Sarva Panth Samadar Manch - Organiser
Dr Shreerang A Godbole
()
15 September 1996
Title : Sarva Panth Samadar Manch
Author : Dr Shreerang A Godbole
Publication : Organiser
Date : September 15, 1996
Sarva Panth Samadar Manch under the aegis of the
Bhara-
tiya Mazdoor Sangh is a disturbing development 1) Does
Sarva include only sects arising from Bharatiya philoso-
phy and non-Bharatiya, non-Biblical spiritual paths? If
so, I welcome such a Manch. Unfortunately, this does not
seem to be the case. 2) If Sarva includes Islam and
Christianity (which seems to be the case), then should it
not also include Marxism. Nazism and Fascism? After all
these ideologies cultivate an exclusivist, separatist.
imperialist political mind-set of its adherents. 3) If
the Manch is f6cussed on Muslims and their assimilation,
I find the whole exercise naive and futile. Sarva Panth
Samadar goes against the very tenets of Islam. Instead
of parrot-like repeating that all religions teach the
same thing and hence are worthy of equal respect, why
don't Hindu leaders bother to open the Koran, Hadis,
Sunnah and read these basic texts of Islam? It is a
disservice even to the Muslims to be told that their
'religion' is worthy of equal respect compared to Hindu
religious sects. That a large section of humanity is in
the thrall of dangerous ideologies should be a matter of
concern to us.
Muslims should be viewed not as oppressors but as the
greatest victims of Islam. They should be weaned away
from Islamic ideology. 4) If the Manch is aimed at Hindus
then Hindus anyway don't need lessons on Sarva Panth
Samadar; in fact they have been harmed by such
sermonis-
ing. What Hindus need today is not Sarva Panth Samadar
but Sarva Panth Chikitsa (examination). It is only then
that they mill see through and beware of political isms
masquerading as religions. Outfits like the Manch are
not of use in this context as they start with the wrong
assumption that all religions are worthy of respect. 5)
The concept of Sarva Panth Samadar is even more
dangerous
than the slogan of Sarvadharmasamabhava coined by
'secu-
larists'. With the latter, you are at least allowed
equidistance between contradictory ideologies. With the
former, you are actually asked to show equal respect to
sects belonging to Sanatan Dharma and Islam. At a time
when the basic tenets of Islam are being questioned by
enlightened Muslims, it is strange that Hindu leaders
should confuse their followers by offering props to
Islam. Like Marxism, Islam as an ideology is bound to
become a museum-piece. 6) Instead of indulging in verbal
jugglery (Gandhian Socialism, pseudo versus true secular-
ism, sarva panth samadar), Hindu leaders should shed
their intellectual inferiority complex and present a true
Hindu world-view.
The question is: will Hindu leaders continue to remain
stubbornly ignorant and like Gandhiji's proverbial mon-
keys refuse to speak, see and hear when communication is
called for?
