Gujarat new ground for political tug-of-war

The VHP’s allegations that conversions from Hinduism to Christianity increased after Gandhi became Congress chief has been taken seriously by the Congress. Though on paper the party continues to dismiss the charge as “absurd”, the high command has begun takingsteps to display Gandhi’s “all-religion personality”. Thus, her address to a gathering at the Ramakrishna Mission on Swami Vivekananda’s 137th birth anniversary.

In her speech there, Gandhi flayed the RSS for spreading communalism saying a multi-diverse country like India could not be “appropriated only with Hinduism”. Indirectly referring to the RSS, Gandhi said, “These people seek to spread hate, antagonism, communalism and conflict and seek to distort the message of Hinduism.”

She quoted at length from Vivekananda to hit out at the RSS, which has tried to appropriate Vivekananda for itself. “Truth is one,” she quoted the ancient Indian scholar and philosopher as saying. “The fight of the backward classes and women for justice is a sign of assertiveness on their part. They demand parity and not charity,” she added. Gandhi also stressed eradicating illiteracy as the country’s biggest challenge in the next century. “Let us harness and channelise their energies on the path shown by SwamiVivekananda. He uniquely combined the fiery patriotism of a countryman and the spirituality of a saint. His messages of literacy, awakening and social renaissance were still relevant,” Gandhi said in an oblique retort to the RSS.

This attack on the Sangh Parivar is likely to be intensified in the coming days though the Congress feels a debate on conversions is “not the answer”. Yet, an informal debate has already begun between the Congress and the RSS, with both using the media for it.

Sonia’s tough stance was reflected in a statement issued by four senior CWC members today on the Gujarat attacks. Arjun Singh, Pranab Mukherjee, Ahmed Patel and Ghulam Nabi Azad briefed the Press today with their two-page hard-hitting statement which was cleared by Gandhi.

The CWC members drew a parallel between the Gujarat attacks and the Babri Masjid demolition and suggested the Centre bring “all such issues (Gujarat-related) forward for adjudication and make a sincere effort to have the matter brought before theSupreme Court for it to decide the issues involved”.

Arjun Singh added, “It would be a good idea for the National Integration Council (NIC) to meet on this matter” and said it was for the Centre to call such a meeting. The CWC members’ statement read: “The spate of incidents in Gujarat targetting the minority Christian community by functionaries of different members of the Sangh Parivar has the sinister potential of damaging the secular fabric of India.

“This has been the modus operandi of the RSS-BJP combine helped by other outfits which share the sectarian ideals of the Parivar. The aggressive religious agenda has been a constant political instrument in their hands which they have used to rouse communal passions and cash in on them politically. The country has witnessed this with catastrophic cost to its peace, stability and credibility between 1985 and 1992 which ultimately culminated in the demolition of the Babri Masjid with utter disregard to the sensitivities of the people.

“The objectiveagain is to create a fear psychosis which could result in acts of vandalism creating a chain reaction of violence and religious animosity since these people (the RSS) believe they will gain politically if an atmosphere of intolerance, bigotry and violence becomes the dominant factor in the country.

“The first reaction of the Prime Minister during his visit to Gujarat was to absolve the local administration of any blame in this matter. The only positive suggestion he could bring out is to ask for a national debate on conversions. It is a clumsy attempt to divert attention from the crux of the matter of atrocities against Christians to a wider debate on acts of conversion. Such an attitude defies rationality and honest intentions,” the CWC members said.

Vivekananda’s birth anniversary is being observed as National Youth Day this year and the Congress president said India’s future depends on how fast “we manage to educate all our illiterates especially girls.”