Delhi gurdwaras to hail Indira Gandhi 's killers as martyrs? Why complain when Mahatma Gandhi's killers are lionised?
As long as Gandhi's assassination is celebrated by the Indian Parliament, no one speaking in the name of the Nation, need complain about Sikh 'martyrs' and Kashmiri 'martyrs'. Lets be honest with ourselves for a change
A point made by a friend: The Akalis were complicit in the Savarkar episode as well. So they are now only following their own precedent.
See also - Communal brinkmanship in Punjab
AMRITSAR: For the past 10 years, theNanakshahi calendar of theShiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) - the largest representative body of the Sikhs - has marked a few 'historical days'. These days - which include the death anniversaries of the assassins of Indira Gandhi and former Army chief Arun Vaidya as well as terrorist leaders like Bhindranwale - have been observed at the Golden Temple in Amritsar with akhand path and other ceremonies. Now these controversial celebrations seem set to be held in Delhi too, as the new management of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) says it is not averse to observing these anniversaries. "The SGPC is already observing these occasions. And if we are directed by the jathedar of the Akal Takht, we, too, will definitely hold these anniversaries. How can we say no to him?" says Manjit Singh, newly-elected president of the DSGMC, which is backed by the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal). On his part, Giani Gurbachan Singh, jathedar of the Akal Takht - Sikhism's supreme temporal seat - when contacted, told TOI that "the anniversaries should be observed by Sikhs wherever they are living and that it was the duty of the community to remember its martyrs." When pointed out that the 'martyrs' were considered as terrorists and anti-national elements by many, the jathedar responsed, "People may call them terrorists but they are martyrs of our community."
The Nanakshahi calendar - with its controversial anniversaries - was adopted by SGPC in 2003. The brainchild of Canadian scholar Pal Singh Purewal, the calendar's 'historical days' section lists a number of 'martyrdom' days like that of Indira Gandhi's assassins Kehar Singh, Satwant Singh (January 6) and Beant Singh (October 31). The day separatist leaders Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and Amrik Singh were killed by the Army in Operation Bluestar is listed (June 6) and so is the death anniversary of Sukhdev Singh Sukha and Harjinder Singh Jinda (October 9) who killed Arun Vaidya, the Army chief when Operation Bluestar was conducted. Avtar Singh Makkar, SGPC president, also gave his backing to the DSGMC observing these occasions. "DSGMC is an independent elected body; if they observe these anniversaries we will support them. After all these are the historical days prescribed in Nanakshahi calendar". For almost a decade, DSGMC was controlled by the Delhi Akali Dal, which is backed by theCongress. This, say observers, explains why the question of observing these anniversaries was never even raised although SGPC was observing them in Amritsar. Things, though, look set to change in Delhi from this year on.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Delhi-gurdwaras-to-hail-Indira-Gandhi-s-killers-as-martyrs/articleshow/19026463.cms
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NB: It is indeed offensive that men who assassinated someone in their protection should be given a sacred aura by the SGPC. This is not a sign of religious faith, but a tragic lack of it. It is yet another sign that religion has become less a source of wisdom and more a badge of identity. However, the ongoing politics of hurt sentiment extends beyond the matter of Rushdie's or Taslima's books, and beyond Valentines Day. At the topmost political levels we hear of outrage at the bestowal of martyrdom upon persons guilty of terrible crimes. Today we learn that Omar calls Afzal ‘sahib’, draws flak from Congress. This is considered to be an act of 'glorification' by those who are offended.
I am not offended, but bemused at the differing standards we exercise in our public life. V.D. Savarkar was a prime accused in Mahatma Gandhi's assassination. Yet he is acclaimed & honoured with a portrait in the Central Hall of Parliament. Those of us who object to this risk being dubbed anti-national elements. Yes, Savarkar was an extreme patriot. So was Charu Mazumdar, founder of the Naxalite movement. Why not place a portrait of him too, in the Lok Sabha? (See The Other side of Maoism)
We need to look into our consciences before we object to (some) Sikhs hailing Indira's assassins, and (some) Kashmiris declaring Afzal to be a martyr. These are matters of emotion and perception, and most often they have to do with a sense of injustice; or of making a gesture of defiance. A 'Hindu unity' portal (now removed, presumably because the RSS does not wish to openly identify its sympathy with Gandhi's assassins) hailed "our beloved Nathuram Godse". The Sangh 'Parivar need not feel ashamed - even the ultra-left writer Hansraj Rahbar, in his 1969 book Gandhi Benakaab, hailed Godse as a true son of India.
Why do people need to make these kinds of gestures? I believe part of the answer is an absolutist, extremist frame of mind, where we fix upon one part of the truth, make it ours, and fail to see that there are other aspects of reality that we may have missed. It has rightly been said that a fanatic is someone who nurses a terrible, secret doubt - a doubt that he or she wishes to quell by means of an Absolute Truth. Linked to this is an attachment to violence (martyrdom is one way of celebrating death) as the only means of securing our place in the world, our view of it as it ought to be. Since we despair of finding justice and fairness in the world, we seek to annihilate it - no matter that we may be annihilating ourselves as well, along with every value of human kindness and decency. Today there are fanatics (or worse, those who pretend to be fanatics) at the highest levels of Indian political life. It is worth considering whether they are worthy of being entrusted with upholding the letter and spirit of the Indian constitution
As long as Gandhi's assassination is celebrated by the Indian Parliament, no one speaking in the name of the Nation (whatever that is), need complain about Sikh 'martyrs' and Kashmiri 'martyrs'. Lets be honest with ourselves for a change - Dilip
The Savarkarist syntax
UNDERLYING THE glorification of Savarkarism by the BJP-RSS-Shiv Sena are changes in the nature and objectives of the major political parties, the cynicism induced by the growing nexus between crime and politics, and the collapse of a compact that had facilitated post-independence politics. The first principle of Savarkarism defines the nation on the basis of religious community. This is reflected in Savarkar's declaration on August 15, 1943: "I have no quarrel with Mr. Jinnah's two-nation theory. We Hindus are a nation by ourselves and it is a historical fact that Hindus and Muslims are two nations" (Indian Annual Register, 1943, Vol. 2, p. 10).
Portrait as mirror (on Savarkar's portrait being placed in the Lok Sabha)
V.D. Savarkar and Gandhi's murder
The Assassination of Mahatma Gandhi: Inquiry Commission Report (1969)
A point made by a friend: The Akalis were complicit in the Savarkar episode as well. So they are now only following their own precedent.
See also - Communal brinkmanship in Punjab
AMRITSAR: For the past 10 years, theNanakshahi calendar of theShiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) - the largest representative body of the Sikhs - has marked a few 'historical days'. These days - which include the death anniversaries of the assassins of Indira Gandhi and former Army chief Arun Vaidya as well as terrorist leaders like Bhindranwale - have been observed at the Golden Temple in Amritsar with akhand path and other ceremonies. Now these controversial celebrations seem set to be held in Delhi too, as the new management of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) says it is not averse to observing these anniversaries. "The SGPC is already observing these occasions. And if we are directed by the jathedar of the Akal Takht, we, too, will definitely hold these anniversaries. How can we say no to him?" says Manjit Singh, newly-elected president of the DSGMC, which is backed by the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal). On his part, Giani Gurbachan Singh, jathedar of the Akal Takht - Sikhism's supreme temporal seat - when contacted, told TOI that "the anniversaries should be observed by Sikhs wherever they are living and that it was the duty of the community to remember its martyrs." When pointed out that the 'martyrs' were considered as terrorists and anti-national elements by many, the jathedar responsed, "People may call them terrorists but they are martyrs of our community."
The Nanakshahi calendar - with its controversial anniversaries - was adopted by SGPC in 2003. The brainchild of Canadian scholar Pal Singh Purewal, the calendar's 'historical days' section lists a number of 'martyrdom' days like that of Indira Gandhi's assassins Kehar Singh, Satwant Singh (January 6) and Beant Singh (October 31). The day separatist leaders Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and Amrik Singh were killed by the Army in Operation Bluestar is listed (June 6) and so is the death anniversary of Sukhdev Singh Sukha and Harjinder Singh Jinda (October 9) who killed Arun Vaidya, the Army chief when Operation Bluestar was conducted. Avtar Singh Makkar, SGPC president, also gave his backing to the DSGMC observing these occasions. "DSGMC is an independent elected body; if they observe these anniversaries we will support them. After all these are the historical days prescribed in Nanakshahi calendar". For almost a decade, DSGMC was controlled by the Delhi Akali Dal, which is backed by theCongress. This, say observers, explains why the question of observing these anniversaries was never even raised although SGPC was observing them in Amritsar. Things, though, look set to change in Delhi from this year on.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Delhi-gurdwaras-to-hail-Indira-Gandhi-s-killers-as-martyrs/articleshow/19026463.cms
****************************
NB: It is indeed offensive that men who assassinated someone in their protection should be given a sacred aura by the SGPC. This is not a sign of religious faith, but a tragic lack of it. It is yet another sign that religion has become less a source of wisdom and more a badge of identity. However, the ongoing politics of hurt sentiment extends beyond the matter of Rushdie's or Taslima's books, and beyond Valentines Day. At the topmost political levels we hear of outrage at the bestowal of martyrdom upon persons guilty of terrible crimes. Today we learn that Omar calls Afzal ‘sahib’, draws flak from Congress. This is considered to be an act of 'glorification' by those who are offended.
I am not offended, but bemused at the differing standards we exercise in our public life. V.D. Savarkar was a prime accused in Mahatma Gandhi's assassination. Yet he is acclaimed & honoured with a portrait in the Central Hall of Parliament. Those of us who object to this risk being dubbed anti-national elements. Yes, Savarkar was an extreme patriot. So was Charu Mazumdar, founder of the Naxalite movement. Why not place a portrait of him too, in the Lok Sabha? (See The Other side of Maoism)
We need to look into our consciences before we object to (some) Sikhs hailing Indira's assassins, and (some) Kashmiris declaring Afzal to be a martyr. These are matters of emotion and perception, and most often they have to do with a sense of injustice; or of making a gesture of defiance. A 'Hindu unity' portal (now removed, presumably because the RSS does not wish to openly identify its sympathy with Gandhi's assassins) hailed "our beloved Nathuram Godse". The Sangh 'Parivar need not feel ashamed - even the ultra-left writer Hansraj Rahbar, in his 1969 book Gandhi Benakaab, hailed Godse as a true son of India.
Why do people need to make these kinds of gestures? I believe part of the answer is an absolutist, extremist frame of mind, where we fix upon one part of the truth, make it ours, and fail to see that there are other aspects of reality that we may have missed. It has rightly been said that a fanatic is someone who nurses a terrible, secret doubt - a doubt that he or she wishes to quell by means of an Absolute Truth. Linked to this is an attachment to violence (martyrdom is one way of celebrating death) as the only means of securing our place in the world, our view of it as it ought to be. Since we despair of finding justice and fairness in the world, we seek to annihilate it - no matter that we may be annihilating ourselves as well, along with every value of human kindness and decency. Today there are fanatics (or worse, those who pretend to be fanatics) at the highest levels of Indian political life. It is worth considering whether they are worthy of being entrusted with upholding the letter and spirit of the Indian constitution
As long as Gandhi's assassination is celebrated by the Indian Parliament, no one speaking in the name of the Nation (whatever that is), need complain about Sikh 'martyrs' and Kashmiri 'martyrs'. Lets be honest with ourselves for a change - Dilip
The Savarkarist syntax
UNDERLYING THE glorification of Savarkarism by the BJP-RSS-Shiv Sena are changes in the nature and objectives of the major political parties, the cynicism induced by the growing nexus between crime and politics, and the collapse of a compact that had facilitated post-independence politics. The first principle of Savarkarism defines the nation on the basis of religious community. This is reflected in Savarkar's declaration on August 15, 1943: "I have no quarrel with Mr. Jinnah's two-nation theory. We Hindus are a nation by ourselves and it is a historical fact that Hindus and Muslims are two nations" (Indian Annual Register, 1943, Vol. 2, p. 10).
Portrait as mirror (on Savarkar's portrait being placed in the Lok Sabha)
The fact is that
Sardar Patel's letter dated February 27, 1948, to the Prime Minister,
Jawaharlal Nehru, became public knowledge only in May 1973 when Volume 6 of
Patel's correspondence was published. In the letter, Patel, who was Deputy
Prime Minister and Home Minister, wrote about the plot to kill Gandhi: "It
was a fanatical wing of the Hindu Mahasabha directly under Savarkar that
(hatched) the conspiracy and saw it through." (page 56) Now, Dr.
Kalam has, at the behest of the ruling combine, unveiled in the Central Hall of
Parliament of the world's largest democracy a portrait of this very individual.
And this has been done to the applause of the ruling alliance. It is surprising
that large sections of the media have yet to acknowledge the meaning of the
event. Some sections of the electronic media even offered Savarkar's claimed
position in Maharashtra as justification enough. Patel was privy to the
intelligence reports. Many intelligence reports are also referred to by
the Kapur
Commission of Inquiry in the "conspiracy to murder Mahatma Gandhi 1969.
At page 318 of Part II
of the report, Savarkar's involvement with the assassins is clearly recorded.
Though Savarkar was not convicted in the murder trial, this had little to do
with his political responsibility for the murder. Even as regards Savarkar's legal
responsibility for the conspiracy, it was not a case of "no
evidence". The approver, Digambar Badge, had implicated Savarkar. The
trial court took the view, as the distinguished barrister, K.L. Gauba, records
at pages 220-221 of his book "Assassination of Mahatma Gandhi", that
the approver's evidence required corroboration. Savarkar was thus clearly
implicated in the Gandhi murder case
The Assassination of Mahatma Gandhi: Inquiry Commission Report (1969)
