HVK Archives: Sena tries to brush Gandhi away; and a comment
Sena tries to brush Gandhi away; and a comment - The Asian Age
Editorial
()
5 January 1997
Title : Sena tries to brush Gandhi away; and a comment
Author : Editorial
Publication : The Asian Age
Date : January 5, 1997
Comment : Editorials of this types are considered to be the height of
intellectualism in India.
Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray is setting no limits for himself. No one
is sacrosanct for this leader who has decided to re-interpret history
according to his peculiar perceptions. The latest on Gandhi from him is
"Gandhi is a national leader but not the father of the nation." This
follows last weeks allegation that Gandhi was not celibate. Now India
needs a Bal Thackeray to speak on history, according to his "personal"
preferences, and cast aspersions on a person like Gandhi as if by doing
so he can lift himself to the level of the father of the Nation. It is
a status given to Gandhi by the country, and not an individual. It is
not for Bal Thackeray to take it away, or question it. He can then
question everything that forms part of independent India-secularism,
democracy and socialism on which its Constitution rests. He can question
the green in the national flag and insist that the entire colour be
changed to saffron. He can, as he does, speak of a fascist state and
insist that the minorities be on the receiving end of a purge. There is
no limit to the agenda that he can set for himself and it is for this
simple reason that persons like Tushar Gandhi who sat on fast in protest
against Thackeray's observations should be supported. But the remarks
on Gandhi cannot be dismissed as the vitriolic outpourings of a
convoluted mind. There is a sinister design behind it, particularly now
that Thackeray has continued with the attack. It is not just prompted
by a desire to get into the headlines. There is more to it. It is to
question that part of history which makes India a pluralistic society,
diverse and secular. It is to establish that persons like Gandhi who
gave it its secular, democratic character were leaders with many chinks
in their armour. So by questioning the basic integrity of the individual
Thackeray hopes to make his basic ideology suspect. This means basically
to prepare the ground for a "vision of India" which is completely
opposed to Gandhi's concept of the nation. Thackeray has written
several articles in Saamna, and given sufficient speeches to spell out
his "vision." He speaks of a Hindu India, fascist, communal and perhaps,
not even democratic. The killing of innocent people in Bombay after the
demolition of the Babri Masjid, the arrest of countless innocents under
TADA by a partisan and communal police force, the attack on film stars
not toeing the Shiv Sena line, the beating up of media persons insisting
on printing facts, the refusal to allow Pakistanis to play in Mumbai -
it is an endless list of commissions which Bal Thackeray obviously hopes
to strengthen and enrich India with. Corruption and violence has
continued to be associated with the Shiv Sena leader, his colleagues and
his family in Mumbai. In the light of this, his; attack on Gandhi is
perfectly logical.
Thackeray cannot accept Gandhi. He cannot also wish him away as he has
tried to do other leaders, and succeeded to an amazing extent. In
keeping with his exalted status, Thackeray prefers to ignore the
ordinary mortals. He speaks only of those, with whom he considers
himself to be in direct competition. Gandhi with his non-violence,
honesty, celibacy, secularism was a complete foil to Thackeray and his
ilk. The new doctrine of violence, corruption, communalism can only be
established by replacing the old and the best way, in limited thinking,
is to attack the individual in the fascist belief that the individual is
taller than the doctrine he espouses. Bahujan Samaj Party leader
Mayawati had to retract similar statements. Bal Thackeray will
eventually have to change the path he has presently decided to tread.
RESPONSE:
From:
Ashok V Chowgule
Kanchanjunga
72, Dr G Deshmukh Marg,
Mumbai 400026.
January 5, 1997.
Sir,
This has reference to your editorial "Sena tries to brush Gandhi away"
(Jan 5), where you have questioned Balasaheb Thackeray's right to deny
parenthood of the nation to Mahatma Gandhi. The Mahatma himself had
said, "The English have taught us that we were not one nation before and
that it will require centuries before we became one nation. This is
without foundation. We were one nation before they came to India. One
thought inspired us. Our mode of life was the same. It was because we
were one nation that they were able to establish one kingdom.
Subsequently they divided us." (Hind Swaraj, Chapter IX, Page 56.)
So, if the nation was born many thousand years before the Mahatma, as
per the Mahatma himself, then how can we attribute the fathership to
him? One wonders if there is an ulterior motive in this criticism of
Balasaheb. No one talks about what Mohammed Ali, the founder of the
Khilafat movement had said. "According to my religion and faith any
debaucherous and fallen Muslim is higher to me than Mr Gandhi." (Times
of India, March 21, 1924.) Yet, the Congress leaders compete with each
other to lead the procession at the time of the anniversary of the
Khilafat movement. And Shri Tushar Gandhi probably fasts for some other
reason around this time, and hence he cannot do the same for the
Mahatma.
Yours sincerely,
(Ashok Chowgule)
To:
The Editor, The Asian Age,
210 Surya Kiran,
19 Kasturba Gandhi Marg,
New Delhi 110 001.
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