BY ANDALIB AKHTER

For quite some time, senior Congress leader and general secretary Digvijay Singh has become eyesore for those who are sympathetic to saffron terrorism and dreaming to convert secular India into a ‘totalitarian land ’

All type of allegations and abuses are hurled against him as was done against Hemant Karkare before he was martyred. The anti minority forces in the country have taken cudgel against him and branding him in fashionable terms like anti-national, pro Pakistan, pro Muslims et all. For them Singh’s campaign against the saffron terrorism is mere a political gimmick and against the Hindu as a religion.

Ironically Singh is not only facing flak from the RSS and BJP but people from his own party have raised voice against his bold posture against the forces of Hindutva.

But the way congress chief Sonia Gandhi and the general secretary Rahul Gandhi gave him full opportunity to continue his tirade against the ‘enemy of the nation’ at the Congress plenary session in New Delhi shows a clear change in Congress policy.    

The way he expressed the threat of saffron terror in presence of top brass of the party reflects how the grand old party has lately realized the threat of non-Muslim terror to the country. Prior to that within the party and outside it was general perception that in all the terror act only Muslim were involved and they get support from across the border. particularly Pakistan.

After Hemant Karkare’s shocking revelations about network of Saffron terror and subsequently  National Investigating Agency (NIA) and CBI exposure of the threat to nation from terrorism other than Muslim group have forced congress party to think in real term.

One must know that Congress top brass including Digvijay Singh are privy to the revelations being made by the various intelligence agencies regarding the threat of hindu militant to the nation. Hence they have realized real threat to the nation.

It is irony that some people particularly a section of intelligentsia who have nothing to do with either RSS or BJP too see the Digvijay tirade as part of minority appeasement.   Despite so many arrest of people connected with RSS in case of Malegaon, Makka Masjid Ajmer and other blasts, the intelligentsia is not yet ready to accept this as reality, despite the fact that they were not arrested by Muslims rulers or any Muslim government. They were arrested and exposed by our fearless and honest police and intelligence officers.

In fact  it is nothing to do with minorities. If saving nation from real threat is minority appeasement then how will we define true nationalism? Though minorities have suffered a lot in the country, yet they are proud of the fact the majority of the majority community in India is secular, democratic and accommodative.  

Digvijay Singh was right when he compared RSS and BJP with Hitler’s Nazi party that attacked the Jews to capture power in Germany. The RSS always try to capture power by targeting Muslims under the garb of furthering nationalism.

Whenever Muslims try to grow with fellow country men the Sangh parivar in one way or the other put them in dock by leveling unfounded allegation. In this game plan a section of its sympathizers in police, bureaucracy and other place give full support to Sangh.

What is wrong in it when Singh said that the RSS has been sowing the seeds of hatred against Muslim in the minds of the new generation through ‘Shishu Mandir’ schools. Is not the biggest danger for the country? If syllabus of Madarsas can be monitored and modified why not it could be done in Shishu Manadirs and its ilk.

What is wrong in it when Singh recalled  BJP favourite slogan that all Muslims are not terrorists but all terrorists are Muslims. Many time I heard this slogan from L K Advani. Can Advani and his friend ever say even that all Hindus are not terrorists but all Hindu terrorists arrested in various blast cases are RSS activists?

Digvijay remark that RSS activists have entered the bureaucracy, police and even the Army should also be taken seriously. Because nation is suffering due to them. It is high time that higher authorities in these department should isolate these element before it is too late.

Singh is right when he says that RSS should not be banned and it should be fought politically but he should also use same yardstick for the other Indian organizations that have been banned for similar allegations.

Digvijay Singh should also spell out firmly that he is neither anti Hindu nor pro Muslim. Whatever he is doing is in the larger interest of the India and not in the interest of a political party or any community.

Congress party should also prove that its resolution at the plenary session should not remain a rhetoric as happened in past. It has to prove that secularism is the lifeline of democracy, and anybody spreads hatred and violence would not be spared at any cost.