Fundamentalist Muslims have come to believe that they can blackmail the country on all issues – whether domestic or foreign – because of the pseudo-secularists? craven surrender before them. The insatiable hunger for Muslim votes the Congress, the Communist parties and other practitioners of the vote bank politics make them do things that are either unconstitutional or against national interests or both. This certainly leads to communal polarisation. The disgraceful cancellation of Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen'sApril visit to India is a case in point. The official version that the visit was cancelled following ?mutual consent? is a diplomatic way of saying that the host persuaded a friendly country'shead of state not to come visiting because of domestic political considerations. The marauding mobs of Muslims protesting against cartoons that appeared in a Danish newspaper so unnerved the Congress-led Government that it decided to turn its back on Denmark. It is a measure of the ruling party'sscare of losing Muslim sympathy that it found it more convenient to cancel the visit on the specious premise that it would be a great security risk. No one is convinced. The Indian state knows how to manage security as it did during President Bush'srecent visit. The UPA Government'sdithering on the Iran vote, under Left Front'spressure based on their efforts to consolidate their Muslim vote bank, was equally disconcerting. Iran emerging as an atomic power is not in our national interest, more so because of its clandestine dealings on the bomb with Pakistan and China. The myth that Iran is our trusted friend needs to be demolished. Iran invariably and consistently sided with Pakistan on Kashmir issue. Whether the Government resisted Left Front'spressure on Iran vote because of its commitment to ?national interests? or under US pressure is an open question.
In the context of the cancellation of Danish Prime Minister'svisit to India, it is pertinent to recall how the Congress Government sacrificed national interests to serve its petty partisan interests and presumably to retain its ?secular? image way back in 1960s. In the wake of Chinese attack in 1962, Nepal took a major tilt towards China and showed unusual hostility towards India – its closest friend and ally. Deeply concerned about the development regarding a country with which India has open borders and centuries-old cultural and religious ties, Shri Guruji decided to work on Nepal'sHindu identity. He went to Nepal in 1963 on a pilgrimage to Pashupati Nath and followed that up with a call on King Mahendra. Shri Guruji discussed with the King the age-old close and intimate relations between the two countries and told him that people of India had great regard and love for the King and his country. Shri Guruji invited King Mahendra to come to Nagpur and see for himself the nature of the work the Sangh was doing. The King readily accepted the invitation. Immediately after his sojourn to Nepal, Shri Guruji briefed Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri about his talks with the King.
Radio Nepal in its bulletin on December 25, 1964 announced that the King would go to Nagpur on January 14 to preside over the Makar Sakranti Utsav on an invitation from the RSS Chief. This sent shock waves in China and Pakistan because of the perception that the King'spresence at an RSS rally will mark a significant change in Himalayan Kingdom'sforeign relations. One could understand the concerns of our hostile neighbours to the development but surprisingly New Delhi was equally disturbed. Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Sriman Narayan, went out of his way to poison the King'smind by conveying to him that his participation in the RSS rally would acutely embarrass the Indian Government on the totally false premise that the Sangh was involved in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. The King declined to oblige but the EAM brought tremendous pressure on the King who was left with no option but to give up his plans to visit Nagpur. Interestingly the announcement to that effect that the King had cancelled his visit for ?personal reasons? (another lie) was made not by Kathmandu but by the EAM. It so enraged the Nepal Government that Prime Minister Dr. Tulsi Giri told this author – who was working for Hindusthan Samachar news agency at Kathmandu – that the EAM announcement was a ?blatant lie? and that the King had been advised by the Government of India not to participate in the RSS rally, as it would embarrass the Indian Government.
To put the record straight, King Birendra wrote a personal letter to Shri Guruji expressing his anguish over the turn of events and requesting him to appreciate the circumstances under which he had to cancel his trip to which he was looking forward. He expressed his regrets over the disappointment that might be caused to people of Nagpur by his failure to keep the date with them. More importantly, he asked Shri Guruji to read out his presidential address at the rally. That was done. In his speech that was read in absentia at the Makar Sakranti Utsav at Nagpur on Jaunary 14, 1965, the King paid glowing tributes to the RSS for its devotion to the cause of Hindu unity. King Mahendra was happy to learn that the Sangh was engaged in uniting Hindus of India and developing the society as a disciplined forces wedded to purity of character and patriotism. ?We wish the Sangh all success on behalf of the people of the only sovereign Hindu nation in the world?, he added.
Describing India and Nepal as ?one land of the Hindus?, King Mahendra said the entire Hindu world should be proud of the fact that Nepal was able to maintain its character as a Hindu Rashtra in an ambience in which Hindus feel terrorised and embarrassed to call themselves Hindu. He called upon Hindus all over the world to remain united and emerge as a force in the global context. ?Dharma is the life force for all of us. We can'tsurvive by remaining indifferent or isolated from this fundamental truth. We are proud of being a member of our ancient and great religion. It is the duty of all those living in this land of Hinduism to inspire all Hindus living in various countries of the world to live as a strong, spirited and model Hindus?, King Mahendra observed. It was indeed an inspired speech that underlined the cultural and religious unity of the two countries. King Mahendra'snoble thoughts would have had deeper impact on Indo-Nepal relations had New Delhi refrained from making that ill-advised and disastrous move. Nothing has changed in the Congress in the last 40 years and more. Its policies of appeasement of minorities and ignoring national interest for narrow partisan gains continue to haunt the nation.
Comments