VHP opposes Sikh personal law

CHANDIGARH, Nov 25: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has opposed the demand for a separate Sikh personal law, raised recently by Shiromani Gu...

CHANDIGARH, Nov 25: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has opposed the demand for a separate Sikh personal law, raised recently by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee chief G.S. Tohra.

Talking to newsmen here today, Acharya Giri Raj Kishore, all India general secretary of the VHP, said that such demands were not in the interests of the country and might lead to disintegration. "Sikhs are our brothers. Let the persons raising such demands understand the teachings of Guru Gobind Singh to solve the problem, if any," he said.

The Acharya said that if the Sikhs should have a separate personal law, why not the Jains, Buddhists and others. "We will fight such demands ideologically," he added.

Asked about Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray’s threat to the Pakistani cricket team, the VHP leader said, "Bal Thackeray does not think beyond Maharashtra. We must keep in mind the interests and image of the country before making such announcements".

The VHP leader came down heavily on Christians and charged them with aiding and abetting insurgency in Nagaland and Assam. The Seventh Adventist Chruch, he alleged, had received millions of dollars to give an impetus to anti-national activities in north-eastern states. A sort of parallel government was being run by the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN), the Acharya said.

After Sonia Gandhi took over reins of the Congress, the Christian organisations, he said, had launched a smear campaign against the VHP to defame it. "Though not a single VHP activist was involved in the Jhabua nuns’ gang-rape case, yet the Christians were blaming VHP for the incident. Among those arrested, half the accused were from the local Christian community," he disclosed.

The VHP, he said, was determined to go ahead with the construction of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya and the work for chiselling of precious stones to be used in the building was continuing in Pindwara village in Rajasthan. By 2001, the "Garbha Girha" would be completed. "By that time, the apex court too would be able to decide the matter, hopefully in favour of the temple. If the court takes longer, the VHP would launch an agitation to impress upon Parliament to make suitable amendments to the law to pave the way for construction of the temple," he said.

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The Acharya said the VHP recently trained 565 full-time activists, including 215 women, for spreading the message of the organisation. The opening of 1,001 single-teacher schools would be completed by end of March, wherein non-formal education would be imparted, he added.