Violence as a religion

Reporting on the Malegaon blasts investigations, the media is full of reports about “Hindu terror groups”. (NDTV, Oct 26, 2008). Once again we are falling into the trap of linking an entire religion with groups who propagate violence and terror. The perpetrators of the violence claim to be indulging in the violent crimes for the sake of a particular religion or group of people. But that doesn’t mean that we label them as “terror groups” linked to a particular religion. Let us take a hypothetical situation. If a group of people go around bombing places in the name of protecting media rights, will we immediately call them “media terrorists”? Wouldn’t that be painting the entire media with the “terror” brush. And this time I have BJP to back what I am saying. Their spokesperson has asked “Should we condemn an entire religion or way of life for the indiscretions or misguided actions of but a few?” (Times of India, 30 Oct, 2008). It is very sad that it took a Malegaon case for them to realise how it feels to paint an entire community with a terror brush.

As I have said in all my earlier posts on this topic (Stop communalising terror, The faith of a fundamentalist, Who is a terrorist) let us desist from using the names of religions or communities to label an act of violence or terrorism. The perpetrators of the crime are only promoting one religion by their acts – the religion of violence.