The Sarsanghchalak of the RSS, Shri Mohan Bhagawat ji’s recently held Samvad in Vigyan Bhavan with a large diaspora of people, specially intellectuals in the country appealed to many as his speech is more inclusive, more balanced and more articulate that no one could raise any controversy over what he said in his three-day series of lectures. Some of the journalists pointed out that the cadres are not walking the talk. Barring that there was no buzz.
Of course, people who heard eulogized him. The only person who passed snide comments on the talk was the Hyderabad M.P. Assaduddin Owasi. He quoted as usual from Shri Golwalkar’s ‘Bunch of Thoughts’ about what Shri Guruji said about the Muslim and Christian minorities. And also, about Shri Savarkar’s formulation of Hindutva. Mohan Bhagwat ji unequivocally says in his speech that the Organisation RSS has moved with the change of time and situation in the present-day- contemporary scenario of the country.
Owasi’s questions on the RSS’ founders’ bygone sayings that have no relevance now. Doctor ji (Shri KB Hedgewar) and Savarkar were pre-independence revolutionary leaders. Their thoughts pertained and were more relevant to that time and situation where Congress was almost kneeling down before the All India Muslim League to placate the party so as to fight the freedom struggle. Gandhi ji’s support for Khilafat is a fact. Why then, Muslims of pre-independence associating themselves with what was happening in the Caliphate in Turkey? Why Gandhi ji associated Muslims of India to the Muslims elsewhere in the world and showed sympathy for the Khilafat movement? Similarly, the Mopla movement also. Why Jinnah asked for separate land Pakistan exclusively for Muslims if they had not had a separatist tendency then?
Change is the law of life. Now we are in a post-independence era. With more than 70 years of Independence much water has flown. Muslims of now are an integrated whole in Indian culture. They are not paying much attention to the international affairs in other Islamic countries. For instance, when US president Donald Trump declared Jerusalem as the capital of Israel recently, Indian Muslims did not take in any Dharnas as they had done during Khilafat. In the same way as a mark of joining in the mainstream, they themselves have asked for the removal of instant triple talaq. This country cannot progress by alienating nearly 20% of its Muslim population, is a fact.
If Owasi had to ask about the past of the RSS, some tough questions are in store for him. That leads to bitter arguments even which he had to face. For example: What is his opinion now on Qasim Rizvi’s Razakar movement in Hyderabad? Why it became so difficult for Nizam’s Hyderabad state to get integrated with the rest of India after Independence? Owasi is the torch-bearer of the same Razakar party Majilis Itehaddul Muslimeen (MIM). So, the onus lies on him to answer. Razkars killed, nay, literally mowed many Hindus during that Razakar-movement- time.
Sardar Vallabhai Patel had to intervene with all vigour. He cordoned Hyderabad state with his Police Action and eliminated Razakars and integrated the state into India. Thus, Patel integrated many princely states and galvanised the whole country into Indian Republic. Can Owasi hold a brief for Sardar Patel, the first Home Minister of India? Before asking Bhagawat ji what his opinions on RSS founders’ views of yore which in any case he clarified, Shri Owasi should make clear his answers whether what Qasim Rizvi had done, was correct? Does he still support his MIM founder? Why he had not changed the nomenclature of his party etc.
His questioning of Bhagawat ji is like the pot calling the kettle black.
