India's Ex-president Mr Mukharjee's Speech At The RSS Headquarters: The Right, The Secular And The Victory

You may also like: Disturbing stats on black-white inequality Now girls are a THIRD more likely to go to university than boys Sound effect: Bhajans (Hindu faith songs) helping Autism Lessening productivity 50% of Americans have worked with a hangover Scientists say fist bump is healthier than handshake ?Hug & kiss Meet Darknet, the hidden underbelly of the searchable Web

Click here for more unique views on South Asia (Modi, AAP, terrorism and Pakistan)

Both the invite and the speech of India's ex-president Mr Bhattacharya, at the RSS headquarters, have sent the country on fire. Almost reminding theist and atheist claiming God’s and nature's miracle respectively to the mesmerising nature scenes on TV, both the right and the ‘rest’ (secular/liberal) claim that India’s ex-president’s speech was on their side. But then, strangely, both converged on the ‘Indian ethos'. Sadly, however, leaving grammar aside, the ex-president did make some factual errors in his speech. Although the 'rest' cherished the 'bashing of the RSS men by the ex- president at their own turf; leaving aside his praise for what RSS stands for, the praise for their side i.e. secular India and the Aryan Dravidian divide were actually mistakes. If that were true, then the 'rest' would get nothing but the right wingers would have a field day. What were the mistakes? 1. The Aryan Dravidian divide: Irked by the accusation of them being the outsiders ruling over Indians, the divide and rule expert, British, invented the Aryan Invasion of India theory to imply that even North Indians, as Aryans, were outsiders who displaced Dravidians to the south and ruled over India. As scientific as chasing Biblical creation story for the Harappa archaeological site’s date, that theory was the mainstay of Indian thought till no evidence of violence was found at the site - to substantiate it. Thus, when it was too much to sustain, it was changed to the stubbornly sticking Aryan Immigration Theory. So much so that when real science of genetic study came to identify similar North and South Indian genes, that theory did not collapse like a pack of cards as it should, but stubbornly survived. While the DMK cherished the divide to get and maintain power, Indian liberals were not less in the power game. Evidence seeking academics disregarded the find. They instead stubbornly continued the theory in the academia and retained the power. Amidst that Indian thought, the ex-president's view wouldn't be any different. The Aryan Dravidian divide would be natural to him. 2. Indian secularism: With the French and the American revolutions being done partly against the organised and power retaining churches by the less religious or nonreligious revolutionaries, and there being several competing power hungry churches, the states like France and the US decided their states to have nothing to do with the church. The states called themselves secular and they disregarded the contribution of the churches in the national struggle and the polity. Indian revolution on the other hand, used religions to the till: both in the fight against the British, and that against the Hindus by Mr. Jinnah and his followers for a separate Pakistan. Astonishingly, the man to be the father of the nation, Gandhi, even supported the religious Khilafat Movement! In addition to the emotion of cow protection at the background, while India was seen as bharat mata, and hailed accordingly, slogans chanted and fought for her dignity; Gandhi himself was seen as a Hindu mahatma. After independence, Hindustan (India) was created for the Hindus and Pakistan for the Muslims. 'Rest' could live as minority in either country. Enforcing that, Lord Ram’s picture was enshrined in the first page of the constitution. NEXT COMMENT AT BLOG

1 2 3

Ex-president Mr Pranab Mukharjee

The RSS Chief helping Mr Mukharjee