What is this hullaballoo about asking Shinde to resign because he said that RSS and BJP training camps were fanning saffron terror? Why is there even an iota of doubt that these bodies – or atleast a part of them – do indeed fan saffron terrorism? Why look further than the 2 decades old Babri Masjid demolition and the 10 year old Godhra riots to understand the truth behind Shinde’s statement?
Who demolished the Babri Masjid in 1992? Which BJP and Sangh parivar leaders were present in Ayodhya on that eventful day? Who amongst them gave fiery speeches to the frenzied Hindu mob? What was the content of those speeches? Weren’t there exhortations made to the “followers” (whose followers were they?) to go ahead and raze the historical monument down? Who has been accused in the demolition? In fact, who has built a political strategy around Ayodhya and gained the most from it?
Coming to Godhra, which state government ordered its cops to “let the Hindus vent” for three days? (Those of us who lived in Ahmedabad in those days know exactly what I am talking about. Incidentally, even today, the talk in Ahmedabad is about how Modi showed the Muslims their place). Who was the PM who raised the question of “raj dharma” but did nothing beyond asking the question? Which CM and PM candidate is called “Hindu Hriday Samrat” and for what reasons? (Why is he not simply called Gujarat Hriday Samrat if he is indeed taking care of “6 crore Gujaratis”? Which state government has politicized even the state judiciary so much that the Supreme Court routinely shifts hearings outside of the state? Which state has specialized in “encounter killings”, which is nothing but a euphemism for the knocking off of Muslims?
C’mon, lets get real here. The BJP and RSS have fought a pitched battle for decades against the Muslims (they may call it “protecting Hindu culture” or “Hindutva” or whatever). Its strange they don’t openly own up to their acts of aggression, for if it is their belief that Hindus support such acts, then they should publicize them and win the elections right? In fact, have BJP workers forgotten that their party has its beginnings in the All India Hindu Mahasabha founded in 1915, which clearly demanded a “Hindu Rashtra”, and which opposed “the Congress commitment to non-violence, civil disobedience, secularism and its efforts to integrate Muslims and hold dialogue with the separatist Muslim League party, which the Mahasabha deemed to be appeasement.” (source: Wikipedia).
Who was it who killed Graham Staines, the Christian missionary working in parts of Orissa and on sections of the population that the Hindu society had abandoned? It was one Dara Singh, convicted and imprisoned for the act. Dara Singh was a member of the Bajrang Dal, a sister outfit of the RSS and BJP family.
Likewise, though not proven in the courts yet, the investigations have revealed a solid connection between the Hindu groupings and terror acts at Malegaon, and Modasa and Samjhauta Express and others. Many such examples can be provided to the BJP to think about.
We shouldn’t worry about what the Pakistani terrorist Hafeez Sayeed taunts us with. No one is saying that the Mumbai attacks were an act of saffron terror. Nor was the Parliamentary attacks an example of saffron terror. But when there have been acts of saffron terror, they should be named. Just like the BJP recently demanded that Pakistan should be named and shamed globally as a terror-supporting nation, so also should we name and shame all perpetrators of terrorism, be the Islamic or saffron. Instead, what we find is that the BJP is happy to name and shame Muslim terrorists, but when it comes to Hindus, they turn coy.
The fact is that saffron terrorism is a reality, just as much as Islamic terrorism is. Even though they are described in such language, the terms “Islamic” and “saffron” are not meant to include all Muslims or all Hindus in their definition. These are neologisms that loosely describe who the chief patrons of these acts of terrorism are. Just like Islamic terrorism, defined in this way, is spawned by certain Islamic organizations, so also is saffron terrorism spawned by the Hindu organizations. For the BJP to split hairs and accuse Shinde of calling all Hindusterrorists is like a comedy show. The party should focus on the core issue he raised. And correct its ways.
But honeslty, can we expect the BJP and RSS to mend their ways? That will mean them having to jettison their absolutely core philosophy. It’s akin to asking the MIM of Hyderabad (of Akbaruddin and Asaduddin fame) to drop their communal rhetoric. The MIB never wanted Hyderabad to integrate with India. How can they suddenly change their tune? It’s an impossibility. It’s the same for the Sangh parivar. Protecting Hindu interests – even if it means indulging in acts of aggression – is of top priority to the saffron grouping, and yet they refuse to own it publicly. The BJP would like to continue with supporting saffron terrorists, but do it in a veiled way. This is the duplicity that the party has mastered as a strategy. Nobody can change this reality.
The real truth is that rather than demanding Shinde’s resignation, the Sangh parivar should introspect. Either it should give up supporting saffron terrorists, or it should accept its support publicly. Hiding behind veils is a sign of cowardice.
And would you consider massacre of Shikh’s in 1984 and imposition of emergency an example of Congress terror?
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