stephen williams sdwlignet old indian friend forwarded ago httpwwwwashingtonpostcomac2wpdynpagenamearticlenodecontentida581732002mar7notfoundtrue slaughter name god salman rushdie friday march 8 2002 page a33 washington post defining image week small childs burned blackened arm tiny fingers curled fist protruding remains human bonfire ahmadabad gujarat india murder children something indian specialty routine daily killings unwanted girl babies massacre innocents nellie assam 1980s village turned neighboring village massacre sikh children delhi horrifying reprisal murders followed indira gandhis assassination bear witness particular gift always dazzlingly evidence times religious unrest dousing children kerosene setting alight cutting throats smothering clubbing death good strong length wood say write indian man born bred loves india deeply knows one us today us potentially capable tomorrow take pride indias strengths indias sins must mine well sound angry good ashamed disgusted certainly hope india undergoes worst bout hindumuslim bloodletting decade many people sounding anything like angry ashamed disgusted enough police chiefs excusing mens unwillingness defend citizens india without regard religion saying men feelings subject sentiments nation general meanwhile indias political masters tuttutting offering usual soothing lies situation brought control escaped nobodys notice ruling party bharatiya janata party bjp indian peoples party hindu extremists vishwa hindu parishad vhp world hindu council sister organizations offshoots parent body even international commentators britains independent newspaper urge us beware excess pessimism horrible truth communal slaughter india used happens every often dies thats life folks time india worlds largest secular democracy lets little crazy religious steam mustnt let distort picture course political explanations ever since december 1992 vhp mob demolished 400yearold muslim mosque ayodhya claim built sacred birthplace god ram hindu fanatics looking fight pity muslims ready give murderous attack trainload vhp activists godhra awful atavistic echoes killings hindus muslims trainload partition riots 1947 played right hindu extremists hands vhp evidently tired sees equivocations insufficient radicalism indias bjp government prime minister atal bihari vajpayee moderate party also heads coalition government obliged abandon much bjps extreme hindu nationalist rhetoric hold coalition together isnt working anymore state elections across country bjp trounced may last straw vhp firebrands put governments betrayal fascistic agenda betrayal doesnt even result electoral success electoral failure bjp thus probability spark lit fire vhp determined build hindu temple site demolished ayodhya mosque thats godhra dead coming reprehensibly idiotically tragically muslims india equally determined resist vajpayee insisted slow indian courts must decide rights wrongs ayodhya issue vhp longer prepared wait distinguished indian writer mahasveta devi letter indias president k r narayanan blames gujarat government led bjp hardliner well central government little late pins blame firmly motivated wellplanned provocative actions hindu nationalists another writer nobel laureate v naipaul speaking india week violence erupted denounced indias muslims en masse praised nationalist movement murderers godhra must indeed denounced mahasveta devi letter demands stern legal action vhp determined destroy secular democracy india takes public pride little protect supporting naipaul makes fellow traveler fascism disgraces nobel award political discourse matters explains good deal theres something beneath something dont want look face namely india elsewhere darkening world religion poison blood religion intervenes mere innocence excuse yet go skating around issue speaking religion fashionable language respect respect crimes committed almost daily around world religions dreaded name well fatal results religion erects totems willing kill weve done often enough deadening affect results makes easier indias problem turns worlds problem happened india happened gods name problems name god salman rushdie novelist author forthcoming essay collection step across line 2002 washington post company sdw sdwlignet httpsdwst stephen williams 43392 wayside cirashburnva 201474622 7037240118w 7039950407fax dec2001 sun 15 sep 2002 212252 0400 slaughter name god