An open letter to JNU VC: Madam! Your association with RSS defies humanism, anti-colonial struggle Indian democracy!
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| Why did Prof. Shamsul Islam write an open letter to JNU VC? |
Respected VC of JNU, Santishree Pandit Madam,
Namaskaar!
I hope the following
report in one of the leading English dailies of India did not misreport you
when it stated that Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Vice-Chancellor (VC),
Santishree Pandit while speaking at a book launch function on September 17,
2023 at Pune where RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat was present on the dais, told:
“I am proud
to be a Hindu and belong to the Sangh [RSS].”
Respected Hindu VC of JNU,
Since the above report has not been
contradicted, I am not sorry to state that it was a horrible statement coming
from an educationist who heads a University that stood as the 2nd best
in the national rankings of 2022 and was named after the first PM of the
democratic-egalitarian of Indian polity. Some important questions waiting eagerly
for your answers are:
1. You were appointed the VC of JNU for being
an educationist or being a proud Hindu? If you were appointed as an Indian
educationist (if it was otherwise, I seek no response) then why you need to
identify your religious identity on a public platform where you participated as
the VC of JNU?
2. By declaring yourself as Hindu VC of JNU
have you not divided the all-inclusive JNU fraternity of being Indian into
separate religious groupings? If you are the Hindu VC then what is the identity
of Sikhs, Muslims, Buddhists, Jains and Christians present as teachers,
students and non-teaching employees of the University? Should they also be
known as per their religious identities? Is this not what Mohammed Ali Jinnah
believed and applied causing Partition?
Respected Madam,
You not only declared to be a proud Hindu but
also proud to be belonging to the Sangh. I am sure by Sangh you meant RSS. Do I
need to remind you that RSS since its inception hated everything which
represented an all-inclusive democratic-egalitarian-secular united India/Bharat?
Let me take you to a tour of RSS archives so that there is no complaint of
misrepresentation.
RSS
denigrated the Tricolour
Respected
VC,
As
an Indian you must be familiar with the fact that the Tri-colour as the
National Flag represents Indian nation. It was this flag carrying which
thousands Indian patriots laid down their live as during the British rule it
was crime to unfurl it in public. How much RSS hated it can be known by the
following denigration of the Flag in its English organ, Organizer just
on the eve of Independence (August 14, 1947):
“The people who
have come to power by the kick of fate may give in our hands the Tricolour but
it never [sic] be respected and owned by Hindus. The word three is in itself an
evil, and a flag having three colours will certainly produce a very bad
psychological effect and is injurious to a country.”
RSS
betrayed India’s Freedom Struggle
Respected
Madam,
The
Non-cooperation Movement (1920-22) and the Quit India Movement (1942) were two
great milestones in the history of the Indian Freedom Movement but RSS kept
aloof not only from these but any other anti-colonial campaign. Guru Golwalkar,
the most prominent ideologue of the RSS shamelessly denigrated these movements
in the following words:
“Definitely
there are bound to be bad results of struggle. The boys became unruly after the
1920-21 movement. It is not an attempt to throw mud at the leaders. But these
are inevitable products after the struggle. The matter is that we could not
properly control these results. After 1942, people often started thinking that
there was no need to think of the law.”8
[Shri
Guruji Samagr Darshan [Collected works of MS Golwalkar in Hindi in 7
volumes], vol. iv, BhartiyamVichar Sadhna, Nagpur, nd, p. 41. Hereafter
referred to as SGSD.]
Thus
Guru Golwalkar wanted the Indians to respect the draconian and repressive laws
of the inhuman British rulers! After the 1942 Movement he further admitted,
“In 1942 also
there was a strong sentiment in the hearts of many. At that time too the
routine work of Sangh continued. Sangh vowed not to do anything directly.
However, upheaval (uthal-puthal) in the minds of Sangh volunteers continued.
Sangh is an organisation of inactive persons, their talks are useless, not only
outsiders but also many of our volunteers did talk like this. They were greatly
disgusted too.” [SGSD, p. 40.]
Guruji
tells us that RSS did nothing directly. However, there is not a single
publication or document of the RSS which throws light on what the RSS did
indirectly for the Quit India Movement. During this period, in fact, its
mentor, ‘Veer’ Savarkar, ran coalition governments with the Muslim League.
RSS
denigrates martyrs of India’s Freedom Struggle
Respected
Madam,
I
would like to know your views on the statements of ‘Guruji’ decrying and
denigrating the tradition of martyrdom following which Bhagat Singh,
Chandrashekar Azad, Ashfaqullah Khan, Ram Prasad Bismil and countless other
patriotic Indians laid down their lives for the independence our Motherland. Here
is a passage from the chapter, ‘Martyr, great but not ideal’ from Bunch Of
Thoughts, a veritable Geeta for RSS cadres such as yourself.
“There is no
doubt that such men who embrace martyrdom are great heroes and their philosophy
too is pre-eminently manly. They are far above the average men who meekly
submit to fate and remain in fear and inaction. All the same, such persons are
not held up as ideals in our society. We have not looked upon their martyrdom
as the highest point of greatness to which men should aspire. For, after all,
they failed in achieving their ideal, and failure implies some fatal flaw in
them.”
[Golwalkar,
MS., Bunch of Thoughts, Sahitya Sindhu Prakashana, Bangalore, 1996
edition, p. 283.]
Could
there be a statement more insulting to the martyrs than this? The founder of
the RSS, Dr. KB Hedgewar, went one step further: “Patriotism is not only going
to prison. It is not correct to be carried away by such superficial patriotism.”
[CP Bhishikar, CP., Sanghavariksh Ke Beej: Dr. Keshavrao Hedgewar, Suruchi,
1994, p. 21.]
Don’t
you feel, Madam, that if martyrs like Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev,
Ashfaqullah, Chandrashekhar Azad had come in contact with the then RSS
leadership, they could have been saved from giving their lives for ‘superficial
patriotism’? This also must be the reason why RSS leaders or cadres did not
face repression during British rule and the RSS did not produce not a single martyr
during the Freedom Movement.
RSS’
hatred for democracy
VC
Madam,
You
will agree with me that it is due to our democratic and egalitarian polity that
you have become the administrator of the 2nd best University of
India. But if Guru Golwalkar had his say it would not have been possible.
Guruji hated democracy as per his following decree which he presented before a
group of 1,350 top level cadres of the RSS in 1940 at the RSS Headquarters: “RSS
inspired by one flag, one leader and one ideology is lighting the flame of
Hindutva in each and every corner of this great land” [SGSD, vol. I, p.
11.]
As
a leading intellectual you must be familiar with the fact that decree of rule
under ‘one flag, one leader and one ideology’ was also the battle cry of the Fascist
and Nazi parties of Europe in the first half of 20th century. What they did to
democracy is well-known to this world!
For
RSS Hinduism and Casteism are synonymous
Respected
Madam, allow me to ask whether you like RSS believe that Hinduism and Casteism
are one and same. The most prominent ideologue of RSS, Guru Golwalkar stated:
“The Virat
Purusha, the Almighty manifesting himself...[according to Purusha Sukta] sun
and moon are his eyes, the stars and the skies are created from his nabhi
[navel] and Brahmin is the head, Kshatriya the hands, Vaishya the thighs and
Shudra the feet. This means that the people who have this fourfold arrangement,
i.e., the Hindu People, is [sic] our God. This supreme vision of Godhead is the
very core of our concept of ‘nation’ and has permeated our thinking and given
rise to various unique concepts of our cultural heritage.” [Golwalkar, MS., Bunch
of Thoughts, Sahitya Sindhu Prakashana, Bangalore, 1996 edition, pp.
36-37.]
For
this infallible belief in Casteism RSS strongly demanded that Manusmriti
should replace the Indian Constitution. When the Constituent Assembly of India finalized
the Constitution of India under the guidance of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar on November
26, 1949, RSS was not happy. Its organ, Organiser, in an editorial four days
later complained:
“But in our
constitution there is no mention of the unique constitutional development in
ancient Bharat. Manu’s Laws were written long before Lycurgus of Sparta or
Solon of Persia. To this day his laws as enunciated in the Manusmriti excite
the admiration of the world and elicit spontaneous obedience and conformity.
But to our constitutional pundits that means nothing.” [Organizer,
Delhi, November 30, 1949.]
Respected
VC Madam,
I
am reproducing a selection from Manusmriti for your kind reference and
would like to know whether you also believe in these decrees of the Manu Code. These
dehumanizing and degenerate laws, which are presented here, are
self-explanatory.
Laws
of Manu Concerning Sudras
- For
the sake of the prosperity of the worlds (the divine one) caused the
Brahmana, the Kshatriya, the Vaisya, and the Sudra to proceed from his
mouth, his arm, his thighs and his feet.
- One
occupation only the lord prescribed to the Sudras, to serve meekly even
these (other) three castes.
- Once-born
man (a Sudra), who insults a twice-born man with gross invective, shall
have his tongue cut out; for he is of low origin.
- If
he mentions the names and castes (jati) of the (twice-born) with
contumely, an iron nail, ten fingers long, shall be thrust red-hot into
his mouth.
- If
he arrogantly teaches Brahmanas their duty, the king shall cause hot oil
to be poured into his mouth and into his ears.
- With
whatever limb a man of a low caste does hurt to (a man of the three)
highest (castes), even that limb shall be cut off; that is the teaching of
Manu.
- He
who raises his hand or a stick, shall have his hand cut off; he who in
anger kicks with his foot, shall have his foot cut off.
- A
low-caste man who tries to place himself on the same seat with a man of a
high caste, shall be branded on his hip and be banished, or (the king)
shall cause his buttock to be gashed.
- Let
him never slay a Brahmana, though he have committed all (possible) crimes;
let him banish such an (offender), leaving all his property (to him) and
(his body) unhurt.
Laws
of Manu Concerning Women
- Day
and night woman must be kept in dependence by the males (of) their
(families), and, if they attach themselves to sensual enjoyments, they
must be kept under one’s control.
- Her
father protects (her) in childhood, her husband protects (her) in youth,
and her sons protect (her) in old age; a woman is never fit for
independence.
- Women
must particularly be guarded against evil inclinations, however trifling
(they may appear); for, if they are not guarded, they will bring sorrow on
two families.
- Considering
that the highest duty of all castes, even weak husbands (must) strive to
guard their wives.
- No
man can completely guard women by force; but they can be guarded by the
employment of the (following) expedients:
- Let
the (husband) employ his (wife) in the collection and expenditure of his
wealth, in keeping (everything) clean, in (the fulfillment of) religious
duties, in the preparation of his food, and in looking after the household
utensils.
- Women,
confined in the house under trustworthy and obedient servants, are not
(well) guarded; but those who of their own accord keep guard over
themselves, are well guarded.
- Women
do not care for beauty, nor is their attention fixed on age; (thinking),
‘(It is enough that) he is a man,’ they give themselves to the handsome
and to the ugly.
- Through
their passion for men, through their mutable temper, through their natural
heartlessness, they become disloyal towards their husbands, however
carefully they may be guarded in this (world).
- (When
creating them) Manu allotted to women (a love of their) bed, (of their)
seat and (of) ornament, impure desires, wrath, dishonesty, malice, and bad
conduct.
- For
women no (sacramental) rite (is performed) with sacred texts, thus the law
is settled; women (who are) destitute of strength and destitute of (the
knowledge of) Vedic texts, (are as impure as) falsehood (itself), that is
a fixed rule.
Do
I need to remind you that these laws are for Hindus? I would like to remind you
that a copy of Manusmriti was burnt as a protest in the presence of Dr. B.R.
Ambedkar during historic Mahad agitation on December 25, 1927.
RSS
celebrated assassination of Gandhiji
Respected
Madam,
I
hope you know that Nathuram Godse and others who conspired to kill Gandhiji,
claimed to be ‘Hindu Nationalists’. They described killing as something
ordained by God. RSS celebrated his killing by distributing sweets was the
finding of none other than the first home minister of India, Sardar
Patel. In a letter written to Golwalkar on September 11, 1948, Sardar stated:
“Organizing the Hindus and helping them is one thing but
going in for revenge for its sufferings on innocent and helpless men, women and
children is quite another thing…Apart from this, their opposition to the
Congress, that too of such virulence, disregarding all considerations of
personality, decency or decorum, created a kind of unrest among the people. All
their speeches were full of communal poison. It was not necessary to spread
poison in order to enthuse the Hindus and organize for their protection. As a
final result of the poison, the country had to suffer the sacrifice of the
invaluable life of Gandhiji. Even an iota of the sympathy of the Government, or
of the people, no more remained for the RSS. In fact opposition grew.
Opposition turned more severe, when the RSS men expressed joy and distributed
sweets after Gandhiji’s death.”
[Justice on Trial, RSS, Bangalore, 1962, pp. 26-28.]
Respected VC Madam, since you
claim to be a proud member of the RSS, the Indian academic fraternity specially
the JNU one would like to know if you are ashamed of this criminal role of RSS
in the assassination of Gandhiji. You cannot be neutral on this issue.
RSS believed that South Indian Hindus belong to inferior Race
VC Madam,
You claim to be a proud Hindu
and a proud member of the Sangh. You also happen to be from South India. Do you
know that RSS believed that the Race Hindus of South India needed to be
improved? I am reproducing a speech of Guru Golwalkar on this issue in context
of Kerala Hindus. He was invited to address the students of the
School of Social Science of Gujarat University on December 17, 1960. In this
address, while underlying his firm belief in the Race Theory, he touched upon
the issue of cross-breeding of human beings in the Indian society in history.
He shamelessly stated:
“Today
experiments in cross-breeding are made only on animals. But the courage to make
such experiments on human beings is not shown even by the so-called modern
scientist of today. If some human cross-breeding is seen today it is the result
not of scientific experiments but of carnal lust. Now let us see the
experiments our ancestors made in this sphere. In an effort to better the human
species through cross-breeding the Namboodri Brahamanas of the North were
settled in Kerala and a rule was laid down that the eldest son of a Namboodri
family could marry only the daughter of Vaishya, Kashtriya or Shudra
communities of Kerala. Another still more courageous rule was that the first
off-spring of a married woman of any class must be fathered by a Namboodri
Brahman and then she could beget children by her husband. Today this experiment
will be called adultery but it was not so, as it was limited to the first
child.” [M. S. Golwalkar cited in Organizer, January 2, 1961.]
Through this brazen Racist statement made not
in the presence of some lumpen elements but an august gathering of leading
Gujarat academics Guruji argued that Brahmans of the North (India) and
specially Namboodri Brahamans, belonged to a superior Race. Due to this
quality, Namboodri Brahamanas were sent from the North to Kerala to improve the
breed of inferior Hindus there. Interestingly, this was being argued by a
person who claimed to uphold the unity of Hindus world over. Thirdly, Golwalkar
as a male chauvinist believed that a Namboodri Brahman male belonging to a
superior Race from the North only could improve the inferior human Race from
South. For him wombs of Kerala’s Hindu women enjoyed no sanctity and were
simply objects of improving breed through intercourse with Namboodri Brahamanas
who in no way were related to them.
Please respond to it, Madam VC! Do you uphold
such criminal views of Golwalkar; the most prominent ideologue of RSS?
In RSS male cadres are swayamsevaks (volunteers)
but female cadres are sevikas (servants/maids)
Respected Santishree Pandit Madam,
When you declare that you are proud member of the Sangh, you
must be familiar with the organizational structure of RSS (the English equivalent being national volunteer association) is an exclusive male
organization. The female organization was created in 1936 with the name, Rashtr
Sevika Samiti (the English equivalent being society of female servants/maids
for the nation). Thus male members are all India volunteers whereas female members
are female servants. It is not the only difference. The Sevikas take
oath to remain faithful, modest, guard virginity and honour but no such oath is
prescribed for RSS cadres.
Madam, please enlighten
us about your take on this naked male chauvinistic attitude of the Sangh. You
owe this explanation to the nation as a woman too! Is not it a fact that Sangh
and Islamic chauvinists are two sides of the same coin so far as denigration of
women is concerned?
I would end by
requesting your kind self to respond to the above issues as fate of one of the
best Universities and future of Indian higher education is at stake. I have
relied solely on RSS archives for bringing to your kind notice the anti-humanism,
anti-colonial struggle and anti- Indian democracy beliefs and actions of the
Sangh. I am ready to face defamation proceedings if you find I have misquoted
or reported fake RSS documents.
With regards,
Shamsul Islam
