Salman Nadwi argued in favour of shifting Babri Masjid site, now says talks will matter more than SC judgment. AIMPLB insists Muslim community is united.
Won’t put pressure on govt for a law right now. But depending on SC ruling, we’ll decide whether to solve the matter on the streets: Secy gen Champat Rai.
Viral video shows Home Guards DG Surya Kumar taking a pledge to build the Ram temple, top cops criticise him for making and defending ‘political’ statement.
Still facing trial in Babri demolition case, VHP’s international secretary Champat Rai says Hindu organisations worked meticulously to establish Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Rosneft, the Russian state-owned oil behemoth, has large interests in India. Reliance has a contract to purchase 500,000 barrels of crude per day from the firm.
Fresh details of operation conducted by IAF, Army have come out in gazette notification giving citations of those who were awarded Vir Chakra for their bravery.
Education, reservations, govt jobs are meant to bring equality and dignity. That we are a long way from that is evident in the shoe thrown at the CJI and the suicide of Haryana IPS officer. The film Homebound has a lesson too.
“Not only does this reassure moderate Hindus, whose votes the BJP needs – for 31% voteshare will not again yield a majority …”
Ashok, I quote your own words above. While I fully agree with what you say, and even I find Mr Bhagwat’s words indicative of a major, and positive shift in the thinkings of RSS, a suspicion does lurk somewhere in my mind if all this talk is not just another “election ploy”. The BJP DOES need more votes for 2019, and these kinds of words would SURELY soothe some moderate Hindus, but BJP couldn’t have said them on its own because no one would believe it after all the merciless things it has condoned in the last four years. So, is this party USING Mr Bhagwat to utter these words, all with the limited objective to win the forthcoming elections SOMEHOW?
That’s why, in another comment on this subject, I had said that Mr Bhagwat should display his sincerity in a tangible way — by PREVENTING his cadre from campaigning for the BJP towards ensuring its defeat in 2019, because this party has AMPLY displayed an attitude towards the Muslims which is absolutely the opposite of what Mr Bhagwat and therefore the RSS is advocating now! In my opinion, if the RSS does not prevent its cadre as above, and they go ahead with campaigning for the BJP as before, as if Mr Bhagwat had NEVER SUGGESTED tolerance etc towards the Muslims etc, then at least to me, it would indicate that the whole thing was nothing but a JOINT CONSPIRACY of the RSS and the BJP to somehow FOOL the voters to wangle votes out of them.
To my mind, some of the important messages that came out of this conclave go beyond 2019, while that was the immediate concern. The RSS – although it claims not to be in electoral politics and governance – now feels confident enough to adopt a much higher public profile, not the reclusive, even somewhat secretive, organisation it may have been in the past. As a powerful entity, it feels the need to place its philosophy more extensively in the public domain, including debate with people and organisations who disagree strongly with its views. 2. The RSS is conveying that it continues to evolve, is not a prisoner of the past. To say that our Hindutva is not complete without Muslims is not semantics. To read out the Preamble to the Constitution and to say that we have always respected and followed it lays some misgivings to rest. There is a clear disavowal of extreme positions, including violence against minorities, which is a recent aberration, quite distinct from riots that have taken place in the past. Not only does this reassure moderate Hindus, whose votes the BJP needs – for 31% voteshare will not again yield a majority – but is something that binds the organisation to a world view that meets with domestic and international endorsement. 3. The last four and a half years have not gone according to a great script. Governance, economic development, social harmony, foreign policy / national security, nothing has measured up to the promises of the campaign or the promise of the mandate. If one thinks of the RSS as the ideological mentor, moral compass, holding company of the BJP and its government(s), this was a voice of great authority, stature and gravitas. This is also an organisation that could do well in a culture of coalitions.
“Not only does this reassure moderate Hindus, whose votes the BJP needs – for 31% voteshare will not again yield a majority …”
Ashok, I quote your own words above. While I fully agree with what you say, and even I find Mr Bhagwat’s words indicative of a major, and positive shift in the thinkings of RSS, a suspicion does lurk somewhere in my mind if all this talk is not just another “election ploy”. The BJP DOES need more votes for 2019, and these kinds of words would SURELY soothe some moderate Hindus, but BJP couldn’t have said them on its own because no one would believe it after all the merciless things it has condoned in the last four years. So, is this party USING Mr Bhagwat to utter these words, all with the limited objective to win the forthcoming elections SOMEHOW?
That’s why, in another comment on this subject, I had said that Mr Bhagwat should display his sincerity in a tangible way — by PREVENTING his cadre from campaigning for the BJP towards ensuring its defeat in 2019, because this party has AMPLY displayed an attitude towards the Muslims which is absolutely the opposite of what Mr Bhagwat and therefore the RSS is advocating now! In my opinion, if the RSS does not prevent its cadre as above, and they go ahead with campaigning for the BJP as before, as if Mr Bhagwat had NEVER SUGGESTED tolerance etc towards the Muslims etc, then at least to me, it would indicate that the whole thing was nothing but a JOINT CONSPIRACY of the RSS and the BJP to somehow FOOL the voters to wangle votes out of them.
To my mind, some of the important messages that came out of this conclave go beyond 2019, while that was the immediate concern. The RSS – although it claims not to be in electoral politics and governance – now feels confident enough to adopt a much higher public profile, not the reclusive, even somewhat secretive, organisation it may have been in the past. As a powerful entity, it feels the need to place its philosophy more extensively in the public domain, including debate with people and organisations who disagree strongly with its views. 2. The RSS is conveying that it continues to evolve, is not a prisoner of the past. To say that our Hindutva is not complete without Muslims is not semantics. To read out the Preamble to the Constitution and to say that we have always respected and followed it lays some misgivings to rest. There is a clear disavowal of extreme positions, including violence against minorities, which is a recent aberration, quite distinct from riots that have taken place in the past. Not only does this reassure moderate Hindus, whose votes the BJP needs – for 31% voteshare will not again yield a majority – but is something that binds the organisation to a world view that meets with domestic and international endorsement. 3. The last four and a half years have not gone according to a great script. Governance, economic development, social harmony, foreign policy / national security, nothing has measured up to the promises of the campaign or the promise of the mandate. If one thinks of the RSS as the ideological mentor, moral compass, holding company of the BJP and its government(s), this was a voice of great authority, stature and gravitas. This is also an organisation that could do well in a culture of coalitions.