CC January 2000 - Breaking Barriers

January 2000
Breaking Barriers

Gujarat govt order on RSS must be repealed

We, the undersigned concerned organisations of our secular democratic country condemn the recent decision of the Gujarat government to permit government employees to become full-fledged member of the RSS and to participate openly in its activities. No one even slightly familiar with Indian politics can ignore the fact that the RSS is not simply a cultural organisation with a commitment to social service. It is a fountain source of the Hindutva ideology and a mother of the entire sangh parivar which is today responsible for the communalisation and saffronisation of Indian society.

It has a particular world–view and is committed to one of the two competing nation–building processes — that of ‘cultural nationalism’ and ‘one country, one nation, one culture’ concept based upon the Hindu view of life, as against the liberal, secular and pluralist process based upon unity through diversity.

The RSS, whatever its pretensions and profession, is a Hindu communal organisation. The decision of the government strikes at the root of the basic principles of a democratic constitution, namely neutrality and anonymity of the civil services. It is destructive to democracy and secularism.

The government tries to confuse the issue by saying that the Tribunal has not approved the ban on the RSS. The question whether the RSS should be permitted to function within the limits of law is completely different from the question whether a government servant or a policeman should wear khaki shorts and actively participate in RSS shakhas. This is nothing but the shameless unfolding of the hidden agenda of the sangh parivar.

We urge upon the central government to intervene and stop this and similar attempts at Hinduisation of the state and upon the state government to withdraw the decision immediately.
Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (Prof. D.N. Pathak); Gujarat Loksamiti (Chunibhai Vaidya); Movement for Secular Democracy (Parkash N. Shah); Lok Adhikar Sangh (Girish Patel, advocate); Vikas Adhyan Kendra (Sophia Khan); Naya Marg (Indukumar Jani); Kaumi Ekta Trust (Harubhai Mehta, advocate); Ahmedabad Rationalist Association (Kiran Nanavati); Vaishvik Manavvad (Prof. Jayanti Patel); INSAF (Wilfred D’Costa); Samvad (Usha Upadhyay); Council for Social Justice (Valjibhai Patel); Jhumpda Vasi Ekta Sanghthan (Rashida Pathan); Nadikantha Jhumpda Vasi Sangthan (Natvar Desai); Lok Kala Manch (Amrut Vaghela); Punrutthan (Damyantiben Parekh); Punrutthan (Jagannath Vora); Mahila Patchwork Society (Roshan Shaikh); Movement for Secular Democracy (Hanif Lakdawala and Sheeba George).