South Asia Citizens Wire
30 April 2003

INDIA: ANATOMY OF HATE MASQUERADING AS DHARMA

by Lalita Ramdas (in Alibag, Maharashtra, India)

On April 16 2003, Praveen Togadia [Gen Sec VHP] was billed to be the star speaker at a `VIRAAT DHARMA SABHAí to be held on the premises of an English language school in ROHA the adjacent block to Alibag. Our little district town was full of saffron banners carrying the announcement. We thought we might drive down to listen and educate ourselves.

In the event, Togadia was arrested for making inflammatory speeches and distribution of Trishuls in Rajasthan just a few days prior to his arrival in our district. However, inquiries revealed that the Roha `Dharma Sabhaí was to be held nonetheless, and would be addressed by Swami Dharmendra. So we decided that two colleagues would attend the event and bring us the feed-back. What follows below is based on an eyewitness account.

First ñ the setting: A huge stage set up in the grounds of the Raathee College in Roha. The back drop was a huge picture of the projected Ram Mandir at Ayodhya in the centre, flanked on one side by a larger-than-life size poster painting of the encounter between Shivaji and Afzal Khan ñ in all its gory detail of steel claws ñ daggers and blood ñ and on the other, an equally large poster of Lord Ram. Smaller size colour posters of the Shivaji-Afzal encounter were distributed as `free-beesí to all those who attended ñ it is enough to send shivers down the spine ñ and fill the minds of our Muslim brothers and sisters with understandable fear and foreboding.

Group singing and recordings of bhajans and slokas in Marathi and Hindi ñ covering a repertoire of favourites of Shivaji, Satya Sai Baba, and others, dedicated to a number of deities which included Devi, Shankar, Ganpathi and Ram Lalla, kept the audience entertained. From all accounts this was the only remotely `religiousí touch in the entire evening! The volume of the sound system was turned up to the maximum, and drowned out all else for about 45 minutes or so as the crowd filled up and they waited for the Guest of Honor ñ Acharya Dharmendra - to arrive.

The audience seemed to comprise primarily young men (estimates vary from about 1500 to 2000) ñ with a sprinkling of saffron sari clad young women volunteers ñ who were showing people to their seats ñ making announcements etc. According to our source, `they appeared to be jobless young males between the ages of 15 ñ 25 who were probably `truckedí in from a number of outlying villagesí.

The arrival of every special invitee was heralded by the playing of the traditional `dholí and setting off of fireworks ñ which were at their loudest at the arrival of the Acharya Dharmendra ñ the Chief speaker for the evening who was substituting for Togadia. Most of the special guests on the dais were representatives of the regional VHP or RSS or Shiv Sena,

Basically the Acharya and his colleagues made a series of virulent speeches where the primary message, in sum and substance, was that the holy duty of Hindu Youth ñ [in fact of the Hindu clan as a whole] ñ was to kill and finish off the Muslims ñ the `offspring of the traitor Afzal Khaní who were scattered across the Konkan region, and elsewhere across the country ñ and work with one aim in mind ñ namely to establish a Hindu Rashtra.

It is educative to be walked through the main arguments ñ which were clever as they were comprehensive. The speakers who preceded the Acharya set the scene as it were by repetitive reaffirmation of some basic trends:

• Reasons why `our Hindu cultureí was superior, was under attack and needed to be defended.
• How Manavtha ñ (Humanity) ñ could be established world wide only when a Hindu Rashtra was established in India.
• That it was the Muslims who bred like rabbits ñ and never accepted family planning. If this pattern continued, their population would soon overtake that of the Hindus ñ hence Hindus needed self defence.
• The Government at the Centre comprises a bunch of thieves ; it continues to appease Muslims and has no shame whatsoever.
• Up until now, Hindus had been moderate in their demands ñ claiming only three sites for temple building ñ Ayodhya, Mathura and Varanasi, while the actual numbers destroyed by the Muslims is over 30,000!!
• However our patience is now exhausted and we will soon be making demands for all 30,000 masjids to be destroyed and temples restored or rebuilt.
• All Jehadis are Muslims ñ and vice versa ñ and so they must be destroyed just in the same way that Shivaji did with Afzal Khan ñ [pointing to the visual behind him]

Acharya Dharmendra basically focused on the theme of Hindutva and its importance;

• If Muslims want to continue to live here, they can only do so provided they all become Hindus.
• However we should actually finish them off ñ "Hum Mussalmaano ko khatm karma Hai ñ maar daalenge",
• In this region of Shivaji, he extolled Shivajiís example and exhorted those present to follow his example and finish off all the descendants of Afzal Khan just as Shivaji did. 
• He openly and viciously ran down and condemned Gandhi, Nehru, Indira and Sonia in foul language ñ claimed that it was Gandhi who was responsible for the break up of India and the partition and creation of Pakistan.
• Used foul and derogatory language while referring to Muslims ñ words like `Jehadi Kasaisí.
• Claimed that ever since Independence, too many Muslims had been given positions of importance in public life ñ and it had brought not benefits whatever, but terrorist acts, Godhra, and other such actions around the country.
• Lambasted Gehlot for arresting Togadia - [in Rajasthan]ñ and accused him of wanting to please the `Gori Rangí {white} woman - the `doll from across the seven seasí.
• Referring to the distribution of Trishuls as a perfectly legitimate and harmless activity ñ he asked how the weapon of Lord Shiva could be compared to the AK 47s which are carried by all the Jehadis and Terrorists.
• He said there was no other logic but that of becoming a Hindu Rashtra ñ just as there was an `Arab Rashtraí, an `Afghan Rashtraí, etc
• He claimed that our sarkar had no manhood left ñ was unable to take any strong action against Pakistan or Muslims ñ whereas they should all have become like Mahishasura and dealt with them accordingly.
• He also emphasized to the audience that Indiaís poverty was due entirely to the fact that the Govt continued to spend the sum of Rs 22,000/- on every Haj Pilgrim.
• Antulay ñ a former Chief Minister of Maharashtra was attacked for having encouraged the smuggling and landing of RDX along the Konkan Coast.
• He also pointed to the Shahbano case ñ about which people had very little idea or information, as an example of appeasement policy.
• S Most dangerous of all ñ he kept repeating that they would repeat Gujarats across the country.

  
  When our boys left at about 830pm à the Acharya was still talking à apparently filled in quite competently for the absent star à and was
  frequently applauded by his youthful audience as he got more and more
  carried away! The local Raigad press reported this prominently on the
  front page à ensuring wide publicity. Some serious questions arise:
  
  Such Sabhas cost money - Where is the Money coming from?
  
  Why is the Govt and District administration giving permission for such
  SabhaÇs to be held in this state à when the content is clearly intended
  to inflame passions and ignite strong emotions against Muslims.
  
  Given that two opposition ruled states have already set a precedent and
  taken firm steps against any attempts to hold either Trishul DeekshaÇs
  or inflammatory speeches à it is high time that Maharashtra did
  likewise.
  
  Finally, surely the Ministry of Home at the center should be taking note
  and initiating suitable action against a movement which is against the
  very spirit and letter of the Constitution of India?
  
  What actions should we citizens take to counter the slow but sure
  progress of fascism? 1939 is still close enough in our collective
  memory.

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