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DEFEAT BJP FORUM38/2 Probyn Road,University of DelhiNew Delhi-110007Tel-27666253/26691162[email protected][email protected]6.9.2004PRESS RELEASEA group of University teachers and social activists gathered under the banner of the BJP Harao Manch/ Defeat BJP Forum, were prevented by the police from proceeding to the RSS office at Jhandewalan. The mass deputation was to submit the attached Memorandum and a National Flag at the office to register our protest against the use of the tricolour by the RSS/BJP as an instrument to terrorize sections of our people, and as a cheap political tool by forces that have never given due respect either to the `Tiranga’, or to the democratic Constitution of which it is a potent symbol. Police who grappled with the peaceful processionists at Ajmeri Gate, claimed that they could not march with the National Flag to the RSS office because “goondas had been collected in the office to beat them up”. When asked why the large police contingent could not protect the processionists against the goondas, they had no answer. It is shameful that a group of citizens exercising their democratic right to protest are prevented from doing so. At the same time, the RSS-BJP’s shameful use of the National Flag for petty political reasons and for spreading communal tensions and disharmony is being facilitated by the police force. They can gather everyday at Hubli, Karnataka, and elsewhere, but citizens concerned at this attack on constitutional and secular democratic principles, are denied the right to even voice their rejection of this communal, fascist activity. The Sangh Parivar, unable to accept the humiliating defeat of the NDA combine in the general elections, is resorting to increasing desperate measures to keep its flock together and somehow stay in the news. The unprecedented disruption of Lok Sabha activities, intemperate attacks against individuals political leaders including the shocking description of the Prime Minister as `uncivilised', and now the highly provocative `tiranga' satyagraha. These tactics have forced the university teachers and social activists who had come together under the banner of the Defeat BJP Forum before the elections to retain this banner and continue to expose the undemocratic and unconstitutional conduct of forces that do not respect the people's verdict. Among those present were M.A. Jawed, O.K. Yadav, Zahoor Siddiqui, Vijay Singh, Tripta Wahi, Madhu Prasad, Raghubir Singh Kapur, Narender Kumar, C.L. Nagar, B.P. Sharma. M.A. Jawed; Madhu Prasad.
RSS: First Hoist the Tricolour at Jhandewalan Headquarters! Today, when the nation has been independent for 57 years, the Sangh Parivar is set to launch `Tiranga yatras’ and Satyagrahas to defend the honour of the flag and the nation. Yet when the Indian people were involved in the decades long struggle for freedom against British imperialism, the RSS was conspicuous by its absence in the struggle. When thousands of people faced lathis, bullets and jail sentences for hoisting the Tiranga and participated all over the country in Satyagrahas during the Civil Disobedience and Quit India movements against the British Raj, the Sangh publicly took the stand that it would not take part in the movement and seldom missed the opportunity of assuring the British rulers that they would keep to the right side of colonial law and avoid any clash with the authorities. Of course the reason given for this was that the Sangh was secretly strengthening itself and would take on British imperialism only when it was strong enough to do so! A similar duplicity has marked the statements and actions of the RSS and its leaders throughout its 79-year old history. Nothing illustrates this better than the Sangh’s attitude to the national flag. In 1930, the Congress leadership first gave the call for observing 26th January as Independence Day. Unable to resist the popular mood, the RSS instructed its shakas to hold rallies of swayamsevaks “and worship the national flag, that is, the Bhagwa Jhanda”. The flag to be honoured was not the Tiranga, which had been adopted by the whole nation as the symbol of the freedom struggle. Nor would the Sangh observe 26 January as Independence Day again, although it became a permanent feature of the national movement. After Independence, it was again the Bhagwa Jhanda and not the Tiranga that was hoisted and honoured at the first major rally of the RSS held at Ramlila Maidan on 7th December, 1947. The only time the RSS gave any recognition at all to the tricolour was in 1949 when the Government of India made written allegiance to the Constitution and the National Flag one of the conditions for lifting the ban imposed on the Sangh after the murder of Gandhiji. Article 5 of the first written constitution of the RSS states: “While recognizing the duty of every citizen to be loyal to and to respect the State Flag, the Sangh has as its flag, the ‘Bhawa Dhwaj’ – the age-old symbol of Hindu culture.” The usual double-edged meaning of RSS statements is unmistakeable. The Tiranga is termed the State flag, not the National flag. And `while’ it may `recognize the duty of every citizen’, the Sangh still requires its members, “integral parts of Hindu Rashtra” as the shakha prayer describes them, to owe primary allegiance to the `Bhagwa Dhwaj’. Better late than never. If at last the RSS and the Sangh Parivar are going to join the `national mainstream’ and salute and honour the tricolour, then may we suggest that before any of their leaders forcibly, and in violation of the law, hoist the flag in Hubli or anywhere else again, they immediately hoist it first on RSS headquarters all over the country. To this end, we are gifting the RSS a flag to fly above their headquarters at Jhandewalan. DEFEAT BJP FORUMA platform of university teachers, writers and social activists Published by the Defeat BJP Forum and printed at Printing Service Corporation, New Delhi DEFEAT BJP FORUM38/2 Probyn Road,University of DelhiNew Delhi-110007Tel-27666253/26691162[email protected]/[email protected]6.9.2004 Press Release The Sangh Parivar, still unable to accept the humiliating defeat of the NDA combine in the general elections, is resorting to increasing desperate measures to keep its flock together and somehow stay in the news. The unprecedented disruption of Lok Sabha activities, intemperate attacks against individuals political leaders including the shocking description of the Prime Minister as `uncivilised', and now the highly provocative `tiranga' satyagraha. These tactics have forced the university teachers, writers and social activists who had come together under the banner of the Defeat BJP Forum for the elections to retain this banner and continue to expose the undemocratic and unconstitutional conduct of forces that do not respect the people's verdict. A mass deputation is proceeding to the RSS office in Jhandewalan, New Delhi to submit the following Memorandum and a National Flag to register our protest against the use of the tricolour as an instrument to terrorize sections of our people, and as a cheap political tool by forces that have never given due respect either to the Tiranga, or to the democratic Constitution of which it is a potent symbol. M.A. Jawed Madhu Prasad |
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