Orrisa: Tragedy Continues
Ram Puniyani
The after-effects of the anti Christian violence (2007) in Kandhamal district of Orissa are not over, so to say. Recently the Archbishop Cheenath of the state said that the elections in the Kandhmamal district should be postponed as the refugees living in the camps are not able to return. The reason is that many of them who returned were threatened by the local Bajrang Dal workers and associates. They were told to renounce Christianity, convert to Hinduism pay the fine, withdraw the cases and vote for the candidate who they will be told to, obviously BJP candidate. Many of those who tried to return with such hostile conditions awaiting them if they return, came back, some to the camps others to unknown destinations.
Meanwhile BJP candidate of the area, Ashok Sahu, when he came to know about his likely arrest for ?Hate speech? first absconded for few days and then was arrested just three hours before the campaign was to be over (14th April 2009). He told his followers to keep calm; else the elections will be postponed, as being demanded by the Archbishop.
One also recalls a similar situation in the post Gujarat violence. There, while state Government claimed that normalcy has returned, the Chief election commissioner James Michael Lyngdoh was visibly upset when he saw the condition of the Muslims living in the camps and their inability to be able to be part of the electoral process.
In Orissa the violence has taken a heavy toll of the amity of the region. The violence which began August 2007 continued till December. It resulted in death of close to 6-7 hundred Panos (Christians) and 90 Churches, 100 other Christian institutions were destroyed. The pretext was that Swami Laxamananand, the VHP swami working in the area has been murdered by Christians. At the same time the Maoist group claimed that they own the responsibility for the act. Since some pretext was needed to launch the attacks, the claim of Maoists was not considered and the VHP, BJP and company kept harping that it is the Christians who have committed the crime. As such the matter is tragic but simple. Who so ever has committed the crime should be punished. Why the whole Christian community has to be targeted and attacked for the act of some group or an individual.
Since at that time BJP was part of the ruling coalition it had its way. The death procession of swami was taken through a long circuitous route. The idea was to communalize the atmosphere in maximum area. This again is quite akin to Gujarat. After the Godhra train tragedy the dead bodies were taken in a procession to Ahmedabad, with VHP, BJP workers shouting provocative slogans. The whole hell was encouraged-permitted to be unleashed. Here also a long route was deliberately taken and police and other state authorities acted as the bystanders when the mayhem broke out. Surprisingly the VHP?s Praveen Togadia was permitted to go to the area while the Central Minister of State for Home affairs was not permitted to visit the area.
The violence in Kandhmal is a case of how communal forces can divide and come to dominate, become strong through orchestrated violence. The Kandhs, (Adivasis) are close to 50% of population, and dalits, most of them Panos are 16.9%. Kandhs and Panos are the two major communities in the area. The remaining 30% are called Oriyas, since they don?t speak the languages of these two major groups, the local Kui language. These are from various urban regions, traders being a big chunk of them.
The Kandhs, Adivasis were mainly food gatherers. Panos were landless outcastes who came to hills in search of livelihood, close to two centuries ago; Kandhs put their land at the disposal of Panos, since Kandhs themselves were not into agriculture. Panos came as servile labor. The communalists have propagated that Panos are grabbing the land of Kandhs. Kandhs come under the schedule Tribe category while Panos are dalits.
Today Kandhs own close to 9% of land, while the traders, Orriyas, control much more of Adivasi land. The major land grab from Adivasis has been by traders, but no agitation has ever been done against that by the RSS affiliates.
Many of these dalits took to Christianity and many of them benefited due to education, and the consequent jobs. As noted they also came to posses some land over a period of time, still their land holding is much lesser than that of Non local Orriyas. A massive propaganda has been going on in the area that Panos have grabbed the Adivasi land that they are trying to manipulate caste certificates to take advantage of status of ST's. As a matter of fact both the Kandhs and Panos speak Kui. State has declared ST category for Kui?s, due to which some Panos also got some ST concession, it has not been a deliberate act.
These two issues were exploited by the VHP, Bajrang dal people who have been spreading the Hate against Christians in the area. It is important to note that Christian missionaries have been working in the area from over two centuries. Missionaries never used violence for conversion, while the RSS affiliates have resorted to all sorts of intimidation to convert them to Hinduism through newly invented conversion rituals. And asserting their political definition of Hinduism, they say that Adivasis are Hindus, who have drifted away due to allurement, so Adivasis coming to Hinduism is not conversion but a Ghar Vapasi, ?return home? for these misguided ones?.
Swami Laxmananand came here from last few decades and began his campaign of Hate against minorities. The result is there for all to see. The report on Kandhamal violence has recently (March 2009) been published by various human rights organization, ?From Kandhmal to Karavali: The Ugly Face of Sangh Parivar?. It points out ?that the violence was committed by Sangh Parivar organizations, mainly Bajrang Dal?police watched benignly as the arson took place in public. The ideology and organization of their mentor RSS pervades in the media?the press has reported the violence in the manner that put the onus on victim, they were at fault and had it coming? (page 3) what is spread to create hate is the distorted version of country?s history and the false hood about our society.
Today we are witness to the process where by people like Asok Sahu have not only spread their political tentacles through ?Hate Other? ideology, but also that they are violating the laws of the land for their political benefit. Tragically the distorted version of History has been one of the main weapons of the social common sense, which forms the base of communal violence. One hopes that in due course society and all those concerned with preservation of plural values not only look at the immediate causes of Hate other ideology, but also the deeper propaganda against the minorities widely prevalent through various organizations practicing politics.
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Friday, April 17, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
Hindutva: Projections and Reality
Hindutva: Projections and Reality!
Ram Puniyani
RSS is an organization where succession of the top post, Sarsanghchalak, takes place by nomination by the outgoing Chief. Recently K.Sudarshan, outgoing one, nominated Mohan Bhagwat as the new Chief (March 2009). On taking over Bhagwat pronounced that Hindutva is emancipatory concept.
The last time the word Hindutva created the confusion was in the case of corrupt electoral practices by Manohar Joshi, who said that if Shiv Sena BJP comes to power they will turn Maharashtra into first Hindu state in the country. He had used the word Hindutva for his politics. The matter went up to the court, and due to the confusions around the word Hindutva, court ruled that Hindutva is a way of life! This came in handy for RSS combine to wriggle out and to assertively use the word in their political campaigns. Now we hear that Hindutva is an emancipatory concept!
What is emancipation? In Indian context emancipation stands for the process which leads to equality of dalits and women. It also stands for the dignified status of Adivasis and workers. Many of these processes started during the freedom movement as an accompaniment of the struggle against British rule. While we were witnessing these processes steered by the likes of Bhagat Singh, Ambedkar and Gandhi, the country also saw the politics by Muslim League, Hindu Mahasabha and RSS. This latter trio based their concept of politics around religious nationalism. For Muslim League it was Islamic Sate, Pakistan and for Hindu Mahasabha, RSS it was Hindu nation.
Muslim League derived its ideology from the name of Islam and Hindu Mahsabha and RSS developed the term Hindutva, as the guiding ideology for Hindu nation. There is lot of parallel between the pattern of ideology of Muslim League and Hindu Mahsabha, RSS. They all kept aloof from the freedom movement and the associated processes of social transformation of caste and gender.
Freedom movement was not only for freedom from the British rule it also symbolized the values of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, the values which are emancipatory for those oppressed by feudal rule of Rajas and Nawabs, and the associated clergy (Mullahs, Pastors and Brahmins). Talking of Hindutva in particular, the term was coined by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in his book ‘Who is a Hindu?’ in 1923. Hinduism is not a prophet based religion. Originally word Hindu began as a geographical category, for all those living on east of river Indus. Later all the religious traditions, from caste and gender hierarchy based Brahmanism to egalitarian streams like Nath, Tantra, Siddha and Bhakti all came to be covered under the umbrella of Hinduism. Brahmanism is the dominant tendency within this spectrum, and currently all things Brahminic are identified as Hinduism. Dr. Ambedkar pointed out that Hinduism is Brahminic theology.
Savarkar defined Hindu as one who regards this land from Sindhu to Seas as Fatherland and Holy-land. In this definition all are included barring Muslims and Christians. Savarkar further went on to coin and define the word Hindutva. Hindutva, for him is total Hindu ness, a combination of Aryan race, Culture and values. In essence it came to mean a politics based on Brahminic values of birth based inequality of caste and gender. It gives the status of slaves to dalits and women.
RSS picked up the concept of Hindutva from there. Hindu Mahasabha and RSS both stood for status quo in caste and gender relations. RSS politics did exhibit these values in practical form, over a period of time. Contrary to emancipation, RSS ideology wants not only status quo ante of feudal times, further it wants to push back whatever little process of transformation of Dalits and women has taken place over a period of time.
Beginning with gender, RSS is an exclusively male organization. Its women wing is subordinate to it, it is Rashtra Sevika Samiti. Here, Swayamsevak for men, Sevika for women. The word swayam, self, is missing in women’s organization. Lets be clear, according to all male dominated patriarchal organizations, Taliban , Fascists, Christian fundamentalists or RSS, women’s self is in the pocket of men. Women are subordinate, are property of men. So they are to be dictated, controlled. So one of RSS trained swayamsevak, Pramod Mutalik forms Shriram Sene and beats up women. They dictate that women should be doing or wearing, this that and the other.
As far dalits are concerned Dr. Ambedkar goes on to assert that dalits need to learn, organize and struggle for their rights, for equality. RSS has come up with Samajik Samrasta Manch, to co-opt the dalits at subordinate position within the present social structure where dalits remain subjugated in the social system. RSS also has the ideology of integral humanism. This essential part of Hindutva politics argues that as the human body has different organs doing their different functions, similarly our society has different groups doing their job. A change in their roles will create disequilibrium, which will be detrimental to the smooth functioning of society.
One does concede that the language of RSS is very subtle and clever, but its actions regularly show what it means. RSS is the Father of all other organizations working for Hindu nation. The politics it has unleashed through BJP, VHP, and Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram etc. does regularly show the real intent of RSS. Few samplers- BJP Vice-president Rajmata Scindia endorsing Sati tradition, VHP-leadership endorsing the killings of dalits in response to the killings of dalits in the aftermath of Gohana, on the issue of cow-slaughter. RSS repeatedly emphasizes the ‘ancient glory’ of the times when Manusmriti was the rule.
One is happy to know that the new RSS chief knows the word emancipation. So far so good, as he can’t go beyond parroting this word, as the meaning of the word is totally against the agenda of RSS. RSS agenda is opposed to emancipation and stands for suppressing the low caste, and women in perpetual subjugation.
Ram Puniyani
RSS is an organization where succession of the top post, Sarsanghchalak, takes place by nomination by the outgoing Chief. Recently K.Sudarshan, outgoing one, nominated Mohan Bhagwat as the new Chief (March 2009). On taking over Bhagwat pronounced that Hindutva is emancipatory concept.
The last time the word Hindutva created the confusion was in the case of corrupt electoral practices by Manohar Joshi, who said that if Shiv Sena BJP comes to power they will turn Maharashtra into first Hindu state in the country. He had used the word Hindutva for his politics. The matter went up to the court, and due to the confusions around the word Hindutva, court ruled that Hindutva is a way of life! This came in handy for RSS combine to wriggle out and to assertively use the word in their political campaigns. Now we hear that Hindutva is an emancipatory concept!
What is emancipation? In Indian context emancipation stands for the process which leads to equality of dalits and women. It also stands for the dignified status of Adivasis and workers. Many of these processes started during the freedom movement as an accompaniment of the struggle against British rule. While we were witnessing these processes steered by the likes of Bhagat Singh, Ambedkar and Gandhi, the country also saw the politics by Muslim League, Hindu Mahasabha and RSS. This latter trio based their concept of politics around religious nationalism. For Muslim League it was Islamic Sate, Pakistan and for Hindu Mahasabha, RSS it was Hindu nation.
Muslim League derived its ideology from the name of Islam and Hindu Mahsabha and RSS developed the term Hindutva, as the guiding ideology for Hindu nation. There is lot of parallel between the pattern of ideology of Muslim League and Hindu Mahsabha, RSS. They all kept aloof from the freedom movement and the associated processes of social transformation of caste and gender.
Freedom movement was not only for freedom from the British rule it also symbolized the values of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, the values which are emancipatory for those oppressed by feudal rule of Rajas and Nawabs, and the associated clergy (Mullahs, Pastors and Brahmins). Talking of Hindutva in particular, the term was coined by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in his book ‘Who is a Hindu?’ in 1923. Hinduism is not a prophet based religion. Originally word Hindu began as a geographical category, for all those living on east of river Indus. Later all the religious traditions, from caste and gender hierarchy based Brahmanism to egalitarian streams like Nath, Tantra, Siddha and Bhakti all came to be covered under the umbrella of Hinduism. Brahmanism is the dominant tendency within this spectrum, and currently all things Brahminic are identified as Hinduism. Dr. Ambedkar pointed out that Hinduism is Brahminic theology.
Savarkar defined Hindu as one who regards this land from Sindhu to Seas as Fatherland and Holy-land. In this definition all are included barring Muslims and Christians. Savarkar further went on to coin and define the word Hindutva. Hindutva, for him is total Hindu ness, a combination of Aryan race, Culture and values. In essence it came to mean a politics based on Brahminic values of birth based inequality of caste and gender. It gives the status of slaves to dalits and women.
RSS picked up the concept of Hindutva from there. Hindu Mahasabha and RSS both stood for status quo in caste and gender relations. RSS politics did exhibit these values in practical form, over a period of time. Contrary to emancipation, RSS ideology wants not only status quo ante of feudal times, further it wants to push back whatever little process of transformation of Dalits and women has taken place over a period of time.
Beginning with gender, RSS is an exclusively male organization. Its women wing is subordinate to it, it is Rashtra Sevika Samiti. Here, Swayamsevak for men, Sevika for women. The word swayam, self, is missing in women’s organization. Lets be clear, according to all male dominated patriarchal organizations, Taliban , Fascists, Christian fundamentalists or RSS, women’s self is in the pocket of men. Women are subordinate, are property of men. So they are to be dictated, controlled. So one of RSS trained swayamsevak, Pramod Mutalik forms Shriram Sene and beats up women. They dictate that women should be doing or wearing, this that and the other.
As far dalits are concerned Dr. Ambedkar goes on to assert that dalits need to learn, organize and struggle for their rights, for equality. RSS has come up with Samajik Samrasta Manch, to co-opt the dalits at subordinate position within the present social structure where dalits remain subjugated in the social system. RSS also has the ideology of integral humanism. This essential part of Hindutva politics argues that as the human body has different organs doing their different functions, similarly our society has different groups doing their job. A change in their roles will create disequilibrium, which will be detrimental to the smooth functioning of society.
One does concede that the language of RSS is very subtle and clever, but its actions regularly show what it means. RSS is the Father of all other organizations working for Hindu nation. The politics it has unleashed through BJP, VHP, and Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram etc. does regularly show the real intent of RSS. Few samplers- BJP Vice-president Rajmata Scindia endorsing Sati tradition, VHP-leadership endorsing the killings of dalits in response to the killings of dalits in the aftermath of Gohana, on the issue of cow-slaughter. RSS repeatedly emphasizes the ‘ancient glory’ of the times when Manusmriti was the rule.
One is happy to know that the new RSS chief knows the word emancipation. So far so good, as he can’t go beyond parroting this word, as the meaning of the word is totally against the agenda of RSS. RSS agenda is opposed to emancipation and stands for suppressing the low caste, and women in perpetual subjugation.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Political Parties and Secular values
Electoral Parties and Secular Values
Ram Puniyani
In our secular democracy how to we choose whom to vote for. What are the secular credentials of different political parties in the electoral arena? The lead party of ruling coalition, UPA, Congress is no clean body as its hands are also full of blood of Sikhs in the 1984. Large numbers of communal riots have taken place during Congress regimes. BJP is the ally of organizations which spew poison against minorities and its role in Babri demolition, Gujarat carnage, anti Christian violence and many other riots is very obvious. Not to be left behind now the left, CPM in particular, with its role in Nadigram massacre in toe, has made many of the radical elements to equate it with BJP and its communal agenda. At minor level Samajavadi Party, has stood by minorities but there are occasions when it has compromised and let the communal organizations make merry. Mayawati of BSP is on record to have campaigned for Narendra Modi and put the blame of Gujarat carnage on Godhra train burning by Muslims.
How do we weigh these parties on the scale of secularism? Are BJP, Congress and CPM comparable in this regard? One can dismiss BSP as being too opportunist to be considered as secular. Amongst the major one’s, we will focus on Congress, Communists and the BJP. A tough situation has been created due to the weak policies of Congress and the arrogance of CPM in Nandigram. Are all these parties in the same league or is there a shade of difference which is worth recognizing in order to save the democratic ethos, which has been weakened due to the happenings of the current times.
Congress began as a secular party with the inclusion of people of all religions, and their continued association with this party during freedom movement. At the same time many a communalists formed the part of its leadership Madan Mohan Malaviya and Dr. Moonje etc. Even the founder of RSS, K.B. Hedgewar was associated with it till 1934. At medium and grass root level many a Hindu communalists in particular remained and are part of this party. It is this which made Nehru to warn that Congress should be cautious of those members who sound secular but are communal in the real sense. At the level of policies Congress took quite a principled secular path till the demise of Pundit Nehru, after which it has compromised regularly. The problem became apparent with Indira Gandhi’s election speeches in Jammu, Rajiv Gandhi's ‘when a big tree falls’; Shah Bano issue, shilaynyas, and Narsimha Rao’s afternoon siesta when the Babri was being razed to the ground. Many a riots took place during its regime when the ruling Government either acted as the silent witness or colluded with the rioters.
While evaluating riots it has to be kept in mind that the riots take place due to three major factors, the instigator and conductor, which according the inquiry commissions, (Jagmohan Reddy, Justice Madon, Vithayathil, Shrikrishna and Venugopal)mostly has been some organization which is a offshoot of RSS. The second factor is those who are supposed to control it, the political leadership. In this case the Congress when in power has been weak and ineffectual at places and actively colluding at other. Mostly it has been lacking the political will to control riots most of the times. The third force is the police and bureaucracy, which has been regularly communalized and has been the umbrella to the rioters or been the active participant in the execution of the pogroms. Communalism is not the program of Congress, but its execution of secular values has been lacking in will power.
Left and CPM, has come in this arena of discussion after Nandigram, when in order to execute the global economic agenda, they used their cadres to settle the score by ‘paying its opponents back in the same coin.’ Its program remains essentially secular, while the proactive will to counter the communal issues is not visible at all, be it the plight of minorities or the worsening ‘hate’ against minorities in the states ruled by the left parties. The communalism prevalent in the minds has not been tackled at all.
BJP is the political child of RSS, which has the agenda of Hindu nation. It resorts to the ‘Hate minorities’ mind set at the drop of the hat. It has the patriarch RSS and associates; VHP, Bajrang Dal, Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, Bajrang Dal etc, who have been communalizing the mind set, which is the base of communal violence. This Sangh Parivar has been actively initiating situations which bring in violence. It has led many a carnages and with the help of certain elements of Congress and the helpful state machinery, has been polarizing the communities along religious lines. The scholars of communal violence have made the observation that in the aftermath of most of the communal violence Sangh Parivar becomes stronger in those areas, where the violence has taken place. Its agenda is Hindu nation. Though using democratic space this party in the long term aims at Hindu nation Its communalism is programmatic.
We can classify the secular formations, individuals in to four broad categories on the scale of secularism. The first category belongs to the party/individual who proactively strive to bring in caste and gender equality and affirmative action for minorities in a substantive way. A synthesis of values of Bhagat Singh, Gandhi and Ambedkar can best describe this group, which today is not there as a strong voice.
The formations like Left are genuinely secular but they have ignored the proactive measures to pursue this. Congress is mired by too many power seekers to be able to stand firmly to oppose the communal elements and lands up being the accomplice, in part or in full, of the phenomenon of communalism at times. BJP as a part of Sangh Parivar, is the aggressive, intimidating opponent of pluralism, democracy and secularism, whatever its contingent language be. It along with other members of Sangh Parivar is effectively using the electoral space to do away with democratic values. It is the Indian face of fascism.
The anti Sikh violence was a sort of single go phenomenon, which had more to do with the ethno-regional factors. The Nadigram carnage is more of economic massacre, while the BJP led pogroms are targeted at the minorities as minorities, to consolidate their political hegemony. To be sure none of the violence can be condoned. The subtleties of these differences point out that while we do not have the real good choice for electoral arena, we will have to keep putting the civic pressure for bringing in better and better political policies through the grass root campaigns. All the same to compare BJP with other electoral formations will be undermining the threat of the agenda of RSS, which seeks to abolish democratic space and build a society in the image of ‘glorious’ Hindu past.
One can very well say, today in electoral arena we do not have a choice between Good Better and the Best. We are riddled with bad, worse, worst and BJP!
Ram Puniyani
In our secular democracy how to we choose whom to vote for. What are the secular credentials of different political parties in the electoral arena? The lead party of ruling coalition, UPA, Congress is no clean body as its hands are also full of blood of Sikhs in the 1984. Large numbers of communal riots have taken place during Congress regimes. BJP is the ally of organizations which spew poison against minorities and its role in Babri demolition, Gujarat carnage, anti Christian violence and many other riots is very obvious. Not to be left behind now the left, CPM in particular, with its role in Nadigram massacre in toe, has made many of the radical elements to equate it with BJP and its communal agenda. At minor level Samajavadi Party, has stood by minorities but there are occasions when it has compromised and let the communal organizations make merry. Mayawati of BSP is on record to have campaigned for Narendra Modi and put the blame of Gujarat carnage on Godhra train burning by Muslims.
How do we weigh these parties on the scale of secularism? Are BJP, Congress and CPM comparable in this regard? One can dismiss BSP as being too opportunist to be considered as secular. Amongst the major one’s, we will focus on Congress, Communists and the BJP. A tough situation has been created due to the weak policies of Congress and the arrogance of CPM in Nandigram. Are all these parties in the same league or is there a shade of difference which is worth recognizing in order to save the democratic ethos, which has been weakened due to the happenings of the current times.
Congress began as a secular party with the inclusion of people of all religions, and their continued association with this party during freedom movement. At the same time many a communalists formed the part of its leadership Madan Mohan Malaviya and Dr. Moonje etc. Even the founder of RSS, K.B. Hedgewar was associated with it till 1934. At medium and grass root level many a Hindu communalists in particular remained and are part of this party. It is this which made Nehru to warn that Congress should be cautious of those members who sound secular but are communal in the real sense. At the level of policies Congress took quite a principled secular path till the demise of Pundit Nehru, after which it has compromised regularly. The problem became apparent with Indira Gandhi’s election speeches in Jammu, Rajiv Gandhi's ‘when a big tree falls’; Shah Bano issue, shilaynyas, and Narsimha Rao’s afternoon siesta when the Babri was being razed to the ground. Many a riots took place during its regime when the ruling Government either acted as the silent witness or colluded with the rioters.
While evaluating riots it has to be kept in mind that the riots take place due to three major factors, the instigator and conductor, which according the inquiry commissions, (Jagmohan Reddy, Justice Madon, Vithayathil, Shrikrishna and Venugopal)mostly has been some organization which is a offshoot of RSS. The second factor is those who are supposed to control it, the political leadership. In this case the Congress when in power has been weak and ineffectual at places and actively colluding at other. Mostly it has been lacking the political will to control riots most of the times. The third force is the police and bureaucracy, which has been regularly communalized and has been the umbrella to the rioters or been the active participant in the execution of the pogroms. Communalism is not the program of Congress, but its execution of secular values has been lacking in will power.
Left and CPM, has come in this arena of discussion after Nandigram, when in order to execute the global economic agenda, they used their cadres to settle the score by ‘paying its opponents back in the same coin.’ Its program remains essentially secular, while the proactive will to counter the communal issues is not visible at all, be it the plight of minorities or the worsening ‘hate’ against minorities in the states ruled by the left parties. The communalism prevalent in the minds has not been tackled at all.
BJP is the political child of RSS, which has the agenda of Hindu nation. It resorts to the ‘Hate minorities’ mind set at the drop of the hat. It has the patriarch RSS and associates; VHP, Bajrang Dal, Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, Bajrang Dal etc, who have been communalizing the mind set, which is the base of communal violence. This Sangh Parivar has been actively initiating situations which bring in violence. It has led many a carnages and with the help of certain elements of Congress and the helpful state machinery, has been polarizing the communities along religious lines. The scholars of communal violence have made the observation that in the aftermath of most of the communal violence Sangh Parivar becomes stronger in those areas, where the violence has taken place. Its agenda is Hindu nation. Though using democratic space this party in the long term aims at Hindu nation Its communalism is programmatic.
We can classify the secular formations, individuals in to four broad categories on the scale of secularism. The first category belongs to the party/individual who proactively strive to bring in caste and gender equality and affirmative action for minorities in a substantive way. A synthesis of values of Bhagat Singh, Gandhi and Ambedkar can best describe this group, which today is not there as a strong voice.
The formations like Left are genuinely secular but they have ignored the proactive measures to pursue this. Congress is mired by too many power seekers to be able to stand firmly to oppose the communal elements and lands up being the accomplice, in part or in full, of the phenomenon of communalism at times. BJP as a part of Sangh Parivar, is the aggressive, intimidating opponent of pluralism, democracy and secularism, whatever its contingent language be. It along with other members of Sangh Parivar is effectively using the electoral space to do away with democratic values. It is the Indian face of fascism.
The anti Sikh violence was a sort of single go phenomenon, which had more to do with the ethno-regional factors. The Nadigram carnage is more of economic massacre, while the BJP led pogroms are targeted at the minorities as minorities, to consolidate their political hegemony. To be sure none of the violence can be condoned. The subtleties of these differences point out that while we do not have the real good choice for electoral arena, we will have to keep putting the civic pressure for bringing in better and better political policies through the grass root campaigns. All the same to compare BJP with other electoral formations will be undermining the threat of the agenda of RSS, which seeks to abolish democratic space and build a society in the image of ‘glorious’ Hindu past.
One can very well say, today in electoral arena we do not have a choice between Good Better and the Best. We are riddled with bad, worse, worst and BJP!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Varun Gandhi's Hate Speech
Why ‘Hate Speech’?
Ram Puniyani
Varun Gandhi in his election speeches (March 2009) has been pouring vitriol against minority community. He presented the usual prejudices and biases in a very hateful manner. He associated minority community with being aggressive and violent. He pointed out that arms are being smuggled into ghettoes (i.e. Muslim localities), Hindus are being targeted, cow slaughter ‘remains’ have been found but no action has been taken. This is part of his speech, which he accepted as being part of his talk. At the same time he disowned the CD, which shows him talking of cutting hands of those attacking Hindus, that Muslims have frightening name etc. Any way, this taped speech came to the notice of election commission. Election Commission sent him a notice about violation of code of conduct. Meanwhile, he first apologized and then disowned the tape. Election Commission rejected his plea of CD being doctored, and also advised BJP not to field him s a candidate for elections. BJP spokesman said it is their prerogative to decide as to whom to field or not. Meanwhile Varun Gandhi is being more sought after as a speaker in BJP rallies. The Muslim members of the BJP first were appalled by all this, condemned it but later they took ambiguous position about the same. The top leadership of the party kept mum initially and now and now seem to stand firm to field him as BJP candidate.
Apparently Varun Gandhi got the advice not to apologize as his speech has given a ‘correct’ signal to the core constituency of BJP. Watching part of the video on TV show was an experience of total disgust, the language, the content, the way such hateful things have been talked about against minorities in such a hateful manner.
One realizes that ‘Hate speech’ is the outcome of the politics of divisiveness, it is the concentrated expression of the ‘social common sense’ prevailing in the society, it is the forthright and blunt way of putting things, which communal parties propagate anyway. It is not out of the blue that these formulations suddenly crop up, their infrastructure, the base of these has already been made by a section of political outfits.
Also ‘Hate Speech’ is generally an accompaniment of the politics in the name of religion and language, and also many times it precedes the violence. The communal-sectarian parties decide when and in what proportions to use it. One recalls two major examples in the recent times. One was Sadhvi Ritambhara, who was propped up for pravachans (religious discourses) by RSS combine. She was talking blunt anti minority things, duly endorsed by communal political organizations. This took place around the Babri demolition. Later she was packed off to some Ashram as their politics needed a change of Hate language.
One has been hearing similar things from many a sadhus of VHP, small and sundry members of communal gang, some Muslim communalists and the ilk of Togadia. There has been a more sophisticated presentation of the similar formulations by many others. Modi, all through talked of divisive language, but kept changing the form in a very subtle way to suit the changing needs of his political strategy. When he said that post Gujarat refugee camps should be shut down as they have become factories of production of children, he was reinforcing the propaganda about Muslims having more number of children. The effect on minority community was the intensification of the atmosphere of fear and intimidation. When intermittently these types of politicians are not talking Hate language, it is not because they have a change of heart but because at that moment it may not be needed as per their calculations. Away from the gaze of the media many of communalists have been spreading hate against minorities in equal measure.
In the wake of Mumbai riots Bal Thackeray, who currently is praising Varun Gandhi, indulged in Hate speech, inciting his Shiv Sainiks to undertake violence. He also got away with it due to clever way of putting his vitriol and due to the lack of adequate laws which can distinguish the Hate speech from freedom of expression, which can distinguish between one’s political opinion and painting the ‘other’ community in a negative light. Incidentally it is important to distinguish between criticizing a community and criticizing a political organization. While political organizations can and must be criticized, communities should not be humiliated or insulted. Also no political organization can be synonymous with the religious community, whatever its claims.
It is not only disturbing but totally against the values of our democratic society that such ‘hate other’ ideology and speeches have become the weapon in the hands of a type of politics, which thrives on exclusion, which identifies a particular religious community as synonymous with the nation state. Again this ‘hate speech’ is the language of section of those who thrive on identity politics far away from the real issues of the society.
As such Hate speech in India entered the political arena with the rise of communal streams in politics, like Muslim League on one side and Hindu Mahasabha +RSS on the other. These streams believed in the nation based on one religious community. These streams came from the sections of earlier rulers, landlords, Nawabas and Rajas etc. The ideology of religion based nationalism is narrow and it excludes ‘other’ from its notion of nationhood. These beliefs then get converted into Hate other, and later turn in to ‘Hate speech’. This did form the basis of many a communal violence in pre independence era and also during the last two decades. Varun Gandhi, as a BJP follower may not have undergone the total indoctrination in RSS shakhas, where the Hate Ideology is instilled in the minds of young recruits, but he must have been exposed enough to those formulations, through his personal interaction. Hate ideology as seen above is the prelude of hate speech.
The CD of Varun Gandhi rally not only showed a very liberal sprinkling of the saffron, it also shows the hysterical approval of violence from section of those participating in the rally. Ironically Varun Gandhi is eager to cut some hands while protecting the Mother Cow! This Hate ideology first creates a social common sense, which becomes the mind set of large sections of society. From here it goes on to form the base on which communal violence may be triggered. Communal violence in turn leads to polarization of communities and later to ghettoization in due course as one is now witnessing in Gujarat to a great extent, and in other states in different degrees.
This Hate Speech can be understood in two ways. On one hand it is just a concentrated expression of sectarian-communal ideology. By now lot of communal ideology has become overt part of social common sense. We need to introspect as to from where these divisive ideas take root. Second it is based on the politics of exclusion. Most of those who have at one or the other point of time resorted to it do come from a sectarian political stream The exclusionary one’s can also be based on linguistic considerations, as in l Thackeray was earlier debarred from vswitched to Anti Muslims and now his nephew Raj Thackeray is pursuing the same divisive politics in the name of language, and region.
Where does Hate speech lead in the short run and long run? In the short run some of the gullible, weak sections of society may see some hope in this language of bravado, away from the serious existence related issues, they may feel empowered temporarily by Hating other, feeling that their problems will get mitigated. Those against whom Hate is being propagated, out of fear start erecting a physical and emotional cordon around them. This is when ghettoisationn, not just physical but more importantly psychological takes over. And the bonding of fraternity, the essential values of our democracy starts feeling immense strain. Its ‘final destination’ is Germany like situation, where the community against whom Hate is spread, becomes an easy target of the social discrimination to the extent of physical elimination, as was witnessed in the case of Jews.
The biggest challenge we face today is to propagate the inclusive ideas at social political and cultural level, the ideas and values which united Indians, cutting across religion, region and language. These values have been challenged by the practitioners of regional and communal politics. The debate needs to be broadened to reach the positive values to all the people. Then we also need laws which can ensure that the likes of Varun Gandhi, Bal-Raj Thackeray etc. do not get away despite their anti national politics and utterances. As Bal Thackeray was earlier debarred from voting, same way Varun Gandhi should be punished and not permitted to contest the elections.
--
Ram Puniyani
Varun Gandhi in his election speeches (March 2009) has been pouring vitriol against minority community. He presented the usual prejudices and biases in a very hateful manner. He associated minority community with being aggressive and violent. He pointed out that arms are being smuggled into ghettoes (i.e. Muslim localities), Hindus are being targeted, cow slaughter ‘remains’ have been found but no action has been taken. This is part of his speech, which he accepted as being part of his talk. At the same time he disowned the CD, which shows him talking of cutting hands of those attacking Hindus, that Muslims have frightening name etc. Any way, this taped speech came to the notice of election commission. Election Commission sent him a notice about violation of code of conduct. Meanwhile, he first apologized and then disowned the tape. Election Commission rejected his plea of CD being doctored, and also advised BJP not to field him s a candidate for elections. BJP spokesman said it is their prerogative to decide as to whom to field or not. Meanwhile Varun Gandhi is being more sought after as a speaker in BJP rallies. The Muslim members of the BJP first were appalled by all this, condemned it but later they took ambiguous position about the same. The top leadership of the party kept mum initially and now and now seem to stand firm to field him as BJP candidate.
Apparently Varun Gandhi got the advice not to apologize as his speech has given a ‘correct’ signal to the core constituency of BJP. Watching part of the video on TV show was an experience of total disgust, the language, the content, the way such hateful things have been talked about against minorities in such a hateful manner.
One realizes that ‘Hate speech’ is the outcome of the politics of divisiveness, it is the concentrated expression of the ‘social common sense’ prevailing in the society, it is the forthright and blunt way of putting things, which communal parties propagate anyway. It is not out of the blue that these formulations suddenly crop up, their infrastructure, the base of these has already been made by a section of political outfits.
Also ‘Hate Speech’ is generally an accompaniment of the politics in the name of religion and language, and also many times it precedes the violence. The communal-sectarian parties decide when and in what proportions to use it. One recalls two major examples in the recent times. One was Sadhvi Ritambhara, who was propped up for pravachans (religious discourses) by RSS combine. She was talking blunt anti minority things, duly endorsed by communal political organizations. This took place around the Babri demolition. Later she was packed off to some Ashram as their politics needed a change of Hate language.
One has been hearing similar things from many a sadhus of VHP, small and sundry members of communal gang, some Muslim communalists and the ilk of Togadia. There has been a more sophisticated presentation of the similar formulations by many others. Modi, all through talked of divisive language, but kept changing the form in a very subtle way to suit the changing needs of his political strategy. When he said that post Gujarat refugee camps should be shut down as they have become factories of production of children, he was reinforcing the propaganda about Muslims having more number of children. The effect on minority community was the intensification of the atmosphere of fear and intimidation. When intermittently these types of politicians are not talking Hate language, it is not because they have a change of heart but because at that moment it may not be needed as per their calculations. Away from the gaze of the media many of communalists have been spreading hate against minorities in equal measure.
In the wake of Mumbai riots Bal Thackeray, who currently is praising Varun Gandhi, indulged in Hate speech, inciting his Shiv Sainiks to undertake violence. He also got away with it due to clever way of putting his vitriol and due to the lack of adequate laws which can distinguish the Hate speech from freedom of expression, which can distinguish between one’s political opinion and painting the ‘other’ community in a negative light. Incidentally it is important to distinguish between criticizing a community and criticizing a political organization. While political organizations can and must be criticized, communities should not be humiliated or insulted. Also no political organization can be synonymous with the religious community, whatever its claims.
It is not only disturbing but totally against the values of our democratic society that such ‘hate other’ ideology and speeches have become the weapon in the hands of a type of politics, which thrives on exclusion, which identifies a particular religious community as synonymous with the nation state. Again this ‘hate speech’ is the language of section of those who thrive on identity politics far away from the real issues of the society.
As such Hate speech in India entered the political arena with the rise of communal streams in politics, like Muslim League on one side and Hindu Mahasabha +RSS on the other. These streams believed in the nation based on one religious community. These streams came from the sections of earlier rulers, landlords, Nawabas and Rajas etc. The ideology of religion based nationalism is narrow and it excludes ‘other’ from its notion of nationhood. These beliefs then get converted into Hate other, and later turn in to ‘Hate speech’. This did form the basis of many a communal violence in pre independence era and also during the last two decades. Varun Gandhi, as a BJP follower may not have undergone the total indoctrination in RSS shakhas, where the Hate Ideology is instilled in the minds of young recruits, but he must have been exposed enough to those formulations, through his personal interaction. Hate ideology as seen above is the prelude of hate speech.
The CD of Varun Gandhi rally not only showed a very liberal sprinkling of the saffron, it also shows the hysterical approval of violence from section of those participating in the rally. Ironically Varun Gandhi is eager to cut some hands while protecting the Mother Cow! This Hate ideology first creates a social common sense, which becomes the mind set of large sections of society. From here it goes on to form the base on which communal violence may be triggered. Communal violence in turn leads to polarization of communities and later to ghettoization in due course as one is now witnessing in Gujarat to a great extent, and in other states in different degrees.
This Hate Speech can be understood in two ways. On one hand it is just a concentrated expression of sectarian-communal ideology. By now lot of communal ideology has become overt part of social common sense. We need to introspect as to from where these divisive ideas take root. Second it is based on the politics of exclusion. Most of those who have at one or the other point of time resorted to it do come from a sectarian political stream The exclusionary one’s can also be based on linguistic considerations, as in l Thackeray was earlier debarred from vswitched to Anti Muslims and now his nephew Raj Thackeray is pursuing the same divisive politics in the name of language, and region.
Where does Hate speech lead in the short run and long run? In the short run some of the gullible, weak sections of society may see some hope in this language of bravado, away from the serious existence related issues, they may feel empowered temporarily by Hating other, feeling that their problems will get mitigated. Those against whom Hate is being propagated, out of fear start erecting a physical and emotional cordon around them. This is when ghettoisationn, not just physical but more importantly psychological takes over. And the bonding of fraternity, the essential values of our democracy starts feeling immense strain. Its ‘final destination’ is Germany like situation, where the community against whom Hate is spread, becomes an easy target of the social discrimination to the extent of physical elimination, as was witnessed in the case of Jews.
The biggest challenge we face today is to propagate the inclusive ideas at social political and cultural level, the ideas and values which united Indians, cutting across religion, region and language. These values have been challenged by the practitioners of regional and communal politics. The debate needs to be broadened to reach the positive values to all the people. Then we also need laws which can ensure that the likes of Varun Gandhi, Bal-Raj Thackeray etc. do not get away despite their anti national politics and utterances. As Bal Thackeray was earlier debarred from voting, same way Varun Gandhi should be punished and not permitted to contest the elections.
--
Monday, March 16, 2009
Indian Pluralism -Jai Ho!
Indian Pluralism: Jai Ho!
Ram Puniyani
India’s political and cultural mosaic has been a matter of multiple volumes by social scientists. In a very simple by profound way aspects of this fascinating phenomenon of Indian society also gets reflected in most of the expressions of Indian cultural phenomenon, including films. The currently popular Slumdog Millionaire is no exception. The film and the aspects associated with its making display the rich cultural canvass of our society. While the apologetic critics have been talking about the film showcasing India’s poverty to the World, the other interesting aspect of the film relates to on screen and behind the screen aspects of the film showing India’s plural heritage and its continuation today.
The film bagged three Oscars. And they have a lot of tale to tell. All the three recipients of the Oscars have Muslim names; one of them is a Sikh (Gulzar) who has assumed Muslim name to keep him reminded of the partition carnage of 1947, which he witnessed with great anguish and pain. The second one is a born Muslim, Resul Pokkuty and third one, Alla Rakhah Rahman, was a Hindu Dilip Kumar, who changed to Islam under the influence of a Sufi saint, a Pir. When Resul accepted the award he said it is a Shiv Ratri gift for him and that he is accepting it for his country, India.
Allah Rakha Rehman converted to Islam when he came in contact with a Muslim Pir, during the period of sickness of his father. Rahman is not alone in this as in India most of the Muslims converted to Islam due to the humanistic teachings of Sufi Pirs. There is a popular perception that Islam spread in India due to the threat of Muslim Kings, who came with Koran in one hand and sword in the other. The best counter to this was put by none other than Swami Vivekananda, who points out that Islam was embraced by Shudras to escape the tyranny of Landlord-Brahmin combine. Interestingly same Rahman has composed one of the most beautiful tunes on the song, Vande Matram.
There must have been many other reasons for conversions to Islam, apart from this major reason of the caste oppression, but this anyway remained the major one. A good number adopted Islam due to social interaction, like Navayats in Malabar Coast in Kerala and Mewats in Rajasthan region. As such in religious tradition there are many interactive ones’. There have been Bhakti saints who had following amongst Muslims and Hindus both, and there have been Sufi Pirs who had followers amongst Hindus and Muslims in equal measure. The saints like Ram Deo Baba Pir are amongst the most popular one’s amongst the poor and low caste, cutting across the religions.
Contrary to the present perceptions that Hindus and Muslims were two hostile communities, there has been a natural amity and harmony amongst the religious communities. This gets reflected in all the aspects of our social lives, be it the arena of literature, music, architecture or any other, one can clearly see the influence of each on other. The culture was hardly dictated by religion alone, within same religion there are many cultures and in most of the cultures in India one can see the influence of different religions. Many a regional aspects of the culture have been thickly intertwined. While for Ustad Bismillah Khan life was unthinkable without the river Ganges and the Kashi Temples, Munshi Premchand could think only of Urdu as the medium of his writing when he began his career as a writer. Rahi Masum Raza can write the script for the most popular Hindi mega serial Mahabharata with effortless brilliance, and the likes of Javed Akhtar can write the best of Bhajans for the Hindi films.
Even amongst kings the enmity was not around religious issues. We see the Hindu kings in the court of Muslim kings, Raja Todarmal and Birbal being the part of Akbar’s nine jewels, while Raja Mansing being his commander in chief. Aurangzeb, supposedly the most fanatic Muslim ruler had 33% of his officials from amongst Hindus and one of his important Generals was none other than Raja Jaisingh. Shivaji, the highly revered Maratha King had Maulana Haider Ali as his confidential secretary, Siddi Sambal as his commander and Rutam-e-Jaman as his body guard-spy. He was the one who built the Dargah in honor of slain Muslim King Afzal Khan, whom he had killed for political reasons.
The food habits also got mixed up, beef eating which was prevalent in Vedic times, had become a taboo later, as Cow came to be revered as mother. To defer to the sentiments of Hindus, to respect the feeling of their Hindu subjects, many a Muslim Emperors advised against the killing of Cows. It’s due to all this that, Dara Shikoh, wrote a book Majma ul Bahrain, elaborating in the book that India is a vast ocean made of two seas, Hinduism and Islam. One of the highlights of 1857 rebellion against the East India company rule was the coming together of Hindus and Muslims, at the level of Kings, soldiers and peasants. It was this intercommunity unity which gave a warning signal to the British and they intensified their policy of divide and rule, introducing communal historiography, which even to the day remains as a part of social common sense. It led to those policies which encouraged communal politics in the form of Muslim League and Hindu Mahasabha-RSS.
Indian pluralism has been unique in more sense than one. There has been a heavy interaction of religious communities, at the level of power (Kings-Landlords), at the level of culture (Music, literature, customs, food, attire) and at the level of religion (Bhakti and Sufi traditions) It is the rise of communal politics post 1980 that the British initiated project of divisiveness has resurfaced, and has tried to narrow down all the politics at identity level and made the religious identities firm and deep. The fundamentalists of both religions are now looking down at the mixed traditions and pluralism, saying they are against ‘our’ religion. Slumdog while portraying the social reality, the impact of communal violence on society also highlights the deeper and most worthy interactive traditions.
Tragically from last two decades the voices opposing the syncretism and plural cultural and life in India have become stronger, opposing Gazal concerts, destroying paintings, opposing those celebrating festivals like Valentine day, opposing inter-religious marriages and what have you. Hope we are at the end of the phase during which the communal politics created a hostile atmosphere against the plural ethos of our society.
Ram Puniyani
India’s political and cultural mosaic has been a matter of multiple volumes by social scientists. In a very simple by profound way aspects of this fascinating phenomenon of Indian society also gets reflected in most of the expressions of Indian cultural phenomenon, including films. The currently popular Slumdog Millionaire is no exception. The film and the aspects associated with its making display the rich cultural canvass of our society. While the apologetic critics have been talking about the film showcasing India’s poverty to the World, the other interesting aspect of the film relates to on screen and behind the screen aspects of the film showing India’s plural heritage and its continuation today.
The film bagged three Oscars. And they have a lot of tale to tell. All the three recipients of the Oscars have Muslim names; one of them is a Sikh (Gulzar) who has assumed Muslim name to keep him reminded of the partition carnage of 1947, which he witnessed with great anguish and pain. The second one is a born Muslim, Resul Pokkuty and third one, Alla Rakhah Rahman, was a Hindu Dilip Kumar, who changed to Islam under the influence of a Sufi saint, a Pir. When Resul accepted the award he said it is a Shiv Ratri gift for him and that he is accepting it for his country, India.
Allah Rakha Rehman converted to Islam when he came in contact with a Muslim Pir, during the period of sickness of his father. Rahman is not alone in this as in India most of the Muslims converted to Islam due to the humanistic teachings of Sufi Pirs. There is a popular perception that Islam spread in India due to the threat of Muslim Kings, who came with Koran in one hand and sword in the other. The best counter to this was put by none other than Swami Vivekananda, who points out that Islam was embraced by Shudras to escape the tyranny of Landlord-Brahmin combine. Interestingly same Rahman has composed one of the most beautiful tunes on the song, Vande Matram.
There must have been many other reasons for conversions to Islam, apart from this major reason of the caste oppression, but this anyway remained the major one. A good number adopted Islam due to social interaction, like Navayats in Malabar Coast in Kerala and Mewats in Rajasthan region. As such in religious tradition there are many interactive ones’. There have been Bhakti saints who had following amongst Muslims and Hindus both, and there have been Sufi Pirs who had followers amongst Hindus and Muslims in equal measure. The saints like Ram Deo Baba Pir are amongst the most popular one’s amongst the poor and low caste, cutting across the religions.
Contrary to the present perceptions that Hindus and Muslims were two hostile communities, there has been a natural amity and harmony amongst the religious communities. This gets reflected in all the aspects of our social lives, be it the arena of literature, music, architecture or any other, one can clearly see the influence of each on other. The culture was hardly dictated by religion alone, within same religion there are many cultures and in most of the cultures in India one can see the influence of different religions. Many a regional aspects of the culture have been thickly intertwined. While for Ustad Bismillah Khan life was unthinkable without the river Ganges and the Kashi Temples, Munshi Premchand could think only of Urdu as the medium of his writing when he began his career as a writer. Rahi Masum Raza can write the script for the most popular Hindi mega serial Mahabharata with effortless brilliance, and the likes of Javed Akhtar can write the best of Bhajans for the Hindi films.
Even amongst kings the enmity was not around religious issues. We see the Hindu kings in the court of Muslim kings, Raja Todarmal and Birbal being the part of Akbar’s nine jewels, while Raja Mansing being his commander in chief. Aurangzeb, supposedly the most fanatic Muslim ruler had 33% of his officials from amongst Hindus and one of his important Generals was none other than Raja Jaisingh. Shivaji, the highly revered Maratha King had Maulana Haider Ali as his confidential secretary, Siddi Sambal as his commander and Rutam-e-Jaman as his body guard-spy. He was the one who built the Dargah in honor of slain Muslim King Afzal Khan, whom he had killed for political reasons.
The food habits also got mixed up, beef eating which was prevalent in Vedic times, had become a taboo later, as Cow came to be revered as mother. To defer to the sentiments of Hindus, to respect the feeling of their Hindu subjects, many a Muslim Emperors advised against the killing of Cows. It’s due to all this that, Dara Shikoh, wrote a book Majma ul Bahrain, elaborating in the book that India is a vast ocean made of two seas, Hinduism and Islam. One of the highlights of 1857 rebellion against the East India company rule was the coming together of Hindus and Muslims, at the level of Kings, soldiers and peasants. It was this intercommunity unity which gave a warning signal to the British and they intensified their policy of divide and rule, introducing communal historiography, which even to the day remains as a part of social common sense. It led to those policies which encouraged communal politics in the form of Muslim League and Hindu Mahasabha-RSS.
Indian pluralism has been unique in more sense than one. There has been a heavy interaction of religious communities, at the level of power (Kings-Landlords), at the level of culture (Music, literature, customs, food, attire) and at the level of religion (Bhakti and Sufi traditions) It is the rise of communal politics post 1980 that the British initiated project of divisiveness has resurfaced, and has tried to narrow down all the politics at identity level and made the religious identities firm and deep. The fundamentalists of both religions are now looking down at the mixed traditions and pluralism, saying they are against ‘our’ religion. Slumdog while portraying the social reality, the impact of communal violence on society also highlights the deeper and most worthy interactive traditions.
Tragically from last two decades the voices opposing the syncretism and plural cultural and life in India have become stronger, opposing Gazal concerts, destroying paintings, opposing those celebrating festivals like Valentine day, opposing inter-religious marriages and what have you. Hope we are at the end of the phase during which the communal politics created a hostile atmosphere against the plural ethos of our society.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Holy Garb Profane Goals
Holy Garb: Profane Agenda
Seers Demand Dropping of Word Secular from Indian Constitution!
Ram Puniyani
What do spiritual leaders talk when they meet? One thought it may be the matters pertaining to the ‘other world’ that is the focus of their attention, away from the profane World, which is the matter of concern for ordinary people. One thought they may be deliberating on the issues of moral values of the religion. But it seems that is not the case. Recently when many of them met in Mumbai they showed that the saffron garb is the mere exterior, this color of renunciation and piety, is no representative of their political core. On the top of that they use saffron color to hide their sectarian ideas and narrow politics in the name of religion. The only difference in their case being that their politics is couched in the language of religion. That their ideas are full ‘Hate’ for others, unlike the values Hinduism which teaches us Vasudhaiva Kutumbkam (whole World is my family). This got revealed once more.
Recently many a chiefs of Akharas and other assorted Saints came together at the First Conference of Dharma Raksha Manch (29th Jan 2009) in Mumbai. They were brought together by Vishwa Hindu Parishad, apparently for the agenda was Combating terrorism. They called for dropping the word secular from Indian constitution and replacing it with word religious. They Ram Temple, Malegaon blasts, terrorism, and amongst other things and demanded that they need Manu’s parliament and not Christ’s. They drew attention to terrorism breeding in Madrassa, and hit out at media for using the term Hindu terrorism. Finally Beginning Mid Feb. (2009) they plan to take out series of yatras (religious marches) covering large parts of the country, with the call for ending Jihad.
Who are these assorted Holy seers, coming together on the call of Vishwa Hindu Parishad? VHP itself is the creation of RSS in the mid sixties. Initiative was taken by RSS chief and his close lieutenant to get different established mutt’s to form VHP. It primarily became a religious wing of RSS, involving the Hindu achrayas etc, and attracted especially traders, affluent processionals and those who did not want to openly associate with RSS, as at that time RSS stood fully discredited in people’s eyes due to its association with Nathuram Godse, who killed Mahatma Gandhi.
VHP got involved in the identity issues strengthening the conservative politics and Ram temple became its central rallying point. Along with this it called for Dharma Sansad (religious parliament) where they stated that in the matters religious, in this case Ram Temple, the decision of saints is above the judgement of the courts. Place of Lord’s birth became a matter not of History but of faith, and who else can decide these issues than these custodians of faith.
This congregation of holy seers has taken place long after their earlier meetings around Ram Temple issue. It seems it is their next innings where the focus is also on terrorism apart from its earlier concerns. At the same time they are reiterating that Indian Constitution is not welcome; let’s go back to Manu Smriti. In a way there is nothing new in this. The RSS politics has always been against the Indian Constitution, against the values of secularism, democracy as these stand by Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. Right from the time Constituent Assembly was formed, RSS opposed the same, saying that ‘we’ already have the best of Constitutions in the form of Manu Smirit so why a new Constitution. It was backed by eulogies for Lord Manu by the RSS ideologue M.S. Golwalkar, who also at the same time has heaped immense praise on the methods of Hitler. Later K.Surshan also openly called for scrapping of Indian constitution and bringing Manu Smriti instead.
While the saints are overtly for the subjugation of Muslims and Christians, at the same time their agenda is to push back the concept of equality for dalit, Adivasis and women. Interestingly RSS came up as a reaction to social changes of caste and gender during the freedom movement. Our national movement stood not only for freedom but also for the transformation of caste and gender towards equality. Barring some exceptions the concept of democracy and secularism go hand in hand. Freedom movement was the epitome of these political and social processes, leading to the emergence of secular India. Today RSS has many mouths to speak and many fora to articulate its agenda. VHP is the crude version of expressing its agenda while BJP, due to electoral compulsions, puts the same agenda in more subtle ways.
The VHP agenda is quite striking in combing the Holy language with profane goals. It will totally ignore the problems of ‘this World’; the problems related to survival and Human rights and will harp on identity issues. This brings in a politics which targets the ‘external enemies’, Muslims; Christians, and intimidates internal sectors, dalits; Adivasis and women, of society. Its call for doing away with the word secular is nothing new in that sense. Its demand to do away with secular word and secular ethos shows that their Holiness is restricted to the appearance, while they want to maintain their social hegemony through political means. Secularism is not against religion. The best of religious people like Maulana Abul Kalam and Mahatma Gandhi had been secular to the core. They knew the boundary line very well. Also they used the moral values of religion to create bonds of fraternity (community) amongst the people of different religions. There were others who created Hate against the other community, and that too in the name of religion. One can cite the parallel and opposite roles of Muslim League on one side and Hindu Mahasabha-RSS on the other.
The seers, respected because of their Holy garb are misusing their appearance at the service of sectarian politics, they are playing the role of handmaidens of the divisive politics. Secularism precisely means that secular, this-worldly, issues should be the base of politics. So the genuine religious person like Gandhi could distinguish between the moral values of religion which should be adopted in life while shunning the identity related issues from political life, "In India, for whose fashioning I have worked all my life, every man enjoys equality of status, whatever his religion is. The state is bound to be wholly secular." It is a matter of shame and disgust the identity of a religion is being used to pursue the political goals of an organization, supplementing the goals a communal political party by appealing in the name of religion.
At the same time to further demonize the Muslims it is taking up the issue of terrorism in lop sided manner. The slogan end of Jihad is a way to hide the anti Muslim agenda. There is an attempt to put the blame on Islam and Muslims for terrorism, which is totally false. A political phenomenon is being presented as the one related to religion. So Islamic terrorism word is acceptable to them! All terrorist are Muslims formulation is acceptable to them. But how dare you use the word Hindu terrorism if Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Swami Dayanand Pande and their ilk is involved in acts of terror? In this meet, overseen by RSS representatives, lot of anger was expressed for the Maharashtra ATS for starting investigations against Sadhvi and Company.
The timing of the meet and the planned Yatras is more then striking. As we await elections, the VHP is trying to revive Ram Temple as an issue and will also be talking of terrorism; about Afzal Guru and will be reprimanding the state for ‘torturing’ Pragya Thakur. As a matter of fact VHP and this motley crowd of saints is an adjunct to the electoral goals of BJP. It articulates emotive things which BJP will not be able to do because of election commission and the media watch.
Of all the techniques evolved by RSS, the use of these Holy men for political goals may be the worst insult of the Hindu religion. While these Holy seers infinite in number, many of them have succeeded in building up their own five star Empires, there are others who are sitting on the top of already established mutts. What unites them through VHP is the politics of status quo, the opposition to democracy. We had saints, who talked against caste system and social evils. We had Kabir, Chokha Mela, Tukaram and the lot who stood for the problems of the poor, and now we have a breed, whose agenda is to undermine the prevalent social evils of dowry, female infanticide, bride burning, atrocities on dalits and Adivasis. Their goal is to keep talking about the spirituality and religiosity which is so different from the concerns taken up by the likes of Gandhi and the whole the genre of Saints of Bhakti tradition in India. One hope the people of India can see this clever game of communal politics and differentiate the grain from the chaff.
Seers Demand Dropping of Word Secular from Indian Constitution!
Ram Puniyani
What do spiritual leaders talk when they meet? One thought it may be the matters pertaining to the ‘other world’ that is the focus of their attention, away from the profane World, which is the matter of concern for ordinary people. One thought they may be deliberating on the issues of moral values of the religion. But it seems that is not the case. Recently when many of them met in Mumbai they showed that the saffron garb is the mere exterior, this color of renunciation and piety, is no representative of their political core. On the top of that they use saffron color to hide their sectarian ideas and narrow politics in the name of religion. The only difference in their case being that their politics is couched in the language of religion. That their ideas are full ‘Hate’ for others, unlike the values Hinduism which teaches us Vasudhaiva Kutumbkam (whole World is my family). This got revealed once more.
Recently many a chiefs of Akharas and other assorted Saints came together at the First Conference of Dharma Raksha Manch (29th Jan 2009) in Mumbai. They were brought together by Vishwa Hindu Parishad, apparently for the agenda was Combating terrorism. They called for dropping the word secular from Indian constitution and replacing it with word religious. They Ram Temple, Malegaon blasts, terrorism, and amongst other things and demanded that they need Manu’s parliament and not Christ’s. They drew attention to terrorism breeding in Madrassa, and hit out at media for using the term Hindu terrorism. Finally Beginning Mid Feb. (2009) they plan to take out series of yatras (religious marches) covering large parts of the country, with the call for ending Jihad.
Who are these assorted Holy seers, coming together on the call of Vishwa Hindu Parishad? VHP itself is the creation of RSS in the mid sixties. Initiative was taken by RSS chief and his close lieutenant to get different established mutt’s to form VHP. It primarily became a religious wing of RSS, involving the Hindu achrayas etc, and attracted especially traders, affluent processionals and those who did not want to openly associate with RSS, as at that time RSS stood fully discredited in people’s eyes due to its association with Nathuram Godse, who killed Mahatma Gandhi.
VHP got involved in the identity issues strengthening the conservative politics and Ram temple became its central rallying point. Along with this it called for Dharma Sansad (religious parliament) where they stated that in the matters religious, in this case Ram Temple, the decision of saints is above the judgement of the courts. Place of Lord’s birth became a matter not of History but of faith, and who else can decide these issues than these custodians of faith.
This congregation of holy seers has taken place long after their earlier meetings around Ram Temple issue. It seems it is their next innings where the focus is also on terrorism apart from its earlier concerns. At the same time they are reiterating that Indian Constitution is not welcome; let’s go back to Manu Smriti. In a way there is nothing new in this. The RSS politics has always been against the Indian Constitution, against the values of secularism, democracy as these stand by Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. Right from the time Constituent Assembly was formed, RSS opposed the same, saying that ‘we’ already have the best of Constitutions in the form of Manu Smirit so why a new Constitution. It was backed by eulogies for Lord Manu by the RSS ideologue M.S. Golwalkar, who also at the same time has heaped immense praise on the methods of Hitler. Later K.Surshan also openly called for scrapping of Indian constitution and bringing Manu Smriti instead.
While the saints are overtly for the subjugation of Muslims and Christians, at the same time their agenda is to push back the concept of equality for dalit, Adivasis and women. Interestingly RSS came up as a reaction to social changes of caste and gender during the freedom movement. Our national movement stood not only for freedom but also for the transformation of caste and gender towards equality. Barring some exceptions the concept of democracy and secularism go hand in hand. Freedom movement was the epitome of these political and social processes, leading to the emergence of secular India. Today RSS has many mouths to speak and many fora to articulate its agenda. VHP is the crude version of expressing its agenda while BJP, due to electoral compulsions, puts the same agenda in more subtle ways.
The VHP agenda is quite striking in combing the Holy language with profane goals. It will totally ignore the problems of ‘this World’; the problems related to survival and Human rights and will harp on identity issues. This brings in a politics which targets the ‘external enemies’, Muslims; Christians, and intimidates internal sectors, dalits; Adivasis and women, of society. Its call for doing away with the word secular is nothing new in that sense. Its demand to do away with secular word and secular ethos shows that their Holiness is restricted to the appearance, while they want to maintain their social hegemony through political means. Secularism is not against religion. The best of religious people like Maulana Abul Kalam and Mahatma Gandhi had been secular to the core. They knew the boundary line very well. Also they used the moral values of religion to create bonds of fraternity (community) amongst the people of different religions. There were others who created Hate against the other community, and that too in the name of religion. One can cite the parallel and opposite roles of Muslim League on one side and Hindu Mahasabha-RSS on the other.
The seers, respected because of their Holy garb are misusing their appearance at the service of sectarian politics, they are playing the role of handmaidens of the divisive politics. Secularism precisely means that secular, this-worldly, issues should be the base of politics. So the genuine religious person like Gandhi could distinguish between the moral values of religion which should be adopted in life while shunning the identity related issues from political life, "In India, for whose fashioning I have worked all my life, every man enjoys equality of status, whatever his religion is. The state is bound to be wholly secular." It is a matter of shame and disgust the identity of a religion is being used to pursue the political goals of an organization, supplementing the goals a communal political party by appealing in the name of religion.
At the same time to further demonize the Muslims it is taking up the issue of terrorism in lop sided manner. The slogan end of Jihad is a way to hide the anti Muslim agenda. There is an attempt to put the blame on Islam and Muslims for terrorism, which is totally false. A political phenomenon is being presented as the one related to religion. So Islamic terrorism word is acceptable to them! All terrorist are Muslims formulation is acceptable to them. But how dare you use the word Hindu terrorism if Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Swami Dayanand Pande and their ilk is involved in acts of terror? In this meet, overseen by RSS representatives, lot of anger was expressed for the Maharashtra ATS for starting investigations against Sadhvi and Company.
The timing of the meet and the planned Yatras is more then striking. As we await elections, the VHP is trying to revive Ram Temple as an issue and will also be talking of terrorism; about Afzal Guru and will be reprimanding the state for ‘torturing’ Pragya Thakur. As a matter of fact VHP and this motley crowd of saints is an adjunct to the electoral goals of BJP. It articulates emotive things which BJP will not be able to do because of election commission and the media watch.
Of all the techniques evolved by RSS, the use of these Holy men for political goals may be the worst insult of the Hindu religion. While these Holy seers infinite in number, many of them have succeeded in building up their own five star Empires, there are others who are sitting on the top of already established mutts. What unites them through VHP is the politics of status quo, the opposition to democracy. We had saints, who talked against caste system and social evils. We had Kabir, Chokha Mela, Tukaram and the lot who stood for the problems of the poor, and now we have a breed, whose agenda is to undermine the prevalent social evils of dowry, female infanticide, bride burning, atrocities on dalits and Adivasis. Their goal is to keep talking about the spirituality and religiosity which is so different from the concerns taken up by the likes of Gandhi and the whole the genre of Saints of Bhakti tradition in India. One hope the people of India can see this clever game of communal politics and differentiate the grain from the chaff.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Shri Ram Sene Beats up Girls in Mangalore
Kitchen, Church and Children
Shri Ram Sene Beats up Girls in a Pub
Ram Puniyani
Hitler, the epitome of sectarian politics had set many a norms, practices, which underlined his agenda of Fascism. He targeted the ‘outsiders’ (Jews, Communists) and suppressed the ‘insiders’ (workers, women). While what is most visible of his crimes is the genocide of Jews, what was also very damaging was that he suppressed the rights of women and workers. About women, he famously went on to pontificate that German women, love to be mothers and that their sphere of activity should be around Kitchen, Church and Children.
Another sectarian outfit, the Taliban after capturing power banned the women from public sphere, asking them to be in the confines of home; else severe punishment will be waiting for them. The fundamentalist groups like Dukhtarane Millat in Kashmir went on to throw acid on the face of the girls refusing to accept the Burqua. Controlling the lives, dress of women, to relegate them to subordinate position, is the common agenda of fundamentalist, fascist politics, irrespective of their religion or race to which they belong. Apart from other things this politics overall imposes the patriarchal norms in most aggressive way.
Nothing could have brought to our notice these facts more than the act of Shri Ram Sene, in Mangalore, when they beat up girls in a pub in Mangalore (25th Jan 09). Their argument, as articulated by their Chief, Pramod Mutalik is that this is against our Hindu culture. Since the time the BJP government has come to power, these groups have got a message that they can get away with their criminal activities due to the patronage of their ideological-political mentors. Earlier the same groups have vandalized churches few months ago. Now, while the hooligans attacked and took liberties with the girls their chief, Mutalik, was arrested initially on some other charges not for this crime by his outfit, Shri Ram Sene. It’s only later that due to the pressure from media and the pressure of social opinion that he was also charged for this attack on girls. Not all the sainiks were arrested and even from amongst those who were arrested many were released on bail, such was the attitude of the BJP government.
It’s a further matter of shame that the member of National Women’s Commission who thought of investigating the case turned out to be the ‘Bar Inspector’ rather then a person concerned with women’s issues. Her focus was the security at bar and the ‘plight’ of those who assaulted the girls. Accordingly she did not think it necessary to talks to the girls who were humiliated and beaten up, instead she gave a report with the help of which the criminals got the bail. So much about the fairness of this member of Commission! Fortunately the Women’s welfare ministry team did a good job to give the truth version of the incident.
The trajectory of the ‘career of Mutalik, the chief of Sene, shows the deeper connections of RSS and other organizations, who are active in vandalism. Mutalik is a RSS trained swaymasevak, who later joined Bajrang Dal, and then Shiv Sena before floating this Shri Ram Sene.
BJP and RSS spokesmen criticized the action of the hooligans taking the law into their hands, but at the same time upheld the ‘cause’ of protection of Indian culture. Women should not go to the pub, they must ‘behave’. They also justified Mutalik’s ideology, while distancing them from the acts of violence and organizationally from the Shri Ram Sene. Same Mutalik who has been the aspirant of BJP ticket, might now become persona non grata for RSS-BJP, irrespective of the fact that he is a RSS trained swayam sevak. RSS operates for its goal of Hindu nation through a clever mechanism. It trains volunteers into the ideology of ‘Hate Other’, for creation of Hindu nation, and then these volunteers in turn go and set up different organizations to fulfill the goal of RSS.
The advantage in this technique is that if some progeny of RSS does a thing which is against law, against which public opinion is strong, they will quietly disown the person. Beginning with Nathuram Godse, the killer of Mahatma Gandhi, this has been their method. Even Dara Singh of Bajrang Dal, who burnt Pastor Graham Stains, was disowned by RSS-BJP combine once the outrage against the crime became strong in the air. It is a ‘brilliant’ and shrewd strategy. One of their warriors, Babu Bajrangi, who played a major role in Gujarat carnage, has also been very active in attacking the couples in Gujarat. This mechanism, where by RSS trains them to impose the elements of Hindu nation by playing different roles, helps it spreading the tentacles of its sectarian politics without facing the consequences of the criminal acts.
As such the ideological clones of RSS have been vandalizing and attacking cultural activities, gazal programs, painting exhibitions and film shows on regular basis. Girls, women have also been facing the brunt of this offensive. There have been the attacks on couples involved in inter-caste, inter-religious marriages. They have been creating ruckus on Valentine day, and against girls wearing jeans. It is not that the RSS affiliates have been very active in violence against Muslims and Christians, alone. Having intimidated those communities severely, now atrocities against women may become the major focus of their activities. The aim of, such crimes is to browbeat women into receding from social space. What role this intimidation of girls plays? It is clear that with such attacks, the girls will feel intimidated to freely move out; their parents will put more restrictions on them curtailing their freedom.
All this is being done in the name of Hindu traditions. These self appointed custodians of Hindu culture neither know Hinduism, nor do they have any idea of Hindu traditions. They are projecting their political agenda of Fundamentalism, the agenda of subjugation of women through these actions. One may ask do these attackers identify the practices of female infanticide, wife beating, and bride burning as practiced by many Hindus as the culture of Hinduism! Is it due to this that they have never taken up campaigns against these ills of Hindu society? Is it because of this, that we never hear the protest against these evils from these self proclaimed custodians of Hindu culture.
The agenda of ‘politics in the name of Religion’, aims to suppress the rights of women. Vijaya Raje Schindia, the BJP Vice President had upheld Sati, Mridula Sinha of BJP Mahila Morcha had upheld wife beating, dowry, and had advised women not to work outside unless it is a must. The RSS subordinate organization for women is Rashtra Sevika Samiti, where the word Swyam (self) is missing in contrast to the male organization, Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh. The clear indication of patriarchal values which the Hindu Right-wing up hold. Those concerned with women’s welfare need to stand against the evil practices of dowry, bride burning, and female infanticide, while these attacks aim to abolish women’s freedom, whatever little they have managed to get through their struggles. These attacks are meant to curb their right to choose their way of life and to impose controls of all sorts over them.
The ‘institution of religion’ stood for subordinate position for women. Fundamentalism, coming from any religion has the similar social-political agenda. The nitty gritties of disowning apart, the superficial differences of Mutalik and BJP apart, they are guided by same ideology of Hindutva. No wonder the same Mutalik had links with the Malegaon blast accused Lt Col. Prasad Purohit, who holds Mutalik in high esteem. Unfortunately as the present matters stand, situation may create some furor in the country, which will die down over a period of time as BJP govt. will ensure that their foot soldiers, storm troopers of its ideology, get away without any serious punishments. After all they are ideological brothers; they are children of single father, the RSS, the ideological parent of the agenda of Hindu Rashtra.
-
Shri Ram Sene Beats up Girls in a Pub
Ram Puniyani
Hitler, the epitome of sectarian politics had set many a norms, practices, which underlined his agenda of Fascism. He targeted the ‘outsiders’ (Jews, Communists) and suppressed the ‘insiders’ (workers, women). While what is most visible of his crimes is the genocide of Jews, what was also very damaging was that he suppressed the rights of women and workers. About women, he famously went on to pontificate that German women, love to be mothers and that their sphere of activity should be around Kitchen, Church and Children.
Another sectarian outfit, the Taliban after capturing power banned the women from public sphere, asking them to be in the confines of home; else severe punishment will be waiting for them. The fundamentalist groups like Dukhtarane Millat in Kashmir went on to throw acid on the face of the girls refusing to accept the Burqua. Controlling the lives, dress of women, to relegate them to subordinate position, is the common agenda of fundamentalist, fascist politics, irrespective of their religion or race to which they belong. Apart from other things this politics overall imposes the patriarchal norms in most aggressive way.
Nothing could have brought to our notice these facts more than the act of Shri Ram Sene, in Mangalore, when they beat up girls in a pub in Mangalore (25th Jan 09). Their argument, as articulated by their Chief, Pramod Mutalik is that this is against our Hindu culture. Since the time the BJP government has come to power, these groups have got a message that they can get away with their criminal activities due to the patronage of their ideological-political mentors. Earlier the same groups have vandalized churches few months ago. Now, while the hooligans attacked and took liberties with the girls their chief, Mutalik, was arrested initially on some other charges not for this crime by his outfit, Shri Ram Sene. It’s only later that due to the pressure from media and the pressure of social opinion that he was also charged for this attack on girls. Not all the sainiks were arrested and even from amongst those who were arrested many were released on bail, such was the attitude of the BJP government.
It’s a further matter of shame that the member of National Women’s Commission who thought of investigating the case turned out to be the ‘Bar Inspector’ rather then a person concerned with women’s issues. Her focus was the security at bar and the ‘plight’ of those who assaulted the girls. Accordingly she did not think it necessary to talks to the girls who were humiliated and beaten up, instead she gave a report with the help of which the criminals got the bail. So much about the fairness of this member of Commission! Fortunately the Women’s welfare ministry team did a good job to give the truth version of the incident.
The trajectory of the ‘career of Mutalik, the chief of Sene, shows the deeper connections of RSS and other organizations, who are active in vandalism. Mutalik is a RSS trained swaymasevak, who later joined Bajrang Dal, and then Shiv Sena before floating this Shri Ram Sene.
BJP and RSS spokesmen criticized the action of the hooligans taking the law into their hands, but at the same time upheld the ‘cause’ of protection of Indian culture. Women should not go to the pub, they must ‘behave’. They also justified Mutalik’s ideology, while distancing them from the acts of violence and organizationally from the Shri Ram Sene. Same Mutalik who has been the aspirant of BJP ticket, might now become persona non grata for RSS-BJP, irrespective of the fact that he is a RSS trained swayam sevak. RSS operates for its goal of Hindu nation through a clever mechanism. It trains volunteers into the ideology of ‘Hate Other’, for creation of Hindu nation, and then these volunteers in turn go and set up different organizations to fulfill the goal of RSS.
The advantage in this technique is that if some progeny of RSS does a thing which is against law, against which public opinion is strong, they will quietly disown the person. Beginning with Nathuram Godse, the killer of Mahatma Gandhi, this has been their method. Even Dara Singh of Bajrang Dal, who burnt Pastor Graham Stains, was disowned by RSS-BJP combine once the outrage against the crime became strong in the air. It is a ‘brilliant’ and shrewd strategy. One of their warriors, Babu Bajrangi, who played a major role in Gujarat carnage, has also been very active in attacking the couples in Gujarat. This mechanism, where by RSS trains them to impose the elements of Hindu nation by playing different roles, helps it spreading the tentacles of its sectarian politics without facing the consequences of the criminal acts.
As such the ideological clones of RSS have been vandalizing and attacking cultural activities, gazal programs, painting exhibitions and film shows on regular basis. Girls, women have also been facing the brunt of this offensive. There have been the attacks on couples involved in inter-caste, inter-religious marriages. They have been creating ruckus on Valentine day, and against girls wearing jeans. It is not that the RSS affiliates have been very active in violence against Muslims and Christians, alone. Having intimidated those communities severely, now atrocities against women may become the major focus of their activities. The aim of, such crimes is to browbeat women into receding from social space. What role this intimidation of girls plays? It is clear that with such attacks, the girls will feel intimidated to freely move out; their parents will put more restrictions on them curtailing their freedom.
All this is being done in the name of Hindu traditions. These self appointed custodians of Hindu culture neither know Hinduism, nor do they have any idea of Hindu traditions. They are projecting their political agenda of Fundamentalism, the agenda of subjugation of women through these actions. One may ask do these attackers identify the practices of female infanticide, wife beating, and bride burning as practiced by many Hindus as the culture of Hinduism! Is it due to this that they have never taken up campaigns against these ills of Hindu society? Is it because of this, that we never hear the protest against these evils from these self proclaimed custodians of Hindu culture.
The agenda of ‘politics in the name of Religion’, aims to suppress the rights of women. Vijaya Raje Schindia, the BJP Vice President had upheld Sati, Mridula Sinha of BJP Mahila Morcha had upheld wife beating, dowry, and had advised women not to work outside unless it is a must. The RSS subordinate organization for women is Rashtra Sevika Samiti, where the word Swyam (self) is missing in contrast to the male organization, Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh. The clear indication of patriarchal values which the Hindu Right-wing up hold. Those concerned with women’s welfare need to stand against the evil practices of dowry, bride burning, and female infanticide, while these attacks aim to abolish women’s freedom, whatever little they have managed to get through their struggles. These attacks are meant to curb their right to choose their way of life and to impose controls of all sorts over them.
The ‘institution of religion’ stood for subordinate position for women. Fundamentalism, coming from any religion has the similar social-political agenda. The nitty gritties of disowning apart, the superficial differences of Mutalik and BJP apart, they are guided by same ideology of Hindutva. No wonder the same Mutalik had links with the Malegaon blast accused Lt Col. Prasad Purohit, who holds Mutalik in high esteem. Unfortunately as the present matters stand, situation may create some furor in the country, which will die down over a period of time as BJP govt. will ensure that their foot soldiers, storm troopers of its ideology, get away without any serious punishments. After all they are ideological brothers; they are children of single father, the RSS, the ideological parent of the agenda of Hindu Rashtra.
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