CIAO DATE: 04/03

Impact of Religious Extremism on Security of South Asia

Admiral L. Ramdas

50th Pugwash Conference On Science and World Affairs:
"Pugwash Workshop on South Asian Security"
1-3 November 2002

Geneva, Switzerland

Introduction

"If we are to make progress, we must not repeat history but make new history. We must add to the inheritance left by our ancestors. If we may make new discoveries and inventions in the phenomenal world, must we declare our bankruptcy in the spiritual domain? Is it possible to multiply the exceptions so as to make them the rule? Must man always be brute first and man after, if at all? "- Gandhi writing in Young India, May 6 1926

Most of us including myself have tended to use Sept 11 2001 as a benchmark whilst evaluating terrorism and attempting to forecast the trends of the security environment for the future. The problem is infinitely more complex, given the many layers of developments on the international scene over the past century, and no discussion of the role of religion and religious extremism can be complete without a reference to the larger external environment and a series of significant developments over that period.

Major developments during this period include:

• Two world wars - each one seen as 'the war to end all wars'

• The use of the first atomic bombs on Hiroshima, Nagasaki

• Freedom struggles, the end of the colonial era, and the emergence of new nation states,

• the expansion of the 'Nuclear Club' - (USSR, UK, France, China, India, Pakistan, and Israel?) and the phenomena of the cold war;

• the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and subsequent withdrawal;

• the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the cold war.

• the mushrooming of many ethnic, religious and other conflicts

• the yet unresolved demand for a Palestinian State

• and the India Pakistan face-off over Kashmir

The other most important development during this period has been the Information Technology Revolution which has dramatically impacted the behaviour of people. Most of us have become prisoners of that wonderful tool called the computer which has almost entirely taken over our lives and eroded the finer aspects of humanness, human behaviour and understanding.

Synthetic and clinical analysis set forth by digital technologies have left the all important human element in the background. Some of the decisions as a result of over dependence on modern technologies have contributed a good deal towards a continuing thirst and thrust for materialism and money. Globalisation and the restructuring of the world’s trading patterns are but manifestations of this desire.

Cold War and After

One of the other major fall outs of the cessation of the cold war has been the emergence of the United States as the lone 'Super Power' which has given rise to unbridled materialism as well as unilateralism. This has impacted hugely in the conduct of the world's affairs. These have been both dynamic and devastating - dynamic in style rather than in content; and devastating because of its myopic construct.

Just as we need a good opposition within a country to make a democracy vibrant and effective, so too in the international arena we need a good opposition, single or multilateral, to checkmate the rise of too much unilateralism. The law of nature is such that this is bound to happen sooner than we think. The question is whether it will happen by demonstrating grace and wisdom on the part of the strong and the wealthy, and in a peaceful manner, or will it happen through violence? One does not need to provide statistics to show how 80% of the worlds resources are consumed by 20% of the crust of world society, leaving the crumbs for the 80% of people to fight over. Clearly this kind of imbalance has to be addressed frontally if we are to bring about a transition from the current situation to a genuinely more democratic and sustainable new world order.

The end of colonialism resulted in the emergence of a number of new nations, including the partition of lands and peoples, sowing thereby the seeds of eternal conflict in the future. Africa, the Middle East and South Asia clearly illustrate this phenomenon. Wars and conflicts have arisen due to cultural, ethnic, linguistic , political, economic, social, and last but not the least, religious grounds in every part of the world. These have further given rise to 'Fundamentalisms' of every conceivable kind - they range from material and monopolistic trends of the wealthy nations under the banner of 'capitalism', 'corporate culture' and the market' to the other extreme of feudalism, religious extremism and fanaticism . Neither of these fundamentalist extremes have shied away from using violence to meet their ends. Nor is religious fundamentalism exclusive to any one single religion or grouping, although recent trends, led by the USA post 9/11 and happily followed by those for whom it is convenient, have done serious damage to Islam by virtually treating all terrorism as Islamic terrorism or Islamic fundamentalism.

This is not the time for a more in depth examination of the above developments. However these need to be kept in focus as we look at how these have impacted on the global security scene and specifically in nuclear weaponised South Asia.

Recent Trends and the Situation in South Asia Today

Since December 2001, we have been witnessing a situation where two powerful armies are facing each other across a long and volatile border between India and Pakistan. The use of the cliché-d term 'eyeball to eyeball' conceals the real and manifest dangers of keeping men and lethal weapons at the ready for such a long period of time, with rhetoric growing shriller with every incident and every passing month. The record of events in the recent past makes for interesting reading - although the selection of the date of the nuclear test by India in 1998 is an arbitrary cut off point.

• May 1998 -Nuclear tests by India and Pakistan

• February 1999 - Signing of the Lahore Declaration

• April-May 1999 - Kargil Conflict

• October 1999 - Military rule returns to Pakistan Gen Musharraf takes over in a bloodless coup.

• July 2001 - the Agra Summit

• Sept 11 2001 - Terrorist strikes on the WTC - New York, and the Pentagon in Washington DC

• India and Pakistan muscle in for patronage and favours from the USA - with both countries joining the bandwagon of the 'War on Terrorism'

• Dec 13 2001 attack on Indian Parliament heralds dramatic set back in Indo-Pak relations and movement of troops by both sides. Real threat of war including likely use of nuclear weapons felt all round.

• International community steps in - principal role by USA.

• Gen Musharraf yields under extreme US and Western pressure and agrees to stop 'cross Border Infiltration' on a permanent basis. Currently the situation is slightly improved - but armies still face each other. Possible conflict between the two neighbours cannot yet be ruled out..

• Elections held successfully in Indian part of Jammu and Kashmir recently. Due to no party obtaining a total majority a coalition Government is likely to emerge. Likewise elections in Pakistan was also held on Oct 10,and Government forming process is on as there too no single party managed to receive an absolute majority.

Growth of Religious Extremism - given the above immediate context, let us examine briefly the phenomenon of different kinds of religious extremism in the region - flagging the fact that all forms of extremism and fundamentalism also arise out of specific historical and material contexts which must be factored in.

A) Pakistan and Afghanistan

Given the fact that post the WTC attack, global focus has been on Taliban, Al Qaeda and Afghanistan - let us begin with a brief re-cap of the rise of fundamentalism and the Talibanisation of the region.

Religious extremism in Pakistan and Afghanistan gained ground during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, when the Taliban was born. Of course the all pervading and stark poverty provided the basic breeding ground for the rise of an ideology which promised identity and solutions, as also for the creation of thousands of Madrassas - feeder establishments for the young Talibans, mainly located in Pakistan. These continue till today - although it must be pointed out that in the process the institution of the 'MADRASSA' - which need not in any way be a school for terrorists, has also been given a bad name.

Convergence of strategic interests of both Pakistan and the US at the time, facilitated this development - Pakistan, for its perceived notion of improving its strategic depth, and the US for its global strategic requirement of being the only super power. It is also well documented that Intelligence agencies of both countries played an active role in designing, implementing and sustaining the arrangement as long as it was convenient.

Without labouring the point as to who was responsible for its emergence, suffice it to say that this later provided the cradle for the growth of both the Taliban and the Al Qaeda movements. From here emerged also some of the militants who were to join the 'Jehad' for the liberation of Indian held Kashmir. It was the abandonment of Afghanistan by the USA after the Russian withdrawal, that led to the growth of Al Qaeda within Afghanistan and its subsequent spread world wide. Erstwhile friends and allies had now turned into enemies, the promise of a better future denied, combined with the growing frustration with western(largely US) policy towards Muslim states , ultimately led to a series of attacks on western assets, culminating in the strike on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon on Sept 11 2001. The rest is modern history.

B) Religious Extremism in India

Let us also look briefly at the extraordinary phenomenon of the growth of religious fundamentalism within India and within Hinduism over the same period. Here too there is need to delve into, and understand the historical genesis of the creation of several nations out of the erstwhile undivided British India - and the role of the colonial power in creating the divisions based on religion among other factors.

The subsequent Partition of India based on the (insidious to many) theory that Muslims and Hindus constituted two different 'Nations', has in fact laid the foundation for the endless and bitter strife between the neighbours who essentially share the same heritage and a common history. The Kashmir Problem is the most visible manifestation of this deeper malaise.

The concept of 'HINDUTVA' was the brainchild of the founding fathers of the movement for Hindu Nationalism like Golwalkar of the RSS, Vir Savarkar of the Hindu Mahasabha and others - and originated in some of the policies of the infamous 'colonial policy of 'divide and rule' long before partition and Independence in 1947. However, in the early post independence years in India, a solid constitutional commitment to secularism, pluralism and democracy, vigilantly championed by the first few generations of leaders, especially from the erstwhile Nationalist Congress, was maintained and nurtured.

However, with the fraying of a middle of the road party over the years; the failure of the left to establish roots across the country; and the overall inability of the leadership to come to grips with some of the fundamental contradictions and problems of a large, poor and diverse population, a political space was created which the Right Wing Hindu nationalist groups were able to capture through an ideology which they call HINDUTVA and claim that it is derived from Hinduism and has the well being and interests of the largely Hindu Majority at heart. Today we are seeing the sway of opportunistic politics astutely combined with the most populist form of religion.

The extremist Hindu groups in India mainly comprise of the RSS [Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh], the Vishwa Hindu Parishad [VHP], the Bajrang Dal, the Shiva Sena. The government in power today led by the Bharatiya Janata Party [BJP] has got close links with the above organisations - collectively referred to as the 'Sangh Parivar. [Ofcourse it must be said in passing that India is also home to some Muslim extremist groups like SIMI, with links to pan-Islamic movements.]

The Hindutva movement got a special fillip, when a 'Rath Yatra' (a pilgrimage of temple chariots) was undertaken by Shri L.K. Advani, the then president of the BJP in 1992. This was a clever deployment of the 'religious card' for political mobilisation. Unfortunately feelings were whipped up, and passions were aroused amongst the Hindu extremist groups resulting in the demolition on Dec 6 1992, of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in the north Indian State of Uttar Pradesh. The extremist Hindu groups claimed that this mosque was built by Babar, the Moghul king, on the site of an existing Hindu temple at the birth place of Lord Rama, an important deity for Hindus. The destruction of the mosque certainly marks a tragic landmark in the chronology of Hindu-Muslim relations in Indian and the region.

Right Wing Nationalism, Militarism and the Nuclear Bomb

The BJP, did indeed make dramatic improvements in their representation in the Indian Parliament, and came to power in a coalition government in 1998. The BJP's election manifesto was greatly influenced by the 'Sangh Parivar', which had clearly subscribed to the acquisition of the nuclear weapon. As far back as the early fifties, the Jana Sangh which was the forerunner of the present day BJP, had also championed the cause of going nuclear. The nuclear bomb was considered to be a visible symbol of power, strength and militarism and especially of a resurgent Hindu nationalism.

Although the first nuclear test was conducted in 1974 by the Congress Government headed by Indira Gandhi, it was within a stated policy of not going in for nuclear weaponisation .They were quite clear that they would propagate and promote global nuclear disarmament. (Rajiv Gandhi's proposal at the UN in June 9 1988).

The present government changed all that by the Pokhran Tests on 11 May 1998 - virtually forcing Pakistan into following suit with their tests at Chhagai on May 28 1998. Both countries now had openly declared themselves to be nuclear weapons states, and proudly trumpeted their intention to weaponise. Once again, clever use was made of the links between religion, power and nationalism and national pride, thereby creating a wave of apparent popular support for nuclear weapons. Indeed many people called India's bomb - 'the Hindu Bomb', while the one across the border was referred to as 'the Islamic bomb'.

Political Reverses for the Ruling BJP Government and Tragic Fall Out for Religious Minorities.

Religious discrimination against minority groups and minority sects has been going on ever since partition in various parts of both countries. However, given that there are many and larger percentages of minorities in India, with the Muslim population in fact being second only to that of Indonesia, the conditions for serious flare-ups and violence and hatred to be unleashed are also that much greater. The most recent manifestation of this was seen in the state sponsored genocide of Muslims in the state of Gujarat in western India. This state continues to be led by a chief minister from the extremist Hindu right wing - who is also a member of the RSS.

Every time there is a setback for the party in elections in one state, there is a tendency to fall back on the hardline ideology of Hindutva - with predictable insecurity and attacks on minorities especially in areas where the lumpen elements from both sides are mobilised by the respective religio-political formations.

Democracy in Pakistan, The Kashmir Question, and the Possibility of Nuclear Confrontation - Command and Control Systems

We see here the constant interplay between domestic politics and foreign policy postures. In India there is a constant (triumphalist?) reference to the lack of democracy in Pakistan, and a tendency to ride high on the increasingly tough positions being adopted towards the Pakistani support to Terrorist Camps and Cross border Terrorism by the USA and other western powers.

The entire issue of Kashmir is also interwoven both with historical baggage and hard positions taken over the years because of which no leadership in either country can afford to be seen as 'soft' or yielding to the other country. The basic question of whether or not the state should be partitioned on the basis of religion determines the positions of both sides to a large extent.

And looming over it all and the primary reason for the resurgence of interest in the region, is ofcourse the real and present danger, in the shape of extremely high levels of troop mobilisation over several months on the borders. There is a high possibility indeed, of this escalating into actual hostilities, and from there into nuclear exchange, with catastrophic implications for not only the two countries but the region as a whole. For all the pronouncements of Nuclear Doctrines and No-first Use - the reality is that the Command and Control Systems on both sides are primitive to say the least, thereby adding an even more dangerous dimension to the entire situation.

Road Map, Sign posts for Peace - and Thoughts of Foreign Policy Implications for the USA

At one level, the heightened levels of concern for the situation obtaining between India and Pakistan, as manifest in the unending chain of high level political visits to the region over the last ten months is cause for some comfort. Peace Making and Mediation (even though India is allergic to the phrase) have been at their most intense in a long while -both international and national - government and non governmental.

On Kashmir itself - which has been successfully internationalised thanks to the string of recent events - there have been several well considered road maps suggested - and conceivably it would be possible to find a way forward. In the short term, it might perhaps work out that with US 'facilitation' the three parties to the conflict - the Kashmiri people, Pakistan and India, can be brought to the table and an interim solution worked out (see my articles in the Hindu - A Road Map for peace dated - June 2002, and More Signposts for Peace - July 2002).

The more serious question to be raised, in the context of the current global reality of the US being the only super power and in the position of taking decisions unilaterally, is how the USA wields this power in the coming period of time. There are several fundamental underlying issues which those who seek to explore the linkages between religion, culture, economic power of the market, the arms industry and the role of unipolar power, would do well to address.

To quote a recent article - an editorial in a journal of Philosophy - 'the pressures of unipolarity continue to undermine the emergence of a multipolar world and plurality of thoughts'. And again - "When our circumscribed logical minds are confronted with problems that become too big to approach, they lose their depth, and seek easy solutions through super-violence or the visible, without examining the deep underlying causes of our maladies. We continue to talk of peace yet keep starting wars"

Dare one ask and seek honestly to answer the question whether it is ultimately in the business interests of what someone recently termed "The Armament Protected Consumerism" in fact to ensure that we talk peace in all earnest, but keep some fires burning so that the peace makers are accompanied often on the same visit by another official seeking to sell the latest weapon or sensor?

In the same vein, we will need honestly to unpack and demystify the increasing power and spread of globalisation as a culture and an economic juggernaut which carries within itself the seeds of destruction of all that stands in the way of its greed and need to grow bigger at the cost of both humanity and nature.

Maybe it is time for foreign policy discourse to address some of these themes - above all the link between what could be termed 'Religious Exclusivism, Colonialism and Racism', which in turn is a close ally of excessive 'Materialism and Militarism'. [From Journal of World Affairs - Vol VI no I]

A combination of any or all of these forms of exclusivism - dividing humanity into believers and non-believers - be it in one religion or one economic model - is itself sowing the seeds of violence and disharmony. Therefore it opens up an endless ocean of challenging all forms of inherited wisdom and knowledge.

The foreign policy positions of a country like the USA are profoundly linked with their own economic, religious and industrial worldviews. In the ultimate analysis and given the kind of power equations prevailing, the role of the US as the ringmaster in the Peace arena is clear. Any one occupying a position of such power should also be able to demonstrate an ability and willingness to reflect on the vast and complex area of historical, cultural, religious, scientific and ecological realities which make up our unique world. And if she were able to open up this kind of a discourse without the tendency to be a power broker - truly the United States of America might be able to occupy a place in history.

I would like to end with a quotation from the Isha-Upanishad which the great Nobel Laureate poet from India, Rabindra Nath Tagore quoted while addressing Harvard University in 1913: Speaking about Sadhana - or the realisation of life, he says that 'true realisation of God, or of the infinite, is not like one object among many, to be definitely classified and kept among our possessions, to be used as an ally specially favouring us in our politics, warfare, money-making, or in social competitions!' On the contrary we need to remember that :

"Tena tyaktena bhunjithaq ma gridhah kasyasviddhanam"

"Enjoy whatever is given by him and harbour not in your mind the greed for wealth which is not your own."

"Om Shanti,Shanti,Shanti - Peace - Peace - Peace