"Those who took part in the ’92 riots may be respectable citizens today. Terrorists are committed to undermine the state’s sovereignty."
That's Swapan Dasgupta, writer, quoted in Outlook, October 6 2008, making the kind of distinction that persuades me we will never find a way to defeat terrorism.
(Makes me think of "patriotic goondas".)
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4 comments:
All those who looted and burned houses and shops, raped women and brutally murdered people in 1992 may not be punished for all those offences, because they may be 'respectable citizens' today?
Way to go Mr. Swapan Dasgupta!
They can not be accused of undermining the sovereignity of the State, because the State's machinery assisted them with the commission of their heinous acts or, at least, looked the other way, while they were looting, raping and killing. Is that what Mr. Dasgupta is trying to convey? Are they supposed to be 'respectable' citizens for the very same reason?
Dilip
Can you please provide the link to this article? I am unable to find it on the Outlook website.
Surya
This statement is flawed:
there is more violence from Islam today than the day modi or advani took to streets to nip Islamic agression.
Advani and Thackeray took to the streets merely as politicians to build up their respective votebank. They shrewdly used the Congress strategy of building votebanks - rather just reengineered it to their advantage.
Today one is seeing a reply of the early nineties all over again. But instead of admitting that there is a radicalization among some elements of the muslim community and engaging local communities to fight it, we are going around in circles 'explaining' why lack of justice causes blasts - explaining and not justifying.
Dasgupta's statement was in Saba Naqvi's article in Outlook dated Oct 6. It's available here but now behind a subscription wall. It's also available elsewhere, for example on GoaNet here.
Of course there's radicalization among some Muslims. That's just the point, of not bringing criminals in the massacres of 1992-93 and 2002 to justice.
I am shocked at Swapan Dasgupta's statement. I didn't even understand it at first glance - it seemed logical criticism - that justice had been delayed so long that the rioters were now 'respectable citizens'!
Schizophrenic
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