Playing nationalism to public gallery

Saswat Panigrahi

In a meek surrender to separatists, Omar Abdullah-led Jammu and Kashmir government succeeded in foiling BJP’s effort to hoist the Tricolour at Lal Chowk on Republic Day 2011.

It was for the second consecutive time in the last two decades, the Jammu and Kashmir government broke a convention trying to unfurl the national flag at Lal Chowk.

In 1991-92 then BJP president Murli Manohar Joshi took out the Rastriya Ekta Yatra from Kanyakumari to Srinagar. Breaking the separatist writ, he hoisted the Tricolour on January 26, 1992 for the first time ever at Lal Chowk amidst rocket attacks by militants. Remember, the flag hosting ceremony lasted precisely 13 minutes, surrounded by 80 yatri s and conducted under the chill gaze of an estimated 1000 security men. It was Narasimha Rao-led Congress government at the Centre that provided security for the historic flag hosting ceremony during the height of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir. Since then, the security forces had been hoisting the national flag on Republic Day and Independence Day at the clock tower till 2009.

Much has changed. Last year, the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre was a mute spectator to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s move to suspend the unfurling of Tricolour by security forces at Lal Chowk. This time the Congress-led Union government went a step ahead and threw its weight behind Omar Abdullah government in foiling BJP’s proposed program to hoist the Tricolour at Lal Chowk.

BJP’s march to unfurl the Tricolour at Lal Chowk was part of its Rashtriya Ekta Yatra launched by party’s youth wing Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM). It was a sequel of the same yatra undertaken by Murli Manohar Joshi in 1991-92. This time Anurag Thakur, the president of BJYM, was spearheading the second edition of the Ekta Yatra.

“Kashmir belongs to India and the whole India belongs to Kashmiris. The pain of Kashmir is the pain of India. We need to feel it,” Anurag said in an exclusive chat with this writer in New Delhi before he left for Kolkata to kick start the Ekta Yatra.

But what prompted the saffron party to replay the Ekta Yatra amidst opposition demand for JPC on 2G scam. Perhaps the present row over Kashmir is the best answer for this. The yatra was launched at a time when anti-national forces are openly endorsing the idea of disintegrating Kashmir from the rest of India. The likes of Arundhati Roy and Syed Ali Geelani continue to make seditious speeches on Kashmir and thoroughly use the right to freedom of expression against the country. And when the secessionists make merry, the Congress-led UPA government is napping. At that point in time BJYM’s Rastriya Ekta Yatra and its proposed flag hoisting program at Lal Chowk was indeed a challenge to the separatist forces.

Rastriya Ekta Yatra-II was flagged off on National Youth Day in Kolkata, the birthplace of legendry Syama Prasad Mookerjee. The two-week long yatra covered 3037 kilometres and traversed through nine states. It was peaceful from the beginning to the end. The yatra was supposed to culminate at Mookherjee’s martyr place Srinagar where BJYM had plans to hoist Tricolour at Lal Chowk. But the yatris were stopped on their way to Srinagar at Punjab-Jammu boarder of Lakhanpur and arrested under Section 144 of IPC by J&K Police for defying the “prohibitory orders” imposed by the state government. The result: Flag was not hoisted at Lal Chowk this year keeping with the writ of the separatists.

It would however be unfair not to see the context. J&K has been passing through a very tumultuous time recently. Looking at the present situation, the flip side of the argument is that would it be correct to rock the J&K boat? Those who believe in that line argue that BJP’s programme could have an adverse impact on the peace of the Valley which has seen an upsurge in violence recently.

Having stated that, we must also remember that last year separatists had flown the Pakistani flag atop Lal Chowk. The Omar Abdullah government was a silent observer to those anti-national crescendos. The state government also preferred to remain mum when Tricolour was burnt in full public display on a number of occasions.

Rashtriya Ekta Yatra has brought the other side of the Kashmir story to the limelight. There is no denial that Kashmir problem is the result of historic blunder committed during the early days of post independence era.

Those in know of political history of Kashmir must be aware of the fact that Kashmir was never under direct British rule. It was a princely state which acceded to India by virtue of a constitutional document called ‘Instrument of Accession’ under the Indian Independence Act, 1947.

Maharaja Hari Singh, then supreme ruler of Jammu and Kashmir signed the Instrument of Succession on October 26, 1947. Though the format of the Instrument of Accession applied to Jammu and Kashmir was the same as was executed for other princely states, then interim Indian government led by Jawaharlal Nehru agreed that ‘final decision’ with regard to the accession would be taken by the Constituent Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir and in the intervening period ‘a temporary provision’ was made in the Constitution of India.

BJP was possibly the first party to voice the national perspective on Kashmir. it. The party is a descendant of erstwhile Bharatiya Jana Sangh founded by Syama Prasad Mookerjee. It was Mookerjee who scripted an uprising with his famous slogan on Kashmir-- Ek desh mein do Pradhan, do Vidhan, do Nishan nahi chalegi, nahi chalegi (The country will never accept a system which allows two Prime Ministers, two Constitutions and two National flags). He went to Kashmir as an Indian citizen but was arrested and jailed in a dilapidated house. He died while in custody.

But when BJP was in power, did the party really remember the sacrifice of Mookerjee from whom it takes inspiration from? Do not forget, it was BJP which backtracked on its ‘commitment’ to abolish the Article 370 with an excuse of ‘compulsion of coalition politics’.

Now, out of power the saffron party sees the need to pick up the issue of abrogation of Article 370.Perhaps of late, the saffron party has realised its mistake of not going with the majority sentiments of Jammu and Kashmir after reeling under two successive Lok Sabha poll defeats. But is BJP really committed to its demand on Article 370?

BJYM’s Rashtriya Ekta Yatra has no doubt made it to the headlines. But will it be able to contribute in real terms to bringing peace, wiping out the tears of the hundreds of thousands voiceless of the Valley or promoting national integration?
-- Appeared in my blog ‘The Right Way’ in Zeenews.com

Remembering Swami Vivekananda

Saswat Panigrahi

The nation on Wednesday is celebrating the 148th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. An authoritative spokesman of Indian culture, Swami Vivekananda introduced the message of Indianness to the international audience. He was a major force in the revival of Hinduism in modern India and helped restore a sense of pride amongst the Hindus. He taught the world that in essence all religions are true, and service to mankind is the most effective form of worship of God.

India commemorates Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary as National Youth Day. I am sure many young Indians, especially those who never forget to celebrate the Valentine’s Day on February 14, are not even aware of the significance of January 12. Hope, they would celebrate the National Youth Day with the same enthusiasm.

Swami Vivekananda’s ideas have had a great influence on Indian youth for generations. His message to the youth is still as invigorating as it was a century ago. In his words, depression, weakness, fear, selfishness and jealousy are the greatest enemies of young people. “The greatest sin is to think yourself weak. The remedy of weakness is not brooding over weakness, but thinking of strength,” he said.

Vivekananda firmly believed that youth is the most potent catalyst for changing the fate of the country, and hence the future of the nation rests in their hands. His words have continued to inspire the young people for generations. His message is replete with infinite encouragement for young minds to achieve great things. “All great undertakings are achieved through mighty obstacles. Keep up the deepest mental poise. Take not even the slightest notice of what puerile creatures may be saying against you. Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached,” was his message to the young people. Swami Vivekananda called upon the youth to fully participate in the modern world while upholding nation’s ancient values.

His comment on education will always be relevant for both the teachers and the students. “Education is not information that is put into your brain and runs riot there. It is the manifestation of perfection already in man... That education by which character is formed, strength of mind is increased, and the intellect is expanded and by which one can stand on one’s own feet. We must have life-building, man-making, character-making assimilation of ideas,” he stated.

Swami Vivekananda injected patriotism in the veins of the youth and thereby inspired India’s freedom movement. His lines -- "What we want are some young men who will renounce everything and sacrifice their lives for their country's sake" – was a wake-up call to the youth of pre-Independence India to join the freedom movement.

Vivekananda will always be remembered for his model speech dated September 11, 1893 at Parliament of Religions held in Chicago. He had begun his speech with, "Sisters and brothers of America?” The opening line was greeted by a standing ovation from a crowd of 7,000 which lasted for three minutes. Representing India he introduced the greatness of Hindutva and the eternal values of Indianness to the West. Hundred and eighteen years after he delivered his starling speech on the platform of Parliament of Religions, its content has an irresistible appeal even today. The message is still relevant to the present society marred by religious chauvinism. "Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful earth. They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilisation and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced than it is now,” he said. It was in that speech he stressed upon the essence of interfaith awareness and religious tolerance. Moreover, he presented the ancient teachings of India in its purest form.

His elocution voiced the spirit of Parliament and its sense of universality. Dr Barrows, the president of the Parliament said, "India, the mother of religions, was represented by Swami Vivekananda, the orange-monk who exercised the most wonderful influence over his auditors."

The American press dubbed Vivekananda as the "Cyclonic monk from India", "the greatest figure in the Parliament of Religions" and "the most popular and influential man in the Parliament". The day after he delivered that speech, The New York Critique wrote, "Swami Vivekananda is an orator by divine right, and his strong, intelligent face in its picturesque setting of yellow and orange was hardly less interesting than those earnest words, and the rich, rhythmical utterance he gave them." The New York Herald wrote, "Vivekananda is undoubtedly the greatest figure in the Parliament of Religions. After hearing him we feel how foolish it is to send missionaries to this learned nation." The speech marked the beginning of Western interest on Indian values. The world celebrates World Brotherhood Day on September 11 as a mark of respect to that model speech.

Addressing the final session of the Parliament of Religion on September 27, 1893 Swami Vivekananda said, “Holiness, purity and charity are not the exclusive possessions of any church in the world, and that every system has produced men and women of the most exalted character.” Today, there is a need to revisit those words.

After the Parliament of Religions, Vivekananda toured extensively in the West for nearly two years preaching the essence of universal brotherhood. It was during a lecture in America, he said, "I do not come to convert you to a new belief. I want you to keep your own belief; I want to make the Methodist a better Methodist; the Presbyterian a better Presbyterian; the Unitarian a better Unitarian. I want to teach you to live the truth, to reveal the light within your own soul."

Returning back home he set up the Ramakrishna Mission – an organ for social service – in 1887 at Calcutta (now Kolkata). It was named after his spiritual guru Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa. This was the first organised socio-religious movement to help the masses through educational, cultural, medical and relief work. Today, the Ramakrishna Mission continues with carrying Vivekananda’s message forward.

Swami Vivekananda’s writings inspired a whole generation of freedom fighters including Subhash Chandra Bose, Sri Aurobindo and Bagha Jatin.

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose said, “Vivekananda is the maker of modern India.” Sri Aurobindo wrote, “Vivekananda still lives in the soul of his Mother (Bharat Mata) and in the souls of her children.” The first Governor General of independent India, Chakravarti Rajagopalachari wrote, "Vivekananda saved Hinduism, saved India."

"His words are great music, phrases in the style of Beethoven, stirring rhythms like the march of Handel choruses," wrote French Nobel Laureate Romain Rolland on Swami Vivekananda.

Visva kabi Rabindranath Tagore said, "If you want to know India, study Vivekananda."

Living for a short span of four decades, Vivekananda left his foot-prints on the sands of time. His teachings will inspire the lives and times for generations to come. His legacy will stay on to guide the nation, nationalism and nationhood. Let’s salute the Prophet. Let’s cherish his legacy. Happy National Youth Day.

-- Appeared in my blog ‘The Right Way’ in Zeenews.com