Ever heard of Stockholm Syndrome?
Stockholm Syndrome describes the behavior of kidnap victims who, over time, become sympathetic to their captors. The name derives from a 1973 hostage incident in Stockholm, Sweden. At the end of six days of captivity in a bank, several kidnap victims actually resisted rescue attempts, and afterwards refused to testify against their captors.
I am reminded of Stockholm Syndrome when I read or hear responses of Politicians and Pseudosecularists to Islamic terrorism in India. Everytime a terrorist attack takes place, there is a race to justify the actions of the terrorists by invoking Babri Masjid, Post Godhra riots, Police atrocities, human rights violations and Hindu right wing activism. The victim becomes the perpetrator and the people who indulges in terrorism is made out to be the victim. We have seen this in Kashmir (despite the state getting 10 times more central funding than Bihar and enjoying a much higher per capita allocation of resources than any one else in India, and despite the Kashmiris openly being anti national, instead of telling them to either fall in line or face the music, we continue to pamper them). And we are seeing it with our handling of the muslim community. People might argue that the whole community is not responsible, but only a select few. But that doesnt hold water. The community as a whole has been loudly silent on condemning the bombings. They are guilty by complicity. A parallel can be drawn with the Sikhs in 1980s. Frankly, they had more grievances than the Muslim Community. But the moderates in the community were sane enough to isloate the extremists and finally peace and prosperity returned to Punjab. Our muslim brethren can take a leaf out of the Sikhs.
But I am digressing from the main point. Our Government, Politicians and Pseudo secularists have time and again gone out of the way to pamper the Muslim community by offering more sops every time a bomb explodes. It is not anyones fault that Muslims have the lowest literacy rate amongst most of the communities and the muslim women are the least educated. The community leaders thrive on illetaracy. The ghettoisation of muslims is by choice in a way. It is not for want of opportunities. A district was carved out in Kerala in late 60s for muslims - Malappuram. After 4 decades, and despite only Muslim MPs and MLAs, who always had power, representing the district, the district still languishes in all economic parameters and survives only on the remittances from lowly paid unskilled workers in Gulf. And today, despite the prosperity brought in by Gulf Money, the district is the nerve centre of extremist activity and a threat to the security of the state and the nation.
Enough of Kid Gloves. Let us not become prisoners of Stockholm Syndrome (we may have to call it 'Delhi Syndrome'). Let the Government show there is an iron fist under the kid gloves. Any terrorist is a bully. And all Bullies are cowards. Or else they wont plant bombs in crowded places and walk away. They do it because they know they can get away with it and they are safe. Let us stop being a soft state. Let us get tough. Enough is enough.
