RSS WAR CRY FOR 'HINDU RASHTRA': CONVERSIONS WILL CONTINUE

NEW DELHI: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat has again declared India a “Hindu Rashtra” and made it clear that the conversions of “our brothers who have lost their way” will continue.

This assertions comes at a time when the Opposition has been up in arms in Parliament demanding a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue of conversions. The Rajya Sabha proceedings were stalled by an angry Opposition insisting that the Prime Minister take responsibility for the vitiation of the atmosphere outside, and assure the House that action would be taken against those making statements and acting against the tenets of the Indian Constitution.

Instead the RSS and the Bharatiya Janata Party are one in using the conversion issue to raise the demand for an anti-conversion law. The BJP leaders said this in Parliament maintaining that the Opposition should agree to a legislation against conversions. Bhagwat reiterated the same maintaining that those opposed to it should agree to a law against the practice.

The Opposition parties have been opposing demands for such a law that have emanated from time to time from the Hindutva organisations. This has been perceived as being ultra vires the Constitution that allows the freedom of religion. Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad made it clear inside the House, as did most other leaders, that forcible conversions of the kind being made in Agra, and now threatened in Aligarh, went against the Constitution, against the law and amounted to a criminal offence.

The government has kept silent but the RSS seems to have taken on the Opposition outside Parliament.Addressing a Virat Hindu Sammelan in Kolkata to mark the golden jubilee of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bhagwat said: “Hindus do not believe in conversion. If anyone fears that Hindus are resorting to conversion, let there be a legislation in Parliament to stop this practice. Hindus do not want to change anybody. If you do not want anybody to convert, then do not convert Hindus too.”

He sanctified the ‘ghar wapsi’ conversions being carried out by the RSS and its front organisations by insisting that “ Woh log apne aap nahin gaye, unko loot kar, lalach de kar le kar gai. Abhi chor pakda gaya hai. Mera maal chor ke paas hai. Aur yeh duniya jaanti hai. Mein apna maal wapas loonga, yeh kaunsi badi baat hai (Those people did not go on their own, they were robbed and looted, they were taken with bribes. Now we have caught the robbers, everyone knows my people are with the robbers. I will take back what belongs to me, what is so big about this)

The RSS chief did not directly mention Muslims and Christians, but these are the two religious communities that have been targeted and attacked by the right wing organisations for allegedly carrying out these ‘conversions’.

Bhagwat raised the “I am a Hindu” warcry raising the “atrocities” perpetrated by Pakistan on Indian soil and the “infiltrators” from Bangladesh. He said that all these atrocities could be stopped only by the “Hindus”. He urged the community not to be scared, “ we are not infiltrators, we are not foreigners, this is our motherland, this is our country. This is a Hindu Rashtra.” He said that finally Hindu society was waking up.

Bhagwat said that India was better off than Pakistan because there “are Hindus here.” he said. “If Hindus are not there, every community in the world will suffer. You will witness the change as Hindus rise.”

Bhagwat outdid even Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s Praveen Togadia who said that all political parties were in existence because the Hindus voted for them. He announced a “Hindus in Distress” website and phone numbers for the people to call if they required help. Togadia said that not a single Hindu should be allowed to be converted, with the message being sent out loud and clear that the ‘ghar wapsi’ program will now acquire even more virulent overtones.