‘Ghazwa-e-Hind’

It is very significant to note that security and intelligence agencies have, in the recent months, busted several anti-India modules which are linked to the ISI of Pakistan. What is more significant is that the intelligence agencies have found one thing in common among the various ISI-sponsored modules that have made inroads into the country – it being the mention of ‘Ghazwa-e-Hind’, or the destruction of India, as the main theme of all these modules. Some of the recent instances of busting of ISI-backed modules have been reported from Delhi, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Bihar. As has been reported, in each of these modules, the police have found Ghazwa-e-Hind literature. It is also important to note that this narrative has been pushed by none other than Pakistan army chief Asim Munir himself. He reportedly launched this anti-India campaign in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, obviously in an attempt to save face, after he had lied about Pakistan’s response to the terror groups. One Jaish-e-Mohammad operative, namely Ilyas Kashmir, has been on record quoting Munir as saying that the Pakistani Army had undertaken ‘Ghazwa-e-Hind’ in response to Operation Sindoor. The doctrine of Ghazwa-e-Hind, loosely translated as the “Battle for India”, has periodically resurfaced in South Asian discourse, often used by radical Islamist groups and occasionally cited by political actors to justify or counter narratives of religious confrontation. It is important to note that it has been often pointed out that whether it is the Mughal tyrant Aurangzeb or Mahmud of Ghazni, who led 17 raids at the hallowed Somnath Temple, the contemporary Islamists consider them loyal Islamic warriors committed to fulfilling the prophecy of ‘Ghazwa-e-Hind’ and expanding the frontiers of Islam. In this context, the government in Assam must remain vigilant against any actions taken by the ISI of Pakistan or other Islamist terror groups operating under its direction and blessings. It was only in March of this year that the Assam Police Special Task Force (STF) arrested one Mustafizur Rahman from Barpeta who was identified as an Islamist jihadi with Pakistani connections.