The events announced by the Hindu right-wing extremist organization “Hindu Janajagruti Samiti” in state of Maharashtra and across the country, created a challenge to communal harmony of the state and certainty of hateful speeches and rallies through such events, CJP pleaded the same before the authorities and asked for appropriate action against such events and rallies.

In the complaint, CJP highlighted that we have been monitoring the website of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, many events for the month of August are being planned in various parts of Maharashtra as well. The event planned in Hyderabad, Hindu Rashtra Jagruti Andolan, is to take place on August 17, 2024 at 3 PM. The link of their website: https://www.hindujagruti.org/events

CJP mentioned in its complaint that, the HJS runs a campaign advocating for the passing of anti-Love Jihad laws across the country. Extremist Right-wing Hindu groups have been using the term “love-Jihad” loosely, wielded by an aggressive majoritarianism, woven into a dominant Hindu narrative of religious extremism, Islamophobia, and communal hatred. It has also been provided on their website that HJS has been conducting regular workshops to make Hindus “aware” of the consequences of autonomous and free choice marriages, derogatively and provocatively termed as ‘Love Jihad.’ This Right-wing extremist organisation has also organized various events in the past advocating for the boycott of Halal and the economic boycott of Muslims in India. Other than this, their websites have also provided a communal colour to issues such as religious conversions and cow slaughter.

CJP further added that in the current environment of oppression and otherization of the Muslim community, such religious issues when portrayed in a prejudicial or hysterical way, without any rational basis to that questioning, with an intention to pitch views of only one segment/community amounts to stigmatizing of an already marginalized section.

Accordingly, CJP has urged Telangana Police, especially Hyderabad Police, to take preventive measures to stop this event from takin place and take any other action deemed necessary in this regard.

The complaint may be read here:

The post CJP moves Hyderabad Police against HJS event appeared first on SabrangIndia.

March the 23rd (2016) is the 85th anniversary of the martyrdom of three of India’s great revolutionaries, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, who were hanged at Lahore for working to overthrow the colonial, ‘firangee’ government. The British government thought that with the physical elimination of these freedom fighters their ideas and dreams of a secular and egalitarian independent India would also dissipate and disappear. The rulers were patently wrong as these revolutionaries and heir ideals continue to be an integral part of the people’s memory, their exploits sung far and wide in people’s lore.

On this 85th anniversary of their martyrdom we should remember, and not overlook the fact, that though it was the British colonial powers who hanged them, there were at the time organisations like Hindu Mahasabha, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Muslim League in pre-1947 India which not only remained alien to the ideals of these revolutionaries but also maintained a criminal silence on their hanging.

It is both comic, ironical and shocking therefore that, of these three communal outfits, it is the RSS — which consciously kept itself completely aloof from the anti-colonial struggle –that has, of late, laid claim to the tradition and contributions of these great revolutionaries. Literature is being produced and the discourse too seeks to appropriate them with false a-historic linkages to Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev.

During the NDA I regime when its two senior swayamsewaks, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishan Advani ruled the country, they had made the astonishing claim that Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, founder of the RSS met Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev in 1925 and continued attending meetings with these revolutionaries and even provided shelter to Rajguru in 1927 when he was underground after killing Sanders.[i]

In 2007, for the first time in its history, the Hindi organ of the RSS, Panchjanya came out with a special issue on Bhagat Singh. In the whole body of pre-Partition literature of RSS we do not find even a single reference to these martyrs. In fact, RSS literature of the contemporaneous period, is full of anecdotes showing its indifference to revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh.

Madhukar Dattatreya Deoras, known as Balasahab Deoras, the third chief of the RSS, narrated an incident when Hedgewar saved him and others from following the path of Bhagat Singh and his comrades. Interestingly, this appeared in a publication of RSS itself:
“While studying in college (we) youth were generally attracted towards the ideals of revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh. Emulating Bhagat Singh we should do some or other act of bravery, this came to our mind often. We were less attracted towards Sangh (RSS) since current politics, revolution etc. that attracted the hearts of youth were generally less discussed in the Sangh. When Bhagat Singh and his companions were awarded death sentence, at that time our hearts were so excited that some friends together [we] vowed to do something directly and planned something terrible and in order to make it succeed decided to run away from homes. But to run away without informing our Doctorji [Hedgewar] will not be proper, considering it we decided to inform Doctorji about our decision. To inform this fact to Doctorji was assigned to me by the group of friends.

“We together went to Doctorji and with great courage I explained my feelings before him. After listening to our plan Doctorji took a meeting of ours for discarding this foolish plan and making us to realize the superiority of the work of Sangh. This meeting continued for seven days and in the night from ten to three. The brilliant ideas of Doctorji and his valuable leadership brought fundamental change in our ideas and ideals of life. Since that day we took leave of mindlessly made plans and our lives got new direction and our mind got stabilized in the work of Sangh.”[ii]

Moreover there is ample proof available in the documents of the RSS that establish that the RSS denounced movements led by revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekar Azad and their associates. There are passages in theBunch of Thoughts [collection of speeches and writings of Golwalkar treated as a holy book by the RSS cadres] decrying the whole tradition of martyrs:
“There is no doubt that such men who embrace martyrdom are great heroes and their philosophy too is pre-eminently manly. They are far above the average men who meekly submit to fate and remain in fear and inaction. All the same, such persons are not held up as ideals in our society. We have not looked upon their martyrdom as the highest point of greatness to which men should aspire. For, after all, they failed in achieving their ideal, and failure implies some fatal flaw in them.”[iii]
Golwalkar goes on to tell the RSS cadres that only those people should be adored who have been successful in their lives:
“It is obvious that those who were failures in life must have had some serious drawback in them. How can one, who is defeated, give light and lead others to success?”[iv]

In the whole body of pre-Partition literature of RSS we do not find even a single reference to these martyrs. In fact, RSS literature of the contemporaneous period, is full of anecdotes showing its indifference to revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh.

In fact, Golwalkar’s book has a chapter titled ‘Worshippers of Victory’ in which he openly commits to the fact that he and RSS worship only those who are victorious.
“Let us now see what type of great lives have been worshipped in this land. Have we ever idealised those who were a failure in achieving life’s goal? No, never. Our tradition has taught us to adore and worship only those who have proved fully successful in their life-mission. A slave of circumstances has never been our ideal. The hero who becomes the master of the situation, changes it by sheer dint of his calibre[sic] and character and wholly succeeds in achieving his life’s aspirations, has been our ideal. It is such great souls, who by their self-effulgence, lit up the dismal darkness surrounding all round, inspired confidence in frustrated hearts, breathed life into the near-dead and held aloft the living vision of success and inspiration, that our culture commands us to worship.”[v]

Golwalkar did not name Bhagat Singh but according to his philosophy of life since Bhagat Singh and his companions did not succeed in achieving their goal they did not deserve any respect. According to his formula the British rulers would and should be the natural object of worship as they were able to kill revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh.

It is difficult to find a statement more insulting and denigrating to the martyrs of the Indian Freedom Movement than this.

It will be shocking for any Indian who loves and respects the martyrs of the Freedom Movement to know what Dr. Hedgewar and the RSS felt about the revolutionaries fighting against the British. According to his biography published by the RSS, “Patriotism is not only going to prison. It is not correct to be carried away by such superficial patriotism. He used to urge that while remaining prepared to die for the country when the time came, it is very necessary to have a desire to live while organizing for the freedom of the country.”[vi]

‘Shameful’ is too mild a word to describe the attitude of the RSS towards these young freedom fighters, who had sacrificed their all in the struggle against the British colonial powers. The last Mughal ruler of India, Bahadurshah Zafar, had emerged as the rallying point and symbol of the Great War of Independence of 1857. Golwalkar while making fun of him said:
“In 1857, the so-called last emperor of India had given the clarion call—Ghazio mein bu rahegi jub talak eeman ki/Takhte London tak chalegi tegh Hindustan ki (As long as there remains the least trace of love of faith in the hearts of our heroes, so long, the sword of Hindustan will reach the throne of London.) But ultimately what happened? Everybody knows that.”[vii]

What Golwalkar thought of the people sacrificing their lot for the country is obvious from the following statement as well. He had the temerity to ask the great revolutionaries who wished to lay down their lives for the freedom of the motherland the following question (as if he was representing the British masters):
“But one should think whether complete national interest is accomplished by that? Sacrifice does not lead to increase in the thinking of the society of giving all for the interest of the nation. It is borne by the experience up to now that this fire in the heart is unbearable to the common people.”[viii]

Perhaps this was the reason that RSS produced no freedom fighter, not to mention no martyr in the movement against the colonial rule. Unfortunately, there is not a single line challenging, exposing, criticising or confronting the inhuman rule of the British masters in the entire literature of the RSS from 1925 to 1947. Those who are familiar with the glorious Freedom Struggle of India and sacrifices of martyrs like Bhagat Singh must challenge this evil appropriation of our heroes by the Hindutva camp which betrayed the liberation struggle. We should not allow these communal stooges of the British rulers to kill Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev once again.

(The author taught political science at the University of Delhi. He is a well known writer and columnist)

The post Bhagat Singh, the Tradition of Martrydom and Hindutva appeared first on SabrangIndia.

On Thursday, 3 August 2023, Hindu Jagruti Manch organised an event where a hardline Hindutva monk called for Hindus to take up arms in Kaithal, Haryana.

Location: Kaithal, Haryana

Hindu Jagruti Manch organised an event where a far-right monk called for arming Hindus. pic.twitter.com/Sx55P9U4BT

— HindutvaWatch (@HindutvaWatchIn) August 5, 2023

“Stay prepared! Carry stick, baton, gun, and if nothing, stones in a plastic bag. Don’t carry flags, one flag is enough! All must carry weapons! If such an issue would have happened in UP, bulldozers would have worked. If Manohar Lal Khattar doesn’t have bulldozers, he can get some from UP.” The speaker cried out to an enthusiastic crowd.

Another speaker came up, saying “This is the fight of Hindus, they don’t need the administration or the government. They can fight for their dignity by themselves! If such instances occur in Haryana, or elsewhere in India, then consequences will be felt. Hindu Samaj will display their strength!”

In the national capital, Delhi’s Shahdara Chowk, BJP leader and Hindu United Front head Jai Bhagwan Goyal delivered hate speech against Muslims, promoted dangerous stereotypes & called for using bulldozers. The video surfaced on the internet on the 5th of August, 2023.

“Rakshasa (Monsters) in the mode of Jihadis, Bangladeshis, and Rohingya, are activated again! …It seems like their time has come. They don’t live in peace, nor do they let others live in peace! Our India should be free of these Rakshasa, jihadis, and Islamic terrorists.”

“These jihadis will not listen to words, they must be dealt with force. It is time that they are dealt with in the same manner they have been crushed by the bulldozer in UP… These ‘Miyabhais’ are all working towards Ghazwa-e-Hind and Muslim Rashtra. There should be special courts to prosecute them and give them death by hanging!”

Location: Shahdara Chowk, New Delhi

BJP leader and Hindu United Front head Jai Bhagwan Goyal delivered hate speech against Muslims, promoted dangerous stereotypes & called for using bulldozers. pic.twitter.com/Ac2dGazTIq

— HindutvaWatch (@HindutvaWatchIn) August 5, 2023

In a video from Pali, Rajasthan, that surfaced on the internet on 5th of August, 2023, Vishwa Hindu Parishad members organised a rally where hateful slogans were chanted, including “Desh ke gaddaron ko, Goli maro salon ko” (Shoot the traitors of our country. Speakers at the protest urged the government to protect Hindu pilgrimages and rallies from such violence by Muslims.

In Mahendragarh, Haryana, a Hindutva rally witnessed an extremist leader deliver a venomous speech against Muslims, branding them as traitors. “Don’t believe Muslims, even if they swear on their faith.”

Going further, he stated, “Beware of these Muslims in whatever situation you encounter them, whether they come to you as workers, barbers, whatever. They spit in the plates they eat, they will urinate on food, and give you!”  The video surfaced on the internet of the 5th of August, 2023, as the state of Haryana was beginning to barely recover from the throngs of violence that overtook it over the past week.

Location: Mahendragarh, Haryana

At a far-right rally, an extremist leader delivers a provocative speech against Muslims, and calls them traitors. pic.twitter.com/lwKpd26vBF

— HindutvaWatch (@HindutvaWatchIn) August 5, 2023

At an event organised by the Hindu Mahasabha in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, participants called for India to become a Hindu nation and did not shy away from threatening violence to achieve their objectives.

In Jalalabad, Uttar Pradesh, Rashtriya Bajrang Dal leader Arpit Gupta delivered a hate speech against Muslims, issuing threats and instigating violence over the Gyanvapi mosque dispute.

He threatened a repeat of Babri Masjid, “if judges don’t rule in favour of Hindus in the Gyanvapi mosque dispute.”

“On sacrificing lakhs of Hindus, could we contribute our temple to Bhagwan Raam. A survey on Gyanvapi (Mosque) must be immediately conducted!” Hateful slogans of a Desh ke gaddaron ko goli maro salon ko also followed through can be seen in the video that surfaced on Twitter on 7th of August, 2023.

Location: Jalalabad, Sahajanpur, Uttar Pradesh

Rashtriya Bajrang Dal leader and lawyer in district civil court Arpit Gupta delivers hate speech against Muslims.

He threatens a repeat of Babri Masjid if judges don’t rule in favor of Hindus in the Gyanvapi mosque dispute. pic.twitter.com/7nHd8eevQM

— HindutvaWatch (@HindutvaWatchIn) August 7, 2023

As Haryana reeled from violence, Hindutva leaders at a Hindu Mahapanchayat event in Gurugram called for the boycott of Muslims and the closure of mosques. The video, appearing on Twitter on the 6th of August, 2023, saw speakers saying “I appeal to you with folded hands, don’t give any Muslim your house (on rent)!” The speaker also urged people to support the (meat) shop of “our Valmiki Hindu brothers!”

Location: Gurugram, Haryana

Leaders at Hindu Mahapanchayat call for the boycott of Muslims and shutting down mosques. pic.twitter.com/AxZVyKAdCG

— HindutvaWatch (@HindutvaWatchIn) August 6, 2023

In Narwana, Haryana, the Bajrang Dal organised a hate rally where violent slogans were chanted. The rally also targeted Rohingya and Pakistanis, further escalating communal tensions and threatening social harmony. The video from Narwana surfaced on Twitter on the 6th of August, 2023.

Slogans such as “Jihadion aur gauhatyaron ko phansi ho” rang through as did the “goli maaron salon ko” slogan trend. They also threatened, saying there would be consequences if strict action wasn’t taken against the Rohingyas and Pakistanis in India.

Location: Narwana, Haryana

Bajrang Dal organised a hate rally, threatening violence while shouting hateful slogans. pic.twitter.com/1Vcw3GNFoM

— HindutvaWatch (@HindutvaWatchIn) August 6, 2023

Moving north, in Fazilka, Punjab, a video surfaced on the 6th of Augst, 2023, showing a Bajrang Dal leader justifying the murder of two Muslim men by Monu Manesar. His inflammatory speech blamed the victims and propagated dangerous conspiracy theories, fueling animosity between communities.  “They ask why Monu (Manesar) killed those two Muslim men, but why do they again and again cut a cow sacred to Hindus? No Hindu has troubled mullahs or maulvis.”

He continued, “They retaliated for Babri by firing the Godhra trains filled with devotees, they (Muslims) should not forget the consequences they felt after the train burning! Not one but a thousand more Monu Manesar should emerge. Just as more and more Muslims are coming here, now Christians have also started increasing their conversions…What has happened in Mewat, the same is happening in Manipur.”, he told the cheering crowd.

Location: Fazilka, Punjab

In police presence, a Bajrang Dal leader justifies the murder of Nasir and Junaid.

“Even if we have to cut someone, we won’t shy away,” he told the crowd. pic.twitter.com/ee2xJQpZME

— HindutvaWatch (@HindutvaWatchIn) August 6, 2023

Related:

Bail not Jail for Bajrang Dal man, Bittu who posted a provocative video on day of Nuh clash

Suresh Chavhanke’s hate filled rhetoric leaves behind a trail of violence

Three separate benches of the Indian Supreme Court interrogate hate speech

Hate speeches amplified by television, incited targeted violence against Muslims: CCR Report, Feb ‘20 Delhi riots

Hindu Janjagran Manch Leader Delivers Hate Speech, Advocates Economic Boycott of Muslims

The post Rising Tensions: Hindutva organisations continue with hate speeches across India appeared first on SabrangIndia.

As has been alleged, this women-led procession was led by the far-right Hindutva group Durga Vahini, the women’s wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), who had organised a military-style parade where women participants marched with batons and swords on the streets. No reports of any action taken by the police have been made available yet.

The video can be viewed here:

It is crucial to note, that in May of 2022, exactly last year, a similar incident had took place in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram where around 200 persons had been booked by the police in connection with a rally organised by the Durga Vahini during which swords were allegedly brandished by girls. The procession had undertaken on 22 May in Thiruvananthapuram’s Neyyattinkara. Similar to the present procession, in the procession last year too, girls in the front could be seen carrying swords, which were then followed by several girls carrying long sticks. The complaint in the said case had been registered by the Popular Front of India (PFI), who had stated that the brandishing of swords sent a wrong message and invoked enmity between different communities.

Related:

Delhi HC directs Sudarshan News to remove video of news report of a man accused of religious conversion

RSS seeks to disown Suresh Chavhanke, T Raja, says hate speeches don’t reflect RSS ideology

Defiant of the SC, Suresh Chavhanke, Raja Singh & Hindutva outfits escalate hate to dangerous levels

Now ‘Hindu Rashtra’ enters temples in Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka

Hindu “monks” give calls for Hindu Rashtra at an Akhil Bhartiya Hindu Mahasabha event: New Delhi

Open display of “welcome to Akhand Hindu Rashtra” accepted while “discomfort” over Namaz being offered in basement, is this the New India?

Saffron Bigotry threatens Muslim existence in India

The post Videos of hundreds of women donning an orange dupatta and marching with sticks, swords in a military-style parade surface appeared first on SabrangIndia.

First published on:  28 Sep 2016

“The communists’ ideologues conveniently ignore the truth that the roots of Bhagat Singh’s ideology lie in the very concept of Hindu Rashtra,” claimed an article by Dipin Damodharan, published on the birth anniversary of Bhagat Singh, September 28, 2010.

Damodharan, as introduced at the end of the article, is a student pursuing Masters in Communication and Journalism (MCJ) at the Calicut University of Kerala. He argues: “To my knowledge, he sacrificed his precious life for a noble cause, for the liberation of Bharat from the invaders, for nationalism. Undoubtedly Bhagat’s legacy belongs to every Bharati. But for the communists (experts in transforming sheep to dog), he died for communism and not for nationalism. They are incessantly advocating Bhagat as their poster boy, for several years they have been using Goebbelsian tricks to claim Bhagat’s legacy.”

The author further argues, “They are injecting fake stories about Bhagat into the blood of youth who are ignorant about Bharat’s history. Discarding the historical facts, the communists become angry with the Sangh inspired organizations for propagating Bhagat’s ideals”.

To justify his claims, the author cites examples like Bhagat Singh was born in a family who were staunch followers of the Arya Samaj, was educated at Dayanad Anglo Vedic (DAV) School and National College of Lahore, was inspired by the sagas of two great patriots Chatrapati Shivaji and Maharana Pratap and finally, they link at his association with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Of course, without any reference! To any of us who has read Bhagat’s writings, it is nothing but absurd or, if we go by Damodharan’s own definition — it is an attempt to transform sheep in to a dog.

Bhagat Singh himself, in his most famous writing, ‘Why I Am An Atheist’ clarifies the above absurdities.

Bhagat Singh wrote, “I deny the very existence of that Almighty Supreme being… My grandfather under whose influence I was brought up as an orthodox Arya Samajist. An Arya Samajist is anything but an atheist. After finishing my primary education I joined the DAV. School of Lahore and stayed in its Boarding House for one full year… Later on, I joined the revolutionary party… My previous faith and convictions underwent a remarkable modification… I had become a pronounced atheist.”

Dismissing Dipin Damodharan’s remarks as absurd and ignoring them is not what we should do, as these attempts are not abrupt. They are pre-planned and occupy various forms of mass communication. Communal forces are not letting go of any chance to misuse these heroes for furthering their communal agendas.

Last year (2010), a month before the Ayodhya verdict, the ‘Bhagwa Brigade’ (saffron brigade) gave a public call to recruit 10,000 Hindu youth from Madhya Pradesh (MP) for the mission to establish a Hindu Rasthra.

To do so, they issued a poster and pasted copies of it all over the state of Madhya Pradesh. Notably in the poster, with Sawarkar, Shivaji and others, one finds pictures of Bhagat Singh, Baba Saheb Ambedkar and Subhas Chandra Bose, being portrayed as Hindu revolutionaries! One might not have any objection in portraying Shivaji, Maharana Pratap, Jhansi ki Rani and Chandra Sekhar Azad as Hindu icons, but portrayal of Bhagat Singh, Baba Saheb Ambedkar and Subhas Chandra Bose in the same vein is really objectionable and very disturbing, because of their known commitment to secularism and for being non communal.

Like Bhagat Singh, it was very clear to Subhas Chandra Bose of who he was and what he wanted. In 1929, while delivering a speech at Lahore Students’ Conference, Lahore, he famously said, If we are to bring about a revolution of ideas, we have first to hold up before us, an ideal which will galvanise our whole life. That ideal is Freedom. But freedom is a word which has a varied connotation and even in our country, the conception of freedom has undergone a process of evolution. By freedom I mean all-round freedom i.e., freedom for the individual as well as for society, freedom for man as well as for woman, freedom for the rich as well as for the poor, freedom for all individuals and for all classes. This freedom implies not only emancipation from political bondage but also equal distribution of wealth, abolition of caste barriers and social iniquities and destruction of communalism and religious intolerance. This is an ideal which may appear Utopian to hard-headed men and women — but this ideal alone can appease the hunger of the soul.”

An archive photograph of Bhagat Singh in jail in Lahore. Image: The Hindu

Ambedkar converted to Buddhism  in protest of the jati-varna system of Hinduism, and was very clear about what he stood for. He repeatedly opposed the system of Hinduism let alone the ideology of Hindutva. He had asked his followers to stop the Hindu Rashtra from becoming a reality at all costs.

But again, Hindu communal political parties like the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), spread deliberate confusion about him by misquoting him and depicting him as ‘their’ leader. Last year (2010), on the eve of 6th December (anniversary of Babri Masjid demolition), on the walls on Jamia Nagar, a new kind of poster was seen.

The poster was put up by Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the youth wing of BJP, and read thus, ‘Yugh Purush Baba Saheb Ambedker ke nirvana divas par Dr. Bheem Rao Ambeker Cricket Tournament-10’, with a relatively larger picture of Baba Saheb (as compared to) other leaders of BJYM, who were shown promoting the event.

The event which was scheduled to take place in Malviya Nagar had absolutely no connection with Jamia Nagar, except that both finish on the same last name! While seeing the poster, one wonders what it has to do with Jamia Nagar. At the same time, the same or any other poster about the event was not seen in neighbouring Jullena or Sukhdev Vihar, which have a dominant non-Muslim population, let alone other areas of Delhi. But of course, it was put up for diverting the attention of the Muslims from the anniversary of demolition of Babri Masjid. Moreover, to my understanding, it was meant to convey a message to the ordinary resident of Jamia nagar (read Muslim) that either, Ambedkar was a leader of the BJP, or at least somebody who sympathised with its ideology and those of its allies, which is absolutely wrong and ridiculous, to say the least.     

Hindutva-waadis are hell bent on distorting facts and influencing the common sense through the medium of mass communication.

On the eve of Valentine’s Day, these forces spread a rumor that on  February 14, 1931, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru & Sukhdev were hanged till death by British government and we celebrate this day as Valentine day! Isn’t it surprising & painful? I am told by a journalist friend of mine from south India that, this is the standard question you have to counter if you say what is wrong with celebrating Valentine’s Day! This, when it is a well-established historical fact that Bhagat Singh, along with Sukhdev and Rajguru were martyred on March 23, 1931 and not on February 14.

The zealots don’t stop there. They have even tried spreading misinformation through Wikipedia, the preferable web dictionary for the net savvy, to know who is who and what is what.

According to a news report that had appeared in The Hindu, ‘the Wikipedia page on Bhagat Singh underwent many editing changes on February 13 and 14, Valentine’s day ’. The date of Bhagat Singh’s hanging had been changed from  March 23 to February 14, 1931. And it was due to such propaganda that an international news website, reported, “While the whole world observes 14th February as Valentine’s Day, not many Indians remember that the day was also when the Indian freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru were hanged to death by the Britishers in Lahore, Pakistan”. Similarly, this  February 13, (2011) Twitter was on fire with talk of the February 14 as Bhagat Singh’s martyrdom day next day, and even the editor of a Hindi news channel mourned that everyone was looking forward only to Valentine’s Day. He was shamed into apologising the next day.

We will have many days every year to remember Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru, Ashfaqullah Khan, Baba Saheb Ambedkar, Subhas Chandra Bose and others, on their martyrdom, death, and birth anniversaries. This puts greater responsibility on us—the responsibility of not believing in distorted facts, but to keep alive the belief of what these revolutionaries had lived and died for.

In order to pay our real tribute to the makers of modern India, we should counter the propaganda of communal forces at various levels. The choice is ours, whether we want to contest such vandalism or let it go uncontested until such time as the common masses have no option but to believe, A for Ambedkar – A for Advani, B for Bhagat Singh, B for Bhagwa, S for Subhas Chandra Bose, S for Savarkar…

Are we ready for that?

(Mahtab Alam is an activist and writer. He tweets @MahtabNama . This article was first published in Kafila.org on  March 23, 2011)

The post Freedom from Communalism & Religious Intolerance was Bhagat Singh’s Ideal, Never Hindu Rashtra appeared first on SabrangIndia.

On October 21, a Supreme Court bench, comprising of Justices K M Joseph and Hrishikesh Roy, had issued stern interim directions directing the police chiefs of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand to take “immediate” suo motu action against any hate speech delivered. The directives were not new, they reiterated existing laws and directed the police to do its constitutional and statutory duty: lodge criminal cases and investigate these without waiting for formal complaints from a citizen. Before and after this, the Supreme Court of India has, vocally bemoaned the fact that police and other authorities have not been taking any action against instances of hate speech despite orders from the apex court. Sad to say, these words by India’s highest court have been met with a lackadaisical response from police authorities on ground.

Following up on the orders issued by the Supreme Court from time to time, Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) had, in line with its consistent campaign to curb hate speech, has been monitoring the Hindu extremist outfit, Hindu Janajagruiti Samaj (HJS) and its ominous recent forays into Maharashtra. Its trajectory and track record is well known in neighbouring Karnataka.[1] Are these the credentials then that have invited entry into Maharashtra, notably after a regime change in June 2022?

The campaign began with the HJS being at the forefront (though it was not the only outfit by any means) to run a campaign advocating the passage of an anti-conversion (read ‘anti-love jihad’) laws in Maharashtra. Extremist Right-wing Hindu groups have been using the term “love-Jihad” loosely now, wielded by an aggressive majoritarianism, woven into a dominant caste Hindu narrative of religious extremism, Islamophobia, and communal hatred. The HJS fairly brazenly claims on its website that the outfit has been conducting regular workshops to make Hindus “aware” of the consequences of autonomous and free choice marriages, derogatively and provocatively termed ‘Love Jihad.’

The website of HJS provided information regarding the many events the outfit had planned for the month of February and March 2023, in various parts of Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Goa and Karnataka. These events began from February 21, in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra. They have since dotted both the Maharashtra and Karnataka landscape. Karnataka goes to the polls mid-2023 and Maharashtra in the second half of 2024. Since prior to this date, CJP has continuously monitored the HJS events page, which is updated on a daily basis and new events were included. In each of these cases, CJP has sent preemptive complaints to the state and district authorities. Through these preemptive complaints, CJP had urged the police and authorities to take preventive action, monitor, video tape and thereafter prosecute the speakers at these scheduled events. In many of the cases where events have been scheduled, CJP had also sent memorandums to the elected Members of the Maharashtra & Karnataka Legislative Assemblies (MLA) or the Members of Parliament (MPs) of the particular constituency/region where the HJS event was scheduled to take place, urging them to ensure that the police and authorities under them take the necessary preventive action. In almost none of these was any action noticeable.

A detailed table listing the complaints sent by CJP is as follows:

What did the preemptive complaint entail?

Through this preemptive complaint, CJP had has brought to the notice of the concerned district and state authorities that a “Hindu Rashtra Jagruti Sabha: event was scheduled to be held in their district, wherein anti-Muslim hate speeches were in all likelihood likely to be delivered, and calls for establishing a Hindu nation will be made, most often by stigmatizing (as second class, untrustworthy citizens) and targeting religious minorities.

The complaint first began by pointing out the guidelines and precedents set by the Supreme Court on hate speeches and the duties of the police officers in taking preventive actions. On February 3, 2023, the Supreme Court issued directions with respect to an event which was scheduled to be held in Mumbai on February 5 by Sakal Hindu Samaj. The court had taken an undertaking from government of Maharashtra that if permission for this event is granted “it will be subject to the condition that nobody will make any hate speech and in defiance of law or disturbing the public order.” There has been clearly multiple breaches of this “undertaking” made to the highest court. The court also gave directions that it shall be the duty of the police officers to invoke section 151 of Code of Criminal Procedure for preventive action in case the need for the same arises.

The complaint also highlighted the oath taken by every government servant, including Indian Police Service officers, under the Third Schedule of the Constitution [Articles 75(4), 99, 124(6), 148(2), 164(3), 188 and 219]. Through this emphasis, the complaint reminded the specific elected representatives, and the concerned IPS and IAS officials of the constituency/district — as government servants who took an oath to be wedded to true faith solemnly affirm an allegiance to the Constitution of India as by law established, it is their statutory and Constitutional duty to take action against speakers at such events that make discriminatory remarks that affect the Right to Life, Equality, Justice and Equality before the Law of all Indians.

To substantiate their raise concerns about the HJS outfit, CJP, in its complaint has highlighted the divisive and majoritarian track record (background) of HJS, along with the previous hate speeches delivered at events organised by the HJS as well as the hate offenders associated with the organisation.  It was provided that, in the past, many notorious hate offenders and hate speakers, such as T. Raja, Pramod Muthalik, Meenakshi Sharan, H.H. Sambhajirao Bhide, Kalicharan Maharaj and Suresh Chavhanke, had been associated with HJS, and participated in their activities. An event had been organised by the HJS last year where notorious hate offender Sambhaji Bhide had advocated for the boycott of Halal Products.

On these detailed and researched lines, the CJP had urged the Police to take preventive measures to stop this event from taking place and take any other action deemed necessary in this regard.

A sample of such a complaint in its entirety may be read here.

In addition to this, CJP had sent preemptive memorandums to the elected MLAs and MPs of the concerned districts, reminding them of their oaths and duties, to do all that they can in their power in ensuring that the police takes the required preventive action in this highlighted regard by following due process of law.

The full memorandum sent to the MPs/MLAs may be read here.

Was any action actually taken in pursuance to the preemptive complaints?

After sending the complaint, the standard procedure developed by the CJP Legal Team was to call at the numbers of the authorities to whom the complaint was sent, to ensure that the authorities have received the complaint. This said SOP was developed after the CJP team had contacted the Ratnagiri authorities with the aim of following up and questioned them regarding the inaction pursuant to the complaint. It is essential to note, that after the first preemptive complaint was sent to the Ratnagiri preemptive complaint, the HJS had uploaded pictures and photos from the Ratnagiri event. Thus, it had become evident that the event had taken place with no checks and balances apparently in place. After have questioned the authority, it had become evident that the complaints had not even been opened by the police officers, much less been taken cognizance of.

A detailed account of the same can be read here.

Pursuant to this, the CJP Team had started contacting each and every officer to whom the complaint had been addressed. Most of these phone calls yielded no results, the officers would only shrug responsibility, provide more numbers of more police officers, stating that the area of the scheduled event did not fall under their jurisdiction! Contacting those numbers would just lead to more numbers being given, of control rooms, of constables and police station inspectors, none of whom knew what guidelines or what events we were referring to.

What is most concerning is that the apparently efficient digitalized mode of communication (emails etc) listed on police websites for the citizenry are completely ineffective: there is almost no connect between the computer cabins that “receive” such communications and the district police or location/beat police offices meant to respond to potentially disruptive programmes!

Ironically, there were also rare cases where the police officer would actually be aware about the event and the complaint. In the case of Udupi, the police officer officially told CJP that even though they are aware of the event taking place, they do not think that hate speeches will be made! When the team highlighted that the HJS has been notorious for indulging in hate speech against Muslims, –that too in Udupi itself–the office of the police came back with “we will look into it.”

In the case of Jharkhand, the officers contacted by the team were aware about the event. Despite this, they repeatedly asked the team members to physically come to the station to file a complaint. This clearly means that the SC guidelines directing the police to follow the; law and file complaints is not being followed. On being told that CJP is a non-governmental organisation in Mumbai, the officer just said that nothing can be done in that case, and only coming to the police station will help. All the efforts of re-iterating the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court did not result in any action.

In the case of Mumbai, CJP Team spoke to the senior police inspector of Azad Maidan police station. When the team raised its concerns regarding the impending rally, the officer said that they had said that they are aware about it, and are planning to monitor it. When asked if they will be video-graphing the event as well, they did not clarify. The officer had also said that they did not think any hate speech or any anti-Muslim speech will be taking place at the said event. 

What actually happened: the hate speeches made at the events

From the Facebook pages and the Twitter pages of HJS, videos and photos events have been uploaded. Except for Jharkhand and Mumbai, the HJS had organised a Hindu Rashtra Jagruti Sabha event at all the other places. While only the video of the Dapoli event speech has been provided on the HJS Facebook, it can be easily asserted that a similar speech was given at the event organised at other districts too. In Dapoli, the speech given was one hour long, and the same repeated calls for establishing Hindu Rashtra, previously also uttered, were also made. The main speaker was Manoj Khadaye, Coordinator of HJS. In his speech, he brought in the favourite bogey topics of the extremist Hindu outfits, such as “Love-Jihad,” “Halal Certificate”, “Forced” Religious conversions, to target the religious minorities of the country.

Some of the derogatory statements that were made are as follows:

“Until Love Jihad law is not introduced, our struggle will continue. When Shraddha Walker was murdered, many morchas were held but that is not enough. When our women are in distress, we do not do candle march. When Sita was kidnapped, Hanuman burnt Lanka- that is our tradition”

“We do not speak against Muslim(s) but who are the ones doing love jihad? Who are killing cows? We have to take their name”

“Around 30,000 cows are being slaughtered every month.”

“These Christian missionaries are roaming around with Bibles in villages and trying to converting people. They lie to people and try to convert them that you will be cured of diseases. Hence we should oppose religious conversion.” 

The video can be viewed here:

In Mumbai, the event that was planned was for promoting the agenda of fort protection of Islamic encroachment. Through their speeches that were promoting the event, each person had specifically mentioned that the forts in Maharashtra have been encroached upon by Muslims and mosques and ‘mazaar’ have been built in the premises of these forts. Through this event, they had demanded for the removal of encroachments on forts, action against those officials who allowed such encroachments, no rehabilitation of encroachers at the expense of the government and setting up of a State level Committee to preserve forts. Words like land jihad, love jihad bulldozers were also used a lot during this event

Some of the derogatory statements that were made are as follows:

“If they can come together for breaking our country (anti-CAA protests) why can’t we come together for our religion?”

“There is no adharm in removing this encroachment.”

“We are ready to shed blood.”

“This way they are taking over all the heritage structures that were built by Shivaji Maharaj and stern action is necessary from the state government.”

The video can be viewed here:

https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?extid=CL-UNK-UNK-UNK-AN_GK0T-GK1C&mibextid=1YhcI9R&ref=watch_permalink&v=894195825228596

Is India a country with myriad laws and guidelines, but no implementation?

The Supreme Court of India used the word “embarrassed” to express itself when lawyers kept approaching the court to prohibit hate speeches from happening. “You ask us to be embarrassed again and again by getting an order [and nobody taking action],” the bench remarked orally when a lawyer wanted to argue an application to prohibit a Hindu Jan Akrosh Morcha rally in Mumbai on February 5, on the grounds that this rally would be platforming anti-Muslim hate speech.

But the truth is that human rights activists and human rights lawyers have no option left but to approach the Supreme Court for even the smallest hate speech violation, faced as they are with brazen inaction by the state police on ground. Approaching the Supreme Court has become the only resort for justice.

Not only is there a lack of implementation of the Supreme Court guidelines at the grass root level. From police to elected leaders, our urges and preemptive complaints fell on deaf ears despite dedicated and responsible follow-up. It became evident that these emails and phone numbers available on online police station websites are cosmetic

What will the Supreme Court now do if the officers in charge of implementing the guidelines are simply refusing to do so, owing to either willful ignorance or political pressure, influence or affiliation? How may a common concerned citizen of India even raise the issue of rights for law if the officer within whose jurisdiction these events fall remain unreachable? Who do the citizens approach when the police refuses to do their jobs?

Curbing hate speeches in India cannot be the job of an individual. The strong oprganisational network, political patronage and funding backing these extremist Hindu outfits is substantial and subversive. It behooves district courts, the high courts and the Supreme Court to step into the act. Has India reached a stage where in several states the political executive and it’s police is/are violating the law and Constitution and simply ignoring the substantive diktats issued, time and again, by our constitutional courts.

(A petition demanding strict action on growing hate speech events in the state of Maharashtra has been initiated by CJP. The petition points towards the systematic hate speech rallies being carried out throughout the state, states that “some organised groups, politically connected, are involved, in a systematic organisation of such events across many districts and carry out rallies and invite speakers known to have delivered hate speeches in the past. The said petition may be signed here.)

The post A roundup of the CJP’s efforts to curb hate speeches by Hindu Janajagruiti Samaj, from filing preemptive complaints to following up with officers appeared first on SabrangIndia.

A Gujarat resident, Kajal Singhala also known as Kajal Hindustani, who calls herself an activist, delivered a hate speech at Mira Bhayandar, Mumbai giving ferocious calls for economic boycott of the entire Muslim community while unabashedly making ridiculous claims about incidents of Love jihad, land jihad and justifying the economic boycott of Muslims. She was called as a speaker at the Hindu Jan Aakrosh Morcha where she made extremely derogatory remarks about the Muslim community in front of an audience of over 1,500 people.

BJP leader Nilesh Rane (Narayan Rane’s son), BJP’s Mira Bhayandar unit President Ravi Vyas and BJP MLA Geeta Jain were also present at this event. Rane called for anti-conversion law in Maharashtra on the lines of other BJP states and Vyas justified the concept of ‘Land jihad’ as being real, citing two alleged incidents of land encroachment.

The speech

Greeted with calls of “Jai Shree Ram”, upon the stage, she wasted no time and directly indulged in hate speech. She mentioned that she grew up in Mira Bhayandar and growing up she had never seen people with skull caps in the area (referring to Muslim community) and that she was saddened to see them. She further said, “I am seeing that Hindus have left Mira Bhayandar and Jihadis have usurped and captured this area.

Here are some extracts from her speech:

She highlighted 3 main factors of Islamic encroachments: 1. Love Jihad 2. Illegal Muslim encroachment and 3. religious conversion. “Iss Suleimani kide ke liye ek ram baan ilaaj bhi hai (for this (Islamic) parasite, there is also a (Hindu) treatment)”. She further said that no one can stop you from using this treatment – economic boycott.

“In this discourse around non-violence, Hindus have become so impotent that in their own country they have become refugees” she also recited a small poem about raising calls for Hindu Rashtra.

Kajal Hindustani made a hate-speech in Mira-Bhayandar, just outside Mumbai yesterday. She called for econ0mic boycott of one community saying that ‘Jihadi thela wale, fruit wale, hotel-restuarant wale khane mein napunsakta ki dawai mila rahe hai’ #HateSpeech #HateCrime pic.twitter.com/W0kmfiXFA7

— SabrangIndia (@sabrangindia) March 13, 2023

“From hind mahasagar to Himalayas and from Afghanistan to Indonesia, there were Hindus everywhere. This is the land of Hindus and every person here is a Hindustani. In 200 districts and 9 states now Hindus are a minority. In the north of Mira Bhayandar, the coastal area, religious conversion is taking place openly. From here Chadarwala (referring to muslims) and from the other end, Fatherwala (referring to Christians) are attacking us and we Hindus, are pushing for brotherhood. My innocent brother, if your religion is safe, only then the country will be safe.”

“This is a war for religion. You ran away from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh. Kabul, Karachi, Lahore and even Kashmir. Decide until when you will run and till where. Till when you will walk along the shore, you will have to get on the battlefield. Running away is not the solution.“

“Non-violence is a delusion. It is a trap by our enemies. Listen to me, this is the era of Hindus. If non-violence was God’s way, why would Krishna write the Bhagavad Gita,” this was a part of a poem she recited. The hook line of her poem was, “the battlefield asks for sacrifice and you have gone home instead”.

“Love Jihad, Land Jihad and religious conversion, are all connected to terrorism”.

She said that there are 1 lakh cases of love jihad in Maharashtra and that poses a danger. She then made false claims that Hindu girls are pushed into substance abuse and pushed into prostitution and even Hindu boys are made to do drugs. Then she appealed to Hindu women to at least give birth to two children, while comparing with Muslim women, saying they have 18 children.

Then she painted a scenario to show “Hindus are in danger” by painting a rather bizarre imagery for her audience. She said that imagine you are at home with your wife and one child and now picture Abdul and his 4 wives and 18 children. Abdul and his family come to your home and try to throw you out of your house. Will you be able to do anything? You cannot even kill a cockroach and they are openly doing ‘sar tan se juda’ (referring to a partial part of the slogan attributed to terror outfits that states that disrespecting the Prophet could lead to the death penalty)

Further, referring to the “ill-effects” of social media platforms, Instagram, she said that Muslim boys upload videos with filters and impress Hindu girls and they ride bikes borrowed from their mechanic shops (cars belonging to Hindus) and entrap Hindu girls. “Your daughter is a clean slate and if you don’t write ‘Jai Shree Ram’ on it now, He will come and write ‘Allahu Akbar,’” she said.

“Give your daughter proper Sanskars so that even if Bollywood’s King Khan falls on her feet, she should kick him and say, ‘Bhaag Jihadi’ (get lost you jihadi). Empower your daughter, hand her a sword. She is being cut into 35 pieces, and Deepika was cut into 52 pieces.”

“The Mughal era is still prevalent. Then there were Aurangzeb and Akbar, now there are Abdul and Aftab.”

“Bollywood is the main conspirator behind Love Jihad.”

She referred to the movie Atrangi Re where the lead female character says that her’s is a true love story as she fell in love with a boy from another religion (a Muslim). She said that Hindu girls get inspired by movies like this one. She even criticised the movie Kedarnath where a Brahmin girl falls in love with a porter who is a Muslim.

Then she starts talking about Land Jihad. “They say, ‘Lad ke lia Pakistan, hass k lia Hindustan (We fought and took Pakistan and smiled and took Hindustan) and they want to make India into an Islamic nation by 2047. Here in this area near Kankia police grounds, is an illegal dargah and it stands on government land.  If you are truly a strong woman, come out of your home and threaten them.”

“Look at their sisters, wearing their burqas, they made Shaheen Bagh in Delhi. They moved because of Covid-19 not because of the government. Their women can sit for 6 months but our women won’t be able to sit even for 6 hours, they can’t even bear 2 children. All laws are made for women but we are not able to take advantage of them but jihadis are misusing them.”

She named a few areas like Shanti Nagar, Poonam garden, Jaisal park where she claimed all vegetable and fruits vendors are jihadi. “My Hindu sisters, to save 10 rupees, buy vegetables and fruits from jihadis but do you know what they do? They inject them with medicines to make men impotent. When they see some newly wed couple entering their restaurant, they mix this medicine in their food. In your family there must be one couple who cannot have children for 4-5 years despite trying. This has happened only in the last 5 years…they are conspiring to destroy your generation.”

She said the Nagar Palika does not have guts to take down an illegal dargah.

She also claimed that Muslim pelt stones at every rath yatra, at Ram Navami processions, Navratri, Ram Janmabhoomi yatras. “Over a small comment by Nupur Sharma, they killed Umesh Kale in Amravati, Kanhaiya Kumar in Rajasthan, Kishan in Gujarat, Pravin Tambe in Karnataka and they raise slogans ‘Gustaak e Rasool ki ek hi saza sar tan se juda’.  Do you want to support these people who are killing us?”

She then administered an oath to the entire crowd that was gathered there, “I, resident of Maharashtra and descendant of Shivaji, swear on Tulja Bhawani that we will economically boycott jihadis, we will only give business to Hindus only,  we will employ only Hindus”. Then she, in a denigrating manner, referred to Muslims and said look all of the Hindus in Mira Bhayandar are boycotting you.

Comments from BJP leaders

Before the speeches started, BJP leader and Kankavali MLA Nitesh Rane who also attended the rally, when asked about the Supreme Court’s directions against hate speech at such morcha, said, “ such directions are only given to Hindu community. If you see Muslim leaders speaking, they speak more extreme than this so-called hate speech. We are only trying to create awareness among Hindu community”. He also said that “we expect the Maharashtra government to come up with an anti-love jihad law” When asked about Kajal Hindustani’s call for economic boycott at another Hindu Jan Akrosh Rally in Vashi, he appeared to justify it, saying, “all the money (they make) is used against the Hindu community. If the money is used for their prosperity no one has an issue with that but it is used in the name of terrorism love jihad”.

Advocate Ravi Vyas ,President of the BJP’s Mira Bhayandar unit and a corporator said, “BJP is not a part of this. We have come here as Hindus”. When asked about Land Jihad, he cited a local example of a dargah apparently built on police grounds and another dargah built on mangroves and said that this was Land jihad. When enquired about an ex-MLA (BJP) accused of grabbing land in Mira Bhayandar, Shree Rane stepped in to say that the reporter was trying to divert the issue and advised Shree Vyas to not answer the question. Adv Vyas refused to comment but said that if any such irregularity is brought to his notice, he will take action. Earlier, on being asked about hate speech, Geeta Jain, BJP MLA said that there are no hate speeches being made at the rally and that they will be cautious that no hate speech is made later too.  Evidently she was wrong.

Related:

A roundup of the CJP’s efforts to curb hate speeches by Hindu Janajagruiti Samaj, from filing preemptive complaints to following up with officers

Memo seeking preventive action against Hindu Janajagruti Samiti event sent to authorities

Citizens’ attempts to prevent hate speech event ignored, Hate Event allowed by Ratnagiri Police

Maharashtra: The new breeding ground for hate, oaths of allegiance to the Constitution brutally violated

The post Maharashtra: Vitriolic speaker from Gujarat calls for economic boycott of Muslims in Mira-Bhayandar appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The New Delhi World Book Fair in Pragati Maidan, one of the most revered events that take place annually, is the latest place to be targeted by the Right Wing fanatics for pushing their communal and divisive agenda. As reported on March 1, a group of over 30 people attacked a stall belonging to Gideons International, a Christian non-profit, causing chaos.

In the video that has now gone viral, around 50 people can be seen circling the above-mentioned bookstall and chanting ‘Jai Shree Ram’ slogans in the video. Alleging that the Christians are targeting the poor Hindu families, and forcing them into religious conversions, the Right wing goons resorted to sloganeering and attacking their property. They tore copies of The Holy Bible and shouted, “Free Bible bandh karo, dharam parivartan bandh karo” (Stop distributing free copies of the Bible, stop religious conversion), along with the slogans of ‘Jai Shree Ram’ and ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’.

In the video, the man leading the vandalism group can be seen identifying himself as Mahindri Panchandham, a self-proclaimed member of Unite Hindu. It is pertinent to be noted that even when some people from the crowd try to remind Panchandham that the Indian Constitution describes the country as a democratic nation where one is free to follow under their free will, he can be heard shot back saying, “Democracy gives the right to preach religion but not to lure poor Hindus and convert them.”

The video can be viewed here:
 

Location: Pragati Maidan, Delhi

At the World Book Fair, Hindu far-right members chanting Jai Shri Ram slogans vandalized a Christian stall.

The extremists tore posters, chanted Hanuman Chalisa, and shouted Bharat Mata ki Jai. pic.twitter.com/2zQ1hAdhZP

— HindutvaWatch (@HindutvaWatchIn) March 2, 2023

According to the report provided by the Newslaundry, a few men had arrived at the stall around 2.15 p.m. Several of them wore tikkas on their foreheads and saffron scarves. The stall, like several other booths displaying spiritual books at the fair, had posters advertising free copies of religious texts. The posters had said “Free Holy Bible”. The report provided that the group “ripped the posters” and grabbed copies of New Testament: Psalms and Proverbs.

The Newslaundry had further reported that the group raised slogans of “Jai Shri Ram” and “Bharat Mata ki Jai”, forcefully sitting down around the stall, refusing to move for 20 to 25 minutes. They also started reciting the Hanuman Chalisa while “yelling” at the people in charge of the stall. According to the report, when the Newslaundry had arrived at the location later that evening, volunteers were replacing some of the torn posters. David Philip, a volunteer at the stall told the Newslaundry reported that the Right Wing mob had accused them of converting people. “They cursed and screamed at us. One of us went to call security, which only arrived after 25 minutes,” said David.

A security officer roaming nearby in the evening told Newslaundry that men from a “shakha” had visited the stall and “created a ruckus”. Another senior security officer stated that a “minor” incident had occurred but that it had been resolved. He said the stall was subsequently given “routine security” and that the protesters were told to “move away”.

According to a volunteer at a nearby stall, the group of men “refused to move” until security “convinced” them to.

It should be noted that this is only one of many religious organizations’ stalls. Other stalls at the Delhi Book Fair are run by Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh groups, and some of them distribute free copies of religious books to passersby.

According to the media reports, at the time of publishing this story, Gideons International had not filed a complaint with the police in the matter. 

Related:

Uttarakhand: Mazar demolished by far right extremists

Hate Watch: Radha Semwal Dhoni verbally and physically abuses three Christians, accuses them of forced religious conversions

After desecration, vandalism, a statue stolen from historic Mumbai’s Byculla church

Graves desecrated in Mumbai’s Mahim church, FIR filed

Not an inch of our cemetery land, Mumbai Christians protest BMC demolition notice

Church vandalised in Karnataka’s Mysuru, statue of Baby Jesus damaged

PM’s ‘deafening silence’ on attacks on Christians concerning, outfits protest such attacks 

The post Right-wing group attacks Christian stall at World Book Fair, stoking communal tensions appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Under the leadership of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the right-wing organisations have been utilising the temples for propagating their Hindutva agenda. Being home to lakhs of temples, Tamil Nadu provides a perfect platform for the Sangh Parivar to promote its propaganda.

With a 50:50 ratio of minority and majority population, Kanyakumari district has become a perfect place to experiment for the RSS and its affiliates. The right-wing has successfully managed to intrude into the day to day activities in the temples controlled by the government in the form of devotee organisations. These organisations have a free run in the temples outside the government regulations, including those managed by individuals and trusts.

From conducting preaching classes on weekends, organising special sessions for women and children and organising festivals, the right-wing organisations have their say in all activities.

The negligence of the State government and an increasing number of vacancies in government-run temples help the right-wing groups gain the upper hand in dictating terms. The democratic and religious organisations have been long demanding the government to stop the intervention of right-wing groups.

LETHARGY IN ADMINISTRATION HELPING RIGHT-WING

The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department manages around 44,000 temples across the state, of which 490 are located in Kanyakumari district and Shenkottai taluk of Tirunelveli district. These temples are controlled by the joint commissioner of incorporated and unincorporated Thirukovilgal (temples), situated in Suchindram.

The increasing vacancies and negligence of administration are helping the right-wing activists intrude into the temples’ daily affairs. “The successive governments have not given sufficient attention to the temples attached to the HR&CE department. The lack of staff in temples has led to the intervention of right-wing groups,” said Aji Kumar, district general secretary of Kanyakumari DIstrict Temple Workers Union.

The functioning of 5 regional offices controlled by the joint commissioner is also being criticised frequently. The Superintendent’s office of the Kuzhithurai region has long been closed. The office is entrusted with monitoring 90 temples and several educational institutions.

A temple worker in the division accused the right-wing organisations and a few officers of being hand in glove. “The officials support the right-wing groups so that they do not need to spend time in office. In certain temples, the complete administration is run by the people belonging to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS),” he said.

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), to which the temple’s workers are affiliated, have been continuously demanding the government to curb the intervention of Sangh Parivar organisations in the temple activities.

“These people are intervening in temple administration purely for their political gains, and they do not have spirituality in their minds,” the worker accused.

FAILURE IN OTHER DISTRICTS

However, the Sangh Parivar organisations cannot emulate the success in other districts as they have achieved in Kanyakumari. Prof Arun Kumar, a researcher and assistant professor at Gautam University, Bengaluru, opined that the success is a result of the religious complexion of the district.

“The Sangh Parivar organisation has been successful purely because of the Hindu- Christian polarisation, which is being strengthened through the temples. Their primary focus is on getting hold of the ‘temple committees’, which is a traditional practice in the district,” he said.

In other districts, the formula has failed, including in Coimbatore, where several Sangh Parivar groups have a considerable presence. The organisations have initiated several plans, including the ‘Hindu Temple Reclamation Organisation’, but have not succeeded.

“In Coimbatore, the organisations utilise temple space for conducting free tuitions only in around five places in the district. The organisations have made small inroads in Theni, Cumbum and Uthamapalayam areas by organising committees to retrieve deserted temples. But their success is minimal, and the organisations have not gained electorally in any other districts,” Arun said.

INTRUSION IN PRIVATE TEMPLES

Apart from the temples under HR&CE control, tens of thousands of temples are managed by individuals and trusts. The Sangh Parivar organisations have been trying to bring these temples under a single umbrella but cannot move at the pace they wish.

“There are around 6,000 temples in Kanyakumari district alone in this category. A Hindu Temple Confederation was initiated in 2018, and only 800 temples have joined this so far. For the last couple of years, this organisation has been in a stagnated state Arun said.

The temple trusts are managed by different caste groups, in which the Sangh Parivar has managed to earn a considerable presence.

“The right-wing activists become a part of the temple committees and dominate the proceedings. Once their intentions of introducing Brahmanical practices in small temples and political gains get exposed, the people used to kick them out,” said a trustee of a temple seeking anonymity.

Though the success is limited to only one district, the Sangh Parivar is desperately trying to utilise temples as their base for political gains. The devotees, workers and section of the public are demanding the government’s intervention to restrain the right-wing groups from capturing temples.

Courtesy: Newsclick.in

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“By Ram Rajya I do not mean Hindu Raj. I mean by Ramarajya Divine Raj, Khuda ki Basti or the Kingdom of God on Earth”  Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi[1]
 
At the heart of the visceral animosity that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Hindu Mahasabha (HMS) and all the affiliates have against Gandhi is his deep, reasoned and passionate commitment to a composite Indian nationhood. His writings in Young India and Harijan are well-documented as also is his subsequent clarity on the issue which is unequivocal. [2]

Faced with the growing appeal of communalists across the religious spectrum, in the early-mid 1900s,  Gandhi remained firm in his commitment to equal citizenship based on human rights and dignity…..
…
Under Gandhi’s guidance and leadership, communal amity remained central to the constructive programmes of the Congress. Muslim intellectuals and leaders of national stature, Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan, Dr Ansari Hakim Ajmal Khan, Badruddin Tyabjee, Maulana Shaukat Ali and Jauhar Ali were proud part of the Congress fold. While the larger national movement, represented by the Congress and Revolutionaries, was surging ahead with a wider vision and inclusive foundation of Indian nationhood, at play were majoritarian and minority communal forces, in parallel, pushing their narrow, hate-driven, communal agendas.

In 1937, at the open session of the Hindu Mahasabha held at Ahmedabad, V.D. Savarkar, in his presidential address asserted: “India cannot be assumed today to be a unitarian and homogenous nation, but on the contrary there are two nations in the main – the Hindus and the Muslims.”[1] By 1945, Savarkar had gone to the extent of stating, “I have no quarrel with Mr. Jinnah’s two–nation theory. We, the Hindus are a nation by ourselves, and it is a historical fact that the Hindus and the Muslims are two nations”. [2]. It was this sentiment of separate and irreconcilable identities of the followers of these religions that led to the communal holocaust and the formation of Pakistan. 

If the Muslim League and Jinnah need to squarely be positioned for their responsibility in articulating a politics that eventually led to a communal bloodbath, the Hindu Mahasabha and the Rashtritya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) with their consistently divisive politics, cannot escape their share of the blame.

Arguably, as much as Gandhi’s and the larger, Congress’ commitment to secular and composite Indian nationhood, a deep source of resentment for the proponents of a Hindu Rashtra was the democratic and egalitarian agenda being articulated by the national leadership through the Karachi resolution. The attempts on Gandhi’s life that began in 1934 , were a response to the dominant political articulations on nationhood, caste and economic and other democratic rights that were in direct challenge to a hegemonistic and authoritarian Hindu Rashtra. 1933, the year before the first attempt on Gandhi’s life, he had declared firm support to two Bills, one of whom was against the abhorrent practice of Untouchability.

The run up to Independence and unfortunately, Partition, was the scene or battle ground for fundamentally different notions of nationhood. While over one hundred years of sustained movements and mobilizations to throw off British yoke were wedded in the united battle of all Indians against foreign rule, the early-mid 1900s saw the birth and emergence of sectarian and communal definitions of Indian and Pakistani nationhood. With the birth of the Hindu Mahasabha, the Muslim League and the RSS, these movements were in constant battle with the larger movement, significantly, at different points of time actually acting as collaborators with the British.
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Later, on January 27, 1935, Gandhi addressed some members of the Central Legislature. He told them that “(e)ven if the whole body of Hindu opinion were to be against the removal of untouchability, still he would advise a secular legislature like the Assembly not to tolerate that attitude.”.[1] On January 20, 1942 Gandhi remarked while discussing the Pakistan scheme: “What conflict of interest can there be between Hindus and Muslims in the matter of revenue, sanitation, police, justice, or the use of public conveniences? The difference can only be in religious usage and observance with which a secular state has no concern.” [2] From then until he was shot dead in cold blood on January 30, 1948, his responses and articulation on the disassociation of religion from politics became even clearer and sharper. This meant in effect he was a great threat to past and present day proponents of a Hindu rashtra.

[[As quoted by Nauriya, in the Hindu, 2003, in September 1946, Gandhi told a Christian missionary: “If I were a dictator, religion and state would be separate. I swear by my religion. I will die for it. But it is my personal affair. The state has nothing to do with it. The state would look after your secular welfare, health, communications, foreign relations, currency and so on, but not your or my religion. That is everybody’s personal concern!” Gandhi’ s talk with Rev. Kellas of the Scottish Church College, Calcutta on August 16, 1947, the day after Independence, was reported in Harijan on August 24:

“Gandhiji expressed the opinion that the state should undoubtedly be secular. It could never promote denominational education out of public funds. Everyone living in it should be entitled to profess his religion without let or hindrance, so long as the citizen obeyed the common law of the land. There should be no interference with missionary effort, but no mission could enjoy the patronage of the state as it did during the foreign regime.” This understanding came subsequently to be reflected in Articles 25, 26 and 27 of the Constitution.

On the next day, August 17, Gandhi elaborated publicly on the same point in his speech at Narkeldanga, which Harijan reported thus: “In the India for whose fashioning he had worked all his life every man enjoyed equality of status, whatever his religion was. The state was bound to be wholly secular. He went so far as to say that no denominational institution in it should enjoy state patronage. All subjects would thus be equal in the eye of the law.” Five days later, Gandhi observed in a speech at Deshbandhu Park in Calcutta on August 22, 1947: “Religion was a personal matter and if we succeeded in confining it to the personal plane, all would be well in our political life… If officers of Government as well as members of the public undertook the responsibility and worked wholeheartedly for the creation of a secular state, we could build a new India that would be the glory of the world.” Speaking on Guru Nanak’s birthday on November 28, 1947, Gandhi opposed any possibility of state funds being spent for the renovation of the Somnath temple. His reasoning was: “After all, we have formed the Government for all. It is a `secular’ government, that is, it is not a theocratic government, rather, it does not belong to any particular religion. Hence it cannot spend money on the basis of communities.” ]]

Excerpted from Beyond Doubt: A Dossier on Gandhi’s Assassination, Teesta Setalvad, Introduction by the author
 

  [5] Gandhi in Young India, September 19, 1929, p. 305.

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