What lies behind the mask

What lies behind the mask

Ram Puniyani, Hindustan Times
June 24, 2012

In an obvious reference to any possible projection of Narendra Modi as a prime ministerial candidate for the next parliamentary elections, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar recently said that the NDA should choose a candidate who has secular credentials. The BJP, meanwhile, spoke in various VOICES.

One of its leaders said that ideologically, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, LK Advani and Modi were of the same hue. Another pointed out that since Hindutva is secular and liberal, there was no reason why Modi could not be the prime ministerial candidate.

Kumar is no secular angel. When BJP became the single largest party in the Lok Sabha in 1996, no one dared ally with it as the party was regarded as communal and the part it played in the demolition of the Babri Masjid and consequent violence was still fresh in people's minds. In 1998, when a similar situation arose, many parties including Kumar's Janata Dal (United) could not resist the temptation of power and worked out a common minimum programme to share power with the BJP. 

If one examines the statements made by the BJP, one can find some truth in them. The claim that Vajpayee, Advani and Modi are ideologically similar is true to a great extent. They are all committed swayamsevaks, working for the agenda of a Hindu rashtra, which is the goal of the RSS. They are dissimilar too, with a division of labour worked out among them. Since the BJP is probably not hoping to get a majority on its own strength, it has to keep a liberal façade. For this very reason, Vajpayee was its prime minister, while Advani, the prime mover of the chariot of communalism and the Ram Temple campaign, was forced to play second fiddle.

In that sense, though they are on the same ideological wavelength, they play different roles at any point of time. To say that Hindutva is secular and liberal is turning reality on its head. Hindutva is not Hinduism. Hinduism is an umbrella of various religious streams, which flowered and existed in this part of the world. Hindutva as a concept and political ideology was articulated by VD Savarkar. He defined it as the 'whole of Hinduness', a combination of the Aryan race, culture and language. The Brahminical stream of Hinduism is based on it, subtly promoting caste and gender hierarchy.

When the entire nation was coming together under the guiding principles of liberty, equality and fraternity, the upholders of Hindutva, belonging to a certain section of society like the rajas, zamindars and upper-caste Hindus, kept aloof from the struggle against the British. They came together as the Hindu Mahasabha and later founded and supported the RSS. Their politics was at once parallel and diametrically opposite to the politics of the Muslim League, which was arguing along similar lines for an Islamic State. The Muslim League had a similar class base. While the Hindu Mahasabha-RSS gloated over the glorious Hindu past and asserted that we were a Hindu nation from times immemorial, the Muslim League identified with Muslim kings. The freedom struggle under Mahatma Gandhi wanted to break free from the yoke of colonial rule and change caste and gender relations. His politics articulated that we were a 'nation in the making'.

This is a prime example of the use of religion as an instrument by a section of society which wanted to preserve their privileges in the changing social dynamics. The sharpest articulation of Hindutva politics came from MS Golwalkar, who in his We, Our Nationhood Defined, eulogised fascism and asked for second-class citizenship for Muslims and Christians. Today, the RSS is unable to deny either the blunt formulation of its politics by Golwalkar or the existence of this book. 

The RSS-led forces want to keep a democratic face till they come to power and unleash their full agenda. Currently, their trained swayamsevaks are infiltrating different wings of the State, apart from joining organisations like the BJP. The BJP claims that it believes in justice for all and appeasement of none. A cleverly-worded sentence, it conceals its intention of continuing the discrimination against those suffering in the present scheme of things.

How does one understand the difference between Hinduism and Hindutva? Mahatma  Gandhi was a Hindu but not a follower of Hindutva. Nathuram Godse and the RSS are practitioners of 'Hindutva politics'. For the latter, a Hindu like Gandhi is ideologically unacceptable as he propagated a secular ethos while being the best of Hindus. The statement by Kumar only represents one of the aspects of the political reality being witnessed by the nation. 

Ram Puniyani is a Delhi-based writer. The views expressed by the author are personal.

(http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/ColumnsOthers/What-lies-behind-the-mask/Article1-878287.aspx)

“RSS-BJP fomenting terror” –

By Feroze Mithiborwala & Kishore Jagtap

The announcement by the Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde at the Jaipur conclave of the Congress party where he once again stated that the RSS & BJP were involved in fomenting terrorism in India is truly a cause for national concern.

He has been further supported by Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh, the former Union Minister, Mani Shankar Aiyar, and Union Minister Rajeev Shukla all of whom defended Mr. Shinde, saying there was enough evidence of RSS-backed terrorism.

Despite the fact that the Home Minister has not made this statement for the first time, yet we in fact do see that both the Home Ministry, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the Anti-Terror Squads (ATS) at the state levels have all been complicit in the cover-up of the true depth of the RSS backed terror organizations such as the Abhinav Bharat (Col. Purohit & Sadhvi Rithambara) & the Sanatan Sanstha (Athawale), as well as the Hindu Raksha Samiti Dhananjay Desai).

Despite the fact that the Malegaon (8/9/06) terror attacks & Nanded (6/4/06) a failed terror operation occurred in Maharashtra,  yet the Congress-NCP government has been complicit in the cover up. The ATS led both by Raghuvanshi & Rakesh Maria are following the orders of their political bosses. Thus the Malegaon terror network was brought to light by the effort of the Rajasthan ATS.

Also the terror attacks such as the Samjhauta train (18/2/07), Jaipur terror attacks (13/5/08), Pune German Bakery (13/2/10) were all undertaken to disrupt the India-Pakistan peace process & occurred 10-12 days before the representatives of the two countries were to meet.

The Mecca Masjid blast (18/5/07) on the other hand occurred at the time of the growing political tensions over the Indo-US Nuclear deal & was a much needed diversion. Thus sections of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) aligned to the CIA-Mossad, are using the Abhinav Bharat, Sanatan Sanstha & the Hindu Rashtra Sena cadre to carry out terror attacks. The IB itself is totally dominated by communal & the Manuwadi casteist sections of our society & is at the core of planning, financing & execution of the terror attacks.

Also the statements by the known fanatic & terrorist Hafeez Saeed of the LeT, need to analysed in a context whereby his counter-statements are meant to help the BJP. Hafeez Saeed & the LeT, as do the other assorted Lashkar’s,  have the patronage of the ISI-CIA. Despite the deep penetration of the CIA, as well as the RAW into Pakistan, yet the likes of Hafeez Saeed continue to operate with impunity. The same Americans who supposedly killed Bin Laden, cannot do the same to Hafeez Saeed? It is truly a sad joke.
Also note that the Americans have provided immunity to the top ISI officials for their role in the 26/11 terror attacks & even David Headley Coleman & Tawahhur Rana, both of whom were actually operating as CIA agents enjoy American protection..  The recent price on the head of Saeed by the USA was a truly laughing matter. In fact the American doctrine of ensuring that extremism & terrorism spread in a controlled environment & thus suit the agenda of the weapons & security industry. And that is why the likes of the myriad Saeed’s & their Lashkar’s continue to thrive.

The lessons for India are clear. In the last decade, in the post-9/11 world there was & continues to be a planned agenda to demonise Islam & the Muslim community, by targeting all Muslims as terrorists. In India too we witnessed the same systematic game plan, where the ‘politics of terror’ replaced the ‘politics of communal riots’ as the new strategy to divide the masses. Thus the plan was very simple. At the time required, either the IB, or then even independently, the Manuwadi terror organizations would engineer the terror attacks.

Then the ATS under the instruction of the IB, would immediately place false stories in the media, create an anti-Muslim mindset & then catch Muslims alone, whilst fabricating the evidence & false witnesses. Those arrested would invariably be police informers & those with a criminal background. They were all supposed to be operating under the banner of the non-existent Indian Mujahedeen, a fictitious organization created by the IB itself.

This led to the further marginalization & isolation of the Muslim community, whilst further communalizing of Indian society. The media too was complicit in this entire sordid game & barring a few exceptions, did not go beyond the police version & no serious investigations were ever conducted.

But now the truth is out & that is where the true contribution of Shri Shaheed Hemant Karkare, needs to be recognized by the nation, if we are to stop these Frankenstein’s in the making. Even all his investigations are not being pursued with the level of honesty required by the government & its security agencies.