Shame indeed

TARIQ KHOSA PUBLISHED ABOUT 15 HOURS AGO

THE demolition of the Babri Masjid was an act of absolute perfidy, which
should make all Indians hang their heads in shame, writes Indian President
Pranab Mukherjee in his memoirs.
The senseless, wanton destruction of a religious structure, purely to serve
political ends, also resulted in the destruction of Indias image as a tolerant,
pluralistic nation.
What happened in Pakistan that unfortunate day on Dec 6, 1992, was also
shameful when mob frenzy resulted in the destruction of Hindu temples,
Christian churches and Sikh gurdwaras in a fanatic response that remains
etched in my memory.
The banned militant outfits in Punjab pose a mortal threat to the state.
I was police chief of Lahore district. As the news of the Babri Masjid
destruction spread, the political and religious parties gave a call for protests.
Anticipating violence, Lahore police was put on red alert and a detailed
security order was issued to combat mob violence. As a result of coordination
between the civil administration and the military, the corps headquarters at
Lahore also put in place its contingency planning in aid of civil authority. We
even placed a police wireless operator in the army office for a minute-tominute relay of the law and order situation.
As protest processions turned bigger and more violent, police resorted to
lathi-charge and tear-gas shelling to prevent the mob from torching sites
sacred to the minorities. As the situation turned extremely volatile, I sought
the permission of the inspector general of police, Punjab, and also consulted
with the deputy commissioner to allow the police to resort to firing in
response to wide-scale damage to property.
Indecision prevailed at the policy level for some time. However, the IG came
back to me and said that the political authorities had decided not to react
violently to the mob frenzy. Tacitly, the IG suggested that the police should
not confront the mob and let the crowd destroy abandoned temples and
churches.
With a heavy heart, I had to tell the police divisional commanders not to
resort to firing in the absence of any orders from the district administration.
However, all efforts were made to evacuate the temples and churches so that
loss of life would not occur. The mob destroyed temples and the Lahore
Municipal Corporations machinery was also deployed to facilitate the task of
the mobsters.
It was a sad day for Pakistan. Religious intolerance manifested itself at the
political and policy levels. Police bore the brunt of mob fury and hapless
citizens suffered agony and harassment. The blame should squarely be
shared and admitted by the political and military policymakers.

If Babri Masjid became a symbol of Hindu fanaticism, Lal Masjid in Islamabad

reflects the bigotry and violence of zealots in Pakistan. The clash between the
state and non-state actors in July 2007 brought in its wake a legacy of shame
and violent extremism that refuses to go away. The duplicitous state policies
and consequent intolerant and bigoted mindset that is all-pervasive show
their ugly manifestations too frequently.
A case in point is the leniency shown to the firebrand cleric of the infamous
Lal Masjid, who is known for his violations related to hate speech, fanning
militancy, instigating sectarianism, inciting terrorism and challenging the
state time and again. He had the cheek to involve the ISI in a controversy by
claiming that he was negotiating with an officer of the agency while another
senior official of the same institution was acting as a spoiler.
I find the role of Islamabad police as timid and strange in this case; instead of
setting an example of zero tolerance against religious bigots, they have
chosen not to associate the accused in investigation and suggested that he
obtain pre-arrest bail. The cleric is not even bothered claiming that a false
case was registered against him and as per divine guidance (istikhara) being
unfavourable, he was reluctant to go for bail. What logic! It defies all the
principles of criminal investigation.
Why are the police reluctant to proceed with the investigation or arrest the
fanatic mullah? Knowing the culture of nod from the boss, they are obviously
awaiting the interior ministers orders. So much for the operational autonomy
of the police under a mercurial minister!
Another case of duplicity in terms of the policy of the state in taking on all
non-state actors is the delayed realisation after the Pathankot attack that
action against Jaish-e-Mohammad should have been taken effectively as part
of the National Action Plan. In the meeting chaired by the prime minister on
Jan 21, 2015, I had cautioned the political leadership and security
establishment that the banned militant outfits in Punjab would pose a mortal
threat to the integrity of the state. The distinction between good and bad
militants should give way to across-the-board action against all banned
groups who continue to operate under new names. The state should go after
the masterminds, facilitators, office bearers and activists by sealing the
offices and arresting the militants under the Anti-Terrorism Act and the
Protection of Pakistan Act.
I am not sure if there is a will to dismantle the militant organisations that
have acted as strategic assets in the regional context.
In the context of bigoted mindset, the recent incident of a boy who reportedly
severed his own hand underscores the deep and dangerous threat posed by
religious extremists. It is gut-wrenching that a 15-year-old lad, who raised his
hand in the mosque when the local imam asked who amongst the
congregation did not love the Prophet (PBUH), thought the cleric had asked
who loved the Prophet, and chopped off his own hand to prove his faith to the

preacher, who had accused him of blasphemy.

What is even more troubling is that even as attempts were made to arrest the
cleric, many in the village in eastern Punjab defended both the preacher and
the boys action, praising his devotion to religion. The whole episode reflects
the deep malaise that religiosity has injected into our social fabric.
The state declared a war against the terrorists but seems to be at war with
itself. We do not need enemies. God save us from our own follies