Growing intolerance worries Gandhians

PATNA: The RSS-sponsored propaganda of Hindu nation and growing intolerance in the country dominated the deliberations on the concluding day of a national conclave on the

Champaran Satyagrah

, in Patna on Tuesday.

The two-day conclave was organized by the Bihar education department as part of Gandhi Satyagrah centenary celebrations. The theme of the valedictory session was ‘Mahatma Gandhi and Philosophy on Peaceful Coexistence’. CM Nitish Kumar along with education minister Ashok Choudhary also attended the conclave.

Speaking at the session on Tuesday, Choudhary said the satyagrah centenary was being celebrated at a time when the entire world was grappling with violence. “There is an urgent need to spread awareness about the relevance of Gandhian thoughts and ideologies in modern societies,” he said.

Author Shamsul Islam recalled the RSS had at the time of independence rejected tricolour as the colour of national flag and wanted saffron in its place. “The RSS had then wanted India to be declared a Hindu nation after sending all Muslims to Pakistan. It did not happened, but India could never achieve the kind of freedom Gandhi and Bhagat Singh dreamt of,” he said.

Shamshul further said originally only Pakistan and Israel were the countries formed on the basis of religion. “Seven decades after independence, however, India too is on the path of becoming a religious country due to the RSS-led aggressive campaign for Hindu nation,” he said.

Literary-cultural critic Ashok Vajpeyi said politics in India today has distanced itself from Gandhi and his ideologies. “Former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee once said every political leader starts his career with lies. Politicians can speak a lie with confidence. We are living in times of asatyagraha (violent struggle) and asatya (lies). Gandhi had insisted on morals and less governance but politicians today insist on more governance and less morals,” said the poet.


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