Ever since the Congress outsourced its ideological arguments to the comrades, it has allied itself with intolerance and has opposed national views and activities. This is a tragedy
Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s feeble attempt to draw equivalence between the Muslim Brotherhood and RSS caused astonishment among those familiar with the RSS and those who have a national perspective. Alternatively, those professing a communist and/or Maoist ideology and practitioners of opportunistic politics were predictably elated. Neither of these responses was unanticipated. However, it must not be assumed that Gandhi lacks awareness about the mayhem Islamists terrorists inflict on the civilised world. Neither does this mean that he is unaware of the social work the RSS carries out through its affiliated organisations, not to mention the growing appeal and support the Sangh is receiving from society at large. Why, then, would he make such a preposterous allegation?
Quite simply, his political advisors have succeeded in convincing him that criticising the RSS will yield political dividends, that baseless and provocative statements will compensate for the lack of ground work which is required to lift the grand old party from its political nadir. Hence, he has obviously been schooled to render these statements in a dramatic manner without bothering to check their veracity. When one such statement was legally challenged by a swayamsevak, the Congress president was seen avoiding his date in court.
In reality, the Sangh is engaged in the work of connecting and binding Bharatiya society with the everlasting thread of spirituality and an integral and holistic view of life. To equate this inclusive Bharatiya view of life with the Muslim Brotherhood is an affront to our great civilisational heritage and history. If one was to view Islamist ideology in practice, the word “brotherhood” itself is inappropriate. In fact, the Muslim Brotherhood which he chose to cite as an example, views not only non-Muslims as beyond the pale but even Muslims outside the Salafi/Sunni fold as outside their ideological commune and therefore not ‘true’ Muslims.
September 11 was the 125th anniversary of Swami Vivekanand’s Chicago address to the Parliament of World Religions. In that historic address, he presented to a world audience the inclusive worldview of Hindu culture. This was not merely an exercise in intellectualism, but one where the strings of the heart were playing a unique tune for an audience unfamiliar with the Hindu view of life but responsive to the music in those sincere words. Swami Vivekananda began his address with “My American Brothers and Sisters…”, an endearment which was received with a standing ovation that lasted a few minutes.
He said: “I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration but we accept all religions as true. I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth. I am proud to tell you that we have gathered in our bosom the purest remnant of the Israelites, who came to Southern India and took refuge with us in the very year in which their holy temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny. I am proud to belong to the religion which has sheltered and is still fostering the remnant of the grand Zoroastrian nation. Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful earth. They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilisation and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced than it is now.”
Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar has also drawn a distinction with the Islamic view of the world. In his book “Thoughts on Pakistan” he says: "Islam is a close corporation and the distinction that it makes between Muslims and non-Muslims is a very real, very positive and (a) very alienating distinction. The brotherhood of Islam is not the universal brotherhood of man. It is brotherhood of Muslims for Muslims only. There is a fraternity but its benefit is confined to those within that corporation. For those who are outside the corporation, there is nothing but contempt and enmity.”
The Muslim Brotherhood wants to impose Sharia Law everywhere; the RSS stands for a Hindu Rashtra that is based on the ideal of spreading universal acceptance as propagated by Vivekanand. So, how can the fundamentalist Islamist ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood be equated with the Universal Brotherhood of Swami Vivekananda. Further, why does Rahul Gandhi feel compelled to speak ill of an organisation that follows the precepts of universal brotherhood and is focused on organising society?
A senior commentator said to me a few years agothat the Congress has been reduced to a party desperately trying to come to power by any means and is outsourcing its intellectual activity to the Communists. Ever since the Congress outsourced its ideological arguments to the comrades, it has allied itself with intolerance and has opposed national views and activities.
Before Independence, the Congress was an open platform; among its members were Hindu Mahasabha members, supporters of revolutionaries, those with a radical approach (Garam Dal) and also those favouring a moderate approach (Naram Dal). There was space for everyone. When this platform for national liberation started taking the shape of a political party it went from being a large tent of ideas to a corporation which practiced alienating and excluding those with different views. It was, however, a gradual progression. Even after 1947 there was space for diverse viewpoints; if Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was an ardent critic of the RSS, Sardar Patel invited swayamsevaks to join the Congress party. In 1962, during the Indo-China war, even a strident critic of the Sangh such as Nehru was so impressed by the selfless service of the RSS that he invited the organisation to participate in the Republic Day Parade; even at short notice, 3,000 swayamsevaks participated with pride in the parade.
During the 1965 Pakistan invasion, Lal Bahadur Shastri called for a meeting with prominent national leaders, including the second RSS Chief Guruji Golwalkar, going so far as to arrange his transport to Delhi. During this meeting, a communist leader repeatedly asked Shastri: What was “your Army” doing when India was invaded? Agitated by this stance especially at such a critical time, Golwalkar intervened and asked the gentleman why he couldn’t just say “our army”? Did he not belong to the same country?
This tradition of dialogue (samvaad) continued till the 1970s. Subsequently, the influence of communist ideology started gaining traction in the Congress (at a time the communists themselves had ‘purged’ themselves of their nationalist elements who had long since been denounced as ‘rightists’) and the intolerance and “otherness” inspired by Stalinist ideals began rearing its ugly head. Confrontational language and an ‘us versus them’ discourse started dominating. Apart from the BJP, most political parties reflect communist influence in their intellectual cells in varying degrees. For short-sighted political gains there is a tendency to side with attempts (inspired by leftist ideology) of breaking or weakening the unity of the people of the country and at the same time opposing national ideas and forces. This enervating influence over the past few decades has left the Congress in a strange condition, almost as if its body is but a shell that is now occupied by a Maoist soul. This is not merely an observation, it is borne out by the displays of support the Congress routinely expresses for Maoist protests. Is it not alarming that Congress leaders stand in solidarity with those who raised slogans of “Bharat tere tukde honge, Inshallah, Inshallah”, “Bharat ki barbadi tak jung rahegi” or “Afzal Guru hum sharminda hai, tere qatil zinda hai”? Afzal Guru was the mastermind behind the terrorist attack on the parliament and was sentenced to death by the Supreme Court.
When the Congress supports those instigating caste violence undermining and violating the Constitution, one is compelled to feel it is its Maoist soul which guides its actions. The infiltration of disruptive Urban Maoists into mainstream life and their influence has only recently come to light and when a mainstream party like the Congress which has held power for so many years supports their destructive designs it is not an occasion to be surprised but saddened.
Despite ideological differences, it is important to concede that the Congress of the past never spoke in the terms used by their current leaders or aligned with disruptive forces that undermined the country and national interest. It is deeply worrying to see the oldest political party in the country, one that enjoys support across the country, stand with such anti-national elements. As a result, the Congress is eroding its support base. About 125 years ago Swami Vivekananda crossed the oceans to plant the flag of Bharatiya civilisational and cultural values in a foreign land. Today, a politician from the same country, travels abroad and equates Indian cultural ethos with the Muslim Brotherhood. This is an insult to Bharatiya civilisational values and culture.
In a democracy it is but expected that there will be differences in opinion and ideologies but it is imperative to rise above these differences for the good of the nation. It is only when this unity supersedes politicswill the country find solutions to the problems that ail us.
(The writer is Sah Sarkaryavah, RSS)