Opinion Christian reservations

Another article talks about a book on Islamic banking which carries the views of former Union Minister Dr Subramanian Swamy,who had filed a petition in Kerala High Court against the state Industrial Development Corporation’s moves to join hands with some groups from the Middle East to launch Islamic banking in the state.The book’s take on Islamic banks is in line with the broad RSS view. It contests the belief that Islamic banks do not charge interests. “The truth,however,is that like all banks,sharia banks do charge interest — they just give another name — and that the clerics supervising the banks have ties to extremist,even terrorist groups,which work towards the Islamisation and word dominance,” it says.

Swamy argues that a financial services company set up with government participation which would follow the canon law of a particular religion is a clear instance of the state favouring a particular religion and “this violates Article 27 of the Constitution.” The real danger,as far as Swamy is concerned,is that such banks would trigger religious conversion.

How? Swamy argues that the banks would give loans to Muslim youth while the Hindus would be denied on one technicality or another. “Word will be spread that if the Hindu converts to Islam he or she will get the loan easily. Given the high unemployment of educated youth in Kerala,and that Hindus are just 52 per cent of the state population it will be in no time that economic pressures will force the state to become Hindu minority,” he says.

Degrees of difference

The lead editorial in the Organiser once again clarifies RSS opposition to the foreign education bill. “Allowing foreign universities into India,who mostly operate on the motive of profit,would divide the youth further vertically into those who can afford foreign degrees and those who cannot and needless to add that those with foreign degrees would get preference in the job market,” it says.

The article seeks to debunk the argument that once foreign universities come to India,their Indian counterparts would be on their toes and would maintain standards for survival. “We have heard similar arguments before on allowing foreign business into India. And see what happened,in the consumer sector,be it the soft drinks,the detergents or toothpaste. The Indian companies have been nearly wiped off,” it says.

“As such,the government has privatised large sections of education in India,with the result that there is an enormous difference in the quality of education at the primary and secondary level. In the higher education level also,private,profit-motivated colleges are run,which give a raw deal to the students. The multiple levels monitoring system of the government has not been effective in checking the standards of these institutions,largely due to corruption,” it argues. In a scenario like this,how does the government propose to vet,verify and allow foreign universities to open centres in India,it asks.

Compiled by Manoj C.G.