OPINION
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India Must Crack Down on Muslims, Hindus Alike
Time to end divisive religious tactics
By Matt Cantor
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Posted Nov 28, 08 11:39 AM CST
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(Newser)
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The terrorist attacks in Mumbai are tied to growing disillusionment among Indians with a government that manipulates religious divisions for political gain, writes Dileep Padgaonkar in the Washington Post. Each party accuses the other of pandering to a religious constituency, be it Muslim or Hindu—and such posturing has filtered down to the police and an unfair, often brutal justice system.
As some members of both religions turn to extremism, Mumbai’s attacks “can only compound fears in both communities that law enforcement cannot be trusted to bring the guilty to justice,” writes Padgaonkar, who edits India and Global Affairs magazine. “It is precisely such fears that set the stage for bloody confrontations between the two groups.” Now, it’s time for India’s government to “crack down vigorously on terrorism, regardless of the suspect’s religion.”