Terrorism in India

"What do you mean by communal? If I speak against the terrorism, is it communal?"

"He should have remembered, there was [an Islamist] attack on Akshardham temple in September 2002, so many people were killed inside the temple, yet Gujarat maintained peace. Gujarat maintained peace even after serial blasts. There was a time when Gujarat used to have riots over kite flying and cricket matches. Gujarat has not witnessed riots for last 12 years. The children of Gujarat don’t know what is curfew all about? Gujarat has progressed because of peace and harmony. And this is what the nation needs for growth as these things will have catalytic effect in achieving that."

"In Pakistan, in particular, the military are seen as the bulwark and protector of the nation and are largely free from civilian control and scrutiny. The infamous Inter- Services Intelligence Directorate has backed and funded terrorist groups in India, the disputed territory of Kashmir, Afghanistan and Central Asia, not for the good of those countries or of Pakistan itself. It is widely accepted that some of Pakistan’s generals have sold nuclear technology to North Korea. Civilian leaders who have tried to rein in the military have rapidly found themselves out of office and, if they are lucky, in exile. In both India and Pakistan civilian politics have taken on a military tinge, with some political parties sponsoring paramilitary organisations whose members wear uniforms, march in formation with flags and carry sticks to menace their opponents."

"If anyone recapitulates the investigation history of NIA through 2009-2010, it was all about introducing a new nonexistent ‘Hindu Terrorism’ concept. In every case assigned to NIA—from the Samjhauta Express Blasts, Malegaon to Ajmer Sharif— they overlooked the first set of evidences and replaced it with evidences supporting the Hindu Terror narrative."

"The significance of [the 2006 Varanasi bombings] is that, after this attack, the frequency of terror attacks increased dramatically and became rather routine occurrences in the hinterlands of India."

"From 2006 to 2011, all terrorist activities were a joint venture between Congress and ISIS. National security was sacrificed at the altar of vote bank politics."

"In 2008, Hindutva leader B.L. Sharma 'Prem' held a secret meeting with key members of a terrorist group responsible for a nationwide bombing campaign targeting Muslims. [...] Like's Europe's mainstream right-wing parties, the BJP has condemned the terrorism of the right — but not the thought system which drives it. Its refusal to engage in serious introspection, or even to unequivocally condemn Hindutva violence, has been nothing short of disgraceful. Liberal parties, including the Congress, have been equally evasive in their critique of both Hindutva and Islamist terrorism. Besieged as India is by multiple fundamentalisms, in the throes of a social crisis that runs far deeper than in Europe, with institutions far weaker, it must reflect carefully on Mr. Brevik's story — or run real risks to its survival."

"A Truck driver running over people in lower Manhattan in 2017 was called deadliest terror attack by The New York Times, but when a suicide bomber attacked the convoy of Indian Security personnel in March 2019 in Kashmir killing 40 paramilitary soldiers, The New York Times chooses to call it an “Explosion”, even after the Pakistan-based terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed claimed responsibility for the bombing."

"The Congress made an attempt to defame the entire country in the name of Hindu terror. This is a country where we feed even ants that bite us. They created a false case and booked sadhus and sadhvis. I want to ask: everyone has been acquitted in the Samjhauta case. The court has said that there is no evidence. Shouldn’t The Indian Express ask for accountability of the real accused being left out? Look how they compromised national security for their vote bank politics. CBI (agencies) had arrested them. Where are they? Isn’t it an issue for the country? Those who were caught, even American agencies had said that it was a Lashkar act, Indian agencies certified it. But to certify Hindu terror, saffron terror, you created false cases. Case after case collapsed in courts. But the media is sitting silent. Seculars are silent. The Indian Express is also silent. Why are you silent? At least you should ask about those accused. I think this is a big issue that needs to be in public debate."

"Today Israel and India are embattled democracies, sharing values and the challenge of terrorism. United in our quest for life, liberty and peace our joint determination to fight for these values can inspire our hopes for a better future for our people."

"Between 12 March 1993 and 11 July 2006, India suffered 18 major terrorist strikes, leading to the deaths of around 1,083 people. Four of these targeted India’s financial capital through serial bombings and train carnage. Over 550 (more than half) of these lives were claimed by just 2 terror attacks on Mumbai (1993 and 2006)."

"An anchor is often required to speak impromptu when a news just breaks in. Such was the frequency of terror blasts in those days that I had become used to speaking on such incidents. I even taught media students how to delve on the news of a terrorist act in the initial few minutes and how the news could eventually turn from a suspected cylinder blast to a major terror conspiracy. The news of a blast would come all of a sudden in those days. Such events had ceased to evoke the same astonishment from the viewers. I had also become used to the terror-related news much like a pathologist becomes accustomed to post-mortems."

"The plan was to wreck not only the streets but also the spirit of the city. The audacity of the attack left little to doubt that the country was facing an undeclared war and that the enemy had help from within our own boundaries."

"Violence and terrorism has no place in any civilized society much less in India which is home of ahimsa. The perpetration of violent acts, especially on innocent victims, therefore, causes the greatest sorrow to us. But wisdom lies: in refusing to let the acts of a few provoke us into any form of rancor or ill will between communities or regions. The people of India have a deep faith in a peaceful, democratic order. This faith of our people must be zealously protected and strengthened."