From: rroy@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Raja R Roy)
Subject: the best of both worlds
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1992 17:10:27 GMT



      " If Bush does not understand the problem, how can he solve it?"
							- Clinton

	Does PVNR understand the problem? That is the question facing
 the millions of people in India. Who is to be blamed for this sorry
 state of affairs - hindus, muslims, government?
	IMHO, it is the government and its myopic vision that is to
 be blamed most. It is this politics that instead of solving the problem,
 increases it to a problem of far larger dimension and then tries to get
 political milage out of it. 
	I still remember how Punjab problem started. A new faith, nirankary
 mission, started within sikhism, which became very popular due to its 
 appeal and simplicity. Nirankaris are/were the most peace-loving people
 in world. When the income coming to gurudwaras started to decrease due to
 these conversions, a hate crime was started against nirankaries by hard-
 line sikhs spearheaded by Bhinderawale. Nirankaries were attacked, killed
 at random in Punjab. Government did nothing. Nirankaries never retaliated
 due to their teaching of peace and harmony and their popularity growed
 more and more, and attacks on them became vicious and more frequent. 
 Finally, Bhinderawale openly announced from Golden Temple that chief of
 Nirankaries Baba Gurubachan Singh's head will be exhibited there. On 24th
 april, 1980 Baba Gurubachan singh was killed by another nirankari, who
 had converted for this purpose on the order of Bhinderawale. There were
 headlines like " one more christ crucified ", because he lived a life of
 harmony and never harmed a soul. Warrant was issued in the name of 
 Bhinderawale , but he was never captured. His ambitions grew more and
 more, he got into politics and the world knows the rest. To me he was a 
 small gunda to start with and should have been stopped there, instead
 he was pampered. Now people say he was a martyr, a freedom fighter,
 he was a murderer, plain and simple.
      Are the muslims not nationalistic? I have encountered both. I think
 hindus and muslims can live peacefully, if government acted in a sensible
 manner. There are Arifs and there are Shahabuddins. Problem lies in the
 policy of government where Arifs are sidelined and Shahabuddins rule. 
 Where people like Hasan of Jamia - Milia University are not protected.
 India has to strengthen the moderate voices of muslims and curb the
 fundamentalist forces. Only then India as we know it can survive.
     And exactly the opposite is being done. Now India is a country,
 where noone dares to speak against the fundamentalist forces, not the
 hindus not the muslims. Fear is the key. Average man is afraid of the
 unholy alliance of politics and religion. 
    What PVNR has done must be condemned. He is trying to have the best
 of both worlds, as congress has always tried. He is appeasing the
 hindus by letting car-sevaks break the mosque and build the temple, also
 at the same time , he is trying to appease the muslims by taking action
 aginst BJP leaders and banning VHP, RSS etc. Little does he know that
 he is losing both. Whatever the intellectuals say, I know from my heart
 that if elections are held today, BJP will come in center. Perhaps that
 is what India needs, because they are unequivocal in their goals. I want
 a country, where I can speak freely. Where I have the guts to say that
 what is wrong is wrong. Only BJP can do that. Only BJP can give this 
 country back to people, which has been hijacked by dirty politicians.
 Let's pray for the best of our country. Jai Hind.

 Raja           
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian