Tackle the problem of alienation

It is necessary to integrate all segments of Indians and all regions of India

Every time Islamic terrorists strike, they invariably claim their action is revenge for the mistreatment of Muslims in India, pointing to the Gujarat carnage that claimed thousands of (mostly Muslim) lives and the destruction of Babri Masjid and so forth. Of course, one can safely say that these terrorists represent no one but themselves and that their complaints are nothing more than the fig leaf of self-justification. It is also questionable whether such acts actually helps the Muslims of India, who become more fearful of reprisal attacks by radical Hindu groups, and who are subject to intense scrutiny by security forces.

But we in India need to ask whether our Muslim (and Dalit, tribal, northeastern) brethren are really treated equally, and the answer is disturbing no. It is for this reason that even as most Muslims in India refuse to join the ranks of the terrorists, there are still enough who are willing to help the terrorists.

Of course, much of the blame for the Muslim community's backwardness also rest with the community itself, particularly it's leadership that refuses to educate the community or let it progress. Their opposition to a modern and secular uniform civil code (which treats all people as equals) is an example of their overwhelming desire to retain their identity at the cost of

progress. The fact is that Muslim need to change their mindset. Education in madrasas and women forced to veil themselves only push the community back into their ghettos instead of letting them to participate in growing prosperity of India.

The real issue is that Indians have to integrate with each other much more. Go across Indian cities and villages and we see our communities living in their own ghettos- Muslims, so-called upper castes, Dalits-while most tribals continue to eke out their subsistence living in the jungles.

We have to take the Pakistani government to task for allowing terrorist training camps on their territory. But these camps have come back to haunt them as terrorism inside Pakistan has become its biggest political problem. We need to get the Pakistani government to cooperate to root out the terrorist camps.

The terrorists chose to strike the city that leads India's growth story, a city whose greatest strength is in realising the dreams of the thousands who throng to her. We need to make sure that in meeting those dreams, we also fulfil the aspirations of those who are a little weaker, a little more marginalised, and have difficulty in articulating their hopes. The biggest threat to India's unity is from the communities and regions that remain economically backward.

While we may not be able to eliminate terrorism completely, let us make it very difficult for those who want to hurt us to get recruits for their cause, to let everyone feel that India has more to offer than the false glory of mistaken martyrdom.