RSS unhappy with Nobel for Amartya
While India basks in the glory of the
Nobel Prize being awarded to Amartya Sen, the country’s self–appointed moral
police, the RSS, has both belittled the Nobel Award itself and attacked Sen. The
reason no doubt has to do with the distinguished economist’s uncompromising
stand on secularism. The lead editorial in the RSS mouthpiece, Panchajanya,
says, "If one leaves aside economics, Sen’s views on other subjects can be cause
for anxiety for any true votary of Hindutva". The shock and protest
expressed by Sen along with another Nobel laureate, Chandra-shekhar Subramaniam,
on the Babri Masjid demolition are well known. Citing another instance of Sen’s
alleged anti–Hindu bias, Panchajanya refers to an interview of the Nobel
laureate with journalist Prem Shankar Jha, during which he was quoted as saying
that Indian culture had strong Islamic influences and that the Bengali calendar
used by Bengali Hindus is based on the Islamic calendar.
US and Jap diplomats grace Sangh headquarters
Two high–level officials
attached to the US and Japanese embassies graced the RSS headquarters at Nagpur
on the occasion of the annual Vijayadashami (Dussera) celebrations. In a move
that without question grants legitimacy to the RSS, the visit by first
secretary, US embassy, Paul Mailhot and political counsellor to the Japanese
embassy, Yoshifumi Okamura, according to sangh sources, was to meet the
RSS top brass in a bid to understand the functioning of the organisation.
Madan Lal, the RSS ideologue who spoke to the media after the
exchanges in which he was present said, "We had a talk on the clash of
civilisations and they were interested in our views on swadeshi. We said
that we welcomed only appropriate technology."
Selling the Swadeshi brand
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak
Sangh has launched the Centre for Bharatiya Marketing Development (CBMD) in a
bid to make an organised entry into the world of business. Its first major
public display will be the Swadeshi Mela to be held on January 26, 1999 at the
Pragati Maidan. The CBMD, according to P. Muralidhar Rao, the national organiser
of the Swadeshi Jagran Manch, will take its operations far beyond the Mela. "It
will create powerful forces in different sectors of the economy to protect the
interests of village, small–scale and cottage industries and various
occupations," said Rao. "Through this initiative, the SJM wants to position
itself so that it can give directions to trade and industry," he added.
UP govt. slaps fine on ‘Rajju Bhaiyya ’
The district magistrate, Allahabad, has slapped
a fine of Rs. 7.62 lakhs on RSS chief, Rajendra Singh for "illegal construction
and violation of a lease agreement" related to property at 37, Tashkand road,
Allahabad. The DM, Aloke Tandon, passed this order on October 6, 1998, pointing
out that the house was nazul property (state property) allotted to Rajju
Bhaiyya; the lease on the property expired 40 years ago but Rajendra
Singh not only went in for illegal construction but had also rented it out in
gross violation of th norms of the lease agreement.
BJP insiders attribute the episode to a "deep–rooted conspiracy"
between those owing allegiance to chief minister Kalyan Singh and the state
party chief, Rajnath Singh.
BJP ministers not to raise funds for party?
BJP chief Kushabhau Thakre has recently
declared his party intends to direct its ministers not to collect any monies or
funds for the organisation. In an interview to The Times of India, Thakre
said the BJP is concerned about the misuse of power and privilege by politicians
in power and the image of the BJP if it continues to function in established
ways.
DD to broadcast RSS functions
The government plans to
give a boost to the Rashtriya Swayam-sevak Sangh (RSS) by publicising its
activities through Doordar-shan’s monopoly network. The move is in tune with
what the Union minister of state for information and broadcasting, Mukhtar Abbas
Naqvi has described as an attempt to clear ‘misconceptions’ that the RSS is a
‘communal and ultra right wing force.’
The minister has often reiterated in the past weeks that anti-RSS
propaganda could only be countered if the organisation and its philosophy were
given proper coverage on Doordarshan. He also wants the propagation of Hindutva
to clear misconceptions about its ‘religious overtones.’ Naqvi says he wants DD
to project the ‘correct picture’ of national culture and the concept of Hindutva
which was being given "religious overtones by those who want to mislead the
people." |