sahastrabhuj
14th August 2007, 08:37 AM
Wake-up call for all nationalist forces
By P. Parameswaran
UPA selling India’s soul for a mess of (foreign) pottage.
Under the UPA government power resides outside the cabinet with all the ministers including the Prime Minister bound to take instructions from an extra-constitutional and unscrupulous authority.
The national song Vande Mataram is in practice taboo in many institutions with the connivance of the UPA establishment. The result is that the song that inspired millions of people to join the freedom struggle and suffer and sacrifice even their lives is not considered worthy enough to be solemnly chanted, according to the secular agenda setters. Jana Gana Mana, the national anthem, also has been disowned by some, with the excuse that foreigners who are present might be embarrassed while singing the song.
In the UPA dispensation, conversion is encouraged and promoted under the garb of secularism. Even when legislatures pass anti-conversion bills, they are held up without the necessary assent at the level of the centrally appointed state governors. Those who question conversions by dubious means are stigmatised as Hindu fundamentalists. Intense love of one’s religion is a crime while active support to conversions even by fraudulent means is considered secular and laudable.
The present UPA Government at the Center, with Sonia Gandhi as its virtual head, is the logical continuation of the Congress Government of 1947 which had Pundit Nehru as the first Prime Minister. It is also its dynastic successor. It has all the weaknesses of the Nehru Government minus many of its strengths. The results are bound to be far reaching.
Volumes can be written about the way the present government is undermining the nation. To put it briefly, it may be stated that attempts are afoot to “sell the soul of Mother India, for a mess of foreign pottage.” Under Nehru, who presided over a partitioned India, India’s soul had come under a cloud. Today, it is actually being sold out. The nation is being systematically and deliberately liquidated by the authorities within, aided and abetted by vested interests from outside. India, as envisioned by the stalwarts of our freedom movement, is no more with us. In 1947, it was divided territorially; today it is being divided psychologically.
One of the effective means traditionally employed by nations to forge psychological unity is common singing of the National Anthem, which is held in the highest respect as much as the National Flag. India has two songs, one—National Song and the other—National Anthem, which are constitutionally mandated. But the National song “Vande Mataram” is considered in practice taboo in many institutions with the connivance of the UPA establishment. The result is that the song that inspired millions of people to join the freedom struggle and suffer and sacrifice even their lives is not considered worthy enough to be solemnly chanted, according to the secular agenda setters. “Jana Gana Mana”, the National Anthem also has been disowned by some, with the excuse that foreigners who are present might be embarrassed while singing the song. No wonder, the very concept of Bharat, the sacred motherland is getting eliminated from the memory of the young generation.
Religious conversions had always been controversial. Christianity and Islam thrive on proselytising Hindus. Force and fraud are liberally used to add to the numerical strength of these two religions in an aggressive manner, while the passive Hindu society continues to loose its members. Mahatma Gandhi had openly expressed himself against such conversions. He had even stated that if he had the authority he would have banned conversion altogether. Nehru took more or less a neutral position. He was more a rationalist than religionist. Secularism prevented him from taking a strong position. In the UPA dispensation, conversion is encouraged and promoted under the garb of secularism. Even when legislatures pass anti-conversion bills, they are held up without the necessary assent at the level of the centrally appointed State Governors. Those who question conversions by dubious means are stigmatised as Hindu fundamentalists. Intense love of one’s religion is a crime while active support to conversions even by fraudulent means is considered secular and laudable.
Years ago, John Paul II visited India and made a fervent plea for massive evangelisation of Hindus. At that time, Sonia Gandhi, the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s wife had a private audience with the “Holy Father”. The Malayalam daily “Malayala Manorama” with the largest circulation published a photo of this event with the caption, “Pope’s Manasa Putri” (spiritual daughter). It proved prophetic. The super Prime Minister that Sonia Gandhi is now, is systematically planting at strategic places key men of her religion, or those who are subservient to her. It suits Vatican’s global agenda of evangelisation perfectly well.
Members of the Nehru dynasty, who deceptively misappropriated the halo of Gandhiji’s mantle also had, from the very beginning, been dangerously vulnerable to vicious foreign influences. It is now everybody’s knowledge on the basis of first hand evidences, that Pundit Nehru’s public policies on vital national issues had been deflected, if not determined, by such influences. Both the Partition of India and the mishandling of Kashmir issue were the direct result of such invisible influence of Lord Mountbatten and his “charming” wife who cast a spell over Nehru’s mind to the detriment of the nation.
The same vulnerability continued in the dynasty, which unfortunately dominate national life till today. It will not be far fetched to imagine that there was a conspiracy to win over Rajiv Gandhi who was expected to be the legitimate successor to Indira Gandhi through similar sinister influences. It is not yet publicly known as to how much Rajiv Gandhi’s public policies were directly influenced by Sonia Gandhi or through her. But now that she is in a position to operate directly, she alone is responsible for all the faults and failures of the UPA Government. It is difficult to believe that a person who refused to take Indian citizenship for a long time even after her husband became India’s Prime Minister and who has not still relinquished her Italian Citizenship, has achieved total identification with the country and its age old cultural traditions. Citizenship and nationalism are not identical. Nationalism demands absolute identification and devotion to the country where as Citizenship demands only civic duties and obligations. This is a great anomaly with all the attendant consequences, which our unfortunate Mother land is now suffering from. It is no wonder that under such a singularly anomalous situation, a heroic patriot like Savarkar is treated as a renegade, if not a traitor and a fanatic rabble-rouser like Maudhany is hailed as a martyr. A terrorist who is guilty of attempting to blow up Parliament and who was convicted for death sentence is still enjoying the blessings of muddle headed thinking at the top most level. Can Irony go further?
Nehru was deeply under the influence of socialism and Soviet Union though he used to swear by the policy of non-alignment. Today, India is fast coming under the sway of Globalisation of the market economy headed by America. In either case, India is effectively prevented from pursuing her own natural path of development – her Swadharma. Nehru Government had the tacit support of Socialists and Communists. Even after Partition, the policy of Muslim appeasement continued. This was in spite of the fact that he was strong enough to carry on, on his own. His main fight was against what he called “Hindu communalism”. The UPA Government is heavily dependent on the support of the left parties. It needs them badly and in return they take their pound of flesh of all types. Muslim appeasement goes on unabated growing by leaps and bounds at an alarming rate. The pre-Partition policy adopted by Gandhiji, which resulted in the tragic Partition of the country is being followed in letter and spirit with no reason and logic, excepting that of vote back politics. The route taken if unchecked, will lead to more and more disintegration, if not total balkanisation of India. The net result will be that India will lose her Swabhava and will not be able to develop according to her Swadharma. The nation’s soul will be in jeopardy.
Nehru with all his dictatorial tendencies was eager to preserve and strengthen the constitutional apparatus with the various institutional structures in tact. He wanted to show to the world that India was a model democracy. He was not very happy when circumstances compelled him to violate the principles of constitutional democracy. But under the UPA, all such considerations are being thrown to the winds. Every apparatus is being manipulated if not subverted to serve the political and economic self-interest of the ruling party. Unlike in the Nehru regime, there is no transparency and no accountability. Nehru took delight in transparent communication with the people in his own dignified style. Sonia represents just the opposite. The former represented power with culture; the latter power minus culture.
Nehru’s Cabinet comprised a number of stalwarts of proven ability, each great in his or her own right. Under the UPA Government power resides outside the Cabinet with all the Ministers including the Prime Minister bound to take instructions from an extra constitutional and unscrupulous authority.
Our borders continue to be vulnerable with Islamic fundamentalists creating problems of security on either side and China threatening the delicate balance at our borders claiming large chunks of Indian territory as belonging to it. The old nightmare is once again haunting the national psyche.
The cancer of corruption has become universal. Nehru in his idealism had proclaimed that every corrupt politician would be hanged from the nearest lamp-post, though he could not match his eloquence with action. In today’s dispensation corruption is no crime. It is a passport to power and authority.
There is much talk about rising growth rates. Statistics are reeled out to prove the same. No doubt, there is the glow of prosperity in the mega cities but Rural India is languishing in poverty and misery. The Gulf is ever widening. Naxalism is creeping in from Nepal to Tamil Nadu aided and abetted by China, sitting across the Himalayan borders. But to the ruling party and its supporters from outside, there is only one enemy and that is Hindutva. The “common enemy” keeps them together, irrespective of whatever may happen to the country. After 60 years of Independence the scenario is alarming. This is a wakeup call to all the nationalist forces.
The writer, a renowned thinker, is president, Vivekananda Kendra Sangathan and director of Bharateeya Vichara Kendram, Tiruvananthapuram and can be contacted at info at vkendra.org
By P. Parameswaran
UPA selling India’s soul for a mess of (foreign) pottage.
Under the UPA government power resides outside the cabinet with all the ministers including the Prime Minister bound to take instructions from an extra-constitutional and unscrupulous authority.
The national song Vande Mataram is in practice taboo in many institutions with the connivance of the UPA establishment. The result is that the song that inspired millions of people to join the freedom struggle and suffer and sacrifice even their lives is not considered worthy enough to be solemnly chanted, according to the secular agenda setters. Jana Gana Mana, the national anthem, also has been disowned by some, with the excuse that foreigners who are present might be embarrassed while singing the song.
In the UPA dispensation, conversion is encouraged and promoted under the garb of secularism. Even when legislatures pass anti-conversion bills, they are held up without the necessary assent at the level of the centrally appointed state governors. Those who question conversions by dubious means are stigmatised as Hindu fundamentalists. Intense love of one’s religion is a crime while active support to conversions even by fraudulent means is considered secular and laudable.
The present UPA Government at the Center, with Sonia Gandhi as its virtual head, is the logical continuation of the Congress Government of 1947 which had Pundit Nehru as the first Prime Minister. It is also its dynastic successor. It has all the weaknesses of the Nehru Government minus many of its strengths. The results are bound to be far reaching.
Volumes can be written about the way the present government is undermining the nation. To put it briefly, it may be stated that attempts are afoot to “sell the soul of Mother India, for a mess of foreign pottage.” Under Nehru, who presided over a partitioned India, India’s soul had come under a cloud. Today, it is actually being sold out. The nation is being systematically and deliberately liquidated by the authorities within, aided and abetted by vested interests from outside. India, as envisioned by the stalwarts of our freedom movement, is no more with us. In 1947, it was divided territorially; today it is being divided psychologically.
One of the effective means traditionally employed by nations to forge psychological unity is common singing of the National Anthem, which is held in the highest respect as much as the National Flag. India has two songs, one—National Song and the other—National Anthem, which are constitutionally mandated. But the National song “Vande Mataram” is considered in practice taboo in many institutions with the connivance of the UPA establishment. The result is that the song that inspired millions of people to join the freedom struggle and suffer and sacrifice even their lives is not considered worthy enough to be solemnly chanted, according to the secular agenda setters. “Jana Gana Mana”, the National Anthem also has been disowned by some, with the excuse that foreigners who are present might be embarrassed while singing the song. No wonder, the very concept of Bharat, the sacred motherland is getting eliminated from the memory of the young generation.
Religious conversions had always been controversial. Christianity and Islam thrive on proselytising Hindus. Force and fraud are liberally used to add to the numerical strength of these two religions in an aggressive manner, while the passive Hindu society continues to loose its members. Mahatma Gandhi had openly expressed himself against such conversions. He had even stated that if he had the authority he would have banned conversion altogether. Nehru took more or less a neutral position. He was more a rationalist than religionist. Secularism prevented him from taking a strong position. In the UPA dispensation, conversion is encouraged and promoted under the garb of secularism. Even when legislatures pass anti-conversion bills, they are held up without the necessary assent at the level of the centrally appointed State Governors. Those who question conversions by dubious means are stigmatised as Hindu fundamentalists. Intense love of one’s religion is a crime while active support to conversions even by fraudulent means is considered secular and laudable.
Years ago, John Paul II visited India and made a fervent plea for massive evangelisation of Hindus. At that time, Sonia Gandhi, the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s wife had a private audience with the “Holy Father”. The Malayalam daily “Malayala Manorama” with the largest circulation published a photo of this event with the caption, “Pope’s Manasa Putri” (spiritual daughter). It proved prophetic. The super Prime Minister that Sonia Gandhi is now, is systematically planting at strategic places key men of her religion, or those who are subservient to her. It suits Vatican’s global agenda of evangelisation perfectly well.
Members of the Nehru dynasty, who deceptively misappropriated the halo of Gandhiji’s mantle also had, from the very beginning, been dangerously vulnerable to vicious foreign influences. It is now everybody’s knowledge on the basis of first hand evidences, that Pundit Nehru’s public policies on vital national issues had been deflected, if not determined, by such influences. Both the Partition of India and the mishandling of Kashmir issue were the direct result of such invisible influence of Lord Mountbatten and his “charming” wife who cast a spell over Nehru’s mind to the detriment of the nation.
The same vulnerability continued in the dynasty, which unfortunately dominate national life till today. It will not be far fetched to imagine that there was a conspiracy to win over Rajiv Gandhi who was expected to be the legitimate successor to Indira Gandhi through similar sinister influences. It is not yet publicly known as to how much Rajiv Gandhi’s public policies were directly influenced by Sonia Gandhi or through her. But now that she is in a position to operate directly, she alone is responsible for all the faults and failures of the UPA Government. It is difficult to believe that a person who refused to take Indian citizenship for a long time even after her husband became India’s Prime Minister and who has not still relinquished her Italian Citizenship, has achieved total identification with the country and its age old cultural traditions. Citizenship and nationalism are not identical. Nationalism demands absolute identification and devotion to the country where as Citizenship demands only civic duties and obligations. This is a great anomaly with all the attendant consequences, which our unfortunate Mother land is now suffering from. It is no wonder that under such a singularly anomalous situation, a heroic patriot like Savarkar is treated as a renegade, if not a traitor and a fanatic rabble-rouser like Maudhany is hailed as a martyr. A terrorist who is guilty of attempting to blow up Parliament and who was convicted for death sentence is still enjoying the blessings of muddle headed thinking at the top most level. Can Irony go further?
Nehru was deeply under the influence of socialism and Soviet Union though he used to swear by the policy of non-alignment. Today, India is fast coming under the sway of Globalisation of the market economy headed by America. In either case, India is effectively prevented from pursuing her own natural path of development – her Swadharma. Nehru Government had the tacit support of Socialists and Communists. Even after Partition, the policy of Muslim appeasement continued. This was in spite of the fact that he was strong enough to carry on, on his own. His main fight was against what he called “Hindu communalism”. The UPA Government is heavily dependent on the support of the left parties. It needs them badly and in return they take their pound of flesh of all types. Muslim appeasement goes on unabated growing by leaps and bounds at an alarming rate. The pre-Partition policy adopted by Gandhiji, which resulted in the tragic Partition of the country is being followed in letter and spirit with no reason and logic, excepting that of vote back politics. The route taken if unchecked, will lead to more and more disintegration, if not total balkanisation of India. The net result will be that India will lose her Swabhava and will not be able to develop according to her Swadharma. The nation’s soul will be in jeopardy.
Nehru with all his dictatorial tendencies was eager to preserve and strengthen the constitutional apparatus with the various institutional structures in tact. He wanted to show to the world that India was a model democracy. He was not very happy when circumstances compelled him to violate the principles of constitutional democracy. But under the UPA, all such considerations are being thrown to the winds. Every apparatus is being manipulated if not subverted to serve the political and economic self-interest of the ruling party. Unlike in the Nehru regime, there is no transparency and no accountability. Nehru took delight in transparent communication with the people in his own dignified style. Sonia represents just the opposite. The former represented power with culture; the latter power minus culture.
Nehru’s Cabinet comprised a number of stalwarts of proven ability, each great in his or her own right. Under the UPA Government power resides outside the Cabinet with all the Ministers including the Prime Minister bound to take instructions from an extra constitutional and unscrupulous authority.
Our borders continue to be vulnerable with Islamic fundamentalists creating problems of security on either side and China threatening the delicate balance at our borders claiming large chunks of Indian territory as belonging to it. The old nightmare is once again haunting the national psyche.
The cancer of corruption has become universal. Nehru in his idealism had proclaimed that every corrupt politician would be hanged from the nearest lamp-post, though he could not match his eloquence with action. In today’s dispensation corruption is no crime. It is a passport to power and authority.
There is much talk about rising growth rates. Statistics are reeled out to prove the same. No doubt, there is the glow of prosperity in the mega cities but Rural India is languishing in poverty and misery. The Gulf is ever widening. Naxalism is creeping in from Nepal to Tamil Nadu aided and abetted by China, sitting across the Himalayan borders. But to the ruling party and its supporters from outside, there is only one enemy and that is Hindutva. The “common enemy” keeps them together, irrespective of whatever may happen to the country. After 60 years of Independence the scenario is alarming. This is a wakeup call to all the nationalist forces.
The writer, a renowned thinker, is president, Vivekananda Kendra Sangathan and director of Bharateeya Vichara Kendram, Tiruvananthapuram and can be contacted at info at vkendra.org