HINDU KUSH = SLAUGHTER OF HINDUS
Date: 21 Jan 2009
JIHADI STATE OF HINDU KUSH
A challenge to India’s security
South Asia Analysis Group
By R. Upadhayay
The Hindu Kush(Persian word meaning Hindu slayer) mainly running through
Afghanistan and Pakistan is nearly 1600 K.M. long and 300 K.M. wide
stretching from the Pamir plateau near Gilgit to Iran. Its passes
particularly the Khyber that provided easy access to the alien invaders
called Mlechchhas (barbaric) during their military and political expeditions
into the land of the Hindus.
Since the Arab-Perso-Turk invaders entered Indian sub-continent through the
passes of this mountain sub-range of Himalaya and slaughtered millions of
Hindus, they called it Hindu Kush which in Persian language means Hindu
A silent witness to the jihadi terror from Mohammad bin Kasim in 8th
century, Ghaznavi in 11th century, Ghauri in the 12th century, Taimure lane
in 1398 AD, Nader Shah in 1739 AD, Babar in 1526 to Ahmad Shah Abdali alias
Abdul Shah Durrani in 1760. India is still facing the legacy of its Persian
William James Durant (1885-1981) in his book - ‘The story of Civilisation’
argued that “the Muslim conquest of the Indian sub-continent led to
widespread carnage because Muslims regarded the Hindus as infidels and
therefore slaughtered and converted millions of Hindus”
Although, the Marxist historians do not subscribe to the ‘ Sword Theory’ of
Islamists, renowned historian Sir Jadunath Sarkar also contended that
several Muslim invaders waged a systematic jihad against the Hindus to the
effect that "Every device short of massacre in cold blood was resorted to in
order to convert heathen subjects." (Wikipedia Encyclopaedia).
Similarly, on the basis of the available historical evidence, a noted
historian K.S. Lal in his book ‘Growth of Muslim population in Medieval
India’ concluded that about 60 to 80 million Hindus died between 1000 and
1525 CE as a result of the Islamic invasion of India. He estimated that
about 2 million people died during Mahmud of Ghazni’s invasions of India
(pp. 211-217). Thus, Hindu-Kush being the jihadi-route of Isalm in Indian
sub-continent perpetually remained vulnerable from the security angle,
throughout the ages.
Historically, empowerment of jihadi terrorism is rooted to the geo-political
ideology of Arabian imperialism which began its march in seventh century A.D
with the objective of political domination over entire world. Medieval
history of Islamist conquests also suggests that Saudi Arabia is the
ideological father of jihadi terrorism with the success of jihad in
Islamisation of Afghanistan when the sword the Arab warlords crossed over
Hindu-Kush and established socio-political and religious hegemony in the
Spreading the culture of hate against the Hindus on the ground of religion,
they forced Islam upon a sizeable chunk of population in the Indo-Gangetic
valley and imposed their Perso-Arabian culture over them in the name of
faith. However, with the collapse of Islamic rule in 1857 and Ottoman Empire
or institution of Caliphate in 1924 the Arab world particularly Saudi Arabia
remained subdued till the end of the colonial rule of the British in the
Aware of the jihadi instinct of the Arabs and strategic importance of the
Hindu Kush in South Asia the British managed their control over it to secure
its colonial border from the Islamists. Although the British left the
sub-continent in August 1947, Hindu Kush failed to escape the crossfire of
the superpowers namely America and Soviet Union. The Arab world particularly
Saudi Arabia on the other had never forgot the humiliation they suffered
after the loss of their geo-political hegemony in the region.
With years of spade work through catalytic funding for jihadi Islam in South
Asia in general and India in particular; Saudi Arabia also revived the
medieval base for jihad in Hindu Kush.
After the withdrawal of Russian army, the Taliban and Al Qaida became the
custodian of jobless jihadis in Hindu Kush from Kashmir, Bangladesh and
Myanmar. Providing further training and protection in Pakistan, they were
deployed in terror war against India and with a view to drag the latter to
the era of medievalism.
The terror war is unlike a conventional war during which the army of two
sovereign nations are deployed along their respective borders and engaged in
violent attack or defence for their geo-political interest. It is something
which is fought against any State by a group of individuals under the banner
of some organizations patronized by some individuals or even by some States
for the sake of certain political ideology.
Since India lost its border with Hindu Kush to Pakistan after the partition
of the sub-continent, this route to the Arabian ideology of jihad became
Now India is no more in a position to deploy its army along Hindu Kush to
check the entry of jihadi terrorists from this region as the area is now a
part of Pakistan. The Central Asian countries bordering Afghanistan have
effectively insulated themselves from the fall out of the jihadi militancy
groomed by the conspirators in Hindu Kush.
The Hindu Kush with political predominance of the modern co-fathers of
jehadi terrorists, a regional operative base of medieval ideology of Arabs
and a nodal point to launch terror war against the non-Islamic civilization
in South Asia particularly India is a challenge to the humanity in general
and India is particular.
Recognition of Taliban regime by Saudi Arabia and “Saudi king Abdullah
hosting high-level talks in Mecca between the Afghan government and Taliban”
also sends a clear signal to India.
In view of the historical background of 20 odd tribes in Afghanistan who
resisted against the three super powers namely British in nineteenth
century, Soviet Union in twentieth century and USA just in the first year of
twenty first century, it will be difficult to root out the jihadis from the
Hindu Kush. Historically, Hindu Kush became a grave yard of the
geo-political ambitions of the great powers.
Even the policy makers of USA have realized it as they too have failed to
clear the region from the jihadists of Taliban and Al-Qaida. The US is yet
to have a clear political and military strategy in Afghanistan.
India has well responded to the civil duty by spending millions of dollars
for re-construction of Afghanistan but it has nothing to show that the new
incumbent took any firm step to change the Persian meaning of Hindu Kush.
Taliban is still maintaining its base in this region and found operating in
every province of Afghanistan.
Hindu Kush, has emerged as ‘Jihadistan’, a state within the State of
Afghanistan. Mullah Omar and Osama bin Laden are still acknowledged as
spiritual and political ‘Emirs’ by the natives in the region. They have
influenced the locals to sever their relationship to the government “and
also preach them to support jihad against the Americans and the government
which they consider infidel” (jansamachar.net).
After creation of Pakistan, Hindu Kush became more vulnerable for India from
the security point of view as it lost its day to day contact with the land
Pakistan on the other hand strengthened its Islamist link in the region and
turned it into a jihadi base. Repeated terror attacks in Pakistani cities
suggest that the jihadi terrorists have stealthily crossed the Hindu Kush
following the foot prints of medieval jihadis with the possible danger of
dragging India also at a later stage.
Against the backdrop of the complex situation, the need arises for India to
evolve its independent strategy to calibrate the geopolitical alignments and
shore up its political and strategic assets in the war torn Hindu Kush and
defend itself from the on going civilisational onslaught from the Arabian
ideology of jihad.
Apart from mobilsing the world community to transform Hindu Kush into a
peace zone for resolving the problem of Islamist terrorism there is a need
check the substantial funding from oil earned Arabian fund earmarked for
jakat for propagation of radical Islam in India which provides a congenial
atmosphere for the growth of home grown terrorists. (The author can be
reached at e-mail email@example.com)
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