“What we are witnessing today is an intense battle between two visions – one is of Dr.Ambedkar’s vision of welfare state with justice and equality to all communities while another is of RSS-BJP agenda that promotes sectarian disquiet completely detrimental to the ethos of the republic state and true idea of India,” D.Raja, Former Member of Parliament and General Secretary, Communist Party of India (CPI).
He was recording his lecture with a theme of “Contemporary India: Issues and Challenges” as part of a public lecture series being rolled out with a theme of “Reimaging India.”
While recalling that Dr.Ambedkar has emphatically rejected the theocratic idea of Hindu Rastra presented by the Hindutva forces during a debate in the constituent Assembly, he said, “Dr.Ambedkar has emphasized that India should be a welfare state. He made it clear that if at all India should emerge as an independent country it should serve as a democratic republic. However, if at all Hindu Rahtra becomes a reality it would be a great disaster for the country. As such, what is happening today is the battle between the two battles one is of Ambedkar’s welfare state and another of RSS-BJP combined theocratic idea who is trying to hijack the true spirit of the republic of India.”
As the battle of India has become very intense today, he said I may call upon your attention towards a battle for the Idea of India post independence. “Ambedkar emphasized that ‘India should be a secular state. It should be neutral to all religions, should maintain harmony among all sections of the people. Upon all it should be a welfare state. The state should ensure all means of livelihood to all its citizens irrespective of gender. The resources and wealth should not be in play of few people, people should have access to education, employment, house sites. Above all people should have the right to live with dignity.’ This is how Dr.Ambedkar defined what the Indian state should be,” Raja explained.
Expressing the irony that RSS and CPI founded in the year 1925, he said “while Communist Party of India made a supreme sacrifice fighting against British rule in India while the saffron brigade had no role at all in the freedom struggle. However, RSS and BJP – a political wing of the brigade, come to power and implement the RSS ideology of spreading sectarian disquiet, divisive, communal hatred and fascism. All the measures and acts being implemented by the BJP government are based on this RSS Ideology.”
“We should try to understand that the RSS is trying to implement its Hindutva agenda thereby to impose a monolithic, illiberal, medieval socio-political order on the people of this country as a part of a vision. However, we should not forget that India is a secular democratic republic with tremendous diversities that should be acknowledged and recognized. The country speaks number of languages, the most ancient and evolved over a period of time into modern lingua-franca besides it richest cultural values having roots in the history and we must be proud of it,”
“All these realities should be respected and realized that India has emerged as a secular and democratic republic. Today there is a battle between two perspectives. One is to safeguard the secular, democratic and republican vision of India while Hindutva, theocratic, monolithic India under dictatorial and authoritarian rule of fascist forces led by BJP, political wing of Rashtriya SwayamSevak Sangh (RSS),” asserted D.Raja.
