Indian sub-continent used to be ruled by Hindus till 1001 when Mahmud of Ghazni invaded Punjab and defeated its ruler Jaipal in a battle near Peshawar. Muslim invaders from Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan continued to attack and plunder India; and subjugated Indian sub-continent from 1001 to 1857 during which period a small Muslim minority continued to rule over a large Hindu majority in vast areas of the sub-continent. Then from 1857 to 1947, Indian sub-continent was under the British Empire. In 1947, two independent countries viz. India and Pakistan came into existence.

Pakistan comprised of two segments: East Pakistan and West Pakistan. Pakistan declared itself as the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in 1956. In 1971, East Pakistan became a separate country as the People's Republic of Bangladesh. In 1988, Bangladesh too renamed itself as the Islamic Republic of Bangladesh.

Thus, one third of the Indian sub-continent is already declared as Islamic.

In contrast, though in 1947, the sub-continent was partitioned on the basis of religion, and India could have been declared as a Hindu country, India has declared itself as the Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic Republic.

ISI's mission to destroy India

In its mission to destroy India, and bleed India through "a thousand cuts", Pakistan's Intelligence agency, ISI is determined to create one more Islamic country in the Eastern part of India.

And for this purpose, in collusion with Bangladesh, ISI has implemented systematic infiltration of crores of Bangladeshis into India.

Terrible Bangladeshi demographic aggression is aimed at destroying India, and changing the demographic map of sensitive areas.

During the last few years, crores of Bangladeshis have illegally infiltrated into India changing the demography of many States, particularly North Eastern States like West Bengal and Assam where more districts have become Muslim majority districts be- cause of Bangladeshi infiltration. Besides, because of Bangladeshis, Bihar's districts bordering Bangladesh have also recorded disproportionate increase in Muslim population.

One more Islamic country

TV Rajeshwar, former Intelligence Bureau chief (and at present the Governor of Uttar Pradesh) in 1996 itself had cautioned against the emergence of one more Islamic country in the Eastern part of India because of Bangladeshi infiltration. In 1998, General SK Sinha, the then Governor of Assam, also cautioned the Central government about Bangladeshi demographic invasion and disproportionate increase in Muslim population in the districts bordering Bangladesh. He also warned that unless corrective steps were taken, the Assamese would be reduced to a minority in their own state.

But as usual, successive governments responded to the menace of demographic invasion with denial, deception, negation and inaction, and also with Samjhauta Express and Bus Service between Lahore and Delhi, and Kolkata and Dhaka.

It is shocking that most of the media too followed the same pattern. And the liberals and intellectuals are busy with white- washing the problem; as also with self-flogging.

Repeated and unheeded warnings of TV Rajeshwar and General SK Sinha have been fortified by the census figures of 2001.

Plight of Hindus in Pakistan and Bangladesh

At the time of independence in 1947, Hindus which accounted for about 24 per cent of the then Pakistan's population now number only about one per cent of its population. Situation is equally grave in Bangladesh where Hindus numbered about 30 per cent in 1947, but now number about nine per cent of its population.

However, in India, the present percentage of Muslim population is much higher than the percentage of Muslim population in India in 1947.

People's Union for Civil Liberties and other Human Rights organizations are not asking what Pakistan and Bangladesh have done to their Hindu population.

The way out

We cannot expect others to fight our battles. We have to fight our battles ourselves.

The injury India is suffering now is self-inflicted because of its prolonged inaction. But now India should wake up from its deep slumber and save itself. India cannot solve this crisis by avoiding confrontation or by surrendering before its tormentors.

Decisive and immediate action on the following lines is a must to prevent the dismemberment of India and creation of one more Islamic country on Indian soil.

All steps to deport Bangladeshi infiltrators and curb future infiltration must be taken immediately. Besides, as per the "doctrine of hot pursuit" of International Law, terrorist training camps in Pakistan and Bangladesh have to be smashed; and if necessary, an all out war with these nations to make them see reason has to be undertaken. There are no soft options to ad- dress this calamity.

Since Article 44 of the Indian Constitution stipulates that, "The State shall endeavour to secure for the citizens a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India", necessary action in this regard is to be urgently taken. Uniform Civil Code and Uniform population policy will bring about unity in the nation.

Article 370 of the Indian Constitution conferring a special status on the Muslim majority Jammu and Kashmir has generated separatism in Kashmir and has resulted in the eviction of Kashmiri Hindus from Kashmir. Since Article 370 negates the very concept of one unified India, it must be abrogated forthwith.

Never forget history

History is a great teacher. But we must remember its lessons.

And we should not falsify it.

Unfortunately in India, because of the policy of denial, deception and negation, apart from being forgotten, history is also being falsified by some sections to paint a rosy picture of Islamic rule in India.

As per George Santayana (1863-1952), the American philosopher, "Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it".

I had started this write-up with Mahmud of Ghazni's invasion of Punjab in 1001. But India has forgotten its history of disgrace and disaster of a thousand years since 1001. I hope at least now India remembers its history and acts decisively to prevent the creation of one more Islamic country on Indian soil.

Any further delay, denial or deception will only hasten India's destruction as a nation.