Why I chose ‘saffron terror’ and not ‘Hindu terror’ to describe Samjhauta blasts

In this Feb 19, 2007 file photo, police inspect the burnt coaches of Samjhauta Express at Deewana village near Panipat | PTI /Vijay Verma

In January 2013, I was at an AICC convention in Jaipur. Addressing the session on the final day of the chintan shivir (introspection camp), I spoke about ‘saffron terror’ and how the home ministry investigations had revealed that some saffron organizations were conducting training camps to spread terrorism. ‘Reports have come during the investigation that the BJP and the RSS conduct terror training camps to spread terrorism … Bombs were planted in the Samjhauta Express, Mecca Masjid, and a blast was carried out in Malegaon. We will have to think about it seriously and will have to remain alert,’ I had told the AICC delegates. ‘We have to take these facts seriously and remain alert.’

I had come across the term ‘saffron terror’ in one of the confidential papers prepared by the Union home ministry. But it was an issue that had the potential to snowball into a huge controversy since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ideological fulcrum, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), were apparently involved. I was, therefore, careful to first check the veracity of the allegation before going public with it.

If anyone refers to my media statements from that time, they will notice that I carefully chose the term ‘saffron terror’. I remember someone from the media had asked if it was Hindu terrorism or saffron terrorism. ‘This is saffron terrorism [that] I have stated,’ I had replied.

At one level, though, I was a little embarrassed about my remark because of its timing. The highlight of the day was Rahul Gandhi-ji making an important speech as the newly appointed vice president of the Indian National Congress (INC). But instead of focusing on Rahul-ji’s emotional and inspirational speech, the media had highlighted my statement.

Subsequently, R.K. Singh also spoke, which was a pleasant surprise because it is rare to see an Indian Administrative Service officer dwell on politicized issues. I thought it was very courageous of him to do so. But one must remember that this officer from Bihar was involved in arresting L.K. Advani during the BJP leader’s 1990 rath yatra.

In October 1990, when Advani entered Bihar, en route to Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh in support of the Ram temple movement, then Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav had asked Singh, who was the district magistrate of Samastipur, to arrest the BJP leader. According to anecdotal and media accounts from that time, Singh, along with a police officer, had shown up at Advani’s room and informed him that they had been sent to arrest him. Singh, I may add, would later serve as a joint secretary when Advani was Union home minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.

I vividly recall that shortly after I spoke at Jaipur, Singh was quoted as seconding my view on saffron terror: ‘Yes, there is evidence [of men suspected of bombings having links to the RSS].’

However, after joining the BJP, he would retract that statement. By then, Singh had retired from service. ‘The term saffron terror was coined by [then] home minister Sushilkumar Shinde. I never used that term,’ Singh would subsequently say. But he did not deny that during his tenure as home secretary, the Ministry of Home Affairs did investigate allegations that saffron groups were involved in several terrorist acts, including the 2007 Samjhauta Express bombings that left dozens of people dead and the 2006 Malegaon blasts in Maharashtra.

Singh accompanied me on many ministry-related trips, including one to America, where I had gone to see how the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) worked. He guided me through all these trips with valuable advice on what to ask and how to position myself. In 2017, Singh was sworn in as minister of state with independent charge of power, and new and renewable energy in the Narendra Modi government.

In my Jaipur speech, I had expressed concern over other pressing matters too, such as infiltration from Pakistan, insurgency in the Northeast and Naxalism. ‘Infiltration is from Pakistan; insurgency is in some states in the Northeast; and Naxalism is another challenge. An environment is being created against peace, but my department will do its best to expose such nefarious designs,’ I had said. My speech also highlighted how the Indian National Congress had given opportunities to people from Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and minority communities to rise in life. ‘Our leader, Sonia Gandhi, gave me, a Dalit, an opportunity to become Leader of the House in the Lok Sabha and there are many names from SC, ST, OBC and minority communities who were made ministers and given other opportunities.’

This excerpt from Sushilkumar Shinde’s book, ‘Five Decades in Politics’ — as told to Rasheed Kidwai, has been published with permission from HarperCollins.