THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Swami Agnivesh came down heavily on the BJP and the RSS for what he called the pseudo-nationalist postures. Delivering a lecture on ‘Diversity, secularism and tolerance,’ organised by the Purogamana Kalasahithya Sangham and the Manaveeyam Street Cultural Collective here on Monday, he said the self-proclaimed nationalists should show their commitment to the Constitution and work towards its ideals, if they were really committed to the country.Friends from the BJP and the RSS are shouting from the rooftop that everyone should sing ‘Vande Mataram’ and chant ‘Bharat Matha Ki Jai’.
Or else, you will be branded anti-national. Who are you to give me the certificate on whether I am a nationalist or not?” he asked.
When everybody was fighting in the freedom struggle and making supreme sacrifice, the RSS people were nowhere to be seen. “Give me the name of one person from your ranks who has gone to jail or given up his life during the freedom struggle,” he said.The country might have to confront a situation similar to the partition of India if Muslims are alienated in the name of cow vigilantism and hyper- nationalism.
“Those who have arrogated to themselves to declare others as anti-national did not spare even no less than a person than former Vice-President Hamid Ansari. On the eve of his retirement, he was dubbed an anti-national for saying Muslims are feeling insecure. He was just telling the truth,” said the Swami.
He said the current trends are the biggest threats to national unity, polity and world view. But the response to fundamentalism should not itself be another form of fundamentalism.“Through friendly dialogue, we can bring about change. But if you start creating violence in the name of religion, cow, caste and gender, then you are completely destroying the space which is available today to create friendship and harmony,” he said.