Dear Senkanal readers, the heart-breaking Delhi car blast terror incident occurred on 10 November has shocked the country. Senkanal resolutely condemn this. However, after the Pahalgam terrorist attack and the so-called retaliation of “Operation Sindoor” the BJP-RSS fascist clique boasted that they have taught a lesson to the terrorists and such incidents will never recur. But, within five months, it happened! Investigations and news reports claim that the terrorists had nearly 3,000 kilograms of explosive materials and also a huge plan of action to attack several places of the country on the Republic Day and December 6 etc. Even though we cannot confirm at this juncture whether these claims are genuine or exaggerated, one thing is very clear: this is not a CNG blast, Dr. Umar Nabi either deliberately or accidently blasted explosive materials and there was a network of terrorists.

 The arrested suspected terrorists are doctors, engineers and other professionals with a monthly earning of 3 – 4 lakh rupees; from this fact the BJP and media relentlessly propagate the fanatic term “white collar terrorism.” This most-hatred and fanatic propaganda now turned the country’s Hindus to suspect even every well-educated and settled Muslim neighbours.

However, the root cause for this kind of Islamist terrorism and why these incidents are happening again and again–are not discussed. For this purpose we re-publish a booklet published by Revolutionary People’s Power and New Democratic Labour Front, (RPP & NDLF) in June 2025, immediately after the Pahalgam incident. This booklet vividly explains how Islamist terrorism in India is a reaction of the Hindutva fascist terrorism? How historically Hindutva terrorism fostered Islamist terrorism? And most importantly it put forwards an important view that our country has now pushed into the threat of looming terrorism because of Hindu fascists and unless we uproot them and their attacks on innocent Muslim day by day, we cannot prevent such attacks! This is the only way ahead!

We hope this booklet will provide a unique, correct, historical and objective understanding of this subject. Thanks for the mentioned organisations for giving permission to publish it in English.

Editorial,
Senkanal. 

Dear Working People,

We, the vast majority of the labouring masses, are already suffering unbearable hardships—inflation, unemployment, poverty, hunger, and the burden of debt. Amid these struggles, our country now faces yet another crisis: the looming threat of “terrorism”.

Yes! It is an undeniable truth that our nation has been pushed into the grip of terrorism today.

The Pahalgam incident stands as one of the most horrific and heart-wrenching attacks targeting innocent civilians since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. 26 innocent people, who had gone on vacation, were brutally and unjustly killed. With no room for doubt such attacks must be strongly condemned. But will mere condemnations prevent such incidents from happening again? Who are the forces pushing us into this danger? What is the root cause of this menace? Unless we identify and uproot the source, mere condemnation and tears will achieve nothing!

                 So then—who are these forces pushing us into this abyss?

Why Do Terrorist Attacks Like Pahalgam Happen?

What do the ruling BJP-RSS fascist clique, India’s ruling classes, and the media claim?

They argue that Pakistan’s military and government orchestrated this attack to divert attention from their own domestic crises. They claim Pakistan cannot tolerate India’s “progress,” especially in Kashmir, where “peace and normalcy have returned” and “unprecedented development is underway”. According to them, Pakistan is furious over Kashmir’s economic growth, rising investments, and booming tourism etc. Unable to bear this, they allege that Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI, has trained and deployed terrorist groups to carry out these attacks—disrupting India’s peace and development. They further demonize Pakistan, declaring it “a nation consumed by religious fanaticism,” its people “nothing but extremists,” and insist that “Pakistan must be crushed and taught a brutal lesson.”

What Do Critics of the Modi Government Say?

“The Modi administration has failed spectacularly on security. Just a month before this attack, Pakistan’s Army Chief, Asim Munir, ranted fanatically, declaring: “Kashmir is as vital to us as a nerve to the brain. We will never abandon Kashmiris. Hindus and Muslims can never coexist”. A week before the attack, intelligence warnings surfaced about possible “terrorist strikes targeting tourists in India”. Yet, the Modi government and security agencies brushed them aside, obsessed with peddling the lie that “normalcy has returned to Kashmir”. Complacent and overconfident, the Modi regime downplayed the terror threat, leaving Pahalgam—where over 2,000 tourists had gathered—unprotected, with no adequate police or paramilitary deployment. This is a complete intelligence and security failure” critics argue as such.

Several other similar arguments are put forth.

The Modi regime, which has enslaved the nation to imperialist powers and ruined India’s economy, has no moral ground to accuse Pakistan of “undermining India’s progress”. While we must reject the Modi gang’s diversionary tactics, some elements of the other arguments mentioned above do contain partial truths. But are these the root causes behind terror attacks like Pahalgam or in India at large? No!

The so-called “security lapse” argument merely acknowledges that conditions exist for terrorist attacks to occur—it does nothing to explain the actual cause of terrorism. Claiming that weak security alone leads to terrorism is as simplistic as saying theft happens only because someone forgot to lock a door, while ignoring the social drivers—poverty, unemployment, and social despair. The truth is, even if Pahalgam had been heavily fortified, the attack would have simply happened somewhere else—some other vulnerable spot.

In the 2008 Mumbai attacks, terrorists entered through the coastline. Does that mean stationing soldiers along every inch of India’s shores is the solution? Absolutely not! Even the United States—with its massive intelligence network and military might—could not prevent the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers, which killed 3,000 Americans. Hence security lapses are neither the primary cause of terrorism nor the strengthening of the security forces an all-encompassing solution. In a nutshell, all the above arguments address only supporting factors— that is branches, not roots. And unless we sever the root, terrorism cannot be eradicated.

So, what is the “root” of these attacks?

For the past decade under Modi’s rule—and even before—innocent Muslims have been relentlessly targeted by saffron-clad fascist terror. This Hindu terrorism is the root cause of the rise of Islamic terrorism in India. Yes! Islamist terrorism in our country is a reaction to the Hindutva fascist terror. As long as Hindutva fascism thrives, Islamist terrorism is bound to persist. You cannot eliminate Islamist terrorism in isolation without wiping saffron-clad fascist off the country.

A Decade of Saffron Terror: The Root Cause of Pahalgam Terrorism

The Modi-led fascist regime, which came to power in 2014 under the guise of “development and anti-corruption,” has unleashed relentless violence against Muslims. The 2019 Pulwama attack and the subsequent Balakot airstrike were exploited to consolidate power under the banner of a “strong leader, protector of the nation”. Since then, the fascists have aggressively marched the path towards Hindu Rashtra , fueling unprecedented levels of communal hatred. Innocent Muslims—ordinary citizens simply trying to live their lives—have been systematically targeted in a nationwide campaign of fascist brutality. This state-sponsored majoritarian terror has reached historic proportions, and its backlash is the growth of terrorism we see today.

 Listing every act of saffron terror over the past decade would be impossible, but we list a few examples that expose its savagery.

It is true that large-scale riots—such as the 1992 Mumbai massacre, which killed a thousand Muslims, or the 2002 Gujarat genocide, which slaughtered two thousand Muslims—have declined significantly after 2014. Modi’s regime even boasts of this as an achievement. In reality, the saffron-clad has adopted small-scale riots and ‘mob lynchings’ as a key strategy to avoid the legal and political consequences of large-scale communal violence. These smaller riots and mob lynchings are far more insidious than large-scale riots. They terrorize Muslims into living in constant fear while facing minimal consequences. Moreover, they are even more advantageous to Hindu fanatics.

According to data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) and a report submitted in Parliament, communal riots in the three years from 2014 to 2017 increased by 41% compared to the period before. Specifically, the total number of communal violence incidents in 2014 was 336, but by 2016, this number had risen to 475. After Modi came to power, Uttar Pradesh recorded a 346% increase in communal riots in 2016 compared to 2014, Uttarakhand saw a 450% surge, Madhya Pradesh a 420% rise, and Haryana a 433% spike.

According to data up to December 26, 2018, the Hate Crime Watch group reports that 93 riots were instigated by religious fundamentalism. Shockingly, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) indicates that Gujarat alone witnessed nearly 36,000 communal incidents after the BJP came to power, while Madhya Pradesh recorded 32,000 such cases and Chhattisgarh 12,000, as per government documents. However, these statistics only account for cases registered under IPC Sections 153-A and 153-B, excluding nationwide violence related to beef consumption and cattle trade—a glaring omission that masks the full scale of targeted attacks.

Since Modi came to power, India has been transformed to such an extent that it’s no longer ‘Hindustan’ but rather ‘Lynchistan’ – a nation of mob lynchers. Between 2010 and 2017 alone, 63 recorded cases of violent attacks by so-called ‘cow vigilantes’ against Muslims and Dalits – for allegedly transporting cattle or possessing beef – resulted in 28 deaths. Shockingly, over 97% of these incidents occurred after 2014. Even more alarming, mob lynchings have multiplied several-fold since 2019, revealing a disturbing pattern of escalating communal violence under the current regime.

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has no separate classification for cow-related violence. However, news-aggregated data reveals alarming findings. During the Congress-led UPA government (2009-2014), India recorded just one such incident with zero fatalities. In stark contrast, the Modi administration (2014-2023) witnessed 136 cases – resulting in 66 deaths and leaving over 283 people severely injured, the majority being Muslims.^[1]

These mob lynchings and attacks are neither random nor spontaneous. Cow vigilantes operate through coordinated WhatsApp networks where members instantly share photos of any bearded or skullcap-wearing individual transporting cattle with thousands of Hindu terrorists. Typically, within the next kilometer of their route, the Muslim victims are intercepted, brutally assaulted, and often killed. This is how mob lynchings are systematically organized and centrally orchestrated.

Mob lynchings and violent attacks against Muslims now occur daily across India under various pretexts – not just for alleged beef possession, but also under the fabricated ‘Love Jihad’ conspiracy theory accusing Muslim men of seducing Hindu women for conversion. Innocent Muslims are routinely ambushed on streets and forced to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram,’ among countless other forms of religious persecution. This epidemic of violence has become a horrifying routine.

These are not mere statistics. Every single account of mob violence and lynching sends chills down the spine. We will recall just a few examples. In 2015, a Hindu fanatic mob in Uttar Pradesh barged into elderly Akhlaq’s home, accusing him of storing beef in his refrigerator. They dragged him into the street and beat him to death in full public view – mercilessly continuing their assault even as he clutched their feet and begged for his life. Similarly, when Pehlu Khan, an innocent Muslim, was transporting cattle he had legally purchased for dairy, along the Jaipur-Delhi highway, a Hindu vigilante mob stopped him. Despite showing purchase receipts and pleading for mercy with folded hands, they bludgeoned him to death, breaking his neck as he bled out on the roadside. Akhlaq, Pehlu, Rakbar – countless innocent Muslims have been mercilessly slaughtered in broad daylight by these so-called ‘cow protectors’, their desperate pleas for mercy falling on deaf ears.

On May 24, cow vigilantes brutally assaulted four innocent Muslim youths transporting cattle in Uttar Pradesh. The attackers torched their vehicle. Yet, the Hindu fanatics faced no arrests. Instead, the victims now fighting for their lives have been falsely charged with “transporting beef.”

Hindutva terrorists do not consider these acts as criminal and undertake them covertely. On the contrary, they valorize them as courageous measures—systematic measures to terrorize Muslim communities. The lynchings are performed before crowds, recorded, and circulated nationwide as perverse badges of honor.

Do you know how the law, police, and courts responded? No cases or investigations were filed against Akhlaq’s murderers. Instead, the police pried open his refrigerator to investigate whether it contained beef or mutton. The Pehlu Khan case was even more grotesque. Despite video evidence—circulated by the killers themselves—the High Court acquitted all accused. Meanwhile, Pehlu’s eldest son was jailed without bail on fabricated cattle-theft charges. Consider this perverse reality: Victims are denied justice while being imprisoned for crimes they never committed. The media stays silent. Political parties look away. No one demands accountability. Put yourselves in this hopeless situation and reflect.

This is not just the fate of Akhlaq and Pehlu’s families, but of most Indian Muslims today.

There was at least the bogus excuse of beef in the aforementioned barbaric attacks. But do you know the story of those who were shot dead for no reason other than being Muslims?! On July 21, 2023, in the Mumbai-Jaipur train, three innocent Muslim men—who had finished their work and were returning to their hometown—were shot dead in their sleep by a Hindu fanatic named Chetan Singh, simply because they wore skullcaps and had beards. This killer was a Railway Protection Force (RPF) constable. Not only did he murder them, but a video of him ranting furiously, ‘If you want to live in India, you must vote for Modi-Yogi,’ also went viral on social media. Despite this cold-blooded massacre and blatant communal hatred, all media outlets shamelessly lied, claiming he committed the murders due to ‘mental instability.’ On this baseless pretext, he now roams free without facing any punishment. Just imagine the anguish of the families left orphaned—Askar, who worked at a bangle shop; Sayeed, a mobile shop employee; and Abdul Qadir, who was returning from Dubai after work. Think of their shattered lives!

Without any reason—or under the flimsiest of excuses—Muslims are targeted every single day. For instance, countless Bollywood films are produced with Islamophobia at their core, which then fuels religious tensions and incites violence. Recently, after the release of the film ‘Chaava,’ Hindu terrorists in Maharashtra attacked Muslim homes and shops, demanding the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb. Nagpur burned in the chaos. Yet, the rioters from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) were never arrested.

Under Modi’s regime, arrests under false charges and imprisonment without bail have skyrocketed for Muslims solely because of their religious identity. Muslims comprise just 14.5% of India’s total population (around 20 crore). Yet, they account for one-fifth (1/5) — roughly 20% — of all prisoners incarcerated nationwide.

Between 2017 and 2020, 37% of those killed in police encounters in Uttar Pradesh were Muslims. The proportion of Muslims killed in these encounters was twice their share of the state’s population.[2] Furthermore, from 2016 to 2020 alone, under the UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act), 24,314 Muslims were arrested and charged across India in 5,027 cases. According to India’s Ministry of Home Affairs, only 212 of these 24,314 individuals were ultimately convicted. These statistics prove that the vast majority of Muslim arrests and encounter killings are based on false charges, exposing systemic persecution.

These are not mere statistics. They stand as evidence of how deeply Islamophobia has been sown in both BJP-ruled and non-BJP ruled states, and to what extent the state machinery has been saffronized. Noted writer and author of the book “Born a Muslim: Some Truths about Islam in India“ Ghazala Wahab, painfully recalls her father’s warning while she was writing it: “Be careful—this is their (Hindus’) country.” She adds, “If this is the mindset of my economically secure family, imagine the psychological state of poor Muslims!” And no, this is no exaggeration! Over the past decade, the already minimal representation of Muslims in government jobs, bureaucratic positions, and legislative bodies—both at the union level and in BJP-ruled/non-BJP states—has plummeted drastically. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma openly campaigned with the statement, “We don’t need Muslim votes.” During the recent parliamentary elections, Modi himself spewed anti-Muslim rhetoric at every rally.

Across India – from North to South – a disturbing trend is growing among ordinary ‘Hindus’: refusing to rent homes to Muslims, viewing them as terrorist sympathizers, and treating them with constant suspicion. Consequently many Muslims now feel compelled to hide their religious identity – changing their names and appearances to appear Hindu – just to secure employment or feel safe in workplaces and social circles, explains Ziya Us Salam, author of “Being Muslim in Hindu India”. These psychological tortures are worse than being killed outright.

After riots and mob lynchings, the saffron mobs’ most powerful weapon has become the bulldozing of homes and mosques. Since 2019, the systematic demolition of Muslim properties using bulldozers has become commonplace across India – particularly in Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. Under the pretext of ‘encroachment’ or ‘illegal construction,’ innocent Muslim families see their homes razed to the ground and are left stranded on the streets. A February 2024 investigation by Amnesty International revealed that in just 128 documented demolition cases, 617 Muslims were displaced. The report noted that these bulldozer operations disproportionately target Muslim-majority neighborhoods.

Following the Pahalgam attack, on May 25 alone, the BJP-led Gujarat government demolished 8,000 Muslim homes in Siyasat town under the guise of ‘national security’, rendering entire families homeless. North Indian media outlets covered these brutal demolitions with the same celebratory fervor as live IPL cricket matches.

The saffron fascists did not stop with demolishing the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya. Under Modi’s regime, mosque demolitions have become more aggressive and systematic. In April this year alone, the Uttar Pradesh government demolished around 20 mosques and madrasas near the Nepal border, citing ‘illegal construction.’ Across India, authorities are bulldozing mosques under the pretext of ‘land encroachment.’ In Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, the historic 16th-century Shahi Masjid was razed in January 2023 for a road expansion project. Earlier, in November 2022, another 300-year-old mosque in Muzaffarnagar district was flattened, allegedly for ‘obstructing a highway.’. It’s worth remembering that these same Hindu fanatics, in Tamil Nadu, continue obstructing the Sethusamudram project by peddling mythological fantasies about ‘Rama’s Bridge!’

In 2022, a lawsuit was filed in Uttar Pradesh’s Badaun district by a local Hindu farmer, backed by the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha (ABHM), claiming that the 800-year-old Shamsi Jama Masjid was built upon a 10th-century Shiva temple. This is not an isolated incident. Across India, a systematic campaign targeting Muslim religious sites has intensified: ▪ In Kashmir, attempts to demolish the Sharif Masjid continue. ▪ In Shimla’s Nagara Sanjauli, authorities demolished parts of a mosque citing illegal construction of three floors. ▪ In Gujarat, 14th-century Islamic structures – including 5 dargahs and 10 mosques spread across 57 acres – were bulldozed under claims of wetland encroachment. ▪ In Assam’s Sonitpur district, authorities evicted 2,500 Bengali-speaking Muslim families from forest land and razed two mosques, labeling them “illegal settlers”.▪ In Tamil Nadu, right-wing groups are campaigning to remove the Sikandar Dargah in Thiruparankundram, propagating baseless claims that mosques were built by demolishing temples.

Under Modi’s decade-long regime, the violent terror of Hindu fanatics has effectively gained legal sanction. Across multiple states, the enactment of anti-cow slaughter laws and anti-conversion legislation has systematically empowered Hindu fanatic vigilantes, granting them de-facto police authority to act with impunity.

The fascist frenzy reached its peak when Modi’s regime returned to power in 2019 and introduced the CAA-NRC-NPR laws. The clear message from Modi’s mob is: ‘In this nation, Muslims have no place—not just to worship, but to live at all.’ In Assam alone, where the NRC has been implemented, 20 lakh Muslims have already been stripped of citizenship. Even though the intent of this law is to strip protestors who resist this regime, including innocent Hindus, of their citizenship, the Muslim community nationwide lives in terror of nationwide implementation. [It is now being implemented under the guise of SIR i.e. Special Intensive Revision] During Delhi’s 2020 pogroms, Hindu fanatics massacred 53 innocent Muslims protesting against these discriminatory laws. Among the victims, nine young men were tortured to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram,’ stripped naked, and thrown into sewers.

Why this barbarity? What sin did they commit? Their only crime: being born Muslim!

Would all this accumulate to push a segment of Muslim population to the other side of the pole?! Will these actions not inevitably breed violent reactions?! Attacks like the Pahalgam incident are nothing but the inevitable reaction spawned by this Hindu fascist terror!

*********

In 2019, the Modi government made a drastic move—stripping Jammu & Kashmir of its special status and splitting it into two Union controlled territories. In 1947 Kashmir joined India based on an agreement which gave itself special status under article 370 and 35A. This special status was slowly killed by Congress for the last 50 years whereas Modi’s administration erased it entirely. While it is true that this was done to serve the capitalists; interests, the real impact went deeper: Kashmir is denied even statehood and kept as two separate union territories, its people were denied elections for over five years. It is precisely here where saffron fascists’ hate for Muslims fused with its aversion for the rights of nationalities. States should not exist whatsoever; the RSS group’s fascist mindset sees states only as outposts of the Union, that’s the basis of their handling of Kashmir.

Since Modi’s government came to power, oppression against Kashmiris has intensified dramatically. In Jammu & Kashmir alone, between 2019 and 2021, 2,364 people were arrested under the UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act). According to Sumanthra Bose, author of Kashmir at the Crossroads, as of August 2021, 1,100 of them remained in jail. Internet blackouts, a complete crackdown on press freedom, and severe restrictions on movement have turned Kashmir into an open-air prison—where basic rights are systematically stripped away.

Kashmir is one of the most heavily militarized regions in the world. According to a 2020 report by London’s International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), there is approximately one Indian soldier for every 30 civilians in Kashmir, making it one of the highly militarised zones in the world. The Modi government has stationed nearly 700,000 troops in the region.

This military occupation and the systemic oppression of Kashmiris—particularly its Muslim population—has been a key factor behind attacks like the one in Pahalgam. In this way too saffron fascism is responsible for the Pahalgam attack.

 History proves that the fascist policies of Hindu extremists have consistently provoked violent backlash—not just over the past decade, but long before it as well.

Islamist Terrorism is the Byproduct of Saffron Fascism! — A Historical Perspective

In October 1989, a heart-wrenching atrocity unfolded in Bhagalpur, Bihar, where 900 Muslims were massacred by Hindu fanatics. Brace yourself as you read: these Hindu fanatics buried the bodies of the slain Muslims in cauliflower fields. As the fields were dug, skulls emerged.

Subsequently, this same group set out to demolish the Babri Masjid. In 1947, a statue of Ram was surreptitiously placed inside the mosque in Ayodhya. “It’s our belief that Ram was born at that very spot; the mosque must be demolished to build a Ram temple,” they furiously propagated nationwide. In the 1980s, the Congress government led by Rajiv Gandhi opened the pandora box, allowing ‘Hindus’ to worship there. Following this, a frenzied campaign to demolish the mosque was launched nationwide under Advani’s leadership, culminating in Hindu fanatics tearing down the mosque on December 6, 1992. They declared that the nation’s “symbol of shame had been removed.” However, the crowbar that struck India’s so-called ‘secularism’ and the hearts of Muslims didn’t stop there. Murderous attacks were unleashed against Muslims across the country. Many Muslims were killed, and their shops and belongings were looted by Hindu fanatics.

Before the tears, bloodstains, and wounds from the mosque demolition could heal, another massive riot erupted in Mumbai in 1993. From January 7th to 20th, for two grueling weeks, Mumbai city was gripped by the terror of fascist goons led by Bal Thackeray’s Shiv Sena and RSS. Fueled by the demolition of the mosque and the ensuing riots, this mob raged with frenzied calls to drive Muslims out of Mumbai. Saamna, Shiv Sena’s official newspaper, openly incited the violence.

In just two weeks, over 900 Muslims and more than 100 migrant “Hindu” laborers from Tamil Nadu and other states were massacred. According to estimates by the Tata Economic Statistical Service, 10,000 homes were burned to the ground, leaving 50,000 people homeless and stranded on the streets. Over 400,000 others fled to neighboring states in a desperate bid to survive, while more than 40,000 sought shelter in relief camps across Mumbai.

These are not mere statistics – they are the chilling scars of a blood-soaked massacre. The brutality of these killings would horrify any human heart. Consider what happened in Mumbai’s Jogeshwari neighborhood, home to many Muslim families: Terrified residents had locked themselves inside their homes as riots raged outside. Hindu extremist mobs arrived, barred the doors from the outside, tore open roofs, poured kerosene, and set the houses ablaze. Those who didn’t burn alive inside were hacked to death when they tried to escape. Some victims were even thrown back into the flames to be reduced to ashes.

Media outlets spread a false BJP-backed claim that ‘terrorists in Pahalgam removed tourists’ pants to identify Hindus.’ But during the Mumbai riots, this very atrocity actually occurred—against Hindus. A 21-year-old Hindu man, Ramprasad Gupta, was forced to remove his pants by a Hindu extremist mob. Because he had undergone genital surgery as a child, they mistook him for a Muslim and hacked him to death on the spot. Similarly, the mob stormed a hospital and murdered Manohar Bedekar, another Hindu, simply because his beard made them assume he was Muslim.

Did anyone truly believe these violent acts wouldn’t provoke retaliation? Exactly two months later, the response came. On March 12, 1993, bombs exploded at 13 locations across Mumbai, killing approximately 500 innocent civilians and transforming India’s financial capital into a city of mourning. The 1992 Babri Masjid demolition and the 1993 Mumbai riots had directly culminated in this horrific act of terrorist retaliation – a tragic cycle of violence begetting violence.

The 1998 Coimbatore riots [in Tamil Nadu] and subsequent bombings followed the same tragic pattern. Using the killing of Hindu police constable Selvaraj by three Muslim men as a pretext, the Hindu Munnani (Hindu Front), Hindu Makkal Katchi (Hindu People’s Party), and Coimbatore police jointly unleashed three days of brutal violence against the Muslim community. The mobs killed approximately 24 innocent Muslims, looted Muslim-owned shops and properties in areas like Ukkadam and Oppanakara Street, and showed no mercy – even butchering a 12-year-old boy simply for being Muslim. In a particularly gruesome daylight attack witnessed by many, Hindu Front extremists poured kerosene on Arif Khan, brother of then-TMMK Coimbatore party secretary Ayub Khan, and burned him alive. While smaller in scale than the Mumbai riots, the Coimbatore violence mirrored its frenzy and brutality, employing identical tactics of communal hatred.

The 1998 Coimbatore serial bombings that killed 60 people were a direct consequence of the cycle of violence that began with the Babri Masjid demolition, followed by the Mumbai riots and Coimbatore clashes .

The 2002 Godhra train burning stands as grim testimony to how Hindu extremists spare neither Muslims nor even their own. Fifty-nine Hindu pilgrims returning from Ayodhya aboard the Sabarmati Express were burned alive when the train was set ablaze. Then-Chief Minister Narendra Modi immediately blamed Pakistan-backed Islamic terrorists—yet forensic investigations later revealed that the fire was likely started from inside the train using kerosene, raising disturbing suspicions that Modi’s own Hindu extremist allies may have orchestrated the massacre to incite violence. The Godhra incident became Modi’s justification for unleashing a genocidal retaliation against Muslims in Gujarat. The scale of terror unleashed by Modi’s Hindu extremist mobs defies description – a horror that still chills the conscience. After parading the bodies of 59 Hindus through Ahmedabad to incite rage, Gujarat was set ablaze in a spree of violence unprecedented in its brutality. What followed dwarfed all previous riots in scale and savagery: over 2,000 innocent Muslims were slaughtered. At Best Bakery, 17 Muslims were burned alive. Pregnant women weren’t spared – Bilkis Bano was gang-raped while her 5-year-old son’s skull was smashed against rocks. Hundreds of Muslim women suffered similar fates – raped, mutilated, and murdered. The depravity knew no bounds: fetuses were ripped from wombs and burned; mosques were desecrated as mobs exhumed buried corpses to cremate them, declaring ‘India has no space even for dead Muslim.’ This wasn’t mere violence – it was an extermination campaign orchestrated with chilling precision.

Could such soul-shattering atrocities truly go without consequences? The cycle of violence inevitably continued: the 2003 Mumbai twin bombings that killed 52; the 2008 Ahmedabad blasts claiming 56 lives; and the horrific 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that left 170 dead – all stood as grim retaliatory chapters in this escalating spiral of bloodshed. The undeniable reality is that Hindu extremist fascism has left most Muslims frozen in helpless terror, while pushing a small but dangerous minority toward radicalization—a tragic polarization that serves no one but the purveyors of hatred themselves.

The Memon brothers, convicted for the 1993 Mumbai blasts, had themselves lost relatives and property in the Mumbai riots. Similarly, those behind the 2003 Mumbai twin bombings were victims who fled Gujarat after losing family and homes in the genocide, carrying with them stories of unimaginable trauma.

 India Today reported on this unprecedented case: ‘For the first time in the history of terrorism, an entire family stands accused of waging war against the state. A husband, wife, and their teenage daughter face charges of stockpiling explosives, conspiring to transport them, and detonating them to kill 52 people. Investigators confirm this wasn’t personal vendetta – the family’s confession reveals it was cold-blooded retaliation for the Gujarat riots. Hanif, a perpetrator of the 2003 attacks, confessed: ‘I keep having nightmares of kafirs [Hindus] targeting my children.’ His wife Fahmida added chilling context: ‘Compared to the innocent Muslim women raped and murdered in Gujarat, this is nothing.’

Such merciless resolve to kill innocents could only have been forged by one thing – the fascist terror of Hindu extremism.

Coalition of State Machinery

Can victims of Hindu fascist violence ever find justice in our courts or government institutions? Forget justice – over the past decade, every significant challenger to Modi’s regime has been systematically removed from the judiciary itself, leaving little hope for accountability. The swift transfer of Delhi High Court Justice Muralidhar Rao – on the very night he recommended police action against BJP leaders who incited the 2020 Delhi riots – exposed the system’s rot. Senior advocate Gopal Subramanium faced similar retribution when he suggested Modi could face criminal charges for his role as Gujarat CM during the 2002 genocide; his honest amicus curiae report cost him a Supreme Court judgeship. Meanwhile, R.K. Raghavan , director of CBI , who closed investigations absolving Modi of culpability in the Gujarat massacre, was rewarded with a diplomatic posting to Cyprus.

 Together, these cases paint a disturbing pattern of punishing integrity while rewarding complicity. Justice Abhay Thipsay of the Mumbai High Court, who had convicted nine people in the infamous Gujarat Best Bakery case during his tenure as a district judge, faced vindictive transfers for his courageous judgments. Despite receiving threatening letters demanding he ‘behave like a Hindu,’ he fearlessly delivered justice – only to be transferred to Allahabad just months before his retirement as punishment for his integrity. Justice Jayant Patel, who as a Gujarat judge had courageously ordered a CBI probe into the Ishrat Jahan encounter killing despite police pressure, paid a heavy price for his integrity. Despite his seniority, he was denied all rightful promotions and forced to work under junior judges – a blatant humiliation. Recognizing that justice would never be served in his case, the principled judge ultimately resigned from his position, marking another dark chapter in India’s judicial independence.

In all these cases of Hindu fascist violence, police and government officials have actively worked together with the rioters. During the Mumbai riots, the police openly joined forces with Shiv Sena and RSS mobs to carry out attacks. In the Coimbatore violence, police used the killing of their own officers as an excuse to team up with Hindu groups and commit massacres and lootings. And the less said about Gujarat’s genocide, the better – the state’s involvement was so blatant it speaks for itself. The perpetrators behind all major terrorist attacks – from the Mumbai and Coimbatore bombings to the Ahmedabad blasts and the 2008 Mumbai attacks – have been brought to justice by India’s courts and legal system. Every single person involved in these horrific acts has faced punishment under the law. But what about Hindu extremists? The courts declared ‘the Babri Masjid demolition was illegal’ and admitted ‘there’s no evidence of a Ram temple existing there’ – yet no one was punished. Instead, permission was granted to build a temple, which now stands completed. The demolition’s architects like Advani and Hindu extremists celebrated this as cleansing their sins. In reality, the Supreme Court has whitewashed their bloodstains through this ‘temple service’. By setting this precedent in Ayodhya, the court has effectively greenlit similar mosque demolitions in Mathura and Kashi across India. Meanwhile, Modi and Amit Shah – key architects of the Gujarat genocide – now rule the nation. Bilkis Bano’s rapists and her child’s murderers walk free as heroes, garlanded and showered with sweets. While those behind the Mumbai blasts were hanged, Pragya Singh Thakur – the terrorist sadhvi who orchestrated the Malegaon blast killing 10 innocent Muslims – sits proudly in Parliament.

In simple terms, except for one or two cases, neither our courts nor government institutions have punished Hindu fascists. Instead, they all roam free. Before and during Modi’s rule, every government institution has supported Hindu extremist violence. Even in Kashmir – when the state assembly was dissolved, the Governor’s approval obtained, and Kashmir’s special status unconstitutionally removed – the Supreme Court simply rubber-stamped this illegal move, doing yet another ‘temple service’ for the government.

All this does nothing but rub salt into the still-bleeding wounds of India’s Muslim community. After such systemic injustice, why should Muslims continue to trust our courts or Constitution? Hence isn’t the state machinery also responsible for the growth of terrorism in this country?

The Betrayal of Electoral Parties

What about political parties? After the Pahalgam attack, a wave of violence has been unleashed against Muslims and Kashmiris across India. Shockingly, about 2,000 Kashmiri-Muslims have been jailed under the pretext of ‘supporting militants’, with many homes bulldozed to the ground. The Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) reports that between April 22 and May 8 alone, 184 attacks targeted Muslims – including 3 brutal killings. And we all know the actual numbers are likely much higher than official reports suggest!

Even Himanshi, the widow of the soldier killed in Pahalgam, courageously stated in an interview: ‘We want justice for the attack, but this should not turn into hatred against Kashmiris and Muslims.’ Meanwhile, opposition parties hesitate to even condemn these incidents – let alone acknowledge that the Pahalgam attack was a reaction to Hindu fascist violence. Instead, they’ve joined the Modi government’s war-mongering and blind nationalist rhetoric, failing to stand up for basic human decency.

Back in 1998, then Tamil Nadu CM Karunanidhi at least had the courage to state that the Coimbatore bombings were a direct response to the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition. Contrast this with today’s political climate – his son and current CM Stalin organizes ‘support rallies’ for the military after Operation Sindoor, while BJP-ruled states escalate tensions. Meanwhile, multi-party delegations fly abroad to justify the operation internationally. Even DMK MP Kanimozhi speaks in Russia about ‘seeking peace with Pakistan since Nehru’s era’, while all parties unanimously praise the anti-terror military action and celebrate India’s supposed glory – showcasing how far we’ve strayed from honest political discourse.

 This exposes the hypocrisy of the so-called ‘democratic, secular’ INDIA alliance that claims to oppose fascism! These parties maintain deafening silence about the anti-Muslim violence following Pahalgam, betraying the Muslim community, while enthusiastically joining Modi government’s war-mongering and nationalist rhetoric. Their behavior proves they lack the courage to resist if Modi’s regime declares Emergency or establishes fascist dictatorship tomorrow under the guise of war, national security, or anti-terror operations – they’ll simply stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the government in this dangerous chorus.

This hypocrisy isn’t simply their present but also their past.

Opposition parties and media outlets quickly label Islamic terror attacks as ‘terrorism’, but never use the same term for Hindutva violence. They dismiss organized saffron fascist riots as mere ‘law and order issues’, offering only ritual condemnations. Every non-Congress party in the so-called ‘INDIA’ alliance has, at some point, partnered with the BJP – both at state and central levels – betraying Muslim communities. Remember, during the Gujarat genocide, even ‘secular’ parties like the DMK were in alliance with the BJP at various levels of government!

Today, most Muslims reluctantly support the INDIA alliance not because they believe these parties will actually confront or dismantle Hindu extremist fascism, but simply because they have no other choice! Doesn’t this betrayal by opposition parties – their hypocrisy and inaction – essentially create fertile ground for terrorism to grow?

 The Deafening Silence of ‘Hindus’

Syed Adil Hussain Shah, the sole breadwinner of a poor Muslim family—a loving father and husband—sacrificed his life during the Pahalgam attack by trying to wrestle a gun away from terrorists, even while knowing it could cost him his life. He did this to save Hindu travelers who had placed their trust in him. ‘We don’t mourn his loss, we take pride in his bravery,’ his family declared. Now ask yourself honestly: How many Hindus have shown such courage to protect Muslims when they were being killed by Hindu extremists?!

Was it just Syed Hussain Shah? After the Pahalgam attack, Kashmiri-Muslims across the region rushed to help Hindus – sheltering many in their homes, protecting both lives and property. They immediately transported the injured to hospitals, preventing countless deaths. This raises an uncomfortable question: How many Hindus have shown similar courage to protect Muslims during waves of Hindutva violence?

 A Muslim woman who survived the Mumbai riots shares her trauma: ‘Even some local women carried weapons. They snatched our jewelry to adorn their own daughters. The rioters weren’t strangers – they were boys we’d watched grow up in our neighborhood, who then turned around to rape us. This betrayal is what we can’t forget.’ During the Musaffarnagar violence, some Hindus who initially sheltered Muslims later betrayed them to the mobs. Contrast this with the mother of an Ahmedabad bomber who said, ‘If my son did this, hang him – I’ll accept it happily,’ while Pragya Singh Thakur’s father proudly celebrated his daughter’s role in the Malegaon blasts.

After the Pahalgam attack, Muslims across Jammu and Kashmir observed complete shutdowns to express their condemnation. But how many Hindus have ever organized similar protests, demonstrations, or public condemnations against Hindutva riots?

This deafening silence from the majority community isn’t just troubling – it’s effectively a quiet endorsement of fascist violence. Doesn’t this Hindu complicity through silence also fuel the growth of terrorism?

Dear “Hindus”, Think!

Union Cabinet Minister during the 1998-2004 Vajpayee government and renowned journalist, Arun Shourie gave a telling interview after the Pahalgam attack: ‘While strengthening counter-terrorism technology and security are vital priorities for India, the government must first ensure equal and just treatment for all citizens – Muslims, Tamils, Sikhs and every community. Only this foundation of fairness can make security measures truly effective.’

What does this mean? Simply put, Islamic terrorism cannot be eradicated without treating Muslims equally and fairly. But will the saffron fascist forces – whose very blood cells are infected with Hindu extremism – ever do this? Consider this revealing incident: After the Pahalgam attack, former RAW chief A.S. Dulat stated in a Hindu newspaper: ‘This is the perfect moment to restore Kashmir’s statehood and win back people’s trust. Instead, they’re demolishing Muslim homes for political gains, which will backfire.’ Translation: Kashmiris now despise the Modi government so intensely that even intelligence gathering has become difficult. The solution: Restore statehood and stop the demolitions to rebuild trust. But Modi’s regime has done the opposite – jailing 2,000 Kashmiri-Muslims. Dulat’s predicted ‘backfire’ means these actions will only fuel more terrorism. This is like grabbing a burning log to scratch your head – a self-defeating disaster!

Remember this: The victims of terrorism are innocent Hindus who thought they had nothing to do with RSS and just wanted to live peacefully – ordinary pilgrims and workers targeted in attacks like Pahalgam, where terrorists specifically identified and killed Hindus from various states. The 2024 Kashmir attack that killed 9 Hindus on a pilgrim bus follows the same pattern. Ironically, the very Hindu extremists who claim to ‘protect Hindus’ are actually responsible for creating this dangerous climate where any Hindu can become a target anywhere in India. Their divisive politics hasn’t safeguarded Hindus – it’s made all Hindus vulnerable to retaliatory attacks.

 Neither the state machinery nor opposition parties will protect us from this danger! As long as Hindutva terror persists, as long as people’s resistance doesn’t erupt, as long as these injustices continue uncorrected and history remains un-rewritten – we remain trapped in this vicious cycle. Religious organizations or terrorist groups can never solve this. The only solution is building Hindu-Muslim unity across India to resist fascist attacks. Such solidarity alone can make saffron fascists tremble, force their retreat, and ultimately destroy their poisonous ideology!

We stand at a crossroads with only two paths forward: either live in constant fear of when and where the next terrorist attack will strike, or for Hindus and Muslims to unite and eradicate the root cause of terrorism – Hindutva extremism. Let’s be clear – there is no third option to protect ourselves!

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Appendix:

While terrorist attacks may seem like inevitable reactions to Hindutva fascism, they ultimately achieve nothing positive. In reality, these attacks, in its turn, only foster the Hindu extremist propaganda that’s already isolating Muslims across India – providing justification to imprison innocent Muslims for years without cause. Each attack reinforces the poisonous narrative that ‘all Muslims are suspicious, loyal only to Pakistan and terrorism, never to India.’ This further alienates Muslims from the working-class majority, making them easy scapegoats for the next round of riots. Ultimately, such violence traps our nation in a vicious cycle: Hindu terrorism breeding Muslim retaliation, and vice versa – a deadly loop that benefits only extremists on both sides. These attacks ultimately pave the way for Hindu extremists to seize power. Consider this: had the 2019 Pulwama attack not occurred during Modi’s greatest political crisis, he might have actually faced defeat in the elections! Instead, the tragedy became a golden opportunity for his faction, catapulting them back to power with overwhelming force. This pattern isn’t new – history shows such violence has repeatedly served as political fuel for Hindu extremist agendas. These attacks also serve another dangerous purpose – they create justification for introducing draconian laws and fascist repression. Think about it: how were black laws like UAPA, NIA, and sedition acts brought in? Ruling governments always justified them by claiming ‘rising terrorism’ required ‘iron-fisted measures.’ But in reality, these laws are never used against actual terrorists. Instead, they target activists, communists, journalists, innocent Muslims, and working-class protesters – anyone fighting for democratic rights or social justice. The so-called ‘anti-terror’ legal framework has become the state’s favorite weapon against its own citizens. These violent actions don’t just fail to solve the problems faced by Muslims – they actively work against Muslim welfare and the nation’s collective interests! Such extremism benefits nobody except those who profit from division, while making all Indians less safe and our society more fractured.

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Footnotes

^[1]  Love Jihad and Other Fictions _ Simple Facts to Counter Viral Falsehoods-Aleph (2024)

^[2] Tanweer Fazal , Practices of the State , 2024, Page 16