Syama Prasad Mookerjee's martyrdom day observed in Jammu in an unprecedented day long event attended by stalwarts
Time to rise for Sanatan Dharma has come.Ideology is the only way. No 'rightists' or 'leftists', we are Hindus representing civilizational roots -Says RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Rao Bhagwat in Jammu
Victory or defeat will not deviate from the ideological Hindutva path -Rajnath Singh, BJP President
End discrimination with Ladakh-We pay our tributes to Dr. Mookerjee- Thupstan Chhewang, President, Ladakh U.T.Morcha
China will turn more abrasive and may go back on Sikkim promise-P. Stobdan
If this is how Home Ministry functions, better to get away with it. The main threat to nation comes from incompetent politicians and not from China or Pakistan-K.P.S. Gill, former D.G., Punjab Police
Scholars from all over India deliberated on Northern frontiers security in Jammu University unique day long intellectual discourse on security and ideology held to observe Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee's martyrdom day-23rd June in Jammu
A report by our correspondent
India's nationality, as defined by Sri Aurobindo is Sanatan Dharma. You may call it Bharatiyata or Indianism, it doesn't alter the truth behind it. The time has come now to see it gain the glory it had in the past to ensure co-existence on this planet embattled with the exclusivist ideologies- said Shri Mohan Rao Bhagwat, Sarsanghchalak (Chief) of the RSS at a valedictory function of a daylong seminar marking the martyrdom day of Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee at Jammu University's General Zorawar Singh Auditorium.
He said, a hundred years before Sri Aurobindo had exhorted in his famous Uttarpara speech about the need to follow the tenets of Sanatan Dharma, India's nationality, for the greater good of the mankind. The relevance of these words has become all the stronger in our times than it was ever before. Shri Mohan Bhagwat said that the world is facing a bitter conflict with the totalitarian ideologies preaching uniformity and a single way of living abhorring diversities. These ideologies proclaimed that they are creating a path of peace, but instead they created rivers of bloodbath. They said they are preaching love but instead they ended up pushing people in their flock by hook or crook in a ruthless manner. Totalitarianism is an attitude aiming to subjugate the entire world without caring if it will get destroyed because of such attempts. Hence the victimized world is searching a path, a way of living and an ideology that would ensure the diversities and wont necessitate foregoing one's identity for opportunities to grow. That ideology is Sanatan Dharma, also known as Hindutva which has given the mantra of sarve api sukhinaha santu-let all the creatures be happy and be without any disease. Our ideology doesn't limit itself to humans alone but to entire creation. Sanatan Dharma alone provides a path to remove the dangers of climate change, global warming and nature's destruction. This attitude of respecting the creation-humans and nature alike, alone kept the world happy for thousands of years. But it got bruised because of the advent of ideologies that proclaimed that they alone are true and the rest must follow them. Those who refuse to follow their path, invite bloodshed. This attitude breeds hate and terrorism. We have to defeat this attitude and such ideologies. The truth is with us but the hateful ideologies allege we are communal. This doesn't affect our march towards Dharma. We are adhering the truth and we know truth alone triumphs-Satyamev Jayate. Even if people influenced with hateful ideologies put hurdles in our programmes we don't care-our march continues.
Shri Mohan Rao Bhagwat said that Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee lived the path of this truth-the Sanatan Dharma. He left a well-established party organization and put his energies to create a new one in the form of Jana Sangh. He wanted to make a new experiment successful in India's polity. Even after his death, the Jana Sangh ran successfully proving the effectiveness and popularity of a party with a different path and ideology.
How it could have become possible? Simply because Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee lived honestly the path of ideology. He laid his life to change the system and didn't accept to be a slave of prevailing system under any pretext. That was the reason that his life and martyrdom made Jana Sangh survive and progress even after he attained martyrdom. We must remember the life and works of Dr. Mookerjee and try to live emulating his ideals. When we live the spoken words, then alone our speeches carry credibility and impact public mind. Otherwise the words we utter have no influence on people, as the duality in our words and deeds gets exposed before them.
Shri Bhagwat clearly discarded the use of words like 'leftists' and 'rightists' . He said we are Hindus and belong to a great civilization. Our lexicon must contain our spirit and experiences and we shouldn't express our ideological contours through the usage of words like 'left' or 'right'.
BJP President Shri Rajnath Singh, in his speech said that the Hindutva, which is synonymous with Indian spirit or Bharatiyata, is the lifeline of the BJP as was espoused by Dr. Mookerjee. He said that those who analyze that BJP was defeated because of its adherence to Hindutva should reply that whether this election was a referendum on our ideology? He said come what may, in victory or in defeat BJP shall never leave the path of ideological firmness.
In his scintillating speech the firebrand leader of Ladakh, Shri Thupstan Chhewang won the hearts of all listeners. His speech was enthralling right from the very first sentence. He said –'had Dr. Mookerjee been around he would have indeed been happy to notice that a Ladakhi Buddhist today is presiding over a function at a venue named after Gen. Zorawar Singh. How fast the history changes. This is one of those occasions when it has changed for the better. This shows the distance we have traveled together in pursuit of our common goal of building a strong nation based on mutual respect.'
Paying his tributes his said," Dr. Mookerjee was a great visionary. His words, 'ek desh mein do Vidhan, do pradhan, do Nishan nahin chalenge' ( a nation cant have two constitutions,two prime Ministers and two national emblems) have indeed turned out to be prophetic. Had the country paid heed to them in time we would not have suffered as we have done for the last many decades. I salute that seer among politicians on his Balidan Diwas."
Shri Thupstan Chhewang, in a significant move said, the failure of a well-knit party based on an ideology lends credence to dynastic succession in the other, which is anathema to democracy. it is because of nationalistic philosophy of BJP that we have thrown our lot with NDA. He said they want Union Territory status for Ladakh to strengthen their ties with Delhi, as they have no hopes to get justice from rulers, the Congress led govt. in Srinagar.
The remembrance programme, second in the daylong deliberations, on national security and peoples' awakening was preceded by a unique seminar on 'Security of the Northern Frontiers and National Integration.' It was unique because an extraordinary number of people, mostly young students, faculty members from Jammu university, noted lawyers, doctors and other professionals turned up, that too on a working day and stayed glued to their chairs from 10.00 am till 2 pm, for the seminar without even a tea break and then two and half hours in the afternoon. Even the corridors leading to the dais were packed with people.
Seminar on Security of Northern frontiers
It was a tribute to the intellectual stamina of the Jammu people and the high level of papers read at the seminar by some of the most distinguished scholars and defence experts from across the country like KPS Gill, Ambassador Rangachari, Prof. P. Stobdan, K.N.Pandita, Lt. Gen. M.C.Bhandari, and Prof. Narendra Singh . Indeed a befitting tribute to a great educationist like Dr Syama Prasad who rose to become vice chancellor of Calcutta University at the age of 32.
The seminar began late because of the University authority's decision to block and cancel the event stating that the political people were participating in it. In fact the same university had allowed a Congress Sewa Dal meeting sometime ago. Though the authorities , after a discussion had agreed to the seminar, yet the gates were not opened till nine, the seminar was scheduled to begin at 09.30 and the stage set up needed at least an hour. Guests were told outside the gate by security persons that the seminar has been cancelled and the power supply was cut off for quite some time.
Mr. K.P.S. Gill, while entering the hall asked, oh the seminar has created a controversy even before it started. Shri Tarun Vijay, the convener of the programme and director of the foundation said, Sir, they wanted us to realize that we are in a different state, a state that has two flags while every other state has one-only tricolour. He smiled and inaugurated the seminar by lighting a lamp before the portraits of Pt. Prem Nath Dogra and Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee. Little girls, the children of terrorist affected families of Jammu and Kashmir, belonging to Ladakh, Doda and other areas, welcomed the guests with Khataks (Ladakhi silken scarf) and a vermillion tilak. Mayor of Jammu, Shri Kavindra Gupta presented pictures of Mata Vaishno Devi as souvenirs to the guests and Shri K.N.Sahani, former Governor, welcomed the guests. Dr. Harsh Vardhan , Secretary of the foundation gave an introduction to the SPMRF activities.
Prof P. Stobdan, senior fellow of the IDSA presented the background note and began the session on Af-Pak policy. He said in his note, that ,'the rapidly changing situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan calls for the review of security environment impacting India's Northern frontiers. The US under the Obama administration has decided to review its policy under the 'Af-Pak' plan. Much as it may echo India's traditional concerns; it may turn out to be contrary to India's interest with unseen implications in the longer term, although many tend to view the Af-Pak plan as a 'game changer' approach. While US officials claimed that Islamic extremism posed and 'existential threat' to the nuclear armed-Pakistani state, they also gave reasons to believe that Pakistan needed the Taliban to deter the threat posed by India. While US interlocutors would wish to remove the India threat from the Pakistani psyche, Islamabad seems to be winning the case for no-strings attached support with swansongs about the threat posed to it from India. Indian presence in Afghanistan and military build up along the Kashmir front.
Prof K.N. Pandita a noted scholar formerly of Jammu University said that the root cause of all the discrimination against Kashmiri Hindus and regions like Jammu and Ladakh is the communal biases of Srinagar's rulers and Delhi's secular blinkers. He gave a detailed analysis of the horrifying situation in J&K.
Lt. Gen M.C.Bhandari, PVSM, AVSM, lamented that even after three decades of facing the-terror war, India has not evolved a proper strategy to combat violence against its nationals. He said the time has come to wage a 'Aar Paar ki Ladhai'. If Britain can go up-to Falkland to defend its interest, we just have to cross a few miles in the national interest.
Prof. Narendra Singh, member national executive, ABVP said that the real cause of the security threats faced in J&K from within is the continuation of article 370 and a mindset that discriminates with Jammu and Ladakh on communal basis.
Ambassdor TCA Rangachari spoke about understanding Chinese and its geo-political game plan. He said the progress and the abilities China has achieved is to be understood. It can set targets and achieve it, while we cant . We are not even 30% of what China has achieved, In the China session, Prof. Stobdan said that China will be more abrasive and arrogant in times to come against Indian interests. It may even go back on its promise on Sikkim , some signs indicating this have already appeared.
Shri K.P.S. Gill was his very best. He said- well, we are discussing what should be the strategy for our security for a better future. But the only point occupying the minds of those who govern us and run this copuntry is to find a strategy to make Rahul Gandhi next Prime Minister. He severely criticized the statement of Shri P. Chidambaram who had said in Srinagar that the local J&K police will be given more freedom for security matters in the state after withdrawing central forces He said its demeaning and demoralizing for the security forces who have been shedding their blood to defend national interests and motherland. If at all this plan was to be implemented Home Minister should have discussed it with the Chief Minister and not in the public. He said the way a politicized Home Ministry is being run it will be better to get away with it and have the money being spent to maintain it distributed amongst the states for providing better security to their people. That will work better, he said. Shri K.P.S. Gill said that it's not good to keep on raising the bogey of threats from China and Pakistan. In fact the biggest threat that the country faces is from the incompetent and indecisive political set up. If the political powers are strong and decisive, none can pose a danger to us.
The programme had a historic impact on Jammu and Kashmir. It was the first one that Shri Mohan Rao Bhagwat had accepted after assuming the responsibility of Sarsanghchalak in Nagpur. About a hundred workers worked tirelessly for a month including those from Rashtra Sewika Samiti, ABVP, Bharat Vikas Parishad, etc. Shri Shamsher Singh the untiring gen secy. of state BJP led a team of youngsters to take care of logistics. Shri Ramesh Sabharwal, member state executive of the RSS and Shri Neeraj Puri were coordinators to the entire programme. Shri Tarun Vijay, Director of Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation conducted both the events.
Picture captions
1. Shri KPS Gill, lighting the lamp before the portrait of Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee with Shri Thupstan Chhewang, lt. Gen. Bhandari and Shri K.N.Sahani at the inaugural of the seminar in Gen. Zorawar Singh Auditorium, Jammu.
2. Dignitaries at the seminar singing Vande Mataram. ) L to R)- Shri K.N.Pandita, Prof. Stobdan, Shri Thupstan Chhewang, Ambassador Rangachari,Lt. Gen. M.C.Bhandari, and others.
3. Shri KPS Gill speaking at the seminar
4. RSS Chief Shri Mohan Rao Bhagwat inaugurating the remembrance convention to mark Dr. Mookerjee's martyrdom day. On his right are Shri Rajnath Singh, Shri K.N.Sahani and others.
5. With an impressive backdrop of Dr. Mookerjee and Kashmir, dignitaries on the dais( from L to R ) Shri Amarnath Vaishnavi, President, Kashmiri Pandit Dharma Sabha, Shri Chaman Lal Gupta, Shri Thupstan Chhewang, Shri Ashok Khajuria, Shri Mohan Rao Bhagwat, Shri Rajnath Singh, Shri K.N.Sahani, Dr. Nirmal Singh, Shri Kavindra Gupta,Shri Ramakant Dube (president VHP, J&K), Shri Shyam Jaju, Dr. Harsh Vardhan and Shri Tarun Vijay
6. Shri Thupstan Chhewang, from Ladakh giving his speech adorning a Dogri turban
7. Shri Mohan Rao Bhagwat speaking at the programme adorning the warrior's Dogri turban.
8. Shri Rajnath Singh
9. A jam packed hall stood to sing Vande Mataram.
10. Shri Mohan Rao Bhagwat and Shri Rajnath Singh.
