A Russian premonition on Jehadi terror

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A Russian premonition on Jehadi terror

By G.S. Hiranyappa

 

Exactly a hundred years ago, in October, 1905, the British Viceroy

Lord Curzon divided Bengal to weaken the Swadeshi movement and

incited Muslim separatism. A hundred years later, the same Muslim

fanaticism, which Lord Curzon fostered, has started a terror-campaign

in England itself.

 

Sir Fuller, the Lieutenant-Governor of Nepal, openly declared that

the Indian Muslim community was the favourite wife of the British

colonial regime in India. Muslim fanatics were officially assured

that whatever atrocities they might perpetate against the Hindus

would go unpunished. And it was that same British colonial regime

that was foolishly praised by Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh for its

so-called good governance in India. The Indian Prime Minister was

speaking at a ceremony in Oxford where he was conferred an honorary

Doctorate by the Oxford University.

 

Partition of Bengal by Lord Curzon in October 1905, was followed by

the founding of the Muslim League by Aga Khan in October 1906 with

the connivance of the new Viceroy, Lord Minto and Muslim fanatics

felt doubly encouraged. In their madrasas (religious schools) there

was open incitement to attack and destroy non-Muslim neighbours and

countries.

 

Several scores of Indian Muslim fanatics found their way to Turkey

and Central Asia to incite attacks against Russia. The Czarist

government was corrupt and inefficient. But the then Russian prime

minister, Peter Stolypin was a vigorous administrator. He realised

the threat that Muslim fanatics represented, Stolypin warned England

that it was breeding a Frankenstein monster by giving a free rein to

incitements in Indian Muslim madrasas.

 

The wheel has come full circle—Russia had warned England of

incitement in Muslim schools in India in 1911. Now England wants

Pakistan to check incitement in its schools.

 

At the same time, the British found that Indian Muslim fanatics were

also active in Turkey. That country at that time was allied to

imperial Germany, which was at odds with England. The British

government in London realised that pampering of Indian Muslim had to

stop. King George V came to India in December 1911 and announced the

annulment of the partition of Bengal.

 

Indian Muslim agents were also active in Libya, which was then

fighting Italy. The Italian government too complained to London. The

British thereupon took steps to evict the Indian Muslim agents from

Libya. The colonial regime was fearful that it might lead to Muslim

violence in India. But the British foreign-minister Lord Grey,

overrode New Delhi's frantic representations. Russia felt assured.

Unfortunately, Stolypin had been assassinated in September, 1911. He

was the first modern statesman to warn the world of the dangers of

Muslim fanaticism.

 

The British-Indian army still allowed recruitment of regimental imams

from madrasas which were notorious for instilling fanaticism in their

pupils. Such imams began to preach pro-Turkish sermons to Muslim

sepoys of the British-Indian army. On February 15, 1915, a Punjabi

Muslim regiment stationed in Singapore was incited to revolt and size

the port-city. Six Englishmen, including the manager of the Singapore

club were murdered. The city was gripped in panic. But fortunately

for the British, there was a Sikh regiment in the vicinity. It was

summoned, and Singapore was freed from the fanatical Muslim clutches.

The fanatics who had incited the revolt were executed. During the

Gallipoli campaign against the Turks in 1915, the Turkish leader

Kemal Ataturk was frankly sceptical of the value of Indian Muslim

agents. They claimed that they could influence the Gurkha regiments

of the British-Indian army. But their pamphlets in Urdu, inciting the

Gurkhas to revolt, were totally ignored. The Gurkhas are either Hindu

or Buddhist. And they don't speak Urdu. Kemal Ataturk thereafter kept

the Indian Muslim fanatics at arm's length. It was Mahatma Gandhi ,

who thoughtlessly gave them importance by asking Hindus to join the

Khilafat frenzy in 1919. Kemal Ataturk responded by abolishing the

Calipha itself in 1924.

 

Ataturk's arch -rival for Turkish leadership was Enver Pasha. After

Turkey's defeat in 1918, Enver escaped to Central Asia to stir up the

Muslim population there against Russia. He was joined by numerous

Indian Muslim fanatics trained in madrasas. But the Russians made

short work of Enver Pasha's armed insurgency. In a series of battles,

he and his fanatical followers were routed. Enver himself was killed

in 1923. His Indian Muslim accomplices promptly fled back to India.

Among the Russian leadership, M.N. Roy, the Indian revolutionary,

commanded influence. Roy persuade the Russian armies not to try to

cross into India in alliance with Muslim tribes.

 

Britain is finally learning the folly of pampering Muslim. The

British foreign secretary has officially demanded that Pakistan

should strictly supervise its madrasas. Italy too has joined in the

demand. Nearly 200 Pakistani terrorists have been arrested in Italy.

 

(The writer can be contacted at 226-A, 1st Floor, 5th Main, K.G.

Nagar, Bangalore-560 019.)