[Reader-list] Is Antulay really pro-Pakistan?

[Kshmendra Kaul]

Dear Fatima
 
Two days back I criticised Pawan for what I thought was an intemperate comment directed at you over your "Kasab...Nepal....India" posting.
 
Today I see your intentions as suspect. Earlier you forswore that you do not want to promote any 'conspiracy theory'. Today you have done exactly the opposite.
 
On what basis do you say that "...majority of Muslims in India have this doubt any way" (about Karkare's death). Are you the voice of the Muslims of India? Do you have any means of evidencing your claim?
 
Antulay was an idiot to make his comment publicly in the given atmosphere post Mumbai Terror Attacks. 
 
Already Antulay's comment is being extensively quoted by Pakistanis.  Antulay (by his indiscrete questioning) became a proxy voice for those Pakistanis who continue to be in denial about the Pakistani connection to the Mumbai Terror Attacks and became the proxy voice for those Pakistanis who want to divert the attention away from the Pakistani connection to the Mumbai Terror Attacks.
 
Antulay placed himself in the "proxy voice for Pakistan" position unwittingly. You are doing it deliberately.
 
Antulay is a Minister in the Govt. of India. He is a Congress partyman. He could always have discussed the "suspicions about Karkare's death" internally withing the Party / Government. Both would have been more than keen to enquire into or exploit that suspicion at the appropiate time since it would mean discrediting / attacking the Hindutvavaadis. 
 
You seem to be intent on making this a Muslim versus Non-Muslim divide. That makes your motives Anti-India.
 
You asked why Non-Muslims in India and on this List are not asking the same questions as Antulay. Consider this, that they alongwith Muslims might not be as foolish as Antulay or as you and might think that thia is not the point of time when such questions should be asked on the basis of some vague 'conspiracy theory'. 
 
Incidentally, I myself had written this (copied to you):
 
"""""" The Hindutvavaadis had been with frequency and great vehemence ascribing motives to and attacking Hemant Karkare's investigations into the involvement of "Hindu Terrorists" in the Malegaon Blasts. It is only natural that Karkare's killing (with a bullet-proof vest donned) should not only raise a few eybrows but bring into the arena questions about whether he was eliminated by "Hindu Terrorists". Such suspicions might be far-fetched, might be without duly investigating the facts of 'how and where' he died but such suspicions are not illogical. """"
 
Even if you read it, you seem to have been keener to make that dramatic statement about Non-muslims in India and on this List. 
 
I repeat that you seem to be intent on making this a Muslim versus Non-Muslim divide. That makes your motives Anti-India.
 
Kshmendra
 

--- On Sat, 12/20/08, Fatima फ़ातिमा <fatimaschool45 at gmail.com> wrote:

From: Fatima फ़ातिमा <fatimaschool45 at gmail.com>
Subject: [Reader-list] Is Antulay really pro-Pakistan?
To: "Reader-list" <reader-list at sarai.net>
Date: Saturday, December 20, 2008, 12:40 PM

Dear friends
I have no sympathy for politicians usually, but this case has made me
think a lot. I am amazed that Antulay is being hounded by all
including the Congress for expressing a doubt. The truth is that a
majority of Muslims in India have this doubt any way - but that does
not prove that they supporting Pakistani viewpoint. Why is everything
to be seen as anti-India and pro-Pakistan terms? I am really wondering
if there is no non-Muslim in this country who is ready to ask the same
question which Antulay asked? Not even on this list?

Please see this interesting view from another "supporter of Pakistan"


From: "zohra javed" <zohra83 at rediffmail.com>
To: zohra83 at rediffmail.com

A.R.Antulay's remark about a thorough probe into the causes of ATS
Chief Hemant Karkare's martyrdom have drawn a lot of flak
from the most expected quarters. It should have been surprising though
for anyone to oppose a proper investigation specially
into the deaths of Mr.Karkare and the other two officers who were
killed along with him. Mr.Antulay has raised a valid point
and instead of bashing him down and asking for explainations on the
issue from the PM everyone must support Antulay on this
point. Narender Modi offered a crore of rupees to Mrs.Karkare, but his
party is opposing someone who wants a thorough probe
into the tragic and untimely death of Mr.Karkare...what kind of
sympathy is this? In all probablity Mrs.Karkare would much
appreciate if the killers of her late husband are brought to justice
rather than accepting a political charity.
Asking for new laws is fine. But as Advani has admitted in the
Parliament that there is no law that has not been misused, I
wonder why the existing laws are not implemented in letter and spirit
to begin with. It is very important to understand that
laws are for the smooth running of a system and for the protection of
the weak. They are neither prestige issues nor a matter
to make election issues out of them or score political and social
points. Indeed that political party is best which can
implement laws and ensure a rule of law without any bias or double standards.
The common people have time and again proved their innocence and
smugness by allowing the politicians to confuse them. Every
time some pertinent questions are raised a smoke-screen comes up
beyond which the path becomes blurred. What is more ironical
is that anyone daring to venture beyond is bogged down as being either
foolish or a traitor.
Einstein said, "the important thing is not to stop questioning".
Indeed it is by raising questions and finding their true
answers that one can reach a satisfactory conclusion. But most of the
time people are not encouraged to raise their doubts.

And if some stray questioning voices become loud they are branded as
anti-national.
Fighting terror is a serious matter. Every angle must be probed.
Nothing must be left to chance. But even after so many
blasts in various Indian cities and now the carnage in Mumbai our
investigating agencies, media and the political parties do
not seem to have woken up to the real danger. There are too many
loopholes and loose ends in the theories that are being put
forward. What is wrong in probing the Israeli angle a bit more
thoroughly? Or ponder a little more over the fact that there
was a person called Ken Heywood, whose name had come up in connection
with some blasts in the past. However, not only was he
allowed to travel at will, he almost instantly got a "clean chit".

If we are genuinely concerned about our nation's security and
integrity, we have to rise above bias. And it will be the
common man who has to do this because it is the common man who suffers
in these tragedies that reap rich harvest of votes for
one coalition or the other, but nothing changes on the ground for the
common man. It is not just a matter of what Antulay
said. He is a seasoned politician and a die-hard Nehru-Gandhi
loyalist. In such a scenario I don't understand how he could
even utter a word of embarassment for his bosses. Hence his remarks
cannot be only his own nor can he be speaking for his
community.

The point is who benefits from all of these activities. Are we
supposed to believe that the so called religious leaders
rolling in luxuries, blessing politicians before and after elections,
are really true to their religion? Can there at all be
any love of God behind brutal killings of the innocent? And why on
earth do these so called religious leaders not take on the
"non-believers" themselves? The nationality or the religion of a
person involved in terrorist activities has ceased to be a
pointer as to the cause. It will indeed be worthwhile to take every
detail into account before coming to conclusions as we
must all remember that only those who fear the outcome would oppose an
unbiased probe into the "business of terror".

Zohra Javed
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