Gangil demands a discussion on secularism in party - The Times of India News Service

• Messages sorted by: [ author ]
[ publication ][ subject ][ thread ]
• Next message: V. Sagar : "One step to revelution - letter"
• Previous message: Binov Shorms : "PM chants Ayodhya peace mantra"

MUMBAI, June 15. All-India Congress committee
spokesperson V.N. Gadgil has reiterated his demand for a
comprehensive discussion within the party on the concept
of secularism.

In a recent article he said that as the Congress brand of
secularism is ambiguous and unclear, there is confusion
in the rank and file on the issue. As a result of which,
party men are unable to counter the anti-Congress
propaganda launched by the Hindutva forces.

Significantly, Mr Gadgil's signed article was published
in Sakaal, the leading Marathi group of newspapers
reportedly owned by Mr Pratap Pawar, brother of Congress
stalwart Sharad Pawar.

It may be recalled that immediately after the party's
debacle in the Lok Sabha elections Mr Gadgil had publicly
demanded a debate in the organisation on the party's
concept of secularism. While there was a flutter in the
Congress the Bharatiya Janata Party welcomed Mr Gadgil's
suggestion. At a public meeting in Mumbai on June 4,
former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had endorsed
the Congress leader's demand.

Analysing the political situation, Mr Gadgil stated in
his article that in view of the Congress party's failure
to explain to the voters its concept of secularism the
Hindus have begun to accuse the Congress of wooing the
Muslims. The Muslims, on the other hand, openly charge
the Congress with being hands-in-glove with the Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh. They feel the Congress is responsible
for the demolition of the Babri mosque in December 1992.

Mr Gadgil argued that the Congressmen had failed to
highlight several facts that could have served a fitting
reply to the BJP's campaign against the Congress.

For example, Shayamaprasad Mukherjee (the founding-father
of Jan Sangh, the erstwhile avataar Of the Bharatiya
Janata Party) was a member of the Pandit Nehru's cabinet
which okayed article 370, according special status to
Jammu and Kashmir soon after Independence.

Also, the Congress workers ought to have informed the
people that M.S. Golwalkar, the powerful RSS
sarsanghchalak had, in an interview to organiser, the RSS
mouthpiece, in the early 1970s, publicly opposed the
uniform civil code, Mr Gadgil stated.

The BJP had taken up 'cow slaughter ban as its credo in
the 1967 Lok Sabha elections. However, in the 1 989
general elections the party switched from gaay (cow) to
gangajal (the sacred water of Ganges that was bottled and
sold during the high noon of the Ramjanambhoomi crisis).
The Congress ought to have highlighted the BJP's brand of
pseudo-Hindutva, Mr Gadgil stated. The only Ram they seem
to know after the 1996 Lok Sabha elections was "Aya-ram",
he remarked.

However, Mr Gadgil cautioned his party men against
deriding the BJP as a Brahmin-Baniya party as, he argued,

thousands of Dalits had participated in the 'kaar-seva'
in 1989. The Congress leader reminded the party activists
that the BJP has annexed 29 Lok Sabha seats reserved for
the scheduled castes and the scheduled tribes and 14
seats reserved for the Advisasis:

• Next message: V. Sagar : "One step to revelution - letter"
• Previous message: Binov Shorms : "PM chants Ayodhya peace mantra"

Back                          Top