CAA, NRC and DNA – Understanding Dr Mohan Bhagwat
30 Jul 2021 15:01:34
Dr. Mohan Bhagwat releasing "Meeting of Minds: A Bridging Initiative" authored by Prof. Khwaja Iftikhar Ahmed at a function held at Gaziabad in UP on July 4, 2021. MRM National Convener Dr. Shahid Akhtar and the author of the b ook were conspicuous by their presence at the function. Dr Mohan Bhagwat, the RSS Chief, gave two public speeches in July within a gap of two weeks. He spoke at book release function on 5th July 20th July in Ghaziabad and another book release function on 21st July 2021. The first speech in Ghaziabad was at a function of Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM) for the release of a book written with an objective of having an open dialogue between two biggest majorities in India – Hindus and Muslims. (‘The Meeting of Minds’ by Khwaja Ifteqar Ahmed).
It made huge headlines and created furore in the Social Media and gave restive ‘More-Hindu-than-you’ groups a chance to bash him and RSS. It was a 35 minute speech in which two sentences were picked up to bash RSS Chief. No one cared to highlight other points in the speech. The other equally important speech at the release of ‘Citizenship Debate Over NRC & CAA: Assam and the Politics of History’ authored by Prof Nani Gopal Mahanta. This book and the speech too concerned Muslim community, specifically, illegal Muslim migrants where he spoke clearly against planned demographic invasion of Assam. It did not evoke any response from same vociferous Hindu groups.
One needs to read both the speeches together to understand Dr Bhagwat’s and RSS view point on Muslims of India. Both the speeches needed to be understood in the context they were made and then see them in totality. Not surprisingly, there is hardly any murmur from the usual suspects, the illiberal, faux secular left groups, except criticising the statement about planned demographic invasion of Assam by Muslims since 1940.
The speech in Ghaziabad was in support of a fresh bid for a dialogue between Hindus and Muslims. It was attended by some of the most respectable personalities, of whom I could recognise Lt Gen Zameeruddin Shah, former deputy chief of Indian Army and ex- VC of Aligarh Muslim University. In his speech, Dr Bhagwat reminded Muslims of their common ancestry and culture and referred to their common DNA. Islamist supremacists like Owaisi, ofcourse, objected to scientific evidence of common DNA by twisting around the logic to claim immunity for efforts of the Islamists to dominate Hindu society exploiting Constitutional means but hankering for Shariah in the same breath.
Some other Islamists mistakenly believe they descended from Arab and Turk plunderers and not the plundered. We have to clear this psychological confusion created by the Maulvis and supremacists. 0.5% of Muslims who might have descended from the Arabs/Turks cannot decide the fate of 99.5% Muslim Indians.
Dr Bhagwat indicated that he did not agree with many parts of the book. It is obvious that dialogue and discussions happens when there are differences and readiness to talk, not when there is unanimity. As noted in my previous article on this subject it was an offer of co-operation and dialogue from a position of strength with RSS record of being unflinching in presenting its view point that Bharat is a Hindu Rashtra and fighting for protecting Hindus right from 1925 to the present.
In fact, RSS Chief reiterated in his speech that this is Hindu Rashtra. It was an offer of integration into the mainstream for those who believe in this concept of common forefathers, and cultural heritage. Onus is on the people who have been made to believe that they are from Arabic descent and were part of invading hordes, to accept the truth. All Hindus, the hyper ones and the docile ones, know that common DNA argument was also used by Bhagwan Krishna before the war of Kurukshetra that destroyed entire Bharat, its prosperity and generations. The choice is between reconciliation and Mahabharat. Suffice to say that Dr Mohan Bhagwat has read Mahabharat, so have the knowledgeable people on the other side too. It is for supremacists to decide whether they want reconciliation or confrontation.
RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr. Mohan Bhagwat releasing the book ‘Citizenship Debate Over NRC & CAA: Assam and the Politics of History’ authored by Prof Nani Gopal Mahanta at Guwahati. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was also present on the occasion.The point about supremacism and urge to dominate was elaborated by Dr Bhagwat in Guwahati. He underlined that different communities have been migrating across different parts of Bharat and also Assam; and there has generally been no friction and fight between different groups with diverse faiths and culture. Hindus have a great capacity to assimilate diverse cultures and still nurture uniqueness of those cultures. The trouble begins when a group of migrants consolidates its numbers and then dictates terms about language, social behaviour and way of worship. It tries to impose its will and political domination on the other communities. This is the cause of Assam unrest.
He mentioned the point raised by the author of the book that demographic invasion began in a planned manner from 1940. (I differ here a bit. Facts show that it began in 1921 itself and picked up heavily after 1931.) Situation became so grim by 1940s that Lord Wavell, a British officer, wrote in exasperation that in the name of “Grow more food, the Muslim ministry of Assam was growing more Muslims”, by importing in the name of agricultural labour. This fact did rile up a few people, but facts can’t be brushed under the carpet for the sake of vote banks.
Also Read: Bengal Bleeding – A call to give up Negationism
RSS supported Assam agitation fully since its inception in 1980s. However, it insisted that the agitators and the government must differentiate between the persecuted minority of East Pakistan and later Bangladesh and migrants who came for economic wellbeing or simply to increase their numbers to control Assam (and Bengal) politics. RSS has passed one of the largest numbers of resolutions on unrest in Assam and other states that were mostly carved out of Assam since 1950 and later 1961 onward. RSS Chief remarked that it was eternal regret of Jinnah and his successors that he couldn’t get entire Bengal and entire Assam. It was resistance of people like Shyama Prasad Mukerjee and late Bharat Ratna Gopinath Bardoloi that saved part Bengal and part Assam.