At a ‘dharma sabha’ in Alibag near Mumbai, one VHP leader, Acharya Dharmendra, substitutes for another – Praveen Togadia, jailed in Rajasthan for peddling hate and distributing trishuls — only to preach vicious hatred against Muslims. And the police, under a ‘secular Congress’ government, does nothing

BY LALITA RAMDAS

On April 16 2003, Praveen Togadia was billed to be the star speaker at a ‘Viraat Dharma Sabha’ to be held on the premises of an English language school in Roha, the adjacent block to Alibag. Our little district town was full of saffron banners carrying the announcement. We thought we might drive down to listen and educate ourselves.

In the event, Togadia was arrested for making inflammatory speeches and distribution of trishuls in Rajasthan just a few days prior to his arrival in our district. However, inquiries revealed that the Roha ‘Dharma Sabha’ was to be held nonetheless, and would be addressed by Swami Dharmendra. So we decided that two colleagues would attend the event and bring us the feed–back. What follows below is based on an eye–witness account, together with the detailed report in a leading regional newspaper.

First, the setting. A huge stage set up in the grounds of the Raathee College in Roha. The backdrop was a huge picture of the projected Ram Mandir at Ayodhya in the centre. It was flanked by a larger–than–life size poster painting of the encounter between Shivaji and Afzal Khan in all its gory detail with steel claws, daggers and blood on one side and on the other, an equally large poster of Lord Ram.

Smaller colour posters of the Shivaji–Afzal encounter were distributed free to all those who attended. The message was clear and unambiguous, enough to send shivers down the spine and fill the minds of all right thinking Indians with understandable fear and foreboding at this blatant mockery of the Constitution of India.

Group singing and recordings of bhajans and slokas in Marathi and Hindi, covering a repertoire of the favourites of Shivaji, Satya Sai Baba, and others dedicated to a number of deities including Devi, Shankar, Ganpati and Ram Lalla, kept the audience entertained. From all accounts this was the only remotely ‘religious’ touch in the entire evening! The volume of the sound system was turned up to maximum and drowned out all else for about 45 minutes or so as the crowd filled up and waited for the guest of honour, Acharya Dharmendra, to arrive.

The audience comprised primarily young men (estimates vary from about 1,500 to 2,000), with a sprinkling of saffron sari-clad young women volunteers who were showing people to their seats, making announcements etc. According to our source, "they appeared to be jobless young males between the ages of 15–25 who were probably ‘trucked’ in from a number of outlying villages," Many were clearly from the cadres of the organisations of the sangh parivar – especially the VHP.

The arrival of every special invitee was heralded by the playing of the traditional dhol and setting off of fireworks, which were at their loudest at the arrival of Acharya Dharmendra who was substituting for Togadia. Most of the special guests on the dais were representatives of the regional VHP, RSS or Shiv Sena.

In the main, the Acharya and his colleagues made a series of virulent speeches where the primary message, in sum and substance, was that the holy duty of Hindu youth (in fact of Hindus as a whole) was to kill and finish off the Muslims, the "offspring of the traitor Afzal Khan" who were scattered across the Konkan region and elsewhere across the country. The audience was also told to work with one aim in mind, which "was also Shivaji’s main aim": to establish a Hindu Rashtra.

The speakers who preceded the Acharya set the scene as it were by repetitive reaffirmation of some basic trends. It was educative to be walked through the main arguments which were carefully worked out and intended to provoke and to provide grist to narrow chauvinist feelings. I am sharing these below in summary form:

•  Elaborate and eloquent arguments outlining why ‘our Hindu culture’, was superior, was under attack and needed to be defended.
•  How manavta (humanity) could be established worldwide only when a Hindu Rashtra was established in India.
•  Muslims who breed like rabbits have never accepted family planning. If this pattern continued, their population would soon overtake that of the Hindus — hence Hindus needed self–defence.
•  The government at the centre comprises a bunch of thieves and napunsaks (impotents); it shamelessly continues to appease Muslims.
•  Until now, we Hindus had been moderate in our demands, claiming only three sites for temple building — Ayodhya, Mathura and Varanasi — while the actual numbers destroyed by the Muslims is over 30,000! However, our patience is now exhausted and we will soon be making demands for all 30,000 masjids to be destroyed and temples restored or rebuilt.
•  All jehadis are Muslims and vice versa; so they must be destroyed just as Shivaji did with Afzal Khan (pointing to the backdrop of the stage).

Acharya Dharmendra basically focussed on the theme of Hindutva and its importance;

• If Muslims want to continue to live here, they can only do so provided they all become Hindus.
• However, we should actually finish them off — In this land of Shivaji, we should all follow Shivaji’s example and ‘finish off’ all the descendants of Afzal Khan just as Shivaji did. "Hamein Mussalmaanon ko khatam karna hain, hum maar daalenge."
• He openly and viciously ran down and condemned Gandhi, Nehru, Indira and Sonia Gandhi in foul language — claimed that it was Gandhi who was responsible for the break up of India and the partition and creation of Pakistan.
• Used foul and derogatory language while referring to Muslims – words like ‘jehadi kasai’ (terrorist butchers).
• Claimed that ever since Independence, too many Muslims had been given positions of importance in public life which had brought no benefits; only terrorist acts, Godhra, and other such actions around the country.
• Lambasted Gehlot for arresting Togadia in Rajasthan and accused him of wanting to please the ‘doll from across the seven seas’ (read Sonia Gandhi).
• Referring to the distribution of trishuls as a perfectly legitimate and harmless activity, he asked how the weapon of Lord Shiva could be compared to the AK 47s that are carried by all jehadis and terrorists.
• He said there was no other logic but that of India becoming a Hindu Rashtra, just as there was an ‘Arab Rashtra’, an ‘Afghan Rashtra’ etc.
• He claimed that our sarkar (government) had no manhood left, was unable to take any strong action against Pakistan or Muslims, whereas they should all have become like ‘Mahishasura’ and dealt with them accordingly. Several references were made to the Shahbano case, the actions of AR Antulay, former Maharashtra chief minister who allegedly encouraged the smuggling and landing of RDX on the Konkan coast.
• He also emphasised to the cheering audience that India’s poverty was due entirely to the fact that the government continued to spend the sum of Rs. 22,000 on every Haj pilgrim. If this was stopped our economic problems would improve!
• Most dangerous of all, he kept repeating that Gujarat would be repeated all over the country.

When our boys left the venue, at about 8.30 p.m., the Acharya who had apparently filled in quite competently for the absent star was still talking, and was frequently applauded by his youthful audience as he got more and more carried away! The local Raigad press reported all this prominently on the front page, ensuring that the meeting received wide publicity.

Some serious questions arise: Such sabhas cost money: where is the money coming from? Why is the government and district administration giving permission for such sabhas to be held in this state when they are clearly intended to inflame passions and ignite strong emotions against Muslims.

Given that two opposition ruled states have already set a precedent and taken firm steps against any attempts to hold either trishul dikshas or deliver inflammatory speeches, it is high time that Maharashtra did likewise.

Finally, shouldn’t the ministry of home at the centre be taking note and initiating suitable action against a movement which is against the very spirit and letter of the Constitution of India?

What actions should we citizens take to counter the slow but sure progress of fascism? Surely 1939 is still close enough in our collective memory?