In the issue of World Focus for January, 2000, Shri D.R. Goyal has written. on what he calls "Islamic Terrorism". Shri Goyal has largely castigated the West,. particularly the USA, for raising the sceptre but has swallowed their designating it as 'Islamic'. Just as there cannot be an Islamic Bomb or a Hindu Bomb, there cannot be an Islamic or Hindu terrorism. The Bombs have no religion nor ideology; The terrorists have no religion; they may exploit religious sentiments just as the VHP did in India in mobilising Karsevaks to demolish the Babari Masjid - an act of terrorism per excellence. But can we or should we call it an act of Hindu Terrorism. In any case the Serb-terrorists were not called Orthodox or Christian Terrorists. Nor are Latin American terrorists called Catholic Terrorists. Nor are Irish terrorist designated as such. There are innumerable examples.

Pakistan is training and arming terrorists into Kashmir but that does. make them Islamic terrorist. They may be Afghans, Pakistanis, Kashmiris etc. and they may flaunt their religion but one should not make the mistake of taking them on their self-defined terms.

My short point is that equating terrorism with. a particular religion casts an untenable aspersion all those who follow a particular religion, humiliates and alienates them. That would be totally unwarranted. Do the terrorists in Kashmir enjoy any sympathy among the Muslim Indians. But if you call them 'Islamic terrorists', are you, by inference suggesting that those terrorists are acting on their behalf and enjoy their sympathy? And if you do, doesn't this provide wind for the sails of Hindu Rashtravad?