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Standing up for self-respect
Dr. M. V. Kamath

A remarkable event took place recently that deserves notice. The Ambassador of Sweden, His Excellency Mr Lara-Olof Lindgren invited the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat to join him for lunch for the European Heads of Mission in Delhi and address them. Interestingly, all but one Ambassador of the 28 European Union member countries were present, obviously indicating a deep interest of the European people in knowing more about the RSS. The lunch meeting, one understands, lasted for more than two hours with questions from those present, ranging from the RSS uniform, to the Babri Masjid demolition, to environmental issues to Indo-West relations. The queries were fascinating in themselves. Mr Bhagwat reportedly confined his preliminary address to a bare ten minutes, no doubt to give European Ambassadors time to grill him freely and at length, which, apparently they did. What is the RSS concept of secularism? Have Muslims and Christians any place in the Hindutva scheme of things? Who was responsible for the demolition of the Babri masjid? Is the Ram Janmabhoomi agitation against any religion? What about ‘Hindu terrorists’? Despite the very pointed questions one believes the meeting went off in a very cordial and pleasant atmosphere. Mr Bhagwat, understandably, was quite frank. He dismissed the allegations of ‘Hindu terrorism’, saying that these two words are antonyms and that the RSS would neither support nor condone any form of violence. He supposedly also rejected the charge that the RSS is a para-military organisation and clarified that the drill etc in the RSS are like the physical activities undertaken in a school or a yoga session. He told his small but select – and elite – audience that the word ‘Hindu’ does not represent a particular religion, that it is an "all-inclusive way of life based on a set of values, namely, acceptance and celebration of pluralism, harmonious co-existence, living in tune with Nature and a holistic approach to life. Importantly, he stressed that there is absolute freedom for individuals to practice their religion and this freedom has been enjoyed by people of all religions in India for the last two millennia. One wonders whether he also told his listeners that the freedom has been misused by some. On the Ram Janmabhoomi issue, Bhagwat reportedly said that the movement for the restoration of the Ram Janmabhoomi was started by people but the Sangh leadership owns up full responsibility for it and its outcome and is ready to face consequences, judicial and otherwise. He also had the courage to reiterate that the Ram Janmabhoomi movement is not against any religion but is for the restoration of the honour and dignity of India as a nation and culture. From what one understands, this is the first time that representatives of European Union member countries have invited an RSS leader to present his side of the political developments in India and it speaks for their sense of impartiality and fairness. One would expect an association of Ambassadors of Muslim countries to take a leaf from the European Union book. One does not expect any EU member nation to agree with the RSS but at least they had the good sense and grace not to speak of courtesy, to hear out its leader on their own. This brings us to the larger question of how India is seen by foreigners. Does India ever flash on the European media radar? Are there any uncomplimentary things said about India – let alone the RSS in the foreign media? How does the Government of India respond? Has anybody in Parliament raised this question in recent times? Is even a summary of European – and world media – reaction to India in any field, political, social, cultural, whatever, available? Shouldn’t it be? The trouble is that nobody seems anxious to know how the various Indian embassies abroad function. Judging from the fact that even the media in India is not always cognisant of how the 20 odd states are doing, one can well understand the apathy shown in parliamentary circles regarding presentation of India in foreign lands. Take the state of Gujarat, for instance. The post-Godhra riots still dictate media emotions. But how many are really aware that Muslims in Gujarat, are far better off than in almost any other state in India? Narendra Modi has been denigrated; it is fashionable to do so in so-called ‘intellectual’ circles. Simultaneously even Gujarat, too, is run down. But a study of the Sachar Committee Report sponsored by the Government of India in 2006 tells it all. Take literacy rate. The rate for India as a whole is 64.8%. In Gujarat it is 69.1 per cent. Muslims in Gujarat have a higher literacy rate (73.9 per cent). Proportion of Muslims in high posts in Gujarat is 8.5%, higher than in West Bengal (1.2%), Uttar Pradesh (6.2%), Tamil Nadu (3.2%) and Maharashtra (1.9%). The trouble, again, seems to be that few bother to read reports and importantly, publish them prominently. If our own media stays away from Truth, why blame foreigners to take a dim view of India? Embassy parties are notorious in inviting the so-called ‘intelligentsia’ who, to show off their freedom, would happily damn their own country before foreigners. After all what was Jairam Ramesh doing in China? Can anyone believe that any Indian – let alone a Minister – will consciously damn a fellow Minister and that too in a foreign country? The man is sick to proclaim that our cities are the dirtiest cities of the world and "if there is a Nobel Prize for dirt and filth, India will win it, no doubt"? We tolerate it. Jairam gets away with murder. And that tells it all. It reflects a peculiar Indian temperament. An Indian is not only argumentative, but he excels in self-condemnation. Indeed, given the opportunity, he revels in it. Somewhere down the line the so-called intellectuals among us must do some self-introspection. Mr Bhagwat stood up for India under intense questioning. Would Ramesh have done that if the European Union member ambassadors invited him for lunch? He would have damned Hinduism, called Indians unreliable and the government corrupt. Think it over, Mr Ramesh. And next time you are invited to preside over convocation, kindly decline the honour. You are not fit to wear a gown. And respected Soniaji, in future will you kindly spare the Shashi Tharoors and Jairam Rameshes of the country? We can