Written by, Dr. Nazir Gilani
Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar also known as Babasaheb Ambedkar was a Dalit, Indian jurist, and social reformer who authored the Indian constitution. Ultimately he was forced to tell Gandhi that he did not find any future as a Dalit under the constitution and in 1956 along with half a million fellow Dalits he embraced Buddhism.
The images that are coming out of Delhi and other parts of India of Muslim men, women and children chased out of their own homes or running for protection on the streets of Delhi and the hate speeches that have gone viral for the world, including for Indian Hindus who live abroad, are evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that Indian Hindu is barbaric at heart. After handing over Kashmiri Muslims to over 900,000 army, Indian Hindu has decided to turn upon Muslims in India.
We can see a marked difference between the Hindus living in India and the Hindus living abroad in rest of the world. The latter have earned a reputation of merit in living as peaceful citizens, along with other faiths and serving the society in all disciplines of life. Unfortunately there is another aspect of radical Hinduism which seems to have gone unnoticed. It is the one exhibited by RSS on the streets of Lahore in December 1931 against the Kashmiri Muslims and in September 1947 against the Muslims of India.
The images coming out of Kashmir, Delhi and rest of India of ‘Hindutva’ running wild at Muslims and minorities, would not only consume India of all its strength and credibility, but would discredit every Indian living outside India
RSS and The Hindu Mahasabha, after soon after the 2014 elections in Jammu and Kashmir, decided to revert back to 1947 and 1948 anti-Muslim and anti-Pakistan campaign in their literature. The Hindu Outlook edited by Mr. G. Deshpande, the Secretary General of the Hindu Mahasabha, is on record in the UN debates of 1948 that it published an article in the issue of 9 September 1947, calling upon Hindus and Sikhs to do the following:
1. Remove the present Government, which is composed of men of straw, and replace it by men who would be strong Hindus.
2. Declare the Indian Union a Hindu State
3. Prepare the country on the basis of a war with Pakistan.
4. Impose conscription and recruit all young Hindus to army
5. Treat all Muslims as fifth columnists
6. Declare the professing of Islam as unlawful.
Although while taking part in UN Security Council debates on the Kashmir dispute (right of self-determination) Pakistan was able to successfully flag, the RSS and The Hindu Mahasabha agenda for the attention of the world, it could not persevere and continue in seeking the world attention. RSS and The Hindu Mahasabha, persevered in its policy in Kashmir. Itwitnessed that Pakistan could not offer any substantive support to the people of Kashmir since 1990 and more so in 2014 and afterwards, it decided to turn upon Pakistan. The radical Hindus found Pakistani politics and other important disciplines wrestling with serious internal issues, decided to set upon the Muslims living in India.
RSS and The Hindu Mahasabha are pursuing all the six points that Mr. G. Deshpande, the Secretary General of the Hindu Mahasabha, agitated in September 1947. They were able to defeat the semi-secular politics of Indian Congress and the likes and take over the control with an increased mandate. BJP Government and its cadre have started disowning Gandhi and have turned over to Nathuram Vinayak Godse the killer of Gandhi, for inspiration.
Speeches that have gone viral leave no doubt that India in spirit has been converted to Hindu State for upper class Hindus. From day one, the BJP Government has been preparing for a war with Pakistan. As a responsible State Pakistan could be right to exercise restraints and use peace as an instrument in State policies, but at times the politicians of Pakistan and its celebrities have overplayed themselves, in compromising for a space in India. Finding a constituency in India may be a genuine desire but it has had dangerous consequences, on Kashmir and integrity of Pakistan. Indian war preparation against Pakistan has continued since 1971 major conflict in East Pakistan. All these years from September 1947, RSS and The Hindu Mahasabha have recruited all young Hindus and have trained them for military activities. This youth played the main role in Gujrat Muslim massacre and now in Delhi. Muslim homes, businesses, schools and transport have been scorched to ashes. Images of attacks on women, youth and elderly chill one’s blood. Muslim youth are targeted as sitting ducks and beatings to death are enjoyed like a sport of olden times. The boast is that Hindus are children of Shiva. It is a fight between children of Shiva and Adam. Children of Shiva need to be reminded that Muslim countries have accommodated these children of Shiva to work in the countries ruled by children of Adam andhave allowed them to set up temples in the name of Shiva.
BJP Government has used the courts and system to treat all Muslims as fifth columnists. Citizenship Bill and Registration are the basic ingredients of this sinister political philosophy, which Gandhi, Nehru and Vajpayee genuinely tried to reject. There are calls that Muslims are converts from Shiva’s children and unfaithful. Either they should return to home (Hinduism) or leave India to go to Pakistan. Government of Pakistan has a fundamental duty to secure the security of life and dignity of Muslims living in India and of all other minorities living there. Pakistan should not be seen playing hot and cold in Kashmir. It should marshal their case and use all means to dignify their case of ‘rights and dignity’ and ‘security and self-determination’. It would encourage the Muslims living in India and give hope to other minorities living there. Pakistan has been found on the principle of dignity of a human person and the treatment of minorities in Pakistan should be seen as a model by rest of the world. Pakistan as a member nation of United Nations and an important member of Muslim countries should inform the world about RSS agenda to “Declare the professing of Islam as unlawful.” The treatment of Kashmiri Muslims and now the treatment of Muslims in Delhi, their religious places, hoisting of flags on mosques, a deliberate attempt to desecrate the mosques and dargah’s, are the serious first step in that direction.
It would be unfair to loop in the Government of Pakistan for this failure, in not acting as a credible insurance for the safety of Muslims in Kashmir and Muslims and minorities in India. The politician of Pakistan (all political parties), the common man in Pakistan, the lawyer, the teacher, the journalist, the artist, businessman, religious leaders of all faiths and every citizen of Pakistan has to play a role and provide a reliable protection to Muslims and minorities in India. More so, the Hindus and all others of Indian origin living outside India, have a duty to visit the six point agenda of Hindu Mahasabha, presented in September 1947. The images coming out of Kashmir, Delhi and rest of India of ‘Hindutva’ running wild at Muslims and minorities, would not only consume India of all its strength and credibility, but would discredit every Indian living outside India and in over 57 other Muslim countries. It would make these Indians accomplices in this crime and they would lose the moral moorings all over the world. It is time that Hindus of good conscience in India and abroad stand up like Babasaheb Ambedkar, to save Muslims and minorities. A war between children of Shiva and children of Adam, could flare up, in many other countries of the world. Therefore, a conscientious Hindu living in and outside India has an urgent role to play. Let good meaning people join in to rid India of this deadly philosophy, of Hindutva.
The writer is President of London based Jammu and Kashmir Council for Human Rights – NGO in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations
