[Marxistindia] On Venkaiah Naidu's Press conference

[news from the cpi(m)]

November 5, 2015

 

Press Release

 

CPI(M) General Secretary, Sitaram Yechury's reaction to Shri Venkaiah
Naidu's Press Conference and Release of the BJP book "Know the Truth".

 

1.	There is nothing new in this "truth". All the charges against the
Left raised ad nauseam in the past are repeated once again. The Left is
accused of hegemonising the intellectual discourse in the country. The point
of view of Left intellectuals has been persuasive and continues to be so
because of the strength of its scholarship, reasoning and study of Indian
history. The RSS, unable to meet these high standards, has once again
unleashed a calumny of disinformation, speaking of "ideological motivation"
of the Left. 
2.	We are thankful to Shri Venkaiah Naidu Garu for bracketing the most
exalted and enlightened Indian minds with the CPI(M).
3.	The return of State awards as a form of protest is nothing new.
During the course of the freedom struggle this has happened on many an
occasion. Recollect that Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore returned his knighthood
in protest against the atrocities of the British colonial rule in India.
4.	The issue is not of an 'alternative RSS/BJP point of view' emerging
in the battle of ideas. The RSS point of view has always been there in the
academic and intellectual discourse of India. The current intolerance in the
country is highlighted by the growth of violence and intimidation between
opposing points of view unleashed by the RSS and the various tentacles of
the communal octopus. Violent intolerance is the issue before the country
and people today. The largescale protests that have enlarged to include
litterateurs, historians, film makers, scientists, former chief of Indian
armed forces etc are a reflection of protests against this atmosphere.
5.	The creation of such an atmosphere is unambiguously moving towards
what Sardar Patel described when he ordered the ban on the RSS, as "cult of
violence spearheaded by the Sangh" that had claimed many lives "including
that of the Mahatma".
6.	The hallmark of the current intolerance is the violent attacks that
are being unleashed all across the country. A Muslim is killed allegedly for
consuming beef. Two dalit children are burnt alive. Pakistani Gazhal singer
Ghulam Ali is not allowed to perform. The BCCI office is attacked as they
were to discuss a possible cricket series with Pakistan etc. Instances of
'moral policing' are being reported from various parts of the country.
7.	It is simply untrue that all these issues were not brought before
the government by anybody so far. In the parliament in the very first
session after this BJP government under PM Modi took office demands were
raised asking the Prime Minister to take action, if not at least give an
assurance to the parliament and through it to the people that action will be
taken against members of the Union Cabinet and BJP MPs who continue to make
inflammatory hate speeches across the country. Till date, forget any action,
no such assurance has been forthcoming from the Prime Minister. 
8.	The CPI(M) and the Left have always been critical of the role of the
Congress party like in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots or their compromising
attitude towards communalism. Our record on these matters is there for all
to see. But when it comes to saying that in the past why did 'so and so' not
protest and why protests are taking place now, the RSS has to answer:

(a)            Why did it not join the national struggle for freedom? Even
Nanaji Deshmukh, a respected RSS leader ha asked in his book why the RSS had
not participated in the freedom movement as an organisation?

(b)            The British Home record on the basis of intelligence reports
telegraphed to London by the Bombay Police department had noted that the
"Sangh has scrupulously" remained within the law. Has the RSS ever answered
why they cooperated with the British during the course of the freedom
struggle?

(c)             Has there been any apology from either the RSS or the BJP
for the 2002 communal genocide in Gujarat?

(d)            Till date the RSS has not retracted or apologised for their
Guru's, Madhav Sadhashiv Golwalkar's observation that we should learn from
the methods used by Hitlerite fascism and that India should "learn and
profit" from this.

 

The series of violent attacks and communal disturbances that have consumed
the lives of innocent people and the complete silence on the part of the
Prime Minister confirms today's reality of intolerance. No other conclusion
can be drawn except that the current BJP central government under Prime
Minister Modi is, in all practical terms, patronizing such violent
intolerance across the country.

 

The only agenda that this government seems to be pursuing is that of
advancing the RSS objective of transforming the secular democratic Indian
republic into their version of a rabidly intolerant fascistic "Hindu
rashtra". Development of the country and the people clearly is not on this
government's agenda. 

 

 

 

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