THE ROOT CAUSE THEORY IS PASSÉ IN THIS SPIRAL OF VIOLENCE.

Earlier it used to be the false root cause theory and justification for the violence, the cause being poverty and illiteracy. But when it was glaringly becoming clear that highly educated and even wealthy guys were involved in these acts of violence, the Babri Masjid and Gujarat riots have become the liet motif of the apologists to shield these malcontents who are actually violence junkies like drug addicts who cannot live without their daily dose. These loonies are involved in death and mayhem under their call of “Lets kill for God”.

There are no Babri demolition or Gujarat riots in other parts of the world and yet these freaks are killing innocents there which includes Muslim countries too. Of course, the vast majority of Muslims wish to get along with their lives and march in tune with the times. But if anyone of them comes forward to reveal the shady activities of their coreligionists, there will be serious repercussions. Islam being a monolithic faith it is easy for the mullahs, Muftis, Kazis, Imams, Hafiz etc. to threaten the laity with dire consequences like not burying their dead, solemnizing their daughter’s marriage, or son’s circumcision as well as exhorting the community to boycott the so-called transgressors. See the torture meted out to the progressive elements like Asghar Ali Engineer of the tiny Dawoodi Bohra community for defying the Syedna’s diktats.

But perceptible changes are taking place like religious heads now openly declaring that there is no place for killing of innocents in Islam in the name of Jihad. This movement would have gathered a greater momentum only if political parties did not derail the campaign in order to keep the community ghettoized for vote bank considerations. If the Muslim vote also became fragmented in their voting patterns like the Hindus it would increase the nightmares of all politicians.

In these times of coalition governments comprising of multiple disparate elements in the fray as no single Party is in a position to form a government on its own anymore, even a small margin of vote becomes very crucial for victory of a candidate who can then dictate his price for lending his support. No wonder, the sops being granted and utterances being made by the government and other political parties are getting weirder by the hour.