Author:
Publication: Organiser
Date: April 4, 2004
Introduction: We awaken Hindutva
Ashok Singhal, the popular Working
President of VHP, feels that though the BJP has detached itself from Hindutva
for the time being, people cannot totally discredit it on this issue. For,
it still has Hindutva in its heart. "The day will come when BJP leaders
would swear their love for Hindutva." The saintly VHP leader spoke to Organiser
correspondent Pramod Kumar in New Delhi, on various issues concerning the
nation today. Excerpts:
Q.: What would be the role of VHP
in the coming general elections?
A.: Since the beginning, the main
task of VHP has been to awaken the Hindu society and make them aware of
their rights. There are pre-planned efforts to destroy the Hindu culture
by our own people. The govern-ment is the biggest reason for this insult
of Hindus. But the society has gradually awakened. Though, this awareness
is yet to reach the illiterate people, the day they start understanding
the large-scale discrimination being meted out to them, the pseudo- secularists
will be rejected outright.
The VHP has neither worked nor will
work for any political party. We shall continue to awaken the society.
Q.: Will you persuade the Rambhakts
to help the NDA government to solve the Ram temple issue?
A.: The Rambhakts know everything.
They have seen that the government could not take any concrete step in
this direction. They should have done it. However, in the end, they took
some initiatives that could have been taken earlier. If they were serious
about it, they would have solved it out of court. I suspect they are not
serious about it.
Q.: When the Ramjanma-bhoomi movement
began, the VHP had emerged as the resurgent face of Hindu society. Now
that face appears to be missing. Why?
A.: When rivers join, they develop
a resurgent face. But when they flow further, they become deeper and calm.
The VHP work also moves like this. Now our work has become more effective.
Whatever issue we took up, people accepted them. I don't agree that people
do not have enthusiasm now; it is very much there.
Q.: You have mentioned that the
Hindu society is going to face a major jehad?
A.: Who supports and indulges in
jehad in this country? We have to identify and expose them. The jehadis
are getting free training in Pakistan and Bangladesh. Their execution centres
are being set up all over the country. The ISI is a parallel organisation
in Pakistan that supplies money and other sophisticated weapons to the
jehadis. We have to fight against them. If they are not given the right
answer now, the country may have to face another Partition.
Hired people cannot defend the country;
it needs patriotism. We have prepared such people in the Bajrang Dal. It
becomes the duty of the government to join hands with the Bajrang Dal to
fight the menace of jehad.
Q.: It appears that the VHP has
turned to service activities in remote areas. Why this change?
A.: The VHP has begun so many projects
which the media does not report. We make people literate on a large scale.
We organise satsangs, celebrate Hindu festivals and work for cow protection.
Q.: Is it possible to sustain the
same enthusiasm that one witnessed during the Ramjanmabhoomi agitation?
A.: The organisation is attracting
the youth in large numbers; it always had a resurgent face. It can react
any time.
Q.: Some people feel that when there
is a pro-Hindu govern-ment at the Centre, what is the need to criticise
it?
A.: Don't call it a pro-Hindu government.
It has also followed the same policy of suppressing the voice of the Hindus
that was followed by other governments. This government has suppressed
the voice of its own people. There are people in the BJP and the government
who are working by suppressing their own feelings.
Q.: Do you feel that the government
is not working for Hindu interests?
A.: We have categories of secularists.
Most of them are enemies of the Hindus. Will the countrymen vote for Sonia
Gandhi, Mulayam Singh or Laloo Prasad Yadav who are the biggest enemies
of Hindu society? All of them are running their politics. People have to
see that even if the BJP has left the Hindutva for the time being, it has
Hindutva in its heart. The day will come when they would develop love for
Hinduism. I feel there would be a new incarnation in the BJP in the coming
years.
Q.: Do you feel that the dialogue
between the Sangh and Muslim leaders would produce fruitful results?
A.: I don't know. Whenever we have
tried to bring both the communities together, we have been deceived. We
had to face attacks, though they too are the sons of this soil.
Q.: The VHP has been leading the
Ramjanmabhoomi movement since the very beginning. Now some people are trying
to solve the issue by keeping it out. Why?
A.: Let them try. They will not
succeed.
Q.: There are a number of people
belonging to other political ideologies, who are joining the BJP. How do
you feel about it?
A.: They are coming with political
interests. The day they feel that their interests are not fulfilled, they
will quit the party. If anybody comes because he is influenced with the
ideology and ideals of the party, he should be welcomed.
Q.: What are the other activities
of VHP?
A.: The work of VHP is, apart from
launching movements on different issues, constructive and both have influenced
the political scenario of the country to a great extent. The VHP, through
different service projects and Hindu Sammelans, has successfully brought
back more than 37,000 people into the Hindu fold only in one district-Banswara
of Rajasthan. The results in Beawar (Rajasthan) are also overwhelming where
more than 70,000 people have returned to the Hindu fold. This work needs
to be done all over the country.
But it needs money, that we do not
have. Shouldn't the amount of Rs 1,500 crore, which is received by different
temples in Andhra Pradesh including the Tirupati temple, be used to bring
back our own people into the mainstream or to stop those who are planning
to leave their roots? Today this entire money is in the hands of the forces
that are not only enemies of the Hindu society, but are also helping in
destruction of the Hindu culture.
Keeping in view the growing menace
of jehad, we have started the organisation of Bajrang Dal on a large scale.
Whenever the efforts were made to bring Hindus and Muslims together, some
people tried to sabotage them. Politicians do not have time to think, but
we are preparing the society for self-defence. Those who think that we
are dividing the society are wrong. The young generation of Hindu society
is attracted towards the VHP. People have lost all hopes from politicians
and they have to ensure their protection themselves.
