of the dangers that confront us today.
Just occasionally, it may provide us also with what is most needed, and is in woefully
short supply: resources of hope.

Fascism had come to power in Italy and Germany through a combination of street violence
(carefully orchestrated from above but still undeniable with great mass support),
deep infiltration into the police, bureaucracy and army, and the connivance of 'centrist'
political leaders. Crude violations of laws and constitutional norms and consequently
had alternated in Fascist and Nazi behaviours with loud protestations of respect
for legality. It is not always remembered, for instance, that Hitler had become chancellor
on January 30, 1933 in an entirely constitutional manner, as leader of the largest
party in the Reichstag, at the invitation of President Hindenburg. He repeatedly
asserted his party's respect for legality throughout the nextmonth - but meanwhile
Goering Nazified the Berlin police, organised street encounters in which more than
50 anti-fascists were murdered, and set the scene for the notorious Reichstag fire,
after which first the communists, and then all opposition political panics and trade
unions were quickly destroyed.

There is much, surely that is ominously reminiscent here. A mosque is systematically
reduced to rubble over five long hours, in total violation of a direct Supreme Court
order and repeated assurances given by the leading opposition party and its allies,
and the central government does not lift its little finger. Countrywide riots follow;
marked by blatant police partiality, with the guardians of the law not unoften turning
rioters themselves. And then come strange political and judicial manoeuvres that
in effect have allowed the land-grabbing vandals to build a temporary 'temple' complete
with darshan,