How could Muslim troops defend against terrorism

Submitted by Vinod Kumar (United States), Oct 5, 2006 at 18:50

Susan,

Very interesting and astute observation.

As soon as the struggle for freedom from the British started in India most influential Muslim leaders dissociated themselves from it calling it a Hindu movement. The story is long so I will try to keep it short -- evidently some details will be lost.

In the early part of last century Muslims raised the cry of partition -- a separe homeland for the Muslims of India. Jinnah for the first time in his Presidential address at the Annual Convention in 1940 of Muslim League openly floated the idea of partition. At that time there was a small political party in Bombay area -- they called their meeting to discuss what their party's response should be to Jinnah's proposal and they formed a subcommittee to evaluate the issue of partition. Mr. B R Ambedkar who later went on to become the head of Indian constituentation making body was appointed as its chairman. He conducted a thorought investigation of the Hindu Muslim relations and the issue of partition from every aspect -- history,. religion, economics, defence, social implications etc. The issue of Hindu Muslim relations has been very contentious for centuries since the Muslims started invading India in 636 CE and won their first victory in 712 CE.

Some of the conclusions drawn by Ambedkar were:

1. Given the history and religious beliefs of the two Hindus and Muslims cannot live peacefully together.

2. The Indian army at that was predominantly Muslim and it was Hindus money that was used to support it. It was his conclusion that overwhelmingly Muslim army cannot be depended upon to defend India if it is wasinvaded by a Muslim army from Afghanistan.

In short, he recommended there should be partition of India and not only that, there should be complete population exchange.

HIs study of the issue is worth reading. It can be found on

www.ambedkar.org under the section of Amebedkar -- speeches and writings and then Pakistan or partiton of India. It is one of the most comprehensive and rational study of the issue.

Ambedkar belonged to the so called Lower caste and in 1956 he converted to Buddhism.

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