[sacw] SACW Dispatch #2 | 17 Oct. 00

[Harsh Kapoor]

South Asia Citizens Web Dispatch #2
17 October 2000
http://www.mnet.fr/aiindex

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#1. India: What Non Hindutva Hindus say of Communal attacks on Christians
#2. India: Secular Parliamentarian opposes VHP meet
#3. India: A Congress Politico & his mad Recipe for disaster

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#1.

Communal attacks against Christians:

What the Hindus of India say!

Courtesy : Saby Vempeny

The Sanghparivar and their partners in the Hindutva of minority bashing and
attacking and murdering innocent Christians at the dead of night as self
proclaimed 'defenders of Hinduism' talk on behalf of the hundreds of
millions of Hindus of the land who have no part in their perverted
ideologies and hate campaigns in the name of Hindu religion. In fact the
truly religious minded and nationalistic majority of the Hindus of India
see in the nefarious communal agendas of the anti-minority organizations
like the RSS, the VHP and the BD every potentiality of a fascist and
theocratic domination where not only the minority religions will be unsafe
but the Hindus themselves will be in trouble and the eternal and all
encompassing tolerant and pluralistic nature of Hinduism itself will be in
peril. The sane Hindus of India see in the designs of the hardcore communal
ideologies of such extremist groups, every possibility of the
disintegration of the country and its age-old values. The Hindus of India
are aware that if these hate-mongers against minorities are allowed to have
their way it will end in the destruction of India and they dread the
possibility of an armed 'Jehad' like call with their foul cry "Hinduism in
danger". It is because of such dreadful possibilities that the Indian
Hindus in large numbers come out openly and dare to challenge these
communal outfits calling their bluff a shear strategy for power and
domination for their own selfish ambitions. We shall in the following lines
see what the Hindus say and what they feel? Are these not Hindus who are
against the atrocities perpetuated on the week minorities of the nation?
On January 1, 1999 at New Delhi the Central two member team, which returned
from Gujarat is believed to have confirmed the involvement of he Hindu
Jagran Manch, an offshoot of Sangh Parivar affiliates VHP and Bajrang Dal
in the continuing anti-Christian violence in the State. Naming the Hindu
Jagran Manch, an outfit of the Sangh Parivar, for its involvement in these
incidents, the home ministry team observed that while the number of
reported clashes between Hindus and Christians was four in 1997, the figure
stood at 17 till Christmas-eve last December which went up to 28 within the
next few days. (The Indian Express. New Delhi, January 1, 1999, The Times
of India, New Delhi, January 2, 1999)

On January 1, 1999, at New Delhi, Voicing concern over attacks on churches
in Gujarat over the past week, the Union Home Minister, Mr. L.K. Advani,
asserted that strict legal action would be taken against those found
involved in violent incidents against Christian minorities.
Addressing a hurriedly-called press conference this evening at his North
Block office, the home Minister described attacks on churches as being
"against our traditional and culture". He said that such assaults were
anti-Hindu. "Any one belonging to any religion or any organization if found
involved in such incidents or attacks will be dealt with in accordance with
law", he said obliquely referring to reports of abutment of violence by
Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) activists. However, he added that it not still
clear if VHP workers were involved in such incidents. Mr Advani said he was
pained by the violence in Gujarat, particularly in the Tribal dominated
Dangs district. However, he said that situation was under control. (The
Hindu, New Delhi, January 1, 1999)

On January 1, 1999, The Home Ministry confirmed the involvement of the
Hindu Jagran Manch (HJM) activists in the ongoing communal flare-up in
Gujarat and the arrest of the local HJM district president Janubhai Pawar
in connection with these disturbances.

Even as evading the identity and political affiliations of the 84 suspects
arrested by the Gujarat police in connection with over 28 violent
incidents, the Home Ministry also criticized the local district
administration for their inappropriate judgement in permitting a protest
rally on Christmas day that led to the occurrence of other incidents'
(Hindustan Times, New Delhi, January 2, 1999)
On January, 1, 1999, the Defense Minister George Fernandes accepted the
fact that the ongoing campaign against the Christian community in Gujarat
had posed a threat to the coalition government at the Centre. Censuring the
Vishwa Hindu Parishad for its alleged involvement in the anti-Christian
violence, Mr Fernandes said that because of the VHP's association with the
BJP the developments in Gujarat had acquired an altogether different
dimension. "I see a great danger to the government because if the
organizations which are associated with any of the parties in power get
into situations where the Constitutions is challenged, then the government
runs into trouble: I am deeply worried about it." Mr Fernandes said in an
exclusive interview to the Times of India here. (The Times of India, New
Delhi, January 1, 1999)

On January 2 at Chandigarh, the former Prime Minister I.K.Gujral said, the
country's unity was threatened by events like violence against Christians
and termed as the "biggest offence" the silence by intellectuals on such
incidents.

Speaking as a function here after conferring Punjab Ratan Awards on Punjab
minister Prakash Singh Badal and four others, he said, 'First the Babri
Masjid was demolished. Now churches are being made a target. What are we
heading for"? Stating that India is known as country of diverse castes and
religions, he said any political party couldn't try to end the diverse
character of the people by forcing a particular religion. "Intellectuals
have to take a lead in facing this menace," the former Prime Minister said.
(The Asian Age, Mumbai, January 3, 1999)

Again on January 3, at Chandigarh, Virtually indicting the Vajpayee
Government for the attacks on minorities especially the recent ones against
Christians former Prime Minister Mr I K Gujral has rejected the disapproval
offered by the BJP led coalition Government at the centre on the Gujarat
incidents.

Talking to newspersons after inaugurating the 28th International Punjabi
Convention, at the famous Tagore Theatre here today, Mr Gujral said the
incidents in Gujarat caused anxiety and shame as these were dangerous and
ominous signs of a retrograde phenomenon. He said the incidents depicted
frightening intolerance towards the practicing of other religions and it
was alarming that there was a systematic growth of forces. Which did not
respect the existence of other religions. However, Mr Gujral did not
identify the forces or individuals behind these acts. (The Hindu, January
4, New Delhi, 1999)

On January 3, 1999, at Chennai, the AIADMK supremo, Miss J Jayalalitha,
demanded dismissal of the BJP government in Gujarat, which had become "a
blot on India's fair name" and had provoked international condemnation.

In a statement here, Ms Jayalalitha said attacks on churches and Christian
institutions in Gujarat were continuing. After the strong condemnation by
the prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, and the Union home Minister,
Mr L K Advani, about the unfortunate happenings, it was hoped the attacks
would stop, but they had not. (The Statesman, New Delhi, January 4, 1999)
On January 4, at New Delhi, the Nobel laureate Amartya Sen said sectarian
forces would not gain anything from the attacks on religious places of
Christians in Gujarat and warned that the reaction to the assaults could be
very strong.

"Though the perpetrators of the attacks could feel they had a tactical
advantage, the overall impact could not be good in the long run", he said
in an interview to a private news channel. (The Indian Express, New Delhi,
January 4, 1999)

On January 5, at New Delhi, Major Christian organizations said they were
prepared to enter into a dialogue with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the
BJP on the issue of "forced conversion".
They said they were ready to rectify if any such real incident was brought
to their notice. These remarks were made at a press conference here
addressed by representatives of the National Council of Churches in India,
the Churches of North India, the Churches of South India and the United
Evangelical Lutheran Church in India.

They said a 10-member team had visited the areas where attacks on
Christians took place and came out with a report. The team members quoted
DIG Mr O P Mathur and the collector Mr B N Joshi as having said " there has
been no formal complaints of forced conversions or any attempts from
Christian Communities in the area. (The Statesman, New Delhi, January 6,
1999)
On January 8, at New Delhi it is revealed that President K.R. Narayanan
wrote two letters to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee expressing concern
over continuing atrocities on Christians in BJP ruled Gujarat.

This was disclosed here on Friday by former Prime Minister H.D.Deve Gowda
and senior Janata Dal leader Ram Vilas Paswan, who called on the President
to demand the dismissal of the Gujarat government for its "failure to check
attacks on Christians."

They said the President told them that he had written two letters to the
Union government after receiving a series of memorandums but added, "we don
't know the contents of the communications". (The Asian Age, Mumbai,
January 9, 1999)
On January 8, at New Delhi, Justice Rajendar Sachar, retired Chief Justice
and president of the people's Union for Civil Liberties, said that Humanity
has been killed in Gujarat, not Christians. He was delivering the keynote
address at a seminar on "Communalism, Human Rights and the Women's
Movement" in city.

Justice Sachar said the threat from communal quarters was most evident in
the recent events and needed to be met headlong The attacks are the most
vicious and against every progressive secular force and should not be
allowed to undermine the country, he said. (The Asian Age, Mumbai, January
9, 1999)

On January 11, at New Delhi, The National Commission for Minorities said
that Central intervention under Articles 355 and 256 of the Constitution
were necessary in Gujarat as anti-minority violence in the state had
assumed "alarming dimensions."
In an interim report on the communal situation in Gujarat, the panel
strongly recommended "immediate appropriate action by the Union
government". Disagreeing with the Gujarat government's assessment of the
situation, the commission said it was not satisfied with the steps take n
by the local administration to tackle the communal violence. "The communal
situation in Gujarat is serious and of alarming dimensions and there is a
pressing need to take extraordinary steps to prevent it from flaring up
further." The report said. The panel urged all concerned not to politicize
the situation in Gujarat. While appreciating the Prime Minister's visit to
the state to assess the situation, the commission said the situation
required "further follow-up action by the Union government". (The Asian
Age, Mumbai, January 12, 1999)

On January 12, at Lucknow the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, said
that the government had no proposal to bring in fresh legislation on
religious conversions in the country. "We have lived with the existing
provisions in the constitutions on the subject for the past fifty years and
I don't think there is any need to introduce new legislation," Mr Vajpayee
said while replying to a volley of questions at a Press conference here
this afternoon. (The Statesman, New Delhi, January 13, 1999)

On January 16 at Chandigarh in a rare exercise, Indian intellectuals from
various parts of the world as well as other parts of country participated
in a Tele conference to analyze the fallout of the recent attacks on
minorities in India. Under the aegis of an apolitical set up, the people's
Action Front, the youth leaders, religious personalities, legal experts and
representatives of women organizations held the BJP and the Sangh Parivar
responsible for such retrograde activities which, according to them were
planned in advance under a well drawn out strategy of religious intolerance=
.
According to a release of the PAF, the exercise was conducted on Friday to
highlight the atrocities against the minorities ever since the BJP had
emerged as a major political force in India. (The Hindu, New Delhi, January
17, 1999)

On January 17, at New Delhi the former Prime Minister Mr Chandra Shekhar
today criticized the Prime Minister Mr AB Vajpayee for suggesting a
national debate on religious conversion. The former Prime Minister also
claimed that the situation in Gujarat was "not being handled properly by
the present government". (The Statesman, New Delhi, January 18, 1999)

On January 17, at Thiruvananthapuram, the Prime Minister Mr A.B. Vajpayee
ruled out amending the Constitution or enacting any new law to ban
religious conversions.
At a press conference at the airport here before returning to New Delhi
after his whirlwind tour of the State the Prime Minister said whatever
decision the Constituent Assembly had taken after discussing the issue at
length had helped the country in maintaining national integrity and harmony=
.
Mr Vajpayee pointed out that a law against fraudulent conversions in some
State had been upheld when challenged in court. To a question, he said it
was up to the other states to enact such a law if they wanted to. He was
not going to give any advice to them in the matter, the Prime Minister
said. (The Hindu, New Delhi, January 18, 1999)

On January 21, at Chennai, the Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi has
rejected Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's suggestion for a national
debate on religious conversions.
He told reporters on Thursday that "conversions are the basic and
fundamental rights of individuals and nothing should be done to infringe
the right". He said a debate on the subject was "unnecessary". (The
Pioneer, New Delhi, January 22, 1999)

On January 23 at New Delhi, The Bharatiya Janata Party government and the
Sang Parivar came under strong criticism for the growing attack on
minorities at a seminar in the city. "India will be celebrating its 49th
Republic Day, but the communal forces are bent upon destroying the secular
fabric of the county by attacking the religious minorities and their
institutions," the participants said. (The Asian Age, New Delhi, January
24, 1999)

On January 23, at New Delhi, it was announced that The Indian Youth
Congress will organize a nationwide "Sampradayakta Virodhi Divas"
Anti-Communal Day on January 30, making the 50th martyrdom anniversary of
the Father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi.
Addressing a press conference here today, the IYC president Mr Manish
Tiwari, said mass rallies and dawn to dusk fasts would be organised in all
State capitals on the day to highlight the role of communal forces active
under the garb of the RSS, the VHP and the Bajrang Dal who were hell-bent
on continuing their dastardly acts to divide the nation on these lines.
(The Hindu, New Delhi, January 24, 1999)

On January 25, at New Delhi President K R Narayanan led a shocked nation in
condemning the killing of Australian missionary G S Staines and his two
minor sons in Orissa and termed the act "a monumental aberration that
belongs to the world's inventory of black deeds".
The President, whose recent statements have stresses the need to preserve
the plurality of Indian society, said: Someone who has spent years caring
for patients of leprosy should be done to death in this manner, instead of
being thanked and appreciated as a role model, is a monumental aberration
from the traditions of tolerance and humanity for which India has been
known". (The Pioneer, New Delhi, January 25, 1999)

On January 24, at New Delhi, Several prominent organizations and many
eminent personalities and associations urged the Central and various State
Governments to take necessary measures to prevent attacks on Christians and
churches in the country. (The Hindu, New Delhi, January 25, 1999)

On January 24, at Jaipur, a delegation of social activists, intellectuals
and artists met the Rajasthan Governor, Mr Justice Anshumans Singh, and
expressed concern over the violence against minorities, especially the
Christians in Orissa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.
The delegation led by noted Sarvodaya leader, Mr Siddhraj Dhadda, submitted
a memorandum to the Governor requesting an "effective ban" on communal
organizations.
The latest incident of the killing of Mr Graham Steins and his two sons in
Orissa was condemned at a public dharna organized by various groups here on
Sunday. The submitting of the memorandum marked the culmination of the
daylong dharna at the Bari Chauper Square in the walled city area. (The
Hindu, New Delhi, January 26, 1999)

On January 26, at Bhubaneswar the Orissa Chief Minister Mr J.B. Patnaik
said that his government would do "everything possible" to protect amity
among communities as the state celebrated the 50th Republic Day in the
shadow of gruesome killing of an Australian missionary and his two sons
last week. (The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, January 27, 1999)

On January 27, at Bangalore, Mr.M.A.A Fathmi, MP and spokesman of the
Rashtriya Janata Dal, has urged the Union Government to sound a national
alert in the light of the increasing atrocities against minorities, the
Scheduled Casts and the Scheduled Tribes in the country.
He told press persons here that violence, which first broke out in western
India, had spread to the south, the east and the north. The Centre should
take steps to provide protection to the Christians rather than stating that
law and order was a State subject. (The Hindu, New Delhi, January 28, 1999)
On January 30, at New Delhi, the Union Home Minister Mr L.K. Advani, stated
that the recent incidents in Gujarat, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh not only
worked against the government's attempt to promote communal harmony. but
also affected the image of the country.
Referring to the killing of the Australian missionary and his two sons in
Orissa, Mr Advani said that the incident "not only stigmatized the
government or any party, but it is stigma on the country". The home
minister criticized the attacks on "religious places" in Gujarat. (The
Statesman, New Delhi, January 31, 1999)

On January 31, 1999, at New Delhi, the former Union Minister Madan Lal
Khurana told newspersons, a senior home ministry official had informed him
that the Bajrang Dal was involved in the killing of the Australian
missionary Graham Staines and his two sons in Orissa. (The Times of India,
New Delhi, February 1, 1999)

On February 2, 1999, at New Delhi, The National Commission of Minorities
has revealed that the Sangh Parivar sponsored "reconversion" of the tribals
under "home coming campaign" responsible for incidents of violence on
minority establishments in Gujarat and sought prompt action by the
government against the "culprits".
In its final report on recent attacks on Christians in Gujarat, submitted
to President K.R. Narayanan, the NMC also blamed the state government for
its "inept handling of the situation "which turned serious on the eve of
Christmas when the "Sangh Parivar outfits" openly instigated people to
indulge in violence against members of the minority community.
(The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, February 3, 1999)

On February 3, 1999, at Lucknow the Prime Minister rejected the contention
that people were being forcibly converted. "I do not accept that people are
being converted by force", Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee asserted. This is
contrary to what the VHP and Bajrang Dal have been claiming, that tribals
were being coerced and induced to convert to Christianity. (The Statesman,
New Delhi, February 4, 1999)

On February 22, 1999, at New Delhi President K.R.Narayanan said that the
recent incidents of violence on minorities in some states must be seen as
an "aberration" and not a reflection of the national ethos.
Addressing both Houses of Parliament on the opening day of the Budget
session here, Mr Narayanan said: The recent incidents in Gujarat, Madhya
Pradesh and Orissa have caused us anguish and concern. However, these have
to be seen as an aberration, which do not reflect the national ethos". (The
Asian Age, New Delhi, February 23, 1999)

On April 8, at New Delhi, it was stated in a report titled 'violence in
Gujarat' prepared by Citizen's Commission, a fact-finding commission set up
by National Alliance for Woman, an NGO, that the attacks on Christians in
the Dangs district of Gujarat in December '98 and early January 99 "was
orchestrated campaign by the Hindu Jagran Manch and its associates without
any justification whatsoever". (The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, April 9,
1999)

On September 6, at Bhubaneswar, the chairman of the political affairs
committee, of the BJD, Mr Bijoy Mahapatra, held the ruling Congress (I)
Government responsible for the spate of attacks on the minority communities
and killings of Sheik Reheman at Padiabea on August 26 and Rev. Arul Doss
at Jamabani on October 1 in Mayurbhanj district and demanded the immediate
resignation of the Chief Minister, Mr Diridhari Gamang. (The Hindu, New
Delhi, September 7, 1999)

On November 4, 1999, at New Delhi, the former Chairperson of the National
Human Rights Commission, Mr Justice M.N. Venkatachaliah, said that the
Pope' s visit symbolized the rededication of values that have enabled
generations to pursue the path of truth, preached by all religions. (The
Hindu, New Delhi, November 5, 1999)

On January 9, 2000, the Congress has criticized the Gujarat government for
its move to lift a ban on government employees becoming members of the RSS.
Congress spokesperson Ajit Jogi described the step as "illegal, improper
and violate of the civil services' conduct rules". It violated the civil
services' principles of anonymity neutrality and impartiality, he said.
The central Civil Services Rules, 1994, bans any government servant from
becoming a member of any political party, he said. (The Times of India,
Ahmedabad, January 9, 2000)

On March 1, 2000 at New Delhi, the Union Home Minister, Mr L K. Advani said
the Madhya Pradesh Government has informed the Centre that the allegation
about forcible conversion of tribal children in Rajgarh district last month
was found incorrect. (The Hindu, New Delhi, March, 2, 2000)

On June 24, 2000 at Hyderabad, the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr.
N.Chandrababu Naidu expressed deep anguish over the removal of crosses from
few graves in a cemetery in Rajahmundry on Thursday.
Mr Naidu said "this is nothing but a most heinous crime and it shows that
these culprits do not even give respect to the dead souls which is most
unbecoming of our tradition and culture".
"This uncivilized act deserves all condemnation". (The Hindu, New Delhi,
June 25, 2000)

On June 24, 2000, at New Delhi, the Attorney General of India, Mr. Soli
Sorabjee, called for "stringent action" against Bajrang Dal leaders who
reportedly made the "oust Christians" slogans. Persons who make statements
that "Christians are bigger enemies than Muslims" should be locked up
either in jail or in lunatic asylums, he said. (The Hindu, New Delhi, June
25, 2000).

The last thing we all need to be reminded is that the protection of the
minorities in any nation is the sign of the welfare of that nation and
communalism of any form is the way for disintegration and for it fuels
seperatism and terrorism. Therefore it is our fight to keep India together
and for that all anti-democratic and anti-secular forces have to be fought
at all cost.

_____

#2.

The Times of India
17 October 2000

Cong member opposes VHP meet
By Sanjay Banerjee

The Times of India News Service
PANAJI: Congress MP Eduardo Faleiro on Monday virtually said `Go back
from Goa' to the activists of Vihswa Hindu Parishad (VHP), saying peaceful
Goa and the centuries of coexistence between the Hindus and Catholics was
far from being the ideal place for its two-day meeting on Wednesday and
Thursday.

He feared that the Kendriya Margadarshak Mandal session of the VHP could
make inflammatory statements, provoking a divide in society and implored
the state government to take appropriate steps.

Goa, he said, had an unblemished record of communal peace and harmony and
was the right place for an inter-face between all the religion to have
communal amity with the fundamental assumption that different paths of
religions led to salvation.
The VHP, he charged, ``was not a religious forum at all and was rather
using religion for its narrow goals.''

The senior congress leader, a member of the Rajya Sabha clarified that
``fundamentalism was just not about any forum or any religion as such
forces were in all religions including Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and
Buddhism.''

Buttressing his contention for monitoring the event, Mr Faleiro pointed
out that the ``chairman of the national human rights commission (NHRC),
former chief justice of India, J S Verma indicted the VHP for making
anti-Christian statements and provoking riots in several parts of the
country. At the same time the commission issued notices to the Centre and
all the state and union territory governments to take preventive measures
against the activities of the VHP and report on the steps taken in this
regard.''

_____

#3.

The Hindustan Times
16 October 2000

Recipe for disaster

By Amulya Ganguli

Some of the weird formulations of veteran Congressman V.N. Gadgil about
reviving the party are useful only for understanding what has gone wrong
with it. The essence of his thesis is the need for the Congress to adopt a
pro-Hindu line since the Hindus constitute a majority in the country.
There is so much that is wrong with this approach that it is difficult to
decide where to begin. For a start, the neat division that Gadgil has made
between 82 per cent Hindus and 18 per cent minorities is not as neat as he
presumes. The 82 per cent is not a homogeneous entity, ready to band
together against the 18 per cent with great fervour. Only the rank
communalists among them, who constitute the Sangh parivar's core base of
support, will want to do so. But their percentage cannot be too high, as
the BJP's electoral difficulties in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan,
Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and elsewhere show.

Even the BJP is aware of their inadequacy in terms of numbers which is why
its new president has reached out to the Muslims in a vain attempt to
widen his party's acceptability. It is not a little ironical that when the
BJP, which used to believe in the theory of the Hindu majority enabling it
to attain power, has realised the complexity of the Indian scene, Gadgil is
reiterating that same stale theory.
But it isn't only the theory that is wrong. What is outrageous is that a
Congressman-and that, too, of considerable age-should be looking at the
electorate through the Sangh parivar's sectarian lenses. Clearly, the years
in the party of Gandhi and Nehru have been a waste for Gadgil. He hasn't
understood the very basic elements of the Congress' policy which shunned
the idea of dividing the Indian people into casteist and communal
segments.

True, after the departure of Gandhi and Nehru, the Congress started
deviating from their broad-minded outlook and began pandering to sectarian
sentiments. And, from Gadgil's observations, one can understand why this
happened, for it was people like him who replaced the giants of the
earlier times. But even if the party's gradual degeneration is the result
of its blinkered and unprincipled members rising in the hierarchy, the
party never formally canvassed for votes on the basis of religion or caste.

The broadness of its appeal even in its present moribund state is due to
the still prevailing belief among the voters that the Congress essentially
stands above caste and community and looks at India as a multireligious,
multilinguistic and multicultural society. For anyone to advocate a
departure from this concept, especially at a time when it is gaining
worldwide recognition and approval, indicates a remarkable obtuseness of
mind.

The myopia is all the more inexplicable when India's liberal secularism
stands in such striking contrast to the medieval theocracies and communist
and non-communist dictatorships in its neighbourhood. What is more, the sad
aftermath of the mindless pursuit of a majoritarian policy is starkly
visible in the only other democracy in this part of the world-Sri Lanka.
Clearly, that is not an example to be emulated, as Gadgil wants.

It is not only in terms of being violative of the Congress' principles
that Gadgil's prescription is flawed, it will also be disastrous in
practical terms. Imitation is the best form of flattery and if the
Congress decides to adopt the BJP's pro-Hindu line, the only effect will be
for it to lose even the votes which it still gets without stealing any
from the BJP. The reason is why should the people vote for an imitator when
the real thing is around?

It isn't that parties do not change their policies. After all, Tony
Blair's Labour has stolen some of Margaret Thatcher's policies while
Thatcher in her time tried to acquire a kinder, gentler image. The Chinese,
too, have ditched Mao in favour of the market. But it depends on what the
policies are. Surely, only the most dim-witted or unscrupulous of persons
would have wanted the Social Democrats of Weimar Germany to opt for
Hitler's policies when the Fuehrer was riding high.
Yet, in a note to Sonia Gandhi in November 1999, Gadgil had said that the
description of the BJP and RSS as communal and fascist "hardly makes an
impact on a majority of voters (to whom) fascism or communalism does not
convey anything sinister". Assuming for a moment that they do not, what do
these terms convey to Gadgil himself-something sinister or something
benign? Is it because he thinks that fascism is innocuous that he
acquiesced so meekly to Indira and Sanjay Gandhi's experiments with it
during the Emergency?

If there was a need to stand up to the gross violation of democratic norms
by the Congress, it was after Indira Gandhi had imposed the Emergency on
June 25/26 midnight in 1975 without consulting the Cabinet. But few except
Chandra Shekhar and Krishna Kant had the courage to do so. In fact, the
decline of the party can be timed from that day. It is the failure of
Congressmen to protect democracy then which explains the party's present
plight, for it revealed the party as comprising hollow men.

The Congress' present condition has nothing to do with its disinclination
to play the Hindu card. In fact, had it tried to do so, it would probably
have plunged even deeper into trouble by showing that it has become totally
disoriented in its cynical pursuit of power. If the party still secures a
higher percentage of votes than the BJP, it is because its supporters
continue to believe that some vestige of the Congress' old idealism
survives in the organisation.

Gadgil is also fond of praising the discipline and dedication of the RSS
workers. To discern that the Congressmen do not exhibit these qualities,
one does not have to look further than Gadgil himself who shows no
dedication to the party's time-honoured ideal of secularism -in fact, does
not even seem to understand what it means-and is not disciplined enough to
keep his outlandish views to himself.

Besides, discipline and dedication can be regarded as virtues only if the
organisation displaying them serves a noble cause. The RSS' record in this
respect is not worthy of emulation. It isn't only that its charter is
divisive, the outfit has been indicted by several judicial commissions for
its role in communal trouble.

To give just one example, the Jitendra Narain Commission inquiring into
the Jamshedpur riots of 1979 had stated that "the RSS with its extensive
organisation in Jamshedpur and=8A close links with the Jan Sangh and the
Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, had a positive hand in creating a climate which
was most propitious for the outbreak of the communal disturbances". Is this
the example which Gadgil wants his present party to follow?

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