Frontline
April 1999
Saffron Watch

Conversions issue tops the RSS agenda
The question of religious conversions was on the top of the agenda at the three–day conclave of the RSS Pratinidhi Sabha (the policy making conclave of the Sangh Parivar) at Lucknow, from 11–13 March. In a document released just before the meet, the Sangh indirectly praised Congress chief Sonia Gandhi for admitting the real "strength of Hinduism and its positive role". It quoted a line from one of her speeches as saying, "Hinduism is the most effective guarantor of secularism in India." The annual report gave a clean chit to the Bajrang Dal and the VHP regarding the "clashes between Hindus and Christians" in various parts of the country, and went on to praise their patriotism. Even though the report condemned the Staines killings, it absolved the Bajrang Dal of any blame and objected to the "anti–Hindu" twist given to the killings.

The RSS stressed the need for a strategy to counter the missionary activities in India, while the VHP demanded a white paper on the subject. Part of the ‘strategy’ evolved was to focus on areas such as the Northeast, where the Christian numbers are substantial and to pump in heavy inducements to ‘reconvert’. Senior RSS leader, K.S. Sudarshan said that conversions were damaging the basic culture of the country and were therefore on top of the RSS agenda. Conversions were held to be a violation of the Constitution, and reconversions were not a conversion at all, but "a home coming to their original faith and culture". Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee came in for praise for his suggestion of a national debate on conversions.

What’s so charitable about the VHP?
Meanwhile, it is not the Christian organisations but the VHP which is in trouble with the income tax department. Additional Commissioner, Vishv Bandhu Gupta in an interview to Outlook has stated the need for a CBI probe into the VHP’s funding. In 1990, too, while V.P. Singh was Prime Minister, Gupta had initiated such an inquiry and sent summons to the VHP leaders at the time. However, within twenty four hours itself, the summons were cancelled by the department and Gupta was abruptly transferred. He was also suspended shortly thereafter.

The VHP and six organisations affiliated to it have been amassing huge sums of money and seeking complete tax exemption as they describe themselves as charitable trusts. However, income tax authorities disqualify any trust "established for the benefit of any particular religious community or caste", as charitable. And though to qualify for tax exemption, at least 75 per cent of the funds should be utilised for charitable purposes, the VHP’s activities do not reflect such a picture. The VHP’s balance–sheet for the year ending March 31, ’98 shows that of a reported income of Rs. 2.7 crore, charitable work, listed as "help to the poor", accounted for only Rs. 10,101. Though the VHP claims to receive Rs.2 crore annually, estimates put the actual figures to hundreds of crores, especially considering the huge amounts amassed from NRIs.

Needed, a Khalsa in ‘every Hindu home’
The VHP has been working hard to assimilate the Buddhist and Sikh communities into the ‘Hindu family’. Last year, top BJP leaders joined in the celebrations of 2550 years of Buddhism. This year, the VHP came up with a novel way of joining in the Khalsa Panth’s 300-year celebrations. The VHP’s central secretary, B.L. Sharma (Prem), along with seven other leading members of the VHP, on March 29, took on new names after being baptised Khalsas. The VHP leaders, in saffron attire, took the pledge to "free themselves from the restrictions of caste" and to protect society against all evils. Sharma had said in a press conference held to declare his intention to convert, that Hinduism was a religion whereas Sikhism was a panth, and it was the fact that Guru Gobind Singh founded the Khalsa panth to protect people against oppression that had attracted him towards it. The VHP’s Yugpurush Swami Paramanand, who also spoke at the conference, said every family in present times should have a Khalsa. Prem ‘Singh’ after conversion declared that if even two per cent of the world’s population was to adopt the Khalsa panth, the world would be a much better place to live in.

Both Sikhism and Buddhism come under the umbrella of Hinduism, under the Constitution. But no VHP leader so far seems inclined to become a Buddhist, the path adopted by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, who is still considered a ‘defector’ from Hinduism.

Rishivamsam ‘offensive’ to Hinduism
After Fire, it’s the turn of the Malayali feature film, Rishivamsam. The Kerala unit of the Shiv Sena has found it to be "offensive" to Hindu religion. The film, according to the Sena, is an insult to the Hindu gods Vishnu and Krishna and an attempt to create caste divisions within Hindu society. Among the objections to the film is the fact that the film portrays Krishna not as a divine being but as a low caste man. The Sena also holds that the film seeks to create the impression that Vishnu’s different incarnations were manifest only to cheat, as the film shows Vishnu deceiving the asura king Mahabali, who according to mythology, ruled Kerala.

Says Kerala Sena chief, Bhuvachandran, "By showing Krishna as a low caste man, the director is trying to send the message that Brahmins have no right to conduct poojas in the temple. After seeing this film one is sure to form the impression that gods and goddesses are not above caste and communal prejudices shared by mortals." Bhuvachandran, who believes that caste is not a problem in Kerala, asserts that the Sena would not allow the movie to be shown in any theatre in India. But the film’s director Rajiv Anchal, is adamant that he will not make any changes. "It is true that the film has shown Krishna as a low–caste man and everybody knows the fact that Krishna belonged to the Yadava clan", he said. "How can my film, which is based on the opinions expressed by great Hindu philosophers like Swami Vivekananda, be termed blasphemous? It is not true to say that the film is intended to divide the Hindus. Barring the Shiv Sena, not a single Hindu organisation has made such an allegation against the film."

Foreign contributions? Religion please
The BJP government, in a move that would obviously please the Sangh Parivar, has quietly amended the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act 1976, adding a new clause on religion. According to the amendment, all religious organisations seeking government’s permission to receive foreign funds must now state their religious identities. Form FC 1A now makes it mandatory to state the recipient’s "nature of association: a) religious b) cultural c) economic d) educational e) social and if a religious association, then state whether a) Hindu b) Sikh c) Muslim d) Christian e) Buddhist f) Others." The notification has also added a clause demanding the "purposes for which the contribution has been received and utilised".

The new provisions, it is feared, will become an easy means of controlling Christian organisations in the country, whom the VHP has been accusing of using ‘huge amounts’ of foreign funds not only for ‘forced conversions’, but also for insurgency in the country. The form has also added in its list of categories under purposes, whether the funds are to be diverted towards the welfare of scheduled tribes/castes/other backward classes, etc., which sections the VHP has been accusing the missionaries of converting in large numbers. The VHP has in fact demanded a ban on conversions in the Northeast.

Its official now, Hedgewar was a freedom fighter
The celebrations of the beginning of the 52nd century of the Hindu calendar,on March 18, were marked by the release of a special postal stamp in memory of VHP founder, K.B. Hedgewar. Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee himself released the stamp at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi, in the presence of the Sarsangh-chalak of the RSS, Prof. Rajendra Singh. Vajpayee lauded the contribution of Hedgewar to the freedom struggle, saying, "Dr. Hedge-war was a staunch patriot and nationalist, who gave his entire life for the cause of our motherland. The emergence of the RSS as the world’s most disciplined and largest organisation of volunteers is a tribute to his visionary wisdom." The PM simultaneously regretted "signs of intolerance" that were growing in the country. A suggestion to issue a stamp in Hedgewar’s honour had been made ten years ago as well, during the centenary celebrations of the RSS. However, the Congress had rejected the proposal. The minister of state for telecommunications,Rabindra Purkayastha, said that generally, 4–10 lakh stamps were printed on such occasions. However, this time, 31 lakh stamps had been printed "because of heavy demand". Purkayastha went on to applaud the vision of Dr. Hedgewar in reviving the eternal humanistic heritage of the country. The government has also declared the year 1999–2000 as the year of Sanskrit.

Despite SC directive Thackeray retains right to vote
Six months after the Union law ministry was directed through an order of the apex court to strip Bal Thackeray of his voting rights for a period of six years for electoral malpractice, the order remains un–enforced. A report in Frontline magazine said that the Election Commission had sent a recommendation to that effect to the President of India on August 14 last year, following the Supreme Court judgement (passed in December 1995), finding Thackeray guilty. P.K. Kunte, who had lost the elections to Shiv Sena candidate Ramesh Prabhoo, in the December 1978 Maharashtra Assembly elections, had filed the case. He had charged both Prabhoo and Thackeray with the violation of sections 99 and 123 sub section 3, which bar a candidate or his agent from using religion, race, caste, community or language as a basis to secure votes and promoting feelings of enmity between different classes of people on the grounds of religion.

The Bombay High Court, in April 1989, had rendered Prabhoo’s election void and found both him and Thackeray guilty of election offences. The Supreme Court upheld the High Court decision, and the Election Commission pronounced a sentence on August 14, 1998, which stripped Thackeray of his voting rights for a period of six years — the highest possible punishment in such cases. This was communicated to the President, who would forward it to the law ministry to issue formal notification. Neither the President nor the Law Ministry has any discretionary powers in the matter. However, though the President’s office has claimed that the matter was forwarded in September, the Law Ministry has continued to drag its feet in the matter.


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