The Indian Express
November 25, 2003
http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=35975
For Sena, the more the merrier
AMIT SHARMA
LUCKNOW, NOVEMBER 24: Shiv Sena leaders in UP are virtually knocking on every door to encourage Hindu couples to have at least four children. Throwing family-planning caution to the wind, the Shiv Sena has launched a ''produce more children'' campaign for Hindus to counter, what it claims to be the growing population of Muslims.
''Members of the minority community are producing more children. But we have launched a campaign to encourage Hindus to follow the Muslim pattern on the issue,'' state Shiv Sena chief Vijay Tiwari told The Indian Express. He to have Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray's go-ahead on the issue.
''The more the better but four in each family is a must,'' Tiwari says. The Shiv Sena will hold a felicitation programme on December 18 in the state capital for parents with four or more children. The title of ''awakened Hindu family'' will be conferred on these parents.
November 25, 2003
November 22, 2003
Bajrang Dal burns effigy of Christ
New Kerala - 22 November 2003
http://www.newkerala.com/news-daily/news/features.php?action=fullnews&id=1003
India News: Bajrang Dal burns effigy of Christ
Bhubaneswar, Nov 21
Tension has gripped an Orissa district after members of the Hindu radical group Bajrang Dal burnt an effigy of Christ to protest religious conversions.
Police officials said about a dozen activists of the group forced their way into a local church in Tileibani in the state Thursday, brought out thousands of religious books and burnt them.
District police chief L.D. Naik said they had also misbehaved with a woman.
Two cases have been registered against the 12 suspects in connection with the incidents. All of them have been absconding since Thursday, the official said.
"Tension is mounting in Tileibani block as a result of which police patrolling has been intensified," Naik told IANS.
Adequate security arrangements have been made around the churches located in sensitive areas of the district, he said.
According to police officials, the Bajrang Dal activists gathered in Tileibani on Thursday afternoon to protest conversions of Hindus to Christianity, burn the effigy and to submit a memorandum to the district administration.
It had started last week when the activists had forced their way into a house in Ambulpali village in Deogarh district after some local residents had complained that three Hindu tribals in the village had converted to Christianity last year.
Dara Singh, a Hindu fanatic with links to the hardline group, has been sentenced to death for the brutal killing of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two minor sons, who were torched while they were sleeping in their vehicle in the state's Keonjhar district in January 1999.
Twelve of Singh's accomplices were sentenced to life imprisonment for the crime that came amid a campaign against conversions.
http://www.newkerala.com/news-daily/news/features.php?action=fullnews&id=1003
India News: Bajrang Dal burns effigy of Christ
Bhubaneswar, Nov 21
Tension has gripped an Orissa district after members of the Hindu radical group Bajrang Dal burnt an effigy of Christ to protest religious conversions.
Police officials said about a dozen activists of the group forced their way into a local church in Tileibani in the state Thursday, brought out thousands of religious books and burnt them.
District police chief L.D. Naik said they had also misbehaved with a woman.
Two cases have been registered against the 12 suspects in connection with the incidents. All of them have been absconding since Thursday, the official said.
"Tension is mounting in Tileibani block as a result of which police patrolling has been intensified," Naik told IANS.
Adequate security arrangements have been made around the churches located in sensitive areas of the district, he said.
According to police officials, the Bajrang Dal activists gathered in Tileibani on Thursday afternoon to protest conversions of Hindus to Christianity, burn the effigy and to submit a memorandum to the district administration.
It had started last week when the activists had forced their way into a house in Ambulpali village in Deogarh district after some local residents had complained that three Hindu tribals in the village had converted to Christianity last year.
Dara Singh, a Hindu fanatic with links to the hardline group, has been sentenced to death for the brutal killing of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two minor sons, who were torched while they were sleeping in their vehicle in the state's Keonjhar district in January 1999.
Twelve of Singh's accomplices were sentenced to life imprisonment for the crime that came amid a campaign against conversions.
After Assam, it's Mumbai: Biharis get the Sena punch
http://www.newindpress.com/Newsitems.asp?ID=IEP20031121133920&Title=States&Topic=0
After Assam, it's Mumbai: Biharis get the Sena punch
Saturday November 22 2003 00:00 IST
MUMBAI: Kalyan became the vortex of the Shiv Sena's new violent protest on Friday, as lathi-wielding, saffron-sporting men and women turned on their anger against outstation candidates aiming for jobs of railway gangmen, khalasis and helpers.
It was all perfectly planned and executed. The violence was even christened by local Sena men _ Bihari Ani Bhaiya Baher Kada Mohim (Out With The Biharis And Bhaiyas Movement).
As outstation candidates for a Railway Recruitment Board examination landed on board trains, slogan-shouting Sena members kicked, punched, pulled their hair and shouted expletives.
In full view of the media, Sena activists snatched identity cards, tore hall tickets and hauled several students into outbound trains. The women took the lead. As victims made a desperate run for it, women activists screamed, grabbed their hair and pulled them back.
"We will not let a single Bihari or a Uttar Pradeshi step out of any train. We have told our boys to beat up every Bihari or Bhaiya who dares step into this city to take the examination. This is our warning. We won't be responsible for the action of our activists," said Ravi Kapote, Kalyan city pramukh of the Shiv Sena, adding that about 250 of the 300-odd candidates at Kalyan station were attacked.
Even passengers waiting to board long distance trains were searched. Those unable to "answer satisfactorily" were beaten up and chased out of the station.
Senior Inspector of the Kalyan railway police Narayanrao Rajguru said no case was lodged against any Sena member, since there was no complainant. "It was not possible to take action, as there was a huge crowd in the station," he said.
A weary Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) had to postpone its examination indefinitely but hundreds of candidates are still huddled on railway platforms _ and incoming trains are still full of them. Confused, too scared to even disclose their identities and with no money for proper accommodation, they're preparing for a long battle.
But Kapote had another warning: The Sena will intensify its anti-North Indian agitation in Kalyan from midnight on Saturday. "Our activists have been divided into groups and have been given lathis. They'll keep watch at the centres. They know what to do if they spot a Bihari or a bhaiya," he said.
After Assam, it's Mumbai: Biharis get the Sena punch
Saturday November 22 2003 00:00 IST
MUMBAI: Kalyan became the vortex of the Shiv Sena's new violent protest on Friday, as lathi-wielding, saffron-sporting men and women turned on their anger against outstation candidates aiming for jobs of railway gangmen, khalasis and helpers.
It was all perfectly planned and executed. The violence was even christened by local Sena men _ Bihari Ani Bhaiya Baher Kada Mohim (Out With The Biharis And Bhaiyas Movement).
As outstation candidates for a Railway Recruitment Board examination landed on board trains, slogan-shouting Sena members kicked, punched, pulled their hair and shouted expletives.
In full view of the media, Sena activists snatched identity cards, tore hall tickets and hauled several students into outbound trains. The women took the lead. As victims made a desperate run for it, women activists screamed, grabbed their hair and pulled them back.
"We will not let a single Bihari or a Uttar Pradeshi step out of any train. We have told our boys to beat up every Bihari or Bhaiya who dares step into this city to take the examination. This is our warning. We won't be responsible for the action of our activists," said Ravi Kapote, Kalyan city pramukh of the Shiv Sena, adding that about 250 of the 300-odd candidates at Kalyan station were attacked.
Even passengers waiting to board long distance trains were searched. Those unable to "answer satisfactorily" were beaten up and chased out of the station.
Senior Inspector of the Kalyan railway police Narayanrao Rajguru said no case was lodged against any Sena member, since there was no complainant. "It was not possible to take action, as there was a huge crowd in the station," he said.
A weary Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) had to postpone its examination indefinitely but hundreds of candidates are still huddled on railway platforms _ and incoming trains are still full of them. Confused, too scared to even disclose their identities and with no money for proper accommodation, they're preparing for a long battle.
But Kapote had another warning: The Sena will intensify its anti-North Indian agitation in Kalyan from midnight on Saturday. "Our activists have been divided into groups and have been given lathis. They'll keep watch at the centres. They know what to do if they spot a Bihari or a bhaiya," he said.
Sangh blames violence on infiltrators
The Indian Express
November 22, 2003
http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=35805
Sangh blames violence on infiltrators
EXPRESS NEW SERVICE
NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 21: The RSS said here today that Bangladeshi infiltrators were behind the violence against Hindi-speaking people in Assam, while the ULFA and some Bodo groups were playing into their hands, thus vitiating the atmosphere.
RSS spokesperson Ram Madhav said: ''Several instances have been brought to our notice where the infiltrators were the main perpetrators of the violence against Hindi-speaking people, while locals were trying to check them.'' The killings and arson ''smack of a sinister conspiracy by certain anti-national forces in the region''.
Madhav attributed the current stance of the ULFA and some Bodo groups to the fact that they ''have their bases in Bangladesh and get tacit moral and material support from ISI''.
Sena won't allow exam; 'outsiders' hold morcha
November 22, 2003
http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=35805
Sangh blames violence on infiltrators
EXPRESS NEW SERVICE
NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 21: The RSS said here today that Bangladeshi infiltrators were behind the violence against Hindi-speaking people in Assam, while the ULFA and some Bodo groups were playing into their hands, thus vitiating the atmosphere.
RSS spokesperson Ram Madhav said: ''Several instances have been brought to our notice where the infiltrators were the main perpetrators of the violence against Hindi-speaking people, while locals were trying to check them.'' The killings and arson ''smack of a sinister conspiracy by certain anti-national forces in the region''.
Madhav attributed the current stance of the ULFA and some Bodo groups to the fact that they ''have their bases in Bangladesh and get tacit moral and material support from ISI''.
Sena won't allow exam; 'outsiders' hold morcha
November 21, 2003
Indian Hindu radicals to fight outsiders on rail jobs
www.alertnet.org
21 Nov 2003 10:57:31 GMT
Indian Hindu radicals to fight outsiders on rail jobs
BOMBAY, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Hindu radicals in Bombay are threatening violence to prevent people from outside the state trying for government jobs in the city, in an echo of a clash that triggered bloodshed in India's northeast this week.
Activists from the Bombay-based Shiv Sena ransacked a railway office on Monday to protest against outsiders being included among the 650,000 candidates who will attend a test on Sunday for 2,200 prized jobs with the government railways.
"We will not allow the tests to be held," Shiv Sena party chief Bal Thackeray said on Friday. "If the Marathi (speaking) man sheds blood, the state will have to pay a heavy price."
Bombay is the capital of Maharashtra state, where Marathi is the local language. But the city of 13 million people is one of the country's wealthiest and most cosmopolitan.
Thousands from around India arrive in Bombay each day, hoping to make a living or attracted to its Bollywood film industry.
The Shiv Sena has long fought to keep Maharashtra for Marathi speakers. But its thrust in recent years has been more pro-Hindu.
Security in Bombay has been stepped up and police will protect candidates after clashes over railway jobs triggered days of killing and arson in the northeastern state of Assam. Over 34 people were killed and troops were called onto the streets.
ATTACK FEARS
"I am scared that we could be attacked. But what can I do? I have to take the test, I need a job," said Yugeshwar Kumar, 22, a college student from northern Bihar state.
More than 150,000 will sit for the test on Sunday, the second of four rounds, and thousands are pouring into Bombay, from northern India, especially Bihar. Many are camping at railway stations and on pavements.
"We will fight and protest. The sons of the soil have to get their right. We will not tolerate any injustice done to our people," Mohan Rawle, a senior Shiv Sena leader, told Reuters.
"Where can the locals go looking for jobs? Maharashtrians have to be given preference to people from other states."
Sunday's tests are for the lowest jobs in the railways, the gangmen who maintain the tracks and wagons. But all railway jobs are prized because of their security, pension and other benefits.
The bloodshed in Assam was triggered by attacks on Assamese in Bihar last week after reports of assaults on Bihari students who went to Assam for railway tests.
21 Nov 2003 10:57:31 GMT
Indian Hindu radicals to fight outsiders on rail jobs
BOMBAY, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Hindu radicals in Bombay are threatening violence to prevent people from outside the state trying for government jobs in the city, in an echo of a clash that triggered bloodshed in India's northeast this week.
Activists from the Bombay-based Shiv Sena ransacked a railway office on Monday to protest against outsiders being included among the 650,000 candidates who will attend a test on Sunday for 2,200 prized jobs with the government railways.
"We will not allow the tests to be held," Shiv Sena party chief Bal Thackeray said on Friday. "If the Marathi (speaking) man sheds blood, the state will have to pay a heavy price."
Bombay is the capital of Maharashtra state, where Marathi is the local language. But the city of 13 million people is one of the country's wealthiest and most cosmopolitan.
Thousands from around India arrive in Bombay each day, hoping to make a living or attracted to its Bollywood film industry.
The Shiv Sena has long fought to keep Maharashtra for Marathi speakers. But its thrust in recent years has been more pro-Hindu.
Security in Bombay has been stepped up and police will protect candidates after clashes over railway jobs triggered days of killing and arson in the northeastern state of Assam. Over 34 people were killed and troops were called onto the streets.
ATTACK FEARS
"I am scared that we could be attacked. But what can I do? I have to take the test, I need a job," said Yugeshwar Kumar, 22, a college student from northern Bihar state.
More than 150,000 will sit for the test on Sunday, the second of four rounds, and thousands are pouring into Bombay, from northern India, especially Bihar. Many are camping at railway stations and on pavements.
"We will fight and protest. The sons of the soil have to get their right. We will not tolerate any injustice done to our people," Mohan Rawle, a senior Shiv Sena leader, told Reuters.
"Where can the locals go looking for jobs? Maharashtrians have to be given preference to people from other states."
Sunday's tests are for the lowest jobs in the railways, the gangmen who maintain the tracks and wagons. But all railway jobs are prized because of their security, pension and other benefits.
The bloodshed in Assam was triggered by attacks on Assamese in Bihar last week after reports of assaults on Bihari students who went to Assam for railway tests.
November 11, 2003
RSS website poll backs Jaya's action against scribes
The Times of India
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?msid=276224
RSS website poll backs Jaya's action against scribes
RAJESH RAMACHANDRAN
TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2003 02:30:18 AM ]
NEW DELHI : While the entire country has in unison attacked the Tamil Nadu Assembly's decision to imprison the journalists of The Hindu, visitors to the RSS' official website have voted overwhelmingly in favour of Jayalalithaa's action in an opinion poll.
The question posted on the home page of the RSS website since Saturday is: « Is Jayalalithaa’s action on The Hindu justified? » Only two options have been given: « Hindu desserves » and « Not justified ».
The poll has so far yielded a result of 76 per cent saying that « The Hindu desserves » the 15-day sentence in jail for its publishers, editors and staffers. Only 24 per cent of those who voted feel that the action is not justified.
In a way, the poll on The Hindu has much in common with the one held on the death sentence to Dara Singh in the Graham Staines murder case.
On both these issues, the Sanghâ€(tm)s official view has been contrary to the poll results. The Sangh had asked on September 24, « Is death penalty to Dara Singh in the Staines murder case proper? » The result was 60 per cent saying « No » and the rest « Yesâ ».
In the case of the TN assembly’s decision, the RSS’s view is that, « Nobody can support such an action against any paper. It was unwarranted. »
Then why do RSS swayamsevaks support Jayalalithaa? « It is not necessary that all those who have voted in the opinion poll are from the RSS. Even you are free to vote in the poll. The poll results are not reflective of the RSS view on the issue. It is like an opinion poll on elections, » says RSS spokesman Ram Madhav.
If the results are not reflective of its views, why does the RSS conduct such polls?
« We conduct such polls regularly on contemporary issues to gauge the public mood. But this does not have to be our view, » Madhav points out.
The Sangh Parivar followers feel that Jayalalithaa has picked on the wrong issue to attack The Hindu, or for that matter any « pseudo-secular » paper. Parivar insiders feel that had she done the same over some Hindutva issue like a newspaper reporting against TN’s anti-conversion Bill, she would have got open support from Hindu organisations.
Since this July, the RSS has among other issues sought its website visitors opinion on sending Indian troops to Iraq , a legislation on Ayodhya, and simultaneous polls for the Lok Sabha and the assemblies, Indo-Pak relations and safety of women in Delhi .
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?msid=276224
RSS website poll backs Jaya's action against scribes
RAJESH RAMACHANDRAN
TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2003 02:30:18 AM ]
NEW DELHI : While the entire country has in unison attacked the Tamil Nadu Assembly's decision to imprison the journalists of The Hindu, visitors to the RSS' official website have voted overwhelmingly in favour of Jayalalithaa's action in an opinion poll.
The question posted on the home page of the RSS website since Saturday is: « Is Jayalalithaa’s action on The Hindu justified? » Only two options have been given: « Hindu desserves » and « Not justified ».
The poll has so far yielded a result of 76 per cent saying that « The Hindu desserves » the 15-day sentence in jail for its publishers, editors and staffers. Only 24 per cent of those who voted feel that the action is not justified.
In a way, the poll on The Hindu has much in common with the one held on the death sentence to Dara Singh in the Graham Staines murder case.
On both these issues, the Sanghâ€(tm)s official view has been contrary to the poll results. The Sangh had asked on September 24, « Is death penalty to Dara Singh in the Staines murder case proper? » The result was 60 per cent saying « No » and the rest « Yesâ ».
In the case of the TN assembly’s decision, the RSS’s view is that, « Nobody can support such an action against any paper. It was unwarranted. »
Then why do RSS swayamsevaks support Jayalalithaa? « It is not necessary that all those who have voted in the opinion poll are from the RSS. Even you are free to vote in the poll. The poll results are not reflective of the RSS view on the issue. It is like an opinion poll on elections, » says RSS spokesman Ram Madhav.
If the results are not reflective of its views, why does the RSS conduct such polls?
« We conduct such polls regularly on contemporary issues to gauge the public mood. But this does not have to be our view, » Madhav points out.
The Sangh Parivar followers feel that Jayalalithaa has picked on the wrong issue to attack The Hindu, or for that matter any « pseudo-secular » paper. Parivar insiders feel that had she done the same over some Hindutva issue like a newspaper reporting against TN’s anti-conversion Bill, she would have got open support from Hindu organisations.
Since this July, the RSS has among other issues sought its website visitors opinion on sending Indian troops to Iraq , a legislation on Ayodhya, and simultaneous polls for the Lok Sabha and the assemblies, Indo-Pak relations and safety of women in Delhi .
November 06, 2003
Sangh eyes Bhojshala poll plank
Indian Express
Wednesday, November 05, 2003
http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=34746
Sangh eyes Bhojshala poll plank
HARTOSH SINGH BAL
BHOPAL, NOVEMBER 4: As Polls approach, it was anticipated the BJP would attempt to reap the benefits of the hardcore Hindutva platform along with the anti- incumbency factor working against the Digvijay Singh government.
But the latest attempt by the Hindu Jagran Manch (HJM) ahead of the polls is a blatantly crude political campaign centred around the hurt to 'Hindu sentiments'.
The focal point of the campaign is the Bhojshala/Kamal Maula masjid issue, for which the Manch was set up to carry out an agitation for the monument's 'liberation' in early 2003. The agitation had peaked in February and had seen a solution, still unacceptable to the Muslim community in Dhar, enforced by the
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Under this, Muslims continued to exercise rights to namaz every Friday while Hindus gained access every Tuesday.
A jan jagran being organised by the HJM began on November 1 and will continue till November 15. During the event - apart from a dharam samagam planned in Dhar tomorrow which happens to be a Tuesday - pamphlets are being distributed to voters in the state. HJM state chief Radheshyam Yadav said: ''Each district will see its own version of the handbill. This is part of our attempt to ensure the voter makes the right choice.''
When asked why this was being done along with BJP workers checking voter lists, he said: ''In some places, there may have been an overlap but these are separate programmes. Of course, people carrying out our distribution are from the Sangh, since we are a Sangh outfit.'' And then he adds: ''We are opposing this Hindu virodhi sarkar now in power in the state. Our workers have been harassed by this government that is responsible for Muslim tushtikaran.''
But it is no secret that even Radheshyam Yadav is just a RSS puppet. He does not even know the name of his Bhopal chief coordinating distribution in the city, but it is being done by RSS workers. The pamphlets distributed in Bhopal leave no doubts about the campaign's aim.
The cover page has a picture of a semi-automatic wielding man with the statement 'Madhya Pradesh mein jehadi atankvaad kab tak? (How long will jehadi terror continue in MP?)' printed across. The pamphlet is titled, ''Gau hathyaron ko puraskar, Hinduwon par atyachar (Cow slaughterers are rewarded, Hindus tortured)'' and adds 'vote aur note ke lalach mein Hinduwon par chot kab tak (how long will Hindus be victims of the greed for notes and votes)'.
Under the banner - 'yeh kaisa shashan .... yeh kaisa nyay (what kind of administration is this .... what kind of justice is this)?' are photographs of the Bhojshala/Kamal Maula masjid monument, one titled 'mandir mein namaz (namaz in a temple)' and the other showing police clashing with HJM activists inside the temple titled 'Hinduwon pe atyachar (atrocities on Hindus)'.
The pamphlet also carries charges which have been raised earlier by the BJP and never substantiated.
Wednesday, November 05, 2003
http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=34746
Sangh eyes Bhojshala poll plank
HARTOSH SINGH BAL
BHOPAL, NOVEMBER 4: As Polls approach, it was anticipated the BJP would attempt to reap the benefits of the hardcore Hindutva platform along with the anti- incumbency factor working against the Digvijay Singh government.
But the latest attempt by the Hindu Jagran Manch (HJM) ahead of the polls is a blatantly crude political campaign centred around the hurt to 'Hindu sentiments'.
The focal point of the campaign is the Bhojshala/Kamal Maula masjid issue, for which the Manch was set up to carry out an agitation for the monument's 'liberation' in early 2003. The agitation had peaked in February and had seen a solution, still unacceptable to the Muslim community in Dhar, enforced by the
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Under this, Muslims continued to exercise rights to namaz every Friday while Hindus gained access every Tuesday.
A jan jagran being organised by the HJM began on November 1 and will continue till November 15. During the event - apart from a dharam samagam planned in Dhar tomorrow which happens to be a Tuesday - pamphlets are being distributed to voters in the state. HJM state chief Radheshyam Yadav said: ''Each district will see its own version of the handbill. This is part of our attempt to ensure the voter makes the right choice.''
When asked why this was being done along with BJP workers checking voter lists, he said: ''In some places, there may have been an overlap but these are separate programmes. Of course, people carrying out our distribution are from the Sangh, since we are a Sangh outfit.'' And then he adds: ''We are opposing this Hindu virodhi sarkar now in power in the state. Our workers have been harassed by this government that is responsible for Muslim tushtikaran.''
But it is no secret that even Radheshyam Yadav is just a RSS puppet. He does not even know the name of his Bhopal chief coordinating distribution in the city, but it is being done by RSS workers. The pamphlets distributed in Bhopal leave no doubts about the campaign's aim.
The cover page has a picture of a semi-automatic wielding man with the statement 'Madhya Pradesh mein jehadi atankvaad kab tak? (How long will jehadi terror continue in MP?)' printed across. The pamphlet is titled, ''Gau hathyaron ko puraskar, Hinduwon par atyachar (Cow slaughterers are rewarded, Hindus tortured)'' and adds 'vote aur note ke lalach mein Hinduwon par chot kab tak (how long will Hindus be victims of the greed for notes and votes)'.
Under the banner - 'yeh kaisa shashan .... yeh kaisa nyay (what kind of administration is this .... what kind of justice is this)?' are photographs of the Bhojshala/Kamal Maula masjid monument, one titled 'mandir mein namaz (namaz in a temple)' and the other showing police clashing with HJM activists inside the temple titled 'Hinduwon pe atyachar (atrocities on Hindus)'.
The pamphlet also carries charges which have been raised earlier by the BJP and never substantiated.
November 05, 2003
Book on Ganesha draws flak
http://www.rediff.com/news/2003/nov/02us.htm
Book on Ganesha draws flak
Rediff, India - 2 Nov 2003
Several passages in the book, which has a nude picture of Lord Ganesha
on the cover, are insensitive to Hindu faith, they say
Book on Ganesha draws flak
Rediff, India - 2 Nov 2003
Several passages in the book, which has a nude picture of Lord Ganesha
on the cover, are insensitive to Hindu faith, they say
Kar seva for Lyngdoh - "Jai Lyngdoh Ram!"
The Hindustan Times
November 6, 2003
Kar seva for Lyngdoh
V. Gangadhar
As the Ahmedabad-bound Sabarmati Express steamed into Godhra station, hundreds of kar sevaks clad in saffron, waving banners and trishuls, barged into my compartment.
Once they settled down, they began shouting slogans: "Jai Lyngdoh Ram!", "Har Har James Lyngdoh!" and so on. The posters and placards they waved carried the picture of a familiar face which I could not place immediately.
I asked the kar sevak seated next to me, "This train is not going to Ayodhya." He nodded, twirled a trishul and replied, "I know that. But we are going to Gandhinagar. Our new demand is to build a temple for James Lyngdoh. And we want to perform kar seva at that temple." Suddenly I realised that the familiar face on the placards and posters carried by the kar sevaks was that of Chief Election Commissioner James Michael Lyngdoh.
"A temple for Lyngdoh!" I exclaimed. "But you want a Ram temple at Ayodhya. Plus, you people don't even like Lyngdoh!" The man sitting in front of me nodded. "That is an old story. The Ram temple is a long-range plan of the VHP. But we have to honour Lyngdoh. We had misunderstood him in the past and hence we want to honour him with a temple for him at Gandhinagar. We Gujaratis simply love and admire this man."
"Why this sudden change of heart?" I asked.
One of the saffron-clad netas pushed himself forward. "Jamesbhai is now a changed man. After visiting Chhattisgarh recently to supervise arrangements for the forthcoming assembly polls, he gave a piece of his mind to its chief minister, cabinet members and bureaucrats. In the process, he also praised Gujarat. We are proud of our Jamesbhai and must build a temple for him"
"What did he say about Gujarat?" I asked
The VHP stalwart spread out his hands. His trishul fell down with a clatter and I picked it up and gave it to him. "Remember the time the CEC, during his pre-poll visit to Gujarat, blasted the state bureaucrats for their bias. He did not spare the chief secretary or the police chief. All that is forgotten. According to Jamesbhai, Gujarat's bureaucrats, after his initial ticking off, became more efficient and impartial. But he found that the Chhattisgarh blokes were totally partisan even after his tongue lashing. This is great praise for Gujaratis indeed."
"Who thought of building a temple for him?" I asked.
The kar sevaks looked at one another. "The order came from the very top," one of them said. "From Narendra Modi himself. And there were similar messages from Ashok Singhal and Togadia."
"But he's not even a Hindu," I pointed out.
"Then we may build a church-cum-temple for him," one of them opined. "These are minor issues."
"Has anyone talked this issue with the CEC?" I wanted to know.
"I am sure he will be flattered," replied the kar sevak. "Mind you," he continued, "even T.N. Seshan was not honoured like this. Narendra Modi will convey the news to Jamesbhai personally and then invite him for the consecration of the temple. Who knows, if everything goes off well, the Chief Election Commissioner's office could be shifted to Gujarat and function from the temple-church complex. That will be the ultimate tribute for James Michael Lyngdoh. He should know that Gujarat does not forget its friends."
November 6, 2003
Kar seva for Lyngdoh
V. Gangadhar
As the Ahmedabad-bound Sabarmati Express steamed into Godhra station, hundreds of kar sevaks clad in saffron, waving banners and trishuls, barged into my compartment.
Once they settled down, they began shouting slogans: "Jai Lyngdoh Ram!", "Har Har James Lyngdoh!" and so on. The posters and placards they waved carried the picture of a familiar face which I could not place immediately.
I asked the kar sevak seated next to me, "This train is not going to Ayodhya." He nodded, twirled a trishul and replied, "I know that. But we are going to Gandhinagar. Our new demand is to build a temple for James Lyngdoh. And we want to perform kar seva at that temple." Suddenly I realised that the familiar face on the placards and posters carried by the kar sevaks was that of Chief Election Commissioner James Michael Lyngdoh.
"A temple for Lyngdoh!" I exclaimed. "But you want a Ram temple at Ayodhya. Plus, you people don't even like Lyngdoh!" The man sitting in front of me nodded. "That is an old story. The Ram temple is a long-range plan of the VHP. But we have to honour Lyngdoh. We had misunderstood him in the past and hence we want to honour him with a temple for him at Gandhinagar. We Gujaratis simply love and admire this man."
"Why this sudden change of heart?" I asked.
One of the saffron-clad netas pushed himself forward. "Jamesbhai is now a changed man. After visiting Chhattisgarh recently to supervise arrangements for the forthcoming assembly polls, he gave a piece of his mind to its chief minister, cabinet members and bureaucrats. In the process, he also praised Gujarat. We are proud of our Jamesbhai and must build a temple for him"
"What did he say about Gujarat?" I asked
The VHP stalwart spread out his hands. His trishul fell down with a clatter and I picked it up and gave it to him. "Remember the time the CEC, during his pre-poll visit to Gujarat, blasted the state bureaucrats for their bias. He did not spare the chief secretary or the police chief. All that is forgotten. According to Jamesbhai, Gujarat's bureaucrats, after his initial ticking off, became more efficient and impartial. But he found that the Chhattisgarh blokes were totally partisan even after his tongue lashing. This is great praise for Gujaratis indeed."
"Who thought of building a temple for him?" I asked.
The kar sevaks looked at one another. "The order came from the very top," one of them said. "From Narendra Modi himself. And there were similar messages from Ashok Singhal and Togadia."
"But he's not even a Hindu," I pointed out.
"Then we may build a church-cum-temple for him," one of them opined. "These are minor issues."
"Has anyone talked this issue with the CEC?" I wanted to know.
"I am sure he will be flattered," replied the kar sevak. "Mind you," he continued, "even T.N. Seshan was not honoured like this. Narendra Modi will convey the news to Jamesbhai personally and then invite him for the consecration of the temple. Who knows, if everything goes off well, the Chief Election Commissioner's office could be shifted to Gujarat and function from the temple-church complex. That will be the ultimate tribute for James Michael Lyngdoh. He should know that Gujarat does not forget its friends."
Sangh eyes Bhojshala poll plank in Madhya Pradesh
Indian Express
Wednesday, November 05, 2003
http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=34746
Sangh eyes Bhojshala poll plank
HARTOSH SINGH BAL
BHOPAL, NOVEMBER 4: As Polls approach, it was anticipated the BJP would attempt to reap the benefits of the hardcore Hindutva platform along with the anti- incumbency factor working against the Digvijay Singh government.
But the latest attempt by the Hindu Jagran Manch (HJM) ahead of the polls is a blatantly crude political campaign centred around the hurt to 'Hindu sentiments'.
The focal point of the campaign is the Bhojshala/Kamal Maula masjid issue, for which the Manch was set up to carry out an agitation for the monument's 'liberation' in early 2003. The agitation had peaked in February and had seen a solution, still unacceptable to the Muslim community in Dhar, enforced by the
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Under this, Muslims continued to exercise rights to namaz every Friday while Hindus gained access every Tuesday.
A jan jagran being organised by the HJM began on November 1 and will continue till November 15. During the event - apart from a dharam samagam planned in Dhar tomorrow which happens to be a Tuesday - pamphlets are being distributed to voters in the state. HJM state chief Radheshyam Yadav said: ''Each district will see its own version of the handbill. This is part of our attempt to ensure the voter makes the right choice.''
When asked why this was being done along with BJP workers checking voter lists, he said: ''In some places, there may have been an overlap but these are separate programmes. Of course, people carrying out our distribution are from the Sangh, since we are a Sangh outfit.'' And then he adds: ''We are opposing this Hindu virodhi sarkar now in power in the state. Our workers have been harassed by this government that is responsible for Muslim tushtikaran.''
But it is no secret that even Radheshyam Yadav is just a RSS puppet. He does not even know the name of his Bhopal chief coordinating distribution in the city, but it is being done by RSS workers. The pamphlets distributed in Bhopal leave no doubts about the campaign's aim.
The cover page has a picture of a semi-automatic wielding man with the statement 'Madhya Pradesh mein jehadi atankvaad kab tak? (How long will jehadi terror continue in MP?)' printed across. The pamphlet is titled, ''Gau hathyaron ko puraskar, Hinduwon par atyachar (Cow slaughterers are rewarded, Hindus tortured)'' and adds 'vote aur note ke lalach mein Hinduwon par chot kab tak (how long will Hindus be victims of the greed for notes and votes)'.
Under the banner - 'yeh kaisa shashan .... yeh kaisa nyay (what kind of administration is this .... what kind of justice is this)?' are photographs of the Bhojshala/Kamal Maula masjid monument, one titled 'mandir mein namaz (namaz in a temple)' and the other showing police clashing with HJM activists inside the temple titled 'Hinduwon pe atyachar (atrocities on Hindus)'.
The pamphlet also carries charges which have been raised earlier by the BJP and never substantiated.
Wednesday, November 05, 2003
http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=34746
Sangh eyes Bhojshala poll plank
HARTOSH SINGH BAL
BHOPAL, NOVEMBER 4: As Polls approach, it was anticipated the BJP would attempt to reap the benefits of the hardcore Hindutva platform along with the anti- incumbency factor working against the Digvijay Singh government.
But the latest attempt by the Hindu Jagran Manch (HJM) ahead of the polls is a blatantly crude political campaign centred around the hurt to 'Hindu sentiments'.
The focal point of the campaign is the Bhojshala/Kamal Maula masjid issue, for which the Manch was set up to carry out an agitation for the monument's 'liberation' in early 2003. The agitation had peaked in February and had seen a solution, still unacceptable to the Muslim community in Dhar, enforced by the
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Under this, Muslims continued to exercise rights to namaz every Friday while Hindus gained access every Tuesday.
A jan jagran being organised by the HJM began on November 1 and will continue till November 15. During the event - apart from a dharam samagam planned in Dhar tomorrow which happens to be a Tuesday - pamphlets are being distributed to voters in the state. HJM state chief Radheshyam Yadav said: ''Each district will see its own version of the handbill. This is part of our attempt to ensure the voter makes the right choice.''
When asked why this was being done along with BJP workers checking voter lists, he said: ''In some places, there may have been an overlap but these are separate programmes. Of course, people carrying out our distribution are from the Sangh, since we are a Sangh outfit.'' And then he adds: ''We are opposing this Hindu virodhi sarkar now in power in the state. Our workers have been harassed by this government that is responsible for Muslim tushtikaran.''
But it is no secret that even Radheshyam Yadav is just a RSS puppet. He does not even know the name of his Bhopal chief coordinating distribution in the city, but it is being done by RSS workers. The pamphlets distributed in Bhopal leave no doubts about the campaign's aim.
The cover page has a picture of a semi-automatic wielding man with the statement 'Madhya Pradesh mein jehadi atankvaad kab tak? (How long will jehadi terror continue in MP?)' printed across. The pamphlet is titled, ''Gau hathyaron ko puraskar, Hinduwon par atyachar (Cow slaughterers are rewarded, Hindus tortured)'' and adds 'vote aur note ke lalach mein Hinduwon par chot kab tak (how long will Hindus be victims of the greed for notes and votes)'.
Under the banner - 'yeh kaisa shashan .... yeh kaisa nyay (what kind of administration is this .... what kind of justice is this)?' are photographs of the Bhojshala/Kamal Maula masjid monument, one titled 'mandir mein namaz (namaz in a temple)' and the other showing police clashing with HJM activists inside the temple titled 'Hinduwon pe atyachar (atrocities on Hindus)'.
The pamphlet also carries charges which have been raised earlier by the BJP and never substantiated.
Shiv Sena Turns Shrine issue turned into poll launchpad
Mid-Day Mumbai 6 November 2003
URL: http://ww1.mid-day.com/news/city/2003/november/67942.htm
Sena grabs shrine demolition as poll plank
By: Yogesh Naik
November 5, 2003
Until recently, the Shiv Sena and the BJP in Maharashtra were looking for an issue to flag off their campaign against the ruling Democratic Front in an election year. Now, the demolition of illegal shrines in the city has settled their doubts.
Yesterday, the Sena began its poll campaign in full flow, organising maha artis in various areas to protest the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's demolition of religious structures.Now, the demolition of illegal shrines in the city has settled their doubts.
At Saat Rasta, Sena activists and local residents staged a mah aarti and blocked traffic for nearly two hours. Mohan Rawle, the Sena MP from south-central Mumbai, also participated in the arti. There were no policemen around for about an hour and the mob dispersed only after the deputy commissioner of police requested them to do so. On Monday, Sena activists staged a maha arti at Foras Road, where a Yellamma temple was demolished.
The Sena's south-central Mumbai vibhag pramukh Ajay Chowdhury said, "There are no orders from the party. People are gathering as Hindus. Hindutva is our lifeline. If someone is trying to suffocate us, we won't tolerate it.
"In fact, the court should have ordered the removal of every encroachment. The BMC seems to have misinterpreted the court order, they are also targeting old temples. We're protesting against that."
When the demolitions first began on a high court order, Sena activists kept quiet. But later, some party members brought it to the notice of their bosses.
Shakhas were told to support the protest without getting directly involved, to avoid contempt of court.
On Sunday, Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal said he had been briefed by police officers that the demolitions could cause trouble. "It's election year and parties may use this issue to gain mileage," Bhujbal said.
Yesterday, at a meeting at Mantralaya in Minister of State for Home (Urban) Rajendra Darda's office, police officials said the BMC was going a little soft on illegal mosques as Ramzan is on. They said since the demolition of illegal crosses had been stayed by the court, the BMC had demolished more temples. Government sources said Darda and police officials decided to tell BMC to go a little soft on temples.
The Sena, under the direction of Raj Thackeray, has formed a Mandir Bachav Samiti to move the court.
Yesterday afternoon, the demolition of a temple in Sector 5 of Kandivli was halted by about 1,000 locals, who conducted a maha arti. "We will definitely oppose the demolitions. We have also told devotees of various temples to approach the courts," said Vinod Ghosalkar, Sena vibhag pramukh of north Mumbai.
Sena deputy leader and MP Sanjay Nirupam said, "The BMC has started demolitions in the city. They are yet to start on bigger temples in the western suburbs. We are collecting data on how many temples will be affected. Old temples have to be relocated. At Metro there is a mosque that affects traffic but many people are attached to them. It should be shifted. We will discuss the issue and seek directions from Balasaheb."
In south Mumbai, Sena vibhag pramukh Bala Kalsekar has called for a meeting today to protest the demolitions. "The BMC demolishes our temples on holy days like Kartiki Ekadashi and Dev Diwali. But mosques are being spared because of Ramzan," Kalsekar said.
Consult local MLA, BJP tells Srivastava
BJP Mumbai chief Bhai Girkar yesterday met Municipal Commissioner K C Srivastava and suggested to him that local councillors, MLAs and MPs be consulted while demolishing an illegal religious shrine. He also said BMC authorities should give a notice to the shrine authorities.
Girkar also told the municipal commissioner that many old and heritage temples had also been given notices by the BMC.
URL: http://ww1.mid-day.com/news/city/2003/november/67942.htm
Sena grabs shrine demolition as poll plank
By: Yogesh Naik
November 5, 2003
Until recently, the Shiv Sena and the BJP in Maharashtra were looking for an issue to flag off their campaign against the ruling Democratic Front in an election year. Now, the demolition of illegal shrines in the city has settled their doubts.
Yesterday, the Sena began its poll campaign in full flow, organising maha artis in various areas to protest the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's demolition of religious structures.Now, the demolition of illegal shrines in the city has settled their doubts.
At Saat Rasta, Sena activists and local residents staged a mah aarti and blocked traffic for nearly two hours. Mohan Rawle, the Sena MP from south-central Mumbai, also participated in the arti. There were no policemen around for about an hour and the mob dispersed only after the deputy commissioner of police requested them to do so. On Monday, Sena activists staged a maha arti at Foras Road, where a Yellamma temple was demolished.
The Sena's south-central Mumbai vibhag pramukh Ajay Chowdhury said, "There are no orders from the party. People are gathering as Hindus. Hindutva is our lifeline. If someone is trying to suffocate us, we won't tolerate it.
"In fact, the court should have ordered the removal of every encroachment. The BMC seems to have misinterpreted the court order, they are also targeting old temples. We're protesting against that."
When the demolitions first began on a high court order, Sena activists kept quiet. But later, some party members brought it to the notice of their bosses.
Shakhas were told to support the protest without getting directly involved, to avoid contempt of court.
On Sunday, Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal said he had been briefed by police officers that the demolitions could cause trouble. "It's election year and parties may use this issue to gain mileage," Bhujbal said.
Yesterday, at a meeting at Mantralaya in Minister of State for Home (Urban) Rajendra Darda's office, police officials said the BMC was going a little soft on illegal mosques as Ramzan is on. They said since the demolition of illegal crosses had been stayed by the court, the BMC had demolished more temples. Government sources said Darda and police officials decided to tell BMC to go a little soft on temples.
The Sena, under the direction of Raj Thackeray, has formed a Mandir Bachav Samiti to move the court.
Yesterday afternoon, the demolition of a temple in Sector 5 of Kandivli was halted by about 1,000 locals, who conducted a maha arti. "We will definitely oppose the demolitions. We have also told devotees of various temples to approach the courts," said Vinod Ghosalkar, Sena vibhag pramukh of north Mumbai.
Sena deputy leader and MP Sanjay Nirupam said, "The BMC has started demolitions in the city. They are yet to start on bigger temples in the western suburbs. We are collecting data on how many temples will be affected. Old temples have to be relocated. At Metro there is a mosque that affects traffic but many people are attached to them. It should be shifted. We will discuss the issue and seek directions from Balasaheb."
In south Mumbai, Sena vibhag pramukh Bala Kalsekar has called for a meeting today to protest the demolitions. "The BMC demolishes our temples on holy days like Kartiki Ekadashi and Dev Diwali. But mosques are being spared because of Ramzan," Kalsekar said.
Consult local MLA, BJP tells Srivastava
BJP Mumbai chief Bhai Girkar yesterday met Municipal Commissioner K C Srivastava and suggested to him that local councillors, MLAs and MPs be consulted while demolishing an illegal religious shrine. He also said BMC authorities should give a notice to the shrine authorities.
Girkar also told the municipal commissioner that many old and heritage temples had also been given notices by the BMC.
October 17, 2003
Ayodhya becomes Sangh’s Kurukshetra
The Telegraph, October 18, 2003
Ayodhya becomes Sangh’s Kurukshetra
- RSS admits ‘bitterness’ in parivar as outsmarted and isolated Singhal seethes
RADHIKA RAMASESHAN IN NEW DELHI AND DALIP SINGH IN AYODHYA
Ashok Singhal being arrested in Ayodhya. (AFP)
Oct. 17: When the thin film of dust lifted over Ayodhya this evening, Ashok Singhal stood alone in his sadhu’s clothes.
His ideological mentor, the RSS, stayed “neutral” and the BJP covertly sided with Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, who used the might of the state to reduce Singhal’s Ayodhya adventure to nothing more than a symbolic event.
In a rare admission in public to differences in the parivar, the RSS appealed to its progenies to end all “bitterness”.
“The bitterness among the Centre, the state government and various sections caused by the (VHP’s) programme should now be forgotten and a new beginning should be made,” RSS spokesman Ram Madhav said.
The lessons from the abortive sankalp sabha were not lost on the RSS. The Sangh’s image as the patriarch of the undivided Hindutva “parivar” was somewhat dented as its leaders betrayed signs of confusion on deciding which side of the Ayodhya fence it stood.
The Sangh offered the regulation “support” for the Ram temple construction, but it came with the rider that the VHP should do nothing to compromise the Centre’s position vis-a-vis the Uttar Pradesh government.
If the RSS fell between two stools, the BJP’s position was no better. Even today, VHP secretary Surendra Jain accused the Centre of “conniving” with Mulayam Singh in “repressing” “Ram bhakts”.
When Jain was levelling the charge, Mulayam Singh was offering thanks to the Centre for “extending the necessary help and maintaining the true traditions of the federal structure of the country”.
The paeans in public were hardly music to the BJP’s ears, especially as they came a day after party chief M. Venkaiah Naidu stressed that there was no “understanding” with the Uttar Pradesh chief minister.
The BJP is now awaiting the outcome of the year-end Assembly elections to gauge whether a seething VHP will be able to damage the party’s prospects and whether Hindutva will work as a plank.
Ayodhya today resembled not the battlefield of Lanka where Ram battled Ravan, but Kurukshetra of the Mahabharata, where brothers fought against each other.
The divide that runs through the parivar stood out in Ayodhya right from this morning. No high-profile parivar leader kept Singhal company when the saffron-robed leader was arrested in Karsevakpuram.
Notable absentees were Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Vinay Katiyar and Ramjanmabhoomi Nyas chief Mahant Nritya Gopal Das. Both were in Ayodhya but they stayed away from Singhal and his muted standoff.
Asked why Katiyar, who represents Ayodhya in the Lok Sabha, did not turn up, Singhal shot back: “I don’t need any Katiyar.”
Katiyar, camping in Ayodhya for the past two days, had said yesterday that he was not invited to the function. However, 24 hours later, he claimed that he was in constant touch with the people to ensure that situation did not worsen. “Everyone has his own role to play,” he clarified philosophically.
Mahant Das, considered a moderate, was negotiating with the district administration till yesterday to avoid a confrontation. However, when the negotiations failed, Das kept himself in the shadows.
Das, however, told The Telegraph that he could not go as he was told that police were arresting Ram devotees. Das had opposed the plan to organise the function in Ayodhya during the festival season since it posed a “lot of problems to businessmen and residents of Ayodhya”.
The lack of support from the people of Ayodhya was evident today. Most devotees who turned up today were from states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan.
But Singhal’s leadership was enough for the VHP and Bajrang Dal cadre to reassure themselves that they did not need a helping hand from the RSS or the BJP. “In the parivar, Singhal stands tall because he is senior in age to the present crop of RSS leaders like K.S. Sudarshan, Madan Das Devi and Mohanrao Bhagwat. He has consistently maintained his distance from the government and the BJP even on pain of displeasing the RSS, a parishad leader said.
“He has not compromised on Hindutva. While those in power may be scornful of his ideas and ideology, the next time the BJP wants to rake up the temple or another Hindutva issue, it will have neither the conviction or credibility,” he added. The VHP leader said the mantle would then fall either on Singhal or Praveen Togadia.
BJP sources grudgingly shared this assessment with a minister saying: “Singhalji ki baat to alag hai” (Singhal is a class apart).
While the Uttar Pradesh administration succeeded in lowering the pitch in Ayodhya and reducing the “sankalp sabha” to a ritual, the VHP claimed it had the “satisfaction” of exhibiting its own cadre strength and support mobilised independent of the RSS and the BJP.
Ayodhya becomes Sangh’s Kurukshetra
- RSS admits ‘bitterness’ in parivar as outsmarted and isolated Singhal seethes
RADHIKA RAMASESHAN IN NEW DELHI AND DALIP SINGH IN AYODHYA
Ashok Singhal being arrested in Ayodhya. (AFP)
Oct. 17: When the thin film of dust lifted over Ayodhya this evening, Ashok Singhal stood alone in his sadhu’s clothes.
His ideological mentor, the RSS, stayed “neutral” and the BJP covertly sided with Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, who used the might of the state to reduce Singhal’s Ayodhya adventure to nothing more than a symbolic event.
In a rare admission in public to differences in the parivar, the RSS appealed to its progenies to end all “bitterness”.
“The bitterness among the Centre, the state government and various sections caused by the (VHP’s) programme should now be forgotten and a new beginning should be made,” RSS spokesman Ram Madhav said.
The lessons from the abortive sankalp sabha were not lost on the RSS. The Sangh’s image as the patriarch of the undivided Hindutva “parivar” was somewhat dented as its leaders betrayed signs of confusion on deciding which side of the Ayodhya fence it stood.
The Sangh offered the regulation “support” for the Ram temple construction, but it came with the rider that the VHP should do nothing to compromise the Centre’s position vis-a-vis the Uttar Pradesh government.
If the RSS fell between two stools, the BJP’s position was no better. Even today, VHP secretary Surendra Jain accused the Centre of “conniving” with Mulayam Singh in “repressing” “Ram bhakts”.
When Jain was levelling the charge, Mulayam Singh was offering thanks to the Centre for “extending the necessary help and maintaining the true traditions of the federal structure of the country”.
The paeans in public were hardly music to the BJP’s ears, especially as they came a day after party chief M. Venkaiah Naidu stressed that there was no “understanding” with the Uttar Pradesh chief minister.
The BJP is now awaiting the outcome of the year-end Assembly elections to gauge whether a seething VHP will be able to damage the party’s prospects and whether Hindutva will work as a plank.
Ayodhya today resembled not the battlefield of Lanka where Ram battled Ravan, but Kurukshetra of the Mahabharata, where brothers fought against each other.
The divide that runs through the parivar stood out in Ayodhya right from this morning. No high-profile parivar leader kept Singhal company when the saffron-robed leader was arrested in Karsevakpuram.
Notable absentees were Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Vinay Katiyar and Ramjanmabhoomi Nyas chief Mahant Nritya Gopal Das. Both were in Ayodhya but they stayed away from Singhal and his muted standoff.
Asked why Katiyar, who represents Ayodhya in the Lok Sabha, did not turn up, Singhal shot back: “I don’t need any Katiyar.”
Katiyar, camping in Ayodhya for the past two days, had said yesterday that he was not invited to the function. However, 24 hours later, he claimed that he was in constant touch with the people to ensure that situation did not worsen. “Everyone has his own role to play,” he clarified philosophically.
Mahant Das, considered a moderate, was negotiating with the district administration till yesterday to avoid a confrontation. However, when the negotiations failed, Das kept himself in the shadows.
Das, however, told The Telegraph that he could not go as he was told that police were arresting Ram devotees. Das had opposed the plan to organise the function in Ayodhya during the festival season since it posed a “lot of problems to businessmen and residents of Ayodhya”.
The lack of support from the people of Ayodhya was evident today. Most devotees who turned up today were from states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan.
But Singhal’s leadership was enough for the VHP and Bajrang Dal cadre to reassure themselves that they did not need a helping hand from the RSS or the BJP. “In the parivar, Singhal stands tall because he is senior in age to the present crop of RSS leaders like K.S. Sudarshan, Madan Das Devi and Mohanrao Bhagwat. He has consistently maintained his distance from the government and the BJP even on pain of displeasing the RSS, a parishad leader said.
“He has not compromised on Hindutva. While those in power may be scornful of his ideas and ideology, the next time the BJP wants to rake up the temple or another Hindutva issue, it will have neither the conviction or credibility,” he added. The VHP leader said the mantle would then fall either on Singhal or Praveen Togadia.
BJP sources grudgingly shared this assessment with a minister saying: “Singhalji ki baat to alag hai” (Singhal is a class apart).
While the Uttar Pradesh administration succeeded in lowering the pitch in Ayodhya and reducing the “sankalp sabha” to a ritual, the VHP claimed it had the “satisfaction” of exhibiting its own cadre strength and support mobilised independent of the RSS and the BJP.
October 15, 2003
Yahoogroups Hateful list against Praful Bidwai
The Hatefilled list run on groups.yahoo.com against Praful Bidwai, India's leading columnist
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PrafulBidwai_antihindu_nihilist_butcher/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PrafulBidwai_antihindu_nihilist_butcher/
Advani intervenes, talks to Mulayam on VHP plan
Business Standard
October 16, 2003
Advani intervenes, talks to Mulayam on VHP plan
All trains restored to their original routes
Our Political Bureau in New Delhi
Published : October 16, 2003
In a curious turn of event, Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani called up Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav and tried to persuade him to allow the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to hold their programmes in Ayodhya on October 17 as per schedule.
What was implicit in Advani’s conversation with Yadav was that the whole movement would lose its steam if not challenged.
Yadav, who was in Bhopal in connection with a political programmes, assured Advani that he would “get back” to him after discussing the issue with state officials.
Sources in the home ministry said Advani also tried to impress upon Yadav that it would set the stage for a confrontation if the VHP was not allowed to hold its functions and its activists were arrested.
According to sources, Yadav wants to avoid a confrontation with the VHP on the temple issue, but does not want to send across a message that he is dealing the issue with kid gloves on.
This consideration, the fear of being seen as soft on the Hindus, prompted Yadav not to make any commitments to Advani on the issue.
Advani took the cue from the statement of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who had said the VHP’s promise of holding the congregation peacefully should be taken at its word.
Advani’s move assumes significance in the context of serious criticism of Vajpayee and Advani by VHP general secretary Praveen Togadia.
Though Vajpayee is learnt to have expressed his anguish over the language used by the VHP against the government, Advani’s decision to deal directly with the state government is aimed at mollifying the moderate group in the Sangh Parivar.
This became evident after RSS chief KS Sudershan also asked the VHP to exercise restraint during its Ayodhya programmes.
There was a general feeling in the government that if VHP activists were allowed to hold their programmes, it would take the sting out of their programme.
Sources in the government said all trains running through Faizabad, which had been diverted earlier, had been restored to their original routes.
With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and other constituents of the Sangh Parivar staying away from the Ayodhya programmes, the October 17 rally is expected to be tame affair.
With five Assembly elections around the corner, the BJP does not want to be seen as opposing the VHP on the issue.
In what appears to be a coincidence, VHP’s international vice-president Acharya Giriraj Kishore was arrested in Lucknow while addressing VHP activists.
Immediately, after the arrest of VHP activists and Kishore, the BJP criticised the Yadav government. “This was uncalled for,” said BJP general secretary Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.
At the same time, Togadia displayed an uncharacteristic restraint while addressing a VHP rally in deference to dictats from the Sangh Parivar, which seems to have intervened effectively.
The rally was a lack-lustre affair. Togadia also focused his speech on the VHP’s objective of constructing a Ram temple. Unlike the past, he did not warn the government of serious consequences, if the VHP’s programmes were stalled.
October 16, 2003
Advani intervenes, talks to Mulayam on VHP plan
All trains restored to their original routes
Our Political Bureau in New Delhi
Published : October 16, 2003
In a curious turn of event, Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani called up Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav and tried to persuade him to allow the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to hold their programmes in Ayodhya on October 17 as per schedule.
What was implicit in Advani’s conversation with Yadav was that the whole movement would lose its steam if not challenged.
Yadav, who was in Bhopal in connection with a political programmes, assured Advani that he would “get back” to him after discussing the issue with state officials.
Sources in the home ministry said Advani also tried to impress upon Yadav that it would set the stage for a confrontation if the VHP was not allowed to hold its functions and its activists were arrested.
According to sources, Yadav wants to avoid a confrontation with the VHP on the temple issue, but does not want to send across a message that he is dealing the issue with kid gloves on.
This consideration, the fear of being seen as soft on the Hindus, prompted Yadav not to make any commitments to Advani on the issue.
Advani took the cue from the statement of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who had said the VHP’s promise of holding the congregation peacefully should be taken at its word.
Advani’s move assumes significance in the context of serious criticism of Vajpayee and Advani by VHP general secretary Praveen Togadia.
Though Vajpayee is learnt to have expressed his anguish over the language used by the VHP against the government, Advani’s decision to deal directly with the state government is aimed at mollifying the moderate group in the Sangh Parivar.
This became evident after RSS chief KS Sudershan also asked the VHP to exercise restraint during its Ayodhya programmes.
There was a general feeling in the government that if VHP activists were allowed to hold their programmes, it would take the sting out of their programme.
Sources in the government said all trains running through Faizabad, which had been diverted earlier, had been restored to their original routes.
With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and other constituents of the Sangh Parivar staying away from the Ayodhya programmes, the October 17 rally is expected to be tame affair.
With five Assembly elections around the corner, the BJP does not want to be seen as opposing the VHP on the issue.
In what appears to be a coincidence, VHP’s international vice-president Acharya Giriraj Kishore was arrested in Lucknow while addressing VHP activists.
Immediately, after the arrest of VHP activists and Kishore, the BJP criticised the Yadav government. “This was uncalled for,” said BJP general secretary Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.
At the same time, Togadia displayed an uncharacteristic restraint while addressing a VHP rally in deference to dictats from the Sangh Parivar, which seems to have intervened effectively.
The rally was a lack-lustre affair. Togadia also focused his speech on the VHP’s objective of constructing a Ram temple. Unlike the past, he did not warn the government of serious consequences, if the VHP’s programmes were stalled.
No written guarantee for peace: VHP
Rediff.com
No written guarantee for peace: VHP
Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi | October 15, 2003 20:01 IST
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad on Tuesday refused to give a written guarantee to the Union government that its October 17 sankalp (resolve) rally in Ayodhya will be peaceful.
Thousands of Ram bhakts, as the VHP calls them, have been gathering in the twin towns of Ayodhya and Faizabad this week to resolve to build a Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya.
Also see: Paramilitary forces surround Karsevakpuram
Several thousand VHP activists have been detained in various parts of Uttar Pradesh, where Mulayam Singh Yadav's government sees a sinister design in the VHP rally to disturb the temple town's peace.
VHP spokesman Vireshwar Dwivedi told reporters in New Delhi: "Union Minister of State for Home Swami Chinmayanand spoke to VHP general secretary Pravin Togadia on Tuesday and perhaps asked for a written undertaking that the Ram bhakts will remain peaceful.
"When Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani have not been able to give a written undertaking that they will bring about peace in Jammu and Kashmir, how can a social organisation like the VHP give such a guarantee concerning our programme in Ayodhya?"
Also see: Avoid confrontation, Advani tells Mulayam
Dwivedi warned that if Ram bhakts were harassed, they will respond in an appropriate way.
Asked what if this entailed violence, Diwedi said it would be 'even-handed.'
"We are not satisfied with the central government's arrangements in Ayodhya. About 1. 75 lakh Ram bhakts have been kept in inhuman conditions...they must be treated in a dignified way," he said.
Dwivedi said around 45,000 Ram bhakts led by Swami Vasudevananda Saraswati have left for Ayodhya from Prayag to participate in the October 17 rally.
On VHP vice-president Giriraj Kishore's arrest in Lucknow by the state administration, Dwivedi said it is a matter of concern that he has not been allowed to talk to the media.
The VHP spokesman asserted that VHP activists will take part in the rally in large numbers come what may.
No written guarantee for peace: VHP
Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi | October 15, 2003 20:01 IST
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad on Tuesday refused to give a written guarantee to the Union government that its October 17 sankalp (resolve) rally in Ayodhya will be peaceful.
Thousands of Ram bhakts, as the VHP calls them, have been gathering in the twin towns of Ayodhya and Faizabad this week to resolve to build a Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya.
Also see: Paramilitary forces surround Karsevakpuram
Several thousand VHP activists have been detained in various parts of Uttar Pradesh, where Mulayam Singh Yadav's government sees a sinister design in the VHP rally to disturb the temple town's peace.
VHP spokesman Vireshwar Dwivedi told reporters in New Delhi: "Union Minister of State for Home Swami Chinmayanand spoke to VHP general secretary Pravin Togadia on Tuesday and perhaps asked for a written undertaking that the Ram bhakts will remain peaceful.
"When Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani have not been able to give a written undertaking that they will bring about peace in Jammu and Kashmir, how can a social organisation like the VHP give such a guarantee concerning our programme in Ayodhya?"
Also see: Avoid confrontation, Advani tells Mulayam
Dwivedi warned that if Ram bhakts were harassed, they will respond in an appropriate way.
Asked what if this entailed violence, Diwedi said it would be 'even-handed.'
"We are not satisfied with the central government's arrangements in Ayodhya. About 1. 75 lakh Ram bhakts have been kept in inhuman conditions...they must be treated in a dignified way," he said.
Dwivedi said around 45,000 Ram bhakts led by Swami Vasudevananda Saraswati have left for Ayodhya from Prayag to participate in the October 17 rally.
On VHP vice-president Giriraj Kishore's arrest in Lucknow by the state administration, Dwivedi said it is a matter of concern that he has not been allowed to talk to the media.
The VHP spokesman asserted that VHP activists will take part in the rally in large numbers come what may.
VHP issues a long list of mosques
The Hindu, October 15, 2003
VHP issues a long list of mosques
By Our Special Correspondent
New Delhi, Oct. 15. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad has distributed a tabloid - Abhay Bharat - carrying a long list, spread over seven pages, of "mosques" in 10 States which it claims were built during the Mughal period and earlier on sites where "temples were destroyed".
The list included over 70 mosques, monuments and tombs in Delhi, including the Qutb Minar, the famous Nizamuddin Aulia Dargah and the 15th century Bada Gumbad Masjid in Lodi garden.
Surendra Jain, the VHP secretary and a former president of the Bajrang Dal, said that "at present we are not making claims on these mosques." For the moment the VHP had demanded that Muslims "return" the sites at Ayodhya, Mathura and Kashi.
VHP issues a long list of mosques
By Our Special Correspondent
New Delhi, Oct. 15. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad has distributed a tabloid - Abhay Bharat - carrying a long list, spread over seven pages, of "mosques" in 10 States which it claims were built during the Mughal period and earlier on sites where "temples were destroyed".
The list included over 70 mosques, monuments and tombs in Delhi, including the Qutb Minar, the famous Nizamuddin Aulia Dargah and the 15th century Bada Gumbad Masjid in Lodi garden.
Surendra Jain, the VHP secretary and a former president of the Bajrang Dal, said that "at present we are not making claims on these mosques." For the moment the VHP had demanded that Muslims "return" the sites at Ayodhya, Mathura and Kashi.
October 14, 2003
No central curbs on Ram bhakts, says BJP
The Hindustan Times
October 15, 2003
No central curbs on Ram bhakts, says BJP
HT Correspondent
New Delhi, October 14
The BJP on Tuesday decided that no trains heading for Faizabad and Ayodhya would be stopped or diverted to prevent VHP volunteers from participating in the October 17 Sankalp Sammelan after several meetings between RSS and BJP leaders.
The RSS leadership appealed to Prime Minister AB Vajpayee and his deputy LK Advani not to stop trains to Ayodhya, which would cause hardship to the people there.
The BJP leaders came round to the view that cancelling or diverting trains to Ayodhya would "unnecessarily" bring a bad name to the BJP-led central government, especially given the fact that the VHP had accused the Centre of being "anti-Hindu".
While RSS chief KS Sudarshan spoke to Vajpayee on Monday, senior leader Madan Das Devi met him on Tuesday and drew his attention to the restrictions imposed on the movements of VHP leaders and workers despite their having said the October 17 programme would be peaceful and limited to a darshan of the Ram idols in the makeshift temple at Ayodhya.
"We are confident that the programme will pass off peacefully and there will be no confrontation. It will be a democratic protest," said RSS spokesman Ram Madhav, after holding discussions with Advani on Tuesday. But he warned that though the Sangh Parivar would make all attempts to ensure peace, the situation could go out of hand if the UP government continued its repression of Ram bhakts.
Sudarshan's discussion with Vajpayee followed VHP leader Praveen Togadia's complaint to the Sangh Parivar leadership that the VHP was facing serious difficulty in sending its workers to Ayodhya because of the "joint action" by the UP government and the Centre.
Minister of State for Home Swami Chinmayananda will coordinate with the VHP to ensure that the programme passes off peacefully.
October 15, 2003
No central curbs on Ram bhakts, says BJP
HT Correspondent
New Delhi, October 14
The BJP on Tuesday decided that no trains heading for Faizabad and Ayodhya would be stopped or diverted to prevent VHP volunteers from participating in the October 17 Sankalp Sammelan after several meetings between RSS and BJP leaders.
The RSS leadership appealed to Prime Minister AB Vajpayee and his deputy LK Advani not to stop trains to Ayodhya, which would cause hardship to the people there.
The BJP leaders came round to the view that cancelling or diverting trains to Ayodhya would "unnecessarily" bring a bad name to the BJP-led central government, especially given the fact that the VHP had accused the Centre of being "anti-Hindu".
While RSS chief KS Sudarshan spoke to Vajpayee on Monday, senior leader Madan Das Devi met him on Tuesday and drew his attention to the restrictions imposed on the movements of VHP leaders and workers despite their having said the October 17 programme would be peaceful and limited to a darshan of the Ram idols in the makeshift temple at Ayodhya.
"We are confident that the programme will pass off peacefully and there will be no confrontation. It will be a democratic protest," said RSS spokesman Ram Madhav, after holding discussions with Advani on Tuesday. But he warned that though the Sangh Parivar would make all attempts to ensure peace, the situation could go out of hand if the UP government continued its repression of Ram bhakts.
Sudarshan's discussion with Vajpayee followed VHP leader Praveen Togadia's complaint to the Sangh Parivar leadership that the VHP was facing serious difficulty in sending its workers to Ayodhya because of the "joint action" by the UP government and the Centre.
Minister of State for Home Swami Chinmayananda will coordinate with the VHP to ensure that the programme passes off peacefully.
Delhi works on defuse-Ayodhya deal Parishad signals venue shift
The Telegraph
October 15, 2003
Delhi works on defuse-Ayodhya deal Parishad signals venue shift
RADHIKA RAMASESHAN
‘Ram sevaks’ board a train for Ayodhya at Ahmedabad. (Reuters)
New Delhi, Oct. 14: Under pressure from the RSS and the VHP, the Centre has informed Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav that it would not be possible to divert trains passing through Faizabad-Ayodhya ahead of the VHP congregation on October 17.
Home ministry sources said Mulayam Singh has been told to use central forces deployed in the region “judiciously and selectively to deal only with law and order problems” and not to “harass” the “Ram bhakts” coming to Ayodhya.
As a quid pro quo, the VHP is believed to have assured the RSS that it was considering shifting the venue of its sankalp sabha (oath-taking meeting) to the Ram Sevak Puram complex, which is a “safe” 3 km away from the Ramjnamabhoomi-Babri complex.
The original plan was to assemble at the “disputed” site from where the “Ram bhakts” were to chant Ram dhun and take a pledge to construct the temple.
On the Centre’s behalf, sources said, the RSS was prevailing on the VHP leaders to also see to it that the “Ram bhakts” offered prayers at the Ram Lalla temple in small groups.
Swami Chinmayanand, the minister of state for home, was tasked to deal with the VHP and its clergy in his capacity as a former member of the temple steering committee.
After Chinmayanand learnt of the possible climbdown in the VHP’s stance, he advised its leaders to seek the administration’s permission so that there would be no hitch in holding the meeting in the new venue because prohibitory orders were in force in Faizabad district.
Mulayam Singh is learnt to have assured Chinmayanand that he would have no problem in granting the VHP permission if it kept its word and did not break into the “disputed” area.
A day after VHP leader Praveen Togadia accused the Prime Minister of colluding with Mulayam Singh, Atal Bihari Vajpayee went into a huddle with deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, finance minister Jaswant Singh and BJP president M.Venkaiah Naidu.
They assessed Togadia’s warning that communal riots could erupt if the “Ram bhakts” were stopped on their tracks.
RSS chief K.S. Sudarshan spoke to Vajpayee last evening, urging the Prime Minister not to divert the trains and arrest the “Ram bhakts”. Sudarshan also sought the release of those kept in detention.
“If these demands are fulfilled, he assured the Prime Minister that the VHP’s programme would pass off peacefully,” an RSS source said.
“But if they are not and something untoward happens, the Uttar Pradesh government will have to shoulder the responsibility,” he added.
With the VHP working president Ashok Singhal and his deputy, Acharya Giriraj Kishore, going “underground”, Chinmayanand was in touch with Ramjnamabhoomi Nyas chairman Nritya Gopal Das and the convener of the high-powered Uchchadhikar Ram Mandir Nirman Samiti, Mahant Avaidyanath. Both are camping in Ayodhya.
Chinmayanand reportedly told Mulayam Singh that it was not possible to divert the trains because of the large traffic of pilgrims to Ayodhya and the inconvenience a diversion would cause to traders in the “peak” business season.
Sources close to him said his line of reasoning with the VHP was that Uttar Pradesh traders would not take kindly to disruptions during Diwali and, if there were any, “these would be counterproductive for the temple movement”
October 15, 2003
Delhi works on defuse-Ayodhya deal Parishad signals venue shift
RADHIKA RAMASESHAN
‘Ram sevaks’ board a train for Ayodhya at Ahmedabad. (Reuters)
New Delhi, Oct. 14: Under pressure from the RSS and the VHP, the Centre has informed Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav that it would not be possible to divert trains passing through Faizabad-Ayodhya ahead of the VHP congregation on October 17.
Home ministry sources said Mulayam Singh has been told to use central forces deployed in the region “judiciously and selectively to deal only with law and order problems” and not to “harass” the “Ram bhakts” coming to Ayodhya.
As a quid pro quo, the VHP is believed to have assured the RSS that it was considering shifting the venue of its sankalp sabha (oath-taking meeting) to the Ram Sevak Puram complex, which is a “safe” 3 km away from the Ramjnamabhoomi-Babri complex.
The original plan was to assemble at the “disputed” site from where the “Ram bhakts” were to chant Ram dhun and take a pledge to construct the temple.
On the Centre’s behalf, sources said, the RSS was prevailing on the VHP leaders to also see to it that the “Ram bhakts” offered prayers at the Ram Lalla temple in small groups.
Swami Chinmayanand, the minister of state for home, was tasked to deal with the VHP and its clergy in his capacity as a former member of the temple steering committee.
After Chinmayanand learnt of the possible climbdown in the VHP’s stance, he advised its leaders to seek the administration’s permission so that there would be no hitch in holding the meeting in the new venue because prohibitory orders were in force in Faizabad district.
Mulayam Singh is learnt to have assured Chinmayanand that he would have no problem in granting the VHP permission if it kept its word and did not break into the “disputed” area.
A day after VHP leader Praveen Togadia accused the Prime Minister of colluding with Mulayam Singh, Atal Bihari Vajpayee went into a huddle with deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, finance minister Jaswant Singh and BJP president M.Venkaiah Naidu.
They assessed Togadia’s warning that communal riots could erupt if the “Ram bhakts” were stopped on their tracks.
RSS chief K.S. Sudarshan spoke to Vajpayee last evening, urging the Prime Minister not to divert the trains and arrest the “Ram bhakts”. Sudarshan also sought the release of those kept in detention.
“If these demands are fulfilled, he assured the Prime Minister that the VHP’s programme would pass off peacefully,” an RSS source said.
“But if they are not and something untoward happens, the Uttar Pradesh government will have to shoulder the responsibility,” he added.
With the VHP working president Ashok Singhal and his deputy, Acharya Giriraj Kishore, going “underground”, Chinmayanand was in touch with Ramjnamabhoomi Nyas chairman Nritya Gopal Das and the convener of the high-powered Uchchadhikar Ram Mandir Nirman Samiti, Mahant Avaidyanath. Both are camping in Ayodhya.
Chinmayanand reportedly told Mulayam Singh that it was not possible to divert the trains because of the large traffic of pilgrims to Ayodhya and the inconvenience a diversion would cause to traders in the “peak” business season.
Sources close to him said his line of reasoning with the VHP was that Uttar Pradesh traders would not take kindly to disruptions during Diwali and, if there were any, “these would be counterproductive for the temple movement”
RSS sings VHP tune, warns of violence
The Times of India, October, 14 2003
RSS sings VHP tune, warns of violence
RAJESH RAMACHANDRAN
TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2003 07:51:24 PM ]
NEW DELHI: The RSS on Tuesday echoed the VHP's threat of communal riots, though on a softer tone. A day after VHP General Secretary Praveen Togadia threatened communal riots, the RSS spokesman Ram Madhav said he apprehended violence.
"The atmosphere could turn foul (vatavaran bigad sakta hain) if the state government represses the VHP activists. We don't want to create problems but the state government would be held responsible for violence" said Madhav.
Over the last two days, the RSS leadership has been in close consultation with the government. The RSS chief KS Sudarshan, leaders HV Seshadri and others have been in touch with Prime Minister Vajpayee and Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani. And Madhav met Advani on Tuesday to apprise him of the VHP's complaints of activists getting detained in railway stations and trains diverted. Apparently, some RSS workers have been kept under preventive detention in UP.
The RSS argument is that the UP government has been asked by the Lucknow High Court only to maintain law and order and not to arrest the VHP activists.
The court ordered: "This court expects that the state government and district administration as also the authorised person will pass necessary orders to regulate the behaviour of the crowd and not to allow any congregation on or around the disputed site and further they shall not permit any religious activity of any kind by any one, either symbolic or actual to take place at or around the disputed site."
When pointed out that the government in order to restrict a congregation at Ayodhya would have to stop the activists from reaching Ayodhya, Madhav said: "Let the state government stop the people from gathering there, but nobody can be stopped from worshiping the Ram idol."
The court has only allowed the 'usual puja and darshan' and has specifically ordered "large number of persons should not be allowed at one point of time in or around the disputed site... religious and non-religious not to issue any statement pertaining to the ASI report or interpret or twist it to suit his interest..."
Though the court has clearly ordered no congregation at the disputed site where the Ram idol is kept, the Parivar has announced 'trouble and violence' if its activists are arrested or turned away from Ayodhya.
Madhav tried to temper the VHP's frontal attack against the government by claiming that the Central forces have been called by the UP government and that the Central government has assured the Sangh of all support.
According to senior Parivar leaders, the march is aimed at energising the Parivar cadre and to mobilise them ahead of the elections. And a certain amount of confrontation with the state government would only help the Parivar gain in credibility in UP where it was in power for some time now -- first directly and then in an alliance with the BSP.
RSS sings VHP tune, warns of violence
RAJESH RAMACHANDRAN
TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2003 07:51:24 PM ]
NEW DELHI: The RSS on Tuesday echoed the VHP's threat of communal riots, though on a softer tone. A day after VHP General Secretary Praveen Togadia threatened communal riots, the RSS spokesman Ram Madhav said he apprehended violence.
"The atmosphere could turn foul (vatavaran bigad sakta hain) if the state government represses the VHP activists. We don't want to create problems but the state government would be held responsible for violence" said Madhav.
Over the last two days, the RSS leadership has been in close consultation with the government. The RSS chief KS Sudarshan, leaders HV Seshadri and others have been in touch with Prime Minister Vajpayee and Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani. And Madhav met Advani on Tuesday to apprise him of the VHP's complaints of activists getting detained in railway stations and trains diverted. Apparently, some RSS workers have been kept under preventive detention in UP.
The RSS argument is that the UP government has been asked by the Lucknow High Court only to maintain law and order and not to arrest the VHP activists.
The court ordered: "This court expects that the state government and district administration as also the authorised person will pass necessary orders to regulate the behaviour of the crowd and not to allow any congregation on or around the disputed site and further they shall not permit any religious activity of any kind by any one, either symbolic or actual to take place at or around the disputed site."
When pointed out that the government in order to restrict a congregation at Ayodhya would have to stop the activists from reaching Ayodhya, Madhav said: "Let the state government stop the people from gathering there, but nobody can be stopped from worshiping the Ram idol."
The court has only allowed the 'usual puja and darshan' and has specifically ordered "large number of persons should not be allowed at one point of time in or around the disputed site... religious and non-religious not to issue any statement pertaining to the ASI report or interpret or twist it to suit his interest..."
Though the court has clearly ordered no congregation at the disputed site where the Ram idol is kept, the Parivar has announced 'trouble and violence' if its activists are arrested or turned away from Ayodhya.
Madhav tried to temper the VHP's frontal attack against the government by claiming that the Central forces have been called by the UP government and that the Central government has assured the Sangh of all support.
According to senior Parivar leaders, the march is aimed at energising the Parivar cadre and to mobilise them ahead of the elections. And a certain amount of confrontation with the state government would only help the Parivar gain in credibility in UP where it was in power for some time now -- first directly and then in an alliance with the BSP.
October 12, 2003
[Hindutva] Protests mark shooting of ‘Bride and Prejudice’
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20031005/punjab1.htm
The Tribune (Chandigarh)
Protests mark shooting of ‘Bride and Prejudice’
Aishwarya shoots in ‘old house’ amid security
Rashmi Talwar
Amritsar, October 4
Protests marked the first day of shooting by Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai on the sets of Indo-British production “Bride and Prejudice” here today.
Activists of the Bajrang Dal and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) burnt the effigy and shouted slogans against film director Gurinder Chadda in the busy Hall Bazaar area, protesting against the shooting here. They alleged that the film would exhibit “improper and vulgar” scenes that were against Indian and Punjabi cultural values and would adversely affect the perception of the Holy City the world over.
Mr Rakesh Madaan, state activist of the dal, gave a memorandum to the Amritsar Deputy Commissioner demanding a halt to the shooting of the film. They also demanded that the Censor Board of India should ban the movie.
[...]
PHOTO: Activists of the Bajrang Dal and the VHP burn the effigy of film director Gurinder Chadda in Amritsar on Saturday. — Photo by Rajiv Sharma.
The Tribune (Chandigarh)
Protests mark shooting of ‘Bride and Prejudice’
Aishwarya shoots in ‘old house’ amid security
Rashmi Talwar
Amritsar, October 4
Protests marked the first day of shooting by Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai on the sets of Indo-British production “Bride and Prejudice” here today.
Activists of the Bajrang Dal and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) burnt the effigy and shouted slogans against film director Gurinder Chadda in the busy Hall Bazaar area, protesting against the shooting here. They alleged that the film would exhibit “improper and vulgar” scenes that were against Indian and Punjabi cultural values and would adversely affect the perception of the Holy City the world over.
Mr Rakesh Madaan, state activist of the dal, gave a memorandum to the Amritsar Deputy Commissioner demanding a halt to the shooting of the film. They also demanded that the Censor Board of India should ban the movie.
[...]
PHOTO: Activists of the Bajrang Dal and the VHP burn the effigy of film director Gurinder Chadda in Amritsar on Saturday. — Photo by Rajiv Sharma.
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