content, he told me to just read the letter thats inside it. I returned home and read it. I cannot share the content of the letter with anyone, said Gowardhan.
In the night, Gowardhan got the news of his friends death. I wanted to return to Mumbai immediately but I had to drop my mother in Nagpur. Now Im going back by evening flight to attend Hemants funeral.
Kranti Kumara reported on 6th November 2008 that in an extraordinary development, the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of the west Indian state of Maharashtra has arrested a retired Indian army major and a serving lieutenant colonel as part of its investigation of September 29 terrorist bombingsbombings the ATS now says were carried out by Hindu supremacists. On October 24, police arrested Pragya Singh Thakur, a 38 year-old former activist of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishada student group allied with the Hindu supremacist BJP and RSSand two associates, 36-year old Shivnarayan Gopal Singh Kalsangra and 42-year old Shyam Bhanwarlal Sahu. Five days later the Maharashtra state ATS arrested retired army Major Ramesh Upadhyay and Sameer Kulkarni, a leading member of a small, fanatical Hindutva-ite organization, the Abhinav Bharat. The ATS also had Lt. Colonel Srikant Prasad Purohit brought to Mumbai from his army unit in Madya Pradesh for questioning.
Lt. Colonel Purohit is reputed to be a founding member of the Abhinav Bharat (AB), and retired Major Upadhyay its working president. The AB was revived in 2006, ostensibly to counter anti-Hindu activities. It claims to be the successor organization to a secret group founded by the principal ideologue of Hindutva or Hindu nationalism in pre-independence India, the communalist zealot V.D. Savarkar. M.K. Gandhi, the principal leader of the Indian National Congress, was assassinated in January 1948 by disciples of Savarkar.
The ATS has also questioned the Commandant (a retired Indian Army Colonel) of the Bhonsle Military School in Maharashtra. The military school has close links with Hindu extremists. It was founded by one of Savarkars close associates, B.S. Moonje, who drew inspiration from the military training organized by Italys government under the fascist Mussolini. The Hindu-communalist Bajrang Dal (BD), whose activists have been mounting a terror campaign against Christians in Orissas Kandamahal district since August, reportedly hold military drill on the schools grounds free of charge. (See: India: Hindu communalists target Christian minority in Orissa and other states ).
On the other hand the deep involvement of Israel a small country of 6 million populations in the affairs of more than one billion people is quite extra ordinary? Some one said when small things make big shadows, its evening.
Following report Was Nariman House the terror hub? by
Mumbai Attacked: Terror attack in Taj Mahal, Trident Oberoi hotel, CST, Cama Hospital, Ville Parle, Leopold Cafe Colaba, GT hospital, Nepean Sea Road, Dockyard Road on 28th November is an eye opener for the investigators.
India's financial capital, Mumbai seems to be going through its longest night for the last two days. Wednesday, 9.40 pm, the affluent south Mumbai was struck by terrorists, at 12 different locations, including the VT station, a hub for all railway trains, to two of the most luxurious hotels, Taj Mahal and Oberoi Trident. 24 hours later, the attention has riveted to these hotels, and a tiny nondescript building, barely a few meters away from the Taj Mahal hotel. Housing a five-storied guest house for Israeli nationals, this building is turning out to be the 'den' for the militants. "I saw 6 to 7 boats coming in on Wednesday evening and about ten people unloaded many bags from these boats and then gradually took them into the building, Nariman House', Vitthal Tandel, a fisherman in the area said. "The building has many rooms and these are used as guest houses by travellers, largely Israeli residents. None of us know what their names are", he said.
Virendra Ghunawat, a television journalist who has been tracking the Nariman House shootout since the time it took place Wednesday night, said even the cops have been cagey about details. "Today, during one of the shootout exchanges, the cops managed to rescue a six year old girl and her mother. We know of a man who is critically injured and requires urgent medical help. A couple is also holed up inside apart from the militants", a senior police official said, who did not wish to be quoted.
The role that Nariman House is coming to play in this entire attack drama, is puzzling. Last night, residents ordered close to 100 kilograms of meat and other food, enough to feed an army or a bunch of people for twenty days. Shortly thereafter, the ten odd militants moved in, obviously, indicating that the food and meat was ordered, keeping their visit in mind, another cop added. "
One of the militants called up a television news channel and voiced his demands today, but, interestingly, when he was asked where are they all holed him, he said at the Israeli owned Nariman House and they are six of them here", one of the investigating cops said. Since morning, there has been exchange of gun fire has been going on and the militants seem well equipped to counter the cops fire. To top it, they have food and shelter. One wonders of they have the support of the residents, a local Ramrao Shanker said. Cops did not want to go into speculation. "Three residents of the building, all presumably Israeli residents, have also been killed since last night, allegedly by the militants. We do not have their identity and would not like to speculate on this angle", the cops said.
Few years ago I asked Indian High Commissioner to London Renandra Sen, at London School of Economics (LSE) which country India has best relationship among its neighbours Pakistan, China, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan apart from Mauritius? He said to me, it is not a fair question. This denial and deception of the Indian leadership even to its own people is part of the problem and not solution for long term peace with its all neighbours?
India does not need external enemies as long as racist Hindu Fundamentalists are deeply penetrated in the establishment. BJP resent the fact that current ruling Congress party is headed by an Italian Sonia Gandhi. Well Congress Party was formed by British A.W Hume. Some times it is easy to occupy a country but it is very hard to subsist that occupation be it Kashmir or Palestine?
The racist ideology of Hindu Supremacists and their love affair with Israel and her polices, would bring sleepless nights and terrifying days for the Indians as common Israelis are feelings for long times and Americans have been feeling since 9/11?
(Dr Shahid Qureshi is award wining journalist and writer on foreign policy & security based in London)
Al-Faida (beneficiary) of Mumbai Bombings Indian Army or BJP? By Dr Shahid Qureshi