THE JIHADI STATE OF HINDU KUSH – A challenge to India’s security

THE JIHADI STATE OF HINDU KUSH – A challenge to India’s security

By R. Upadhyay

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 slayer.

A silent witness to the jihadi terror from Mohammad bin Kasim in 8^th century, Ghaznavi in 11^th century, Ghauri in the 12^th century, Taimure lane in 1398 AD, Nader Shah in 1739 AD, Babar in 1526 to Ahmad Shah Abdali alias Abdul Shah Durrani in 1760; Hindu Kush is still facing the legacy of its Persian name.

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 Indian sub-continent.

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 sub-continent. 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 vulnerable. 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 of Kabuliwalas. 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 to 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 ramashray60@rediffmail.com)