Defending ABVP News Archive News

The BJP leadership may have ticked off MP CM Shivraj Chouhan for mishandling the Ujjain students8217; agitation that led to the death of Prof. H.S. Sabharwal...

September 14, 2006 12:00 AM IST

3 min read

The BJP leadership may have ticked off MP CM Shivraj Chouhan for mishandling the Ujjain students8217; agitation that led to the death of Prof. H.S. Sabharwal but the RSS is firmly backing ABVP, the Sangh8217;s student wing . The editorial in the latest Organiser slams attempts by the media and the Congress party for politicising the issue and throwing 8220;the entire blame on the ABVP and the BJP government in the state.8221; Although both ABVP and NSUI 8220;were both agitating boisterously at the time of the incident8221;, the visual media pinned the entire blame on the ABVP, it says. Defending the ABVP, it adds 8220;it is not only the largest youth organisation in the country8221; but over the last half century 8220;has made a commendable difference to student politics in the country.8221; Regarding the Ujjain case, the editorial insists 8220;the organisation8217;s image cannot be tarnished highlighting an incident in which the tragedy seems accidental.8221;

Conversion conundrum

In his 8220;exclusive8221; column for Organiser, CM Shivraj Chouhan invokes Mahatam Gandhi8217;s views against religious conversions to defend the recent amendments introduced by his government to existing anti-conversion laws that have been sharply attacked by the Congress party. They require the clergy and 8216;prospective converts8217; to notify authorities of the intent to change religion one month before a 8216;conversion ceremony.8217; Accusing Sonia Gandhi of being 8216;a novice in the political history of Congress and its post-freedom development8217;, Chouhan repeatedly cites Gandhi and points out how Congress governments in M P and Orissa passed laws banning conversions back in the 1960s. He also quotes Gandhi as saying: 8220;I believe that there is no such thing as conversion from one faith to another in the accepted sense of the word. It is a highly personal matter for the individual and his God.8221; This quote, however, sits at odds with another article in the same issue of Organiser by a certain Ravi Shankar Kapoor. Headlined 8216;Hindus should promote religious conversion8217;, the article says, 8220;It is measure of Hindu insecurity that today Hindu organisations and leaders are against religious conversion. However, there was a time when prominent Hindu groups were zealously promoting religious conversion; thousands of Muslims were brought back to the Hindu fold; and Muslims vehemently opposed conversion.8221;

Against full convertibility

Echoing the views of CPIM, Sangh outfit Swadeshi Jagran Manch SJM has also come out with a sharp attack on the Tarapore Committee which has recommended a road map for the full convertibility of the rupee by 2011. Urging all political parties to put pressure on the government to shelve the move, SJM convenor Muralidhar Rao points out that P.Chidambaram had got the RBI to appoint the first Tarapore Committee during his first innings as finance minister in 1996. The committee had then recommneded a three-year road map to full convertibility 8220;but the tsunami of the East Asian crisis destroyed the credibility of the concept8230;8221; Describing the renewed efforts towards full convertibility as 8220;ill conceived8221;, Rao says the SJM will organise 8220;enlightened opposition and resistance to the dangerous move, which can hit the Indian economy like the East Asian, Russian, Yugoslavian, ERM, Mexican and South American financial crisis 8211; all arising because of essentially full currency float.8221;

Compiled by Manini Chatterjee

Tags: