Understanding The Mindset Behind Separate Muslim Universities: writes Kiran KS

By Kiran Kumar S, Bangalore (Inputs from Prof Rakesh Sinha, New Delhi)

You might have heard about the ongoing debate as to whether a separate university, with 50% reservation for Muslims, be setup in Karnataka, in the name of Tipu Sultan. This is a part of a plan of the current UPA government, to setup five such universities in India, with the other four being in Bihar, Poschim Bongo, Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh. The focus in Karnataka is mostly about the name of Tipu. The proponents like Congress party’s minister Rahaman Khan and KPCC President Dr. Parameshwar, are painting Tipu Sultan as a great patriot and deserves a university in his name. The opponents like BJP’s G Madhusudhan and Kannada researcher Dr. Chidananda Murthy, are vehemently saying Tipu was anti-Kannada, anti-Hindu and must not have any university named after him.

But the real issue is more serious. It’s not just about pro or anti Tipu, but the mindset behind a separate university for Muslims. Most of the information in here is from Dr. Rakesh Sinha’s research. He is the Director of India Policy Foundation in Dilli and an expert in this field of Social Sciences. If there are factual corrections, please do let us know, so that we can discuss with Dr. Sinha soon.

1. Creates Pillars of Separatism:

Segregation of students based on religion is not going to help the national unity and the spirit of secularism. India has a very wide level of diversity and separating students in their formative years, based on separate religious university is going to hurt the nation in the long run. If Divya Shetty, Mark D’Souza, Shriram Bhat, Raju Valmiki, Manjunath Hiremath, Lakshmi Gowda, Baljeet Singh, Rashmi Poovaiah and Babu Naidu can all study in the same class, why not Fatima Shaikh or Syed Abdullah? The very idea of Tipu University in Karnataka, the very speeches we heard recently of Akbaruddin Owaisi in Andhra Pradesh, are effects of the “we are different” mentality being nurtured by systematic segregation. We need to overcome such “we are different” mindset.

2. Creates Wrong Icons:

If you recall the effect of Aligarh Muslim University from the late 19^th century and early 20^th century,  it created wrong icons. Most people praise Sir Syed Ahmed Khan as a great Muslim Reformer. But the reality was that via Aligarh Muslim University, he shaped the minds of generations of young Muslims into the Two Nation Theory. Dr. Rakesh Sinha strongly indicates that the actual Father of Pakistan was not Mohammed Ali Jinnah, but Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, with considerable help from William W Hunter of Hunter Commission. Unlike the real reformers of society like Ishwar Chandra Vidya Sagar who were instrumental in the widow remarriage reform in Hindu society, Syed Ahmed Khan did not bring any great social changes via laws into the Muslim community. In fact his ideology was responsible for the creation of Muslim League in 1906. Khilafat movement and heavy focus on Urdu (today, Pakistan’s national language) were all results of Aligarh Muslim University’s cadre. Syed Ahmed Khan was pro-British, against independent India, feudal and non-liberal. With a 21^st century separate Muslim university and committees like Sachar (equivalent of the Pirpur Committee before partition), the same process of setting wrong icons may get repeated. Have you ever asked why Abdul Kalam, Humayun Kabir, Arif Mohammed Khan and Darah Shikoh, with strong roots into Indian unity in diversity concept, are not the most celebrated icons of young Muslims today, but Shah Jehan, Syed Ahmed Khan, Tipu Sultan and Aurangzeb are?

3. Gives More Importance to Religion:

If you have observed recently, the number of Muslims in UPSC success list is under 4%, in spite of being at least 3.5 times that in population percentage. The reasons are not just poverty or backwardness,as there are many other communities sharing poverty story. The real reason is that more Muslims send their kids to religious schools like Madrassas than UPSC competitive exam coaching classes. Separate schooling in such setups will not help a unified India’s agenda. India needs a collective spirit among youth, not separate education policies based on religion.

4. Hindus, Christians, Sikhs and Others Won’t Attend Such University:

Dr. Chidananda Murthy made a great point here. If you have a university with 50% Muslim reservation, how many Hindu parents will actually send their children to study in such a place? Most likely over the years, the university will become an overwhelming Muslim majority university, more like a ghetto concept. With no interaction with other fellow Indians during important formative years, many youth may easily become pray to anti India and anti Hindu forces. There are examples from Aligarh already to review.

5. Is it Right Constitutionally?

Is paying using Tax payer’s money (of all religions, sects and languages) to promote a university mainly for Muslims, in the right spirit of India, per the constitution? Yes, there may be private participation, but we are talking of public money. People who study in such universities, may end up asking for separate electorate tomorrow on communal lines. Once you put the “you are separate, you deserve separate university” message in the mind, the youth may start asking for lot more entitlements on the same lines tomorrow. This is nothing but a clear case of religious appeasement which is against the spirit of Indian constitution, that declares, all Indians have equal stake in the country’s resources.

The concepts such of Ministry of Minority Affairs and the National Committee for Minorities are all results of appeasement. If one starts interpreting the constitution precisely, there may be challenges to such setup based purely on religion identity, in a secular nation.

6. Politics of Backwardness:

Where will this stop? If nearly 17.8 crore Muslims in India today need separate university because of grievances listed by its leaders, will similar universities pop up for much smaller groups like Agarwals, Brahmins, Jains, Valmikis, Bodos, Kurubas etc., if they also meet ‘backwardness’ criteria in economic and representation scale? Will India end  up setting up Universities based on all religious and caste lines, paying them with tax payers’ money? Are we heading towards nations within nation?

This kind of politics of backwardness is a result of force-fed victimization messages by the religious and appeasing political leaders. It will then strengthen more separate identity projects like separate banks, separate employment, separate laws, separate areas to live and so on.

7. The Very Concept of ‘Minority’ is Faulty:

Tajamul Hussain, a Barrister, a member of Constituent Assembly of India from Bihar, said in 1949: “The term minority is a British creation. When the British are gone and the term minority has to go with them. Please remove the term minority from your dictionary. There is no minority in India, we just have different modes of worship.”

Harendra Coomar Mookerjee, or HC Mukherjee, the Vice President of India’s Constituent Assembly and a practicing Christian, categorically questioned in 1949. “Do you want to create one nation and one people? If so, you can not recognize any minority or majority. India will again be partitioned if you create the minority concept”.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the Iron Man of India, asked in the parliament in late 1940s when questioned about Muslim reservation: “Do you want to divide the nation once again? Those who want separate education and separate reservation, have a country already created for them”. This is coming from a man who fought vehemently to unite nearly 600 independent kingdoms into India as we know today.
The exact words can be looked upon from the archives, but the core messages are as mentioned above, per Dr. Rakesh Sinha’s extensive research.

And see where we have landed up in 21^st century, from great stalwarts of 20^th century. Sachar committee even tried to get religious composition of the most secular organization in India today, the Army! Glad that India has great Generals like JJ Singh, who angrily reacted in 2006 to even the Defense Minister, keeping the survey of religious composition out of armed forces.

8. Against Liberal Democratic Values:

Many of the champions of secularism hail the western model of liberal democracy, but indulge in exactly opposite in India. Do you know that Belgium, a celebrated liberal democracy of the west, banned Burqa in 2011, even though less than 100 women wore Burqa in the entire nation? The most interesting point here is that there were zero votes against it! Yes, we are talking of a liberal democracy here. France, another celebrated Liberal democracy, issued a ban on all face covering in 2011. This has put anyone seriously practicing the hijab or burqa, virtually under house arrest. Britain, the inspiring fountain of India’s constitution, judiciary and law enforcement, saw its PM David Cameroon stand up and say, ‘Multi Culturalism has failed”. This is a huge statement coming from the Prime Minister of a nation which inspired most of the liberal democratic values India follows today! United States does not allow polygamy to Muslim men, even though they say it is supported in their religious laws called Sharia. Still USA is a very liberal democracy for anyone studying political science in India.

So it is safe to say that none of the so-called liberal democracies support an idea like separate Muslim University or separate civil laws based on religion. Why does a progressive liberal democracy like India doing it? Even an Arab country like Tunisia, with 98% Muslims, has banned polygamy, and so has Turkey with 96% Muslims. But a democratic India with 86% non-Muslims, allows polygamy for Muslims. If you start looking into the policies of democracies across the world, there are so many things India allows which are against the liberal democratic values. Adding to that list is this dangerous idea of a separate Muslim university in Karnataka.

9. Mistaken Role of the Indian State:

Indian state, by its very nature of a secular, socialistic democracy, must encourage an all round development, and peaceful co-existence among all its residents. Constantly appeasing one section of the society in the form of religious pilgrimage subsidy, allowing to abstain from singing the national song, keeping them away from Sanskrit education, the root of Indic civilization, are all smaller examples of a bigger problem. Recently we are seeing many state governments giving monetary benefit to religious teachers, giving scholarship exclusively for girls of one community and so on. The governments of India must support unified and equal benefit approach to all its citizen, and not indulge in vote-bank divisionary politics.

10. Against the Indian Ethos of Respect for All:

India stands on equality concept. India is made up of its people who believe that all religions, creed, caste, colour, language etc. are equal. If you push separate educational systems like Muslim University (or for that matter, any other religious university), you are shaking the very root of unity in diversity in India. You are essentially telling Muslim youth that you can not succeed in the general education system, so you need separate universities! You are directly or indirectly harming their self confidence,  rather than helping them.

So, all those pushing for a Tipu Sultan University in Karnataka, please introspect. Read more on what the great thinkers like Tajamul Hussain spoke at the Constituent Assembly while the constitution of India was being formed. Read more about the factors that created Pakistan, particularly where the two-nation-theory emerged and got nurtured. Learn about the role of Aligarh Muslim University’s role in many of these radical and separatist ideologies. Observe the diverse nature of Indian society and how common education is shaping them to gel together as one society. 

Then ask yourself – Do I still need a separate university for Muslims, which will most likely end up as a ghetto, radicalizing a whole generation of youth soon?

The choice is yours. But make an educated choice which will help the future of united and secular India.

 http://samvada.org/2013/news/understanding-the-mindset-behind-separate-muslim-universities-writes-kiran-ks/

ETHNIC CLEANSING OF KASHMIRI PANDITS: Article on Holocaust Day

ETHNIC CLEANSING OF KASHMIRI PANDITS

PUNISHING PERPETRATORS, NOT ABANDONMENT OF MINORITY HINDUS OF J&K WILL SOLVE THE PROBLEM

 

Driving out the Hindus from the Kashmir Valley was a key component of Pakistani plan given in “Operation Topaz” and published in one of the issues of the India Defence Review in 1988. This plan was completely in tune with the objective of communal mobilization set in motion in Kashmir since 1931, which succeeded in capturing state apparatus in 1947. Indian policy makers knew it even before the onset of terrorist violence. But the situation was allowed to go out of control for petty political interests.

The mass extirpation of Kashmiri Hindus in 1989-90 is a tragic event of the history of post–independence India. Kashmiri Pandits had not experienced a cataclysm of this magnitude in the past. The tragedy is poignant because it happened in a secular and democratic India; Kashmiri Pundits became its victims because they identified themselves with the secular ethos and pluralistic character of the Indian state and complimented re-building and re-shaping of progressive and outward-looking Kashmir.

The exodus of minority Hindu community was not a chance happening. It was the result of a deep and calculated conspiracy initiated, sponsored, aided, abetted and mentored by the State of Pakistan in collaborations with some global players. This instrumented religious terrorism created a mass uprising in the length and breadth of Kashmir Valley.

A good chunk of population of Valley’s majority community collaborated with religious extremists-terrorists with obvious motive of disrupting peaceful coexistence Kashmir.  Expansion of extremists and religious fundamentalists resulted directly in squeezing the pluralist secular space. Minority Hindu community was progressively purged from the economic, political, social and lastly from the territorial life of Kashmir. This elimination process continues even after the displacement by a process that attempts to erase the imprints of their civilisational ethos from the geo-cultural history of the land.

The plan to eliminate Minority Hindus was executed more or less carefully. While almost full-dress rehearsal was conducted in 1986. After selective targeted killings in most sadistic manner, it was 19^th January 1990 that proved to be proverbial last nail in the coffin of secularism in Kashmir valley. It was the day when almost entire Muslim Population of Kashmir was on roads raising highly objectionable anti-Hindu slogans. Mosques through public address system were declaring a war against minorities. Pundits were asked to leave within 24 hours.

The situation was allowed to take such a serious turn and the government continued to handle situation ineffectively without realizing the damage it caused to the country, the miseries it bought to the people and the long term implication for the nation as a whole.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in a ruling on 11 June 1999 stated that “Against the stern definition of the Genocide Convention, the Commission is constrained to observe that while acts akin to genocide have occurred with respect to Kashmiri Pandits and that, indeed, in the minds and utterances of some of the militants a genocide-type design may exist, the crimes against the Kashmiri Pandits are near-Genocide and not Genocide.”

The NHRC has clearly noted down in its ruling that it was due to the stern definition of the Genocide Convention that the Commission is constrained to observe that acts akin to genocide have occurred with respect to Kashmiri Pandits.

The formal definition of the Genocide came in the 1948 Convention for the Prevention and the Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. It was declared to be a crime under international law–either in times of war or peace.  Decades after the legal definition was drafted; scholars remain unable to forge an agreement upon what genocide is and what it consists of.  “Ethnic cleansing” has also been used to describe a group of people of similar nationality, race, or religion who are experiencing any kind of action which they consider objectionable. Whatever way the debate settles, the fact remains that both “genocide” and “ethnic cleansing”–as words and concepts—means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:

(a) Killing members of the group;
(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

When we take into consideration what the Hindu Minority of Kashmir had to face; we realize that the community is facing total elimination. It satisfies definitions of both Genocide as well as the ethnic cleansing.
Hindus in the state were targeted selectively and brutally killed individually and also massacred collectively. After targeting prominent members of the State’s Hindu minority for assassination and intimidation in the first phase of jihadi violence, terrorists began executing large-scale killings, 13 Hindus were massacred at Sarthal in Doda.  16 Hindus were again executed in the Doda village of Barshalla. Similarly Sangrampora Killings, 22 March 1997, Udhampore Killings, June 1997, Wandhama Killings, January 1998 , Prankot Killings, April 1998, Chattisinghpora Killings, March 2000, Nadimarg Massacre, 24 March, 2003 took place at regular intervals.

From 1998, communal massacres gathered momentum and in scale. In 1998, 132 civilians died in six massacres conducted across the State and in adjoining Himachal Pradesh. In 2001, 108 people were killed in 11 major incidents, while 83 people were killed in five incidents in 2002. Most of these killings targeted desperately poor communities in the State’s more remote mountain regions.

In two hamlets in Budhal’s Rajouri area, while women in the village were ordered to prepare food for the terrorists, 11 Hindu men aged between 18 and 57 had their throats slit one by one.  Such brutally inhuman was the Method of killings that medieval barbarism will pale into insignificance.

Over Two decades have passed by since that day, and three hundred thousand “migrants”, ethnically cleansed from their millennia-old habitats in the Valley of Kashmir are still eking out a miserable existence in refugee camps and rented rooms in Jammu, Delhi and other cities.

Their properties have been encroached upon by individuals and also organized groups. Even the government has found the minority property to be soft target for acquisition. Under distress they have sold their left-behind properties at a throw away price because they need to make both ends meet. That is the story of a small religious minority made refugees in its own country— a secular democratic country of which Kashmir was “the symbol of secularism” in the eyes of Indian political stalwarts.

It is very essential for all those who take pride in secular democracy of India to come forward and raise their voice in support of the victims. It is equally important to book perpetrators for the crimes they have committed and bring them to justice. Abandoning the victimized community will only encourage the divisive force.

The return and rehabilitation of the community back in the place of its origin would mean a total reversal of this process. The essential components of any return policy will contain:

a)     A comprehensive analysis of the circumstances that led to the ethnic cleansing of the entire Kashmiri Pandit Religious Minority Community from the valley.
b)     Enforcement of the rule of law on the ground, measurable and verifiable that ensures effective working of all the institutions of the modern state without fear and favour.
c)      Affirmative action on the part of the state to encourage and ensure meaningful participation in every activity of the modern life.
d)     Constitution a Commission of Enquiry headed by a sitting Judge of the Supreme Court of India to probe circumstances and fix responsibility of ethnic cleansing of the entire Kashmiri Pandit Religious Minority Community from the valley in early 1990.
e)      Develop a twin city as a Satellite City of Srinagar for the entire community. The City should be self-sufficient in terms of overall infrastructure, economic avenues, adequate land, decent accommodation, educational institutions, medical care, recreation centers, commercial infrastructures etc. etc.
f)         Politically Empower the by community by affirmative action like adequate reservations both in the assembly, the Parliament and local bodies.
g)      Initiate necessary steps to grant minority status to the displaced KPs.
h)      Take urgent steps to protect and preserve the age-old heritage of the community handed down in the shape of temples, shrines, worshiping places and pilgrimage sites etc. The draft bill pending in the Legislative Assembly should be passed without any further delay.

 http://samvada.org/2013/articles/ethnic-cleansing-of-kashmiri-pandits-article-on-holocaust-day/

Kumbh Mela brings Economic Prosperity: Dr MKS

By Dr MK Shridharan, Bangalore



Kumbh Mela, the biggest congregation of the world, would generate heightened economic activity in multiple sectors leading to a huge income levels to government agencies and to individual traders. According to a paper published by Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), tourism, hotel, transport, health and infrastructure sectors would receive additional boost during the Kumbh Mela event.  According to an estimate, the state government alone would generate Rs 12,000 crores of revenue because of the Kumbh Mela.  Although the Kumbh Mela is spiritual and religious in nature, associated economic activities would generate employment opportunities for over six lakh workers across many sectors including eco-tourism.

The ASSOCHAM, the apex trade association of India, has published its findings of a study assessing the impact of Kumbh Mela on various sectors in a paper titled ‘Maha Kumbh Mela 2013 – Possible Revenue Generation Resources for Uttar Pradesh’. The assessment has detailed the impact of the Mela on both organized and unorganized sectors.  The paper suggests that the overall business in the course of the two months of the Kumbh Mela could be worth between Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000 crore. The study provides sector-wise break-up of revenue estimates and employment generation statistics.

The Maha Kumbh will begin on January 27 and conclude on February 25.  The piligrimage will attract a  large number of foreign tourists from as far apart as Australia, UK, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, New Zealand, Mauritius, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka.  The hospitality industry in the region is targeting 100 per cent occupancy across the board in small, budget and luxury hotels during the Maha Kumbh.  Apart from UP, states like Rajasthan (Jaipur, Jabalpur, Udaipur, Bhilwara, Kota), Uttarkhand (Nainital, Mussoorie, Aulli, Dehradun, Haridwar, Ranikhet, Almora), Punjab (Amrtisar, Ludhiana) and Himachal Pradesh (Shimla, Kufri, Manali, Panchkula), will majorly benefit from the enhanced revenue generation with a large number of national and foreign tourists expected to explore other destinations.

Uttar Pradesh Tourism and the Railways are likely to share in a revenue bonanza of a whopping Rs 1,500 crore along with airports and private hospitals by offering attractive tours and medical tourism packages to the tourists and piligrims. The employment generation figures due to Kumbh are likely going to be as follow: Hotels 2.5 lakh jobs; Airlines and airports 1.5 lakh; Tour operators 45,000, Eco-tourism and medical tourism 50,000 and Skilled and unskilled workers for construction/ renovation 85,000. Add 55,000 new jobs in the unorganised sector comprising tour guides, taxi drivers, interpreters, volunteers, etc and the employment generation potential of the festival stands at a massive 6.35 lakh jobs.

The Maha-Kumbh, a sacred Hindu pilgrimage, is thus expected to generate direct and indirect business activities, the fruits of which would hopefully benefit the masses of Uttar Pradesh

 http://samvada.org/2013/news/kumbh-mela-brings-economic-prosperity-dr-mks/

Andhra: RSS Mega Camp Hindu Chaitanya Shibir begins

Vijayawada January 18, 2013: Hindu Chaitanya Shibir organized by RSS (Purva Andhra Pradesh) has been inaugurated by Ma. Sri Suresh Ji Joshi, Sarkaryavaha of RSS on 18^th Jan 2013.  Pujya Sri Paripoornananda Swami ji of Sripeetam, Kakinada addressed the swayamsevaks and blessed them. Pujya Swamiji emphasized that RSS is the heart of Hindu Society and every hindu should join the organisation  and inculcate social service and nationalism. Sri Sundaramurthy, Pranth Sanghchalak of Purva Andhra Pradesh and Sri Gokaraju Ganga Raju chairman of the reception committee are on the dais.

Hindu Chaitanya Shibir inaugurated at Andhra

Near about 18000 ganaveshadhari (in uniform) swayamsevaks from all the districts of Coastal Andhra Pradesh attended the sibir. The concluding function of the sibir will be held on 20^th Jan 2013. Pujya Sarsanghachalak Ma. Mohan ji Bhagawat will address the gathering.

The sibir is being held on the spacious fields near Nagarjuna University of Guntur, Andhra Pradesh.

10 Thousand Youths Participate in ‘Sarhad ko Pranam’ expedition, form human chain at borders

Source: News Bharati English

Ten thousand youth across the Nation participating in ‘Sarhad Ko Pranam’ expedition, visited more than 469villages situated in the border areas and interacted with local people, personnel from security forces and local administration officials. The youth teams have made some crucial observations about the situation on the order. The exercise is currently going on to collect all the data from the participating teams. The observations will soon be made public. Talking about the experiences, Adv. Shrihari Desai & Gen DB shekatkar remembered a Jawan on the kutchh border asking, “After 1947, India is only giving away our own land to some or the other neighbours. When will this stop?”

Mumbai, November 23 : Forum for Integrated National Security (FINS) organized a novel expedition “Sarhad ko Pranam - 2012” during 19 – 23 November 2012. As part of the expedition, Ten Thousand youths visited the Indian land border areas. FINS national president Gen DB Shekatkar & Secretary Adv. Shrihari Desai addressing a news conference today here, informed about the expedition. They also shared some experiences of the participants at the border.

Adv. Desai said, those youths visited more than 469 villages situated in the border areas & had dialogue with local brethren, militarymen who are guarding the borders with an eagle’s eye & local administration officials. The youth teams made many crucial observations about the situation on the order. An exercise is going on to collect the data on experiences of the participants & observations made by the youth teams about the border areas. Soon the data will be made public by the FINS.

The expedition witnessed the participation of 250 youths from Mumbai & two thousand youth from across the Maharashtra state. The programme was aimed at creating awareness among the youth about the borders of the nation & the situation there, on the occasion of the 50 years of the Chinese aggression of 1962. International land borders situated across the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Assom, Tripura, Pashchim Bang, were covered during this programme.

 

The participating youths got an opportunity to understand the situation at the border during the two days stay at the villages on the border. They talked with the citizens as well as the officials from the local administration and observed the local public-social life. They tried to understand the nature of the problems of the people and the administration & military at the border.

The visiting youth teams successfully conveyed the message to the Military & the citizens living at the border that the people of the nation are with them at the times of any crisis.

The National borders must be secured with utmost care. But the news slipping in from few months  suggest that the borders everywhere are facing eminent danger from the neighbouring enemies. One of the aims of “Sarhad ko Pranam” was to try to awaken the Government & the administration about the situation on the borders.

The FINS takes this opportunity to call upon the Government to take adequate measures to protect & safeguard the Borders of Bharat & make it a safest place.

Human Chain

The visiting teams of the youth along with local citizens at the border & local officials of the  administration formed a human chain on Wednesday, 22nd November and vowed to work together for the National Integration and Security.

'Kasab’s Execution: We Need a New Strategic Culture’; writes RSS functionary Ram Madhav

by Ram Madhav, Akhil Bharatiya Sah Sampark Pramukh, RSS: 

Ram Madhav

India has earned the sobriquet ‘Soft State’ due to its handling of terrorism and hostile neighbours over the years. After the hanging of Ajmal Kasab, the terrorist responsible for Mumbai attacks in 2008, some commentators opined that India has now shed the image of a Soft State. Is it true?

There is no denying the fact that the decision of the Government to hang Kasab after his mercy plea was rejected by Hon’ President Sri Pranab Mukharjee has certainly given a sense of relief to the people of the country. After all we brought one dreaded terrorist to justice, they felt. The Government, and especially Shri Pranab Mukharjee, must be complimented for their swiftness and boldness.

However it will be premature to conclude that we have shed the Soft State tag completely. Actually it is not about just a couple of decisions. Demands have arisen, correctly, that the other dreaded terrorist who was responsible for the carnage at the Parliament building in 2001,Afzal Guru, be also executed immediately. His mercy plea is pending before the President at the moment. The nation hopes that Afzal Guru too will join Kasab soon.

But these decisions are in a way inevitable ones. The judicial process was duly completed and the Government is only expected to follow the procedures in these cases.
But for us to change our image we need to do a lot more. The opposite to Soft State is not Hard or Harsh State. What we need is a Stern State, a polity that betrays zero tolerance to attacks on its sovereignty, dignity and integrity.

Countries like Israel, USA and even Russia display such attitude. It is in their culture. Israel is by culture driven by fight back instinct. It is not ‘teeth for teeth’ with them; ‘for one tooth, the entire jaw’. That is the reason why in spite of being surrounded by the enemy 5 times larger in terms of demography and military strength and sworn to wipe out Israel from the map of the world, they not only merely survive, but lead a life of strength, courage and pragmatism.

India is driven by an instinct of compromise. We may pay lip sympathy to Gaza by asking Israel not to use disproportionate force; but one has to be on the other side of the Gaza border to understand what it means to be a target of Hamas terrorism. Everything is fair in love and war, they say. We ourselves were victims of excessive softness in 1962 when waves and waves of Chinese soldiers had invaded our territory outnumbering our soldiers by 1:6. Excessive force argument doesn’t have any merit in a war; and Israel is in a perpetual war.

In USA, terrorists are tried in military courts and punished swiftly. Mind you, USA is one of the world’s leading democracies. Russia cannot claim that honour, but when it comes to handling terror, Putin had demonstrated extreme commitment when he carpet-bombed Chechnya relentlessly for a month to finish off Islamic terrorism once and for all on Russian soil.

Our real problem lies in the lack of that courage and determination. We are driven by a romanticist attitude of peace, love etc when what we actually need is a strategic culture. When Nehru proposed Panchsheel – five principles for peaceful coexistence – to Chou En-lai, Mao retorted by saying what we needed was ‘armed coexistence’.

That is what is meant the strategic cultural difference in thinking. It is not about any doctrine alone. It is more about the culture. We simply don’t have it. The last known leader to have thought in terms of a comprehensive strategic cultural doctrine was Chanakya when he asked the ruler of Patna to go and befriend the rulers of the Republics in today’s Afghan-Iran border thousands of miles away. There were kings like Shivaji who had used strategic wars to secure their kingdoms, but a strategic doctrine leading to a strategic culture was last developed by Chanakya in Artha Shastra, which we no longer follow.

Let me give you a simple example to buttress my point: in order to secure its borders from the Mongol invaders in the North the Qing dynasty in China had built the Great Wall of China – a thousands-of-km-long wall around its central territory after 13th Century. India was invaded by successive waves of hordes for more than 2000 years through one mountain pass called the Khyber Pass. Why has no Indian king ever thought of sealing that pass to prevent the invasions?

That is where the difference in strategic cultures stands. That is why we can’t even seal our borders with Bangladesh. Even if we post our BSF men there, we give them clear orders that they cannot fire on the infiltrators even at night.

For us to really shed off this Soft State image we need to transform our cultural outlook about our security, sovereignty and national honour. We need a new strategic culture in our country.
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RSS Leader Ram Madhav meets advocate Ujjwal Nikam

Mumbai November 22, 2012: RSS senior functionary Ram Madhav today met popular lawyer a special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam. It was a friendly meet. On meeting Nikam, Ram Madhav said in twitter, “I Met Ujjwal Nikam, the efficient lawyer whose hard work sent Kasab to gallows n manu criminals to jail. A humble down to earth man very affable”.

Ujjwal Nikam

Ujjwal Nikam was also the Public Prosecutor in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks wherein the main accused Ajmal Kasab was held guilty and sentenced to death. As a lawyer, Nikam is popular for being Public Prosecutor in various cases like 1993 Bombay blasts, Gulshan Kumar murder case and Pramod Mahajan murder trial. In December 2010, Nikam represented Govt. Of India in the world wide convention on terrorism held by United Nations, New York. Nikam was also nominated by Govt.of India for participating in the seminar held at Heague on 13 March 2011 by International Center for Counter Terrorism.

This morning, Ram Madhav, has expressed his opinions on Kasab hanging by an article  Please click the following link ti find Ram Madhav’s article.

http://rssap.blogspot.in/2012/11/kasabs-execution-we-need-new-strategic.html