In the light of the recent attacks on Christians in Orissa and Karnataka, it is
pointed that the the RSS and/or the Bajrang Dal may be responsible for them.
Both these fanatical outfits are direct results of M.S. Golwalkar's teachings.
I would advise that those who want to know more about the background to the
outfits and also the mind of the ideologue to read the book Terrifying Vision:
M.S. Golwalkar, the RSS and India by Jyotimaya Sharma, published n 2007 by
Penguin Viking, New Delhi.
The author looks deeply into Golwalkar's writings, including the much-talked
and much-hyped book, Bunch of Thoughts, which forms the "bible" for the RSS
cadres, better known as swayamsevaks. Golwalkar's vision is indeed terrifying.
In his vision, there is no place for other Indians except Hindus. Though the
book says that Golwalkar promoted his vision of Hindutva by borrowing from
European movements such as Orientalism, Romanticism and Enlightment. In other
words, Hindutva is a mesh-up of the European ideas.
It is said that Golwalkar was an admirer of Adolf Hitler and his booklet We or
Our Nationhood Defined is written on the lines of Hitler's Mein Kampf. Just as
Hitler hated the Jews, Golwalkar hates all non-Hindus. His pet project was to
make India or Bharat totally Hindu as he believed that Hindus were the rightful
owners of the land. He also went a step further to have the land now belonging
to Pakistan to be united with India to form Akhand Bharat (shades of which we
saw in the vision of some pro-Maharashtra supporters in forming Vishal
Gomantak, now again resurrected dimly by some groups).
Though Golwalkar shunned politics and expected his followers to do so, the
Hindutva movement is promoted, albeit tacitly, by the BJP. No wonder we see
that the BJP distances itself from the violence and cowardly issues notes of
protest against what is happening in Orissa and Karnataka. The BJP is at the
back of Golwalkar's vision of Hindu Rashtra and it is this ideological thrust
that propels the party among its ardent supporters. Without the Hindu Rashtra
foundation, BJP would collapse like a house of cards.
Besides the above-mentioned book, there are several others that dwell on the
monstrosity of religious chauvinism. An additional reading of another book,
Images of the World: Essays in Religion, Secularism and Cultural, by T.N.
Madan, a noted sociologist, would help in further understanding how secularism
plays its unique role in India's socio- politico-religious environement.
Madan's "persistence of religion" argument helps in understanding religion in
the modern context, more so in relation to India and its pluralistic traditions.
eugene
