Quotes on quotas

For political reasons, the BJP and even the RSS cannot afford to openly attack the idea of reservations for OBCs in educational institutions.

For political reasons, the BJP and even the RSS cannot afford to openly attack the idea of reservations for OBCs in educational institutions. But the Organiser June 4 can barely conceal its support for the anti-reservation agitation spearheaded by medical students in the capital and elsewhere. The front page report headlined 8216;UPA plays a googly, students take up the gauntlet8217; is peppered with boxes sporting quotes and photos of the strikers. Sushant Verma, a UCMS student, describes the Prime Minister as a 8216;8216;puppet in the hands of his ministers where he has no say of his own,8217;8217; while Meetu Khosla of Northern Railways Central Hospital claims that 8216;8216;by reservations they are allowing such people to become doctors who don8217;t even have basic qualifications.8217;8217; There are also the usual anti-quota quotes 8212; that the 8216;8216;quota system is divide-and-rule policy8217;8217;, that it is an 8216;8216;injustice to merit8217;8217; and that it is 8216;8216;all about vote bank politics.8217;8217;

Rubbishing reservation

The editorial in the same issue tries to do a balancing act by claiming that 8216;8216;reservation has a historic rationale8217;8217; but then goes on to rubbish the idea of quotas in 8216;8216;resurgent8217;8217; India. It says: 8216;8216;Quota politics is old hat. It does not reflect the resolve of a resurgent global player. It is the baggage of a socialist past that philosophised and celebrated poverty, distributed indignity and divisiveness. The politicians used it to divide and profit out of mayhem and misery.8217;8217;

Commending the students for agitating on the streets, the editorial claims that 8216;8216;in any advanced administrative system their protest would have shaken the conscience of the rulers. Not the UPA, for it is a coalition of the forces of darkness 8212; all that is decadent and negative in our society. It cannot think of positive, proactive solutions, it can only work to fish in troubled waters.8217;8217;

Conversion blues

The RSS8217;s pet theme 8212; alleged conversion of 8216;vanvasis8217; to Christianity 8212; is amplified in more than one article in this issue of Organiser. A report from Jaipur fulminates against Rajasthan governor Pratibha Patil8217;s decision to return the anti-conversion bill passed by the state assembly without giving her assent. The report also praises Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje for heeding all the suggestions of 8216;8216;nationalist organisations8217;8217; such as the VHP, Bajrang Dal and Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram in formulating the Freedom of Religion Bill, 2006. 8216;8216;They were of the view that, due to certain flaws in the Bill, many vanvasis who had recently been converted to Christianity would not be able to return to their original faith.8217;8217; Suitable amendments were made to ensure that those 8216;8216;who want to return to the faith of their ancestors would not come under the purview of conversion.8217;8217;

Another piece from Andhra Pradesh claims that the Hindu population in the Vishaka agency area of the state is declining sharply because, 8216;8216;due to the efforts of Christian missionaries, 60 per cent of the Girijan population is converted into Christianity.8217;8217; The report adds that 8216;8216;the Girijans did not have any idea of religion and god, but they are converting into Christianity for the sake of benefits, which missionaries are providing to them.8217;8217; In the process, the writer inadvertently admits that the tribals were not 8216;8216;Hindus8217;8217; in the first place 8212; a claim that RSS and affiliate organisations routinely make.

Nepal8217;s Hindu identity

Given the mass upheaval against his rule, the RSS and VHP have not openly come out in support of the beleaguered King Gyanendra of Nepal. But they cannot hide their concern for the end of Nepal8217;s status as the only Hindu kingdom in the world. The Organiser carries statements issued by both RSS general secretary Mohan Bhagwat and VHP general secretary Pravin Togadia appealing to the people of Nepal to 8216;8216;protect their Hindu identity.8217;8217; Bhagwat says: 8216;8216; Constitutional Hindu nation was the identity of Nepal8217;s eternal traditions and culture. So far this identity was safe under the constitutional system, but now the people of Nepal will have to be vigilant to protect it.8217;8217;

Togadia is much more direct. 8216;8216;Today the conspiracy to ruin its identity through guns and bullets is dangerous for Nepal. Hindutva is the pranshakti of Nepal and if any effort is made to reject it, the country will be almost finished,8217;8217; he says. Claiming to represent the views of 8216;8216;crores of Hindus world over8217;8217;, Togadia also appealed to the people of Nepal and their leadership that 8216;8216;whatever system of governance they adopt, but the identity of Nepal as a Hindu nation should remain intact.8217;8217;

8212; Compiled by Manini Chatterjee