[sacw] India/ diaspora: Hindu Supremacists at work | 4 Oct 00

[Harsh Kapoor]

South Asia Citizens Web Dispatch #2.
4 October 2000
http://www.mnet.fr/aiindex

India/Diaspora : Hindu Supremacists Stories

*********************************

#1. Swadeshi Squabbles=20=20
#2. RSS boss wants foreign missionaries out
#3. 'All Indians are Hindus' says the RSS Boss
#4. RSS convenes meet on national security
#5. RSS Mouthpiece Organiser on Hindutva meet in the UK

*********************************

#1.

The Telegraph
4 Oct. 2000
Op-Ed.

SWADESHI SQUABBLES=20

BY MAHESH RANGARAJAN
=20
=20
The recent overhaul of posts in the Bharatiya Janata Party is a pointer to
an intense struggle among those at the helm of the ruling coalition. This
marks the beginning of posturing for position for the post-Atal Behari
Vajpayee period among the Hindutva forces.

For now, the prime minister=92s ascendancy over the party is complete. Most
of those who sniped at him in his years when he was not in command have now
been sidelined. But the victory is far from complete and there are straws
in the wind that are too important to be missed. Many expected these would
be around the questions of cultural Hindutva, but few such symbolic issues
can be taken up by a multiparty coalition regime. Instead, economic issues
have moved to the fore, with a section of the sangh combine trying to tap
the forces of discontent. If nothing else, in the event of any electoral
setbacks, it can stymie further reforms.

In a cadre-based and ideologically aligned party, especially one that has
moved from a long spell out of power into the echelons of high office,
there are bound to be deep differences over the course the country ought to
take. All the more so given that there is no deep attachment of votaries of
cultural nationalism to economic reform of the classical free market
variety. None of the outspoken champions of reform in the party, such as
Arun Jaitley or Yashwant Sinha, can fully break the association with the
swadeshi fostered though the Nineties.

The Swadeshi Jagran Manch, the guiding lights of which have included the
prominent Chennai-based ideologue, S. Gurumurthy, got its act together less
than a year after the demolition of the Babri Masjid. The idea that we
ought to "shun things foreign" was openly espoused at its founding
conference in September 1993. The chorus line was clear. Internal market
reforms ought to precede, not accompany or lag behind, the opening of doors
to external capital.

Successive leaders of the party also chimed in. At the Bangalore session in
1993, L.K. Advani made his formulation that the country welcomed the
computer chip but would shun potato chips. The shortlived Bombay Club gave
industrial teeth to the ideology of self-reliance. Even as the Congress
under P.V. Narasimha Rao pushed ahead with reforms, the Hindutva forces
sought to give the process their own distinctive stamp. Markets were fine
as long as the colour of reform was saffron.

Two major factors propelled the issue to centrestage. One was the need to
overcome the post-Ayodhya isolation of the party. Rehabilitation from
pariah-like status was assured once socialists like George Fernandes and
Krishna Iyer clambered onto the same platform as veterans of the sangh.
Economic issues with a populist slant cut the ground from under the feet
of the ruling Congress party.

The expansion of mass front organizations like the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh
also aided the shift of tack. The labour union overtook the Congress
affiliated Indian National Trade Union Congress as the country=92s largest
body of workers. Along with the farmers=92 front, they needed a new focus f=
or
their energies. Dattopant Thengadi, a veteran ideologue who is barely known
outside the fold, emerged as a strong advocate of swadeshi.

In this he found a likeminded ally in the joint general secretary of the
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, K.S. Sudrashan. Move the reel five years ahead
and the latter takes over as the head of the parent organization itself. In
keeping with his recent predecessors, he has kept a high public profile but
in a break with the past, he is highly vocal on economic issues.

The compulsions of politics and the worldwide webs of trade and capital
flows have taken the economic policies of the Vajpayee regime in a very
different direction from the one some of its ardent supporters had
envisaged. In May 1996, his shortlived ministry gave the green light for
the Enron project. In fact, the company got an even better deal than the
one offered under previous governments. Since 1998, there has been no
let-up, with the insurance sector and telecommunications being opened up.
Last December, India even relaxed the quantitative restrictions on several
products ahead of the deadline imposed by international treaty.

The Rao legacy of reform has lived on under the Vajpayee regime. There have
indeed been some concessions. Duties on agricultural commodity imports have
been hiked over the last few months. The smallscale sector has wrung some
credit and aid from the Union government. But such victories need to be set
against the backdrop of greater defeats.

Those who have fallen out of favour with the present powers that be are
reaching out to pick up the flag. The former general secretary of the BJP,
K.N. Govindacharya, hopes to focus on the concerns of artisans, traders and
cultivators. These are the very groups that have been at the heart of the
meteoric growth of the party over the last decade.

A recent pamphlet distributed in cities and towns across northern India by
the SJM before the recent fracas in the ruling party did not mince words.
It warned that, "Ninety nine per cent of the cold drinks, 92 per cent of
the tooth paste, 71 per cent of the icecream and 83 per cent of the soaps
in the country are made and sold by multinational companies."

The customer is urged to replace the foreign-made product with its
indigenous counterpart: Lever detergent or soap is to be replaced with
Nirma, Gillette blades by Ashoka and so on. There is a method in it all,
with the ghost of the Bombay Club probably reaping the gains, irrespective
of the levels of consumer satisfaction or quality of the product.

For all this, the proponents of swadeshi are quick to claim the mantle of
the nationalists of yesteryear. What they omit is that M.K. Gandhi=92s own
personal credo was different from the policies of the Congress. Even at the
height of the campaign against foreign mill made cloth, he drew support
from the owners of the mills of Ahmedabad. Years later, he explicitly and
publicly backed the sale of Singer sewing machines, because they would
increase the earnings and autonomy of self-employed women. The touchstone
was not the alien origin of things but their impact on the quality of life
of the common folk.

It is surely odd that those who are so much at variance with the dominant
strands of Indian nationalism should now stake claim to its legacy. Perhaps
it is because today's warriors in khaki are unable to promote their idiom
of alien versus Indian in any other way. There is a lot to be said in
criticism of particular aspects of globalization. But it can hardly be made
a creative debate by branding things, persons or goods on ground of their
foreign origin.

It is tempting to imagine that the torchbearers of saffron's version of
economic nationalism will disappear into oblivion because of the BJP's
compulsions of power. After all, through much of the early Nineties, when
the temple agenda dominated the platform, Vajpayee waited in the wings for
his own moment of glory. Today, it is the turn of his critics to pull away
from power, to renew their roots and wait their turn.

Unlike the Congress and quite like the leftwing parties, the sangh combine
sets great store by the tenets it believes in. The question is not just who
wins or loses today=92s round of power play. It is a battle for the
ideological high ground that matters much more. The centrality of the party
to India=92s governance makes it a contest with consequences whose
significance hardly needs explanation.

The author is an independent researcher on ecology and political affairs
and former fellow, Nehru Memorial Museum Library, New Delhi=20=20=20=20

_______

# 2

The Times of India News Service - 3rd October, 2000

Sudarshan wants foreign missionaries out

By Rajesh Ramachandran

NEW DELHI: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh(RSS) sarsangchalak, K. S. Sudarshan
has asked the government to throw out all foreign Christian missionaries
from
India. He has also vehemently criticised the government on its economic
policies, particularly its dependence on foreign investment.
Addressing around 21,000 volunteers in full uniform at an exclusive RSS
affair on the Vijayadashmi function of the Delhi provincial unit at Raja
Gardens, Sudarshan said the government should establish an indigenous Churc=
h
on the lines of the Church in China.
According to a senior RSS leader who was present at the occasion, the
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief said, "It is advisable to have a totally
Indian Church like the one in China and all foreign churches and
missionaries
should be asked by the government to pack up and go." Seeking a completely
indigenous Church, Sudarshan stated those who do not believe in the equalit=
y
of religions should not be allowed to propagate their intolerant religion i=
n
India.
The idea of a "government-sponsored Church" that is being floated by RSS
would obviously imply that Indian churches would have to cut off their link=
s
with churches and missionaries elsewhere.
For instance, the Catholics would have to sever links with the Vatican. Th=
e
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh wants India to emulate the post-revolution
Chinese
government, which according to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leaders threw ou=
t
all foreign missionaries and established its own version of a Christian
church.
According to sources Sudarshan began his tirade against Christians latching
on to the Pope's statement. Apparently, soon after the exhortation of
equality of religions by the UN world religious summit, the Pope had averre=
d
Roman Catholicism is the only medium of salvation.
Sudarshan also alleged the Baptist Church in north-east India is involved i=
n
insurgency there and is driving Bangla-speaking Hindus out of Tripura,
forcing
Hindus not to observe Durga Puja or wear bindi and bangles.

______

#3.

Tehelka.com
3 Oct 2000
Current Affairs

'All Indians are Hindus'

RSS sarsanghchalak K S Sudarshan cries himself hoarse blaming both
Marxists and Imperialists for distorting Vedic history and exhorts the
concept of Bharat Rashtra as the ultimate nationhood, reports V K
Shashikumar

New Delhi, October 3
The Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) sarsanghchalak (chief), K S
Sudarshan, says that the history of India should be rewritten to
incorporate its Vedic lineage. The most important premise, according to him
is that "all Indians are Hindus". Indian civilization pre-dates the advent
of Jesus and Prophet Mohammad and therefore the revealed religions of
Christianity and Islam. "Which religion did those who were born before
Jesus follow? Is God so partial that one day he woke up and said that those
who follow his words will attain salvation? Does it mean that those who
were born before Jesus will live in hell perpetually?" asked Sudarshan
during a book release ceremony. Sudarshan was presiding over the release
of Suresh Chandra Vatsayanan's rendering of Vedic Prithvee Sookta in Hindi,
Punjabi and English. The Sookta constitutes the first part of 12th canto of
the Atharva Veda. It is not only an important constituent of the Atharva
Veda but also of the whole lot of Vedic and allied scriptures. Others
present in the book release ceremony were the Union Civil Supplies
Minister, Shanta Kumar and Seshadari Chari, the editor of RSS mouthpiece,
Organiser.

In an exclusive interview, Sudarshan told tehelka.com that the "RSS will
spread the message of the Vedic basis of Indian society throughout the
country." The attempt is to put in place in concrete terms what constitutes
an "Indian identity". According to Union Civil Supplies Minister Shanta
Kumar, the Vedas "represent the concept of unity in diversity of the
multicultural and multilingual Indian rashtra (nation)."

According to Sudarshan, both the Marxists and the imperialists have spread
misinformation about Vedic history. "Their purpose was to snatch the
historical legacy of India away from its moorings. Marx himself has not
said anything about Indian history, but the Marxists have walked hand in
hand with the imperialists to propagate myths about Indian history. They
have propounded the myth of the Aryan influx, that the Aryans came from
outside, they were a race, they defeated the natives of this land and
established their rule. All these myths have already been demolished by
scholars," says Sudarshan. 'Marxists and Imperialists propagated myths
about Indian history. They propounded the myth of the Aryan influx, that
the Aryans came from outside, they were a race, they defeated the natives
of this land and established their rule'

Through these actions and statements, the RSS is clearly showing its intent
to press for a reorientation of "perspective" in which Indian history
should be seen and written. It will be interesting to hear what the
post-modern historians, the empiricists, the Marxists and liberal
historians have to say in response to Sudarshan's plan to propound the
Vedic history of India and the claim that "all Indians are Hindus".

Speaking to tehelka.com, the RSS chief said that the organisation would
publicise the findings of leading European scholars who have proved beyond
doubt that the Aryan interpretation of early Indian history is a fallacy.
Sudarshan said, "On the basis of DNA studies they (European researchers)
have concluded that there are enormous genetic differences between the
Indians and the Europeans. Only approximately 5 per cent of the Indians
show genetic similarities with the Europeans. This proves that indeed if
Aryans had come from Europe then there would have indeed been a great
degree of similarity in the genetic make-up of the Indians and Europeans.
But now we know that the Marxist, Western and the imperialist view of
history is not correct and that there was no Aryan influx into India. So
Vedic history is the only way of looking at Indian civilization."

The RSS chief exhorted Indian scholars to visit the US and study the Red
Indian lifestyle and its oral history. He says that there are striking
similarities between some of the rituals of the Red Indians and the
Indians. Such a linkage will prove beyond doubt that the Indian
civilization has left its imprint on other cultures and will conclusively
disprove white supremacy.

The essential difference between the Western worldview and the Indian
worldview is the perspective from which it views life. "Vedic history
tells us that all Indians are Hindus and this is based on the Vedic
worldview of life. The Western worldview is based on four
principles-struggle for existence, survival of the fittest, exploitation of
nature and assertion of individual rights. The Western culture does not
allow for the consciousness of the individual. That is why Christianity
considers a woman as an afterthought and that is why, historically
speaking, many atrocities have been committed against women, they have been
tortured and suppressed in such cultures. Therefore, it is not surprising
the women in the Western world had to fight for their rights one by one.
The concept of women's liberation emerged in Western societies because they
were agitated that why should god be a HE and not a SHE."

In the RSS sarsanghchalak's opinion, in Hinduism God is represented both
in terms of human and nature; in the human form God could be a 'HE' or a
SHE'. There is no struggle for existence in Hinduism, because Brahma
(creator) is Universal and omnipresent. There is no concept of the survival
of the fittest because it is believed that all should be happy and content
and those who are strong should protect the weak.

Sudarshan went on to state that "Hindus do not believe in the exploitation
of nature, rather receive the bounties of nature, like a child who suckles
as much as he needs of his mother's milk". It is the family that is always
above the individual, and individual rights exist only as far as protecting
the individual's person and his body. "How can we believe in individual
rights when our philosophy speaks of universal brotherhood from the family
to the ideal of whole world is one (vasudhaiva kutumbakam)," asked the RSS
chief. "There is diversity in this oneness and this is what we have to
realise and this is the real meaning of unity in diversity. Our forefathers
have reminded us often that we should never destroy this diversity and
that remains our most important principle of our national life today,"
added Sudarshan.

It is interesting to note the attempt of the RSS to deify "Bharat Rashtra"
and the construction of it as the replica of "Mother Earth". Clearly, a
"Hindu" view of Indian nationhood is being enunciated. "In reality, the
nationhood of India as revealed through the Vedic lore is not
correspondent with the nationhood of medieval West and other countries. The
rashtra form of nationhood of India is an institution of the seers and
saints committed to the creation of a heaven on earth," said Sudarshan.

"Hinduism is a substitute for the word secularism and saffron is the
colour of India's saintly being. Those who negate this view practice
communal minorytism," states Vatsayanan, author of the book released by RSS
chief Sudarshan "The RSS is a saintly institution. It is a socialistic
organisation and represents the national spirit. If the word 'Hindu' is
used to describe it there is nothing wrong. In the concept of Bharat
Rashtra, all Indians are Hindus. In fact, 95 per cent of Indian Muslims are
actually Hindus. They have been forcibly converted by the Muslims invaders
because they had two options-face death or adopt Islam," says.
Vatsayanan, the author, said that organisations like the RSS want the
government to change school textbooks. "If somebody advocates a change in
the way our school textbooks are written, they are dubbed as communalists.
In Kashmir there is not a single textbook which says that the ancestors of
Kashmiri Muslims were Hindus," he said.

The president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Bangaru Laxman's stated
intention of "reaching out to Muslims" recently during the party's
national conclave in Nagpur was not an off-the-cuff remark. It has been
interpreted as part of a deliberate strategy of the Sangh Parivar to
deflect criticism of its communal agenda by subsuming other cultures and
identities under the overarching rubric of a Bharat Rashtra. Where the
nation and nationhood becomes one entity, where Bharat Rashtra merges into
a Hindu Rashtra, where all the imagery and icons derive their sustenance
from the leitmotifs of Hinduism-"a synthesis of a revealed religion and
philosophy" according to the Hindutva brigade.

Also, according to this worldview, even Sufism is nothing but "Vedanta in
a singing mood". It means, "Ayodhya and Ram also belong to Muslims". The
saffron brigade is now conscious of any criticism that terms it as
'communal'. The view emerging within the Sangh Parivar and the BJP is to
counteract that criticism by adopting the theme that "Hinduism is a
substitute for the word secularism and saffron is the colour of India's
saintly being" as stated by Vatsayanan. "Those who negate this view
practices communal minorytism," he added.

According to Sudarshan, Christianity and Islam stress on uniformity of
thought and action. "But we (Hindus) stress on unity in diversity. If there
has to be world peace and peaceful cultural coexistence, then the Hindu
worldview has to be accepted and followed. Whenever, there are attempts to
impose uniformity, there will be conflict and competition. Neither has
there been oneness among the Christian Western countries nor has there been
any unity among the Islamic countries. Even the communists failed to impose
their thoughts to bring oneness among various cultures. The present
machinations of the US to spread American culture will also meet the same
fate and will never succeed," he said emphatically.

______

#4.

(Recieved via Frederick Noronha)

RSS convenes meet on national security

by Shubhangi Khapre, India Abroad News Service

New Delhi, Oct 4 - The Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS),
which has recently been critical of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led
government's performance, is now turning its attention to national security=
,
an area in which it wants the government to take "stronger steps".

It is organizing a three-day convention beginning October 13 at Agra to mar=
k
its 75th founding day, an occasion on which it is inviting leaders of all
major political parties, including Congress party president Sonia Gandhi, t=
o
discuss the issue.

"National security has been chosen as the theme for the convention to
generate greater awareness among the masses and government on the serious
internal and external threats to India," senior BJP leader Bhagwan Shankar
Rawat, who is one of the key organizers, told the portal indiaabroad.com in
an interview.

Besides Sonia Gandhi, it has sent invitations to Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)
leader Mayawati, Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav, and even
leaders of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) who are among the
severest critics of the RSS. But the organizers are not quite certain
whether the invitees would turn up.

"We took the initiative to rope in all political parties on a common
platform because the issue of national security concerns one and all. So
none should have any objections on the subject despite ideological
differences," said Rawat.

Top scientist and the prime minister's scientific advisor, A.P.J. Abdul
Kalam, too, is invited as are retired and serving army officers including
those who have been decorated with the nation's highest gallantry award, th=
e
`Param Vir Chakra'.

The list also includes both Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Home
Minister L. K. Advani, in addition to other senior BJP leaders. But
Vajpayee's attendance is ruled out due to his knee operation in Mumbai
scheduled around that time. Former BJP general secretary K.N. Govindacharya=
,
considered a hardliner and now on a sabbatical, would also attend the
session.

_______

#5.

[Report on the Journal of the Hindu Right]

Organiser
Vol. LII, No. 10 NEW DELHI, September 24, 2000
September Last updated: September 23, 5:00 p.m.

Sangh Shiksha Varg in UK

>From Our Correspondent

CROYDON (London) : Like the previous years this year also the Hindu
Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS), UK, held its annual Sangh Shiksha Varg in Soar
Valley Community College, Leicester.

A total of 129 swayamsevaks from 23 nagars participated, which included 65
for Prathmik (first year), 41 for Pravesh (second year) and 23 for Praveen
(third year). 18 shikshaks and 30 prabandhaks were present full time to
teach and train the participants and look after the arrangements. Dr
Shripati Shashtri, Akhil Bharatiya Sah-Sampark Pramukh of Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Bharat, specially came for the camp and stayed
throughout. The participants also had the benefit of the presence of Dr
Shankar Rao Tatwawadi, Vishwa Vibhag Pramukh of RSS, Dr Ram Vaidya, senior
pracharak, Dr S.G. Surange, Prof. (Retd.) and Head of Department of
Physiology, Lady Harding Medical College, Delhi, and Dr Anand Arya of
Croydon (London).

It was a memorable sight to see 150 young people, born and brought up in
UK, sitting cross-legged on floor and reciting bhojan mantra before taking
their meals. Cooked chapatis were delivered to the camp everyday by local
community.

It was a happy coincidence that the Shankaracharya of Bhanupura Peeth,
India, Poojya Swami Divyanand Teerth, who was in UK, visited the camp and
delivered an inspiring speech to the young generation emphasising the value
of dedication and discipline for progress in life. All the participants had
their usual physical and bouddhik examinations towards the end of the camp
followed by the convocation on the last day. The concluding function
included a skillful display of various physical activities learned during
the camp and lustily cheered by the local population present. Dr K. Sripati
Shashtri, Ph.D., Professor (Retd.) and Head of Department of History, Pune
University, delivered a fascinating lecture with hard facts and figures
from Indian and European history demolishing the myth of atrocities on
minorities in India.