The massive bomb blast in Mumbai on 25th August has not only shaken the explosion prone Mumbai community but the Nation as a whole. The Two bombs planted in the taxis took fifty two lives and resulted in massive financial loss. The biggest damage it inflicted is of course on the battered Muslim community, who more than before will be branded as the terrorists.

In the wake of this tragedy while Sangh Parivar blamed it on Islamic terrorism, Mr. Advani blamed it on Pakistan. Pakistan Foreign minister condemned the attack and said Pakistan has no role in these blasts. At the same time local Sangh Parivar ally, Hindu Hridaya Samrat (Emperor of Hindu Hearts), Bal Thackeray said that his party Shiv Sena is prepared to retaliate. It was interesting that the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Mr.Chagan Bhujabal on a different note saw the link between the massive Gujarat carnage and these blasts.

One recalls that in Mumbai riots of 92-93 the major victims were from the Muslim community. These riots, which were attributed to the inflammatory 'hate writing' of Mr. Thackeray, were followed by the bomb blasts. Is it a mere coincidence that even this time the massive anti-Muslim pogrom (Gujarat) is again being followed by the blasts, as hinted by Mr. Bhujbal? By now the 'social common sense' has come to believe that it is Muslims who are terrorists, that Islam is an intolerant religion and so on. Also this common sense subtly points a finger at Indian Muslims when Pakistan is blamed. The worst _expression of this was witnessed during Gujarat riots when the brusque Modi equated Indian Muslims with Miyan Musharraf.

As such the social common sense, which prevails, has been carefully nurtured by the vested interests. Terrorism has been resorted to by frustrated disgruntled groups, who feel that justice is beyond their reach and who think such acts are a way to take revenge or are gripped by the mistaken notion that such acts will discourage the perpetrators of such crimes in future. It is not that the terrorism has been indulged only in the name of Islam. We have witnessed Khalistani terrorism not too long ago, the insurgency in North East though attributed to rise of Christainity, is worst in the Hindu majority Manipur. LTTE remains one of the largest and most well nit terrorist outfit, it is another matter that some of these terrorists are presented as martyrs for ethnic and other aspirations or being the 'revolutionaries' of a particular nationality.

Islam does not permit the killing of innocents on any ground. Terrorism is a political and not a religious phenomenon. It is another matter that sometimes it is presented as being indulged in for the sake of a particular religious community. The latter argument is ambiguous, as terrorists are not elected by any community. For that matter most of the outfits operating in the name of religion are also self proclaimed representatives, not the elected one's. Whatever goes today in the name of Islamic terrorism has multiple political discontents, which acted as the fertile ground for this cancerous phenomenon. The global and local reasons merge into each other because of the commonality of followers of Islam being the victims at both the levels.

The first and most visible _expression of this terrorism came when US and other imperialist powers formed Israel. US in particular stood by to back all the violations of International norms and decency by Israel. Formation of Israel resulted in displacement of close to a million refugees, majority of them being Muslims. Their frustration against the hegemony of US-Israel axis led to the terrorism at large scale and Liala Khalid symbolized the anguish of displaced Palestinians. The second major factor came with the training imparted to young Muslims in the name of Jihad to displace the Russian forces from Afghanistan. This was cleverly coordinated by US again. The services of client state, Pakistan came in handy in this agenda of Imperialism.

The unresolved Kashmir issue added its own bit to the problem. The local discontent and browbeating of democratic process led to the youth responding to the call to take up arms and disrupt the civic life in Kashmir. These three factors and US's promotion of despots and dictators in the oil rich area aided and abetted the overall process. In India an additional factor has been provided by the regular eruption of communal violence in which overall the 11.6 percent population of Muslims helplessly watches that the overwhelming proportion of those dying are Muslims and major loss of property is again of the same community. Also the social and economic indices point out the deprivations suffered by Muslim minority as a whole. Gopal Singh commission, which studied the plight of Muslims and recommended educational and economic uplift is stay put in the cold storage. The condition of Muslims remains on the lowest rungs of socio economic development. This provides fertile ground for taking to crime by the most deprived groups at the slightest pretext. It is not very difficult to locate an odd youth form the victim community to take up this insane path.

The reasons behind the preponderance of Muslim youth in these activities are not far to seek. To any observer who can go deeper than the propaganda dished out by the ilk of Togadia and Modis one can realize that the lot of Muslims is going even lower than the dalits, another deprived section of Indian society. No doubt for the employment in Gulf Muslims were given preference, but when one sees that Indian Muslims are over 116 Million such opportunities necessarily cannot uplift the society as a whole, though it did have a substantial uplifting effect on the section of the community.

Today the community is in a bind. The external attacks do reinforce the regressive tendencies inside. The global impact of Osama bin Laden does add to the already miserable situation. In this context when Thackerays of the World threaten to retaliate, what do they mean. Against whom they will retaliate? The Muslims in general? Will they attack Pakistan to teach Pakistan a lesson? One recalls a similar exercise undertaken by George Bush in the wake of 9/11 attacks on WTC. On the ground that Osama is hiding in Afghanistan and they wanted Osama at any cost, Mr. Bush ravaged Afghanistan. The language of retaliation hides the deeper motives. The guilty have to be punished as per the norms. If Osama was responsible the evidence should have been given and even Talibans were willing to hand him over. If Mr. Thackeray is serious he can undertake the role of Alfred Hitchcock and identify the criminal and the law of the land should haul them to the coals. But that's not the goal of Thackerays and Advanis. They support the carnage, which results in such a frustrated reaction, and then they first try to hide the connection of these with their own misdeeds. Taking advantage of the feeling of insecurity the people they further drill hatred against the minority community and look forward to reap the electoral benefits in due course.

The way out is very difficult more so due to the ascendance of Hindutva politics, the social domination of RSS and its progeny-BJP,VHP Bajarang Dal etc., for whom this is the Ram sent opportunity to increase their power. For those who have faith and belief in Indian constitution the way is to work for promotion of peace and amity. The deeper truth of the propaganda of communal forces at home and imperialist forces at global level is to be fought against. The enlightened Muslim elements are already gearing up to strengthen the democratic path by emphasizing on the role of education and social development to be the key for survival in democracy. Also the realization is growing that it is not just a battle of Muslims to protect themselves but that it is a struggle of all weaker sections of society that can protect the democratic ethos at home. The realization at global level has to be for the Global movement for a just world, worldwide efforts to oppose the imperialist lust.