Think it over Were they (Gandhiji and Nehru) under Muslim spell?
Sunday, February 5, 2023
  • Circulation
  • Advertise
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
Organiser
  • ‌
  • Bharat
  • World
  • G20
  • Editorial
  • Analysis
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • More
    • Defence
    • RSS in News
    • Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav
    • My States
    • Vocal4Local
    • Business
    • Special Report
    • Culture
    • Sci & Tech
    • Entertainment
    • Education
    • Books
    • Interviews
    • Travel
    • Health
    • Obituary
SUBSCRIBE
No Result
View All Result
  • ‌
  • Bharat
  • World
  • G20
  • Editorial
  • Analysis
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • More
    • Defence
    • RSS in News
    • Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav
    • My States
    • Vocal4Local
    • Business
    • Special Report
    • Culture
    • Sci & Tech
    • Entertainment
    • Education
    • Books
    • Interviews
    • Travel
    • Health
    • Obituary
No Result
View All Result
Organiser
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Bharat
  • World
  • G20
  • Editorial
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Culture
  • Defence
  • RSS in News
  • My States
  • Vocal4Local
  • Subscribe
Home General

Think it over Were they (Gandhiji and Nehru) under Muslim spell?

Archive Manager by WEB DESK
Jun 15, 2008, 12:00 am IST
in General
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterTelegramEmail

No. They were not. But the belief persists. Their policy of appeasement was notorious. But it was a matter of expediency.

Gandhiji believed in Hindu-Muslim unity. It was an axiom with him for the victory of the freedom struggle. And what mattered to Nehru were the votes of the Muslims. Without their votes, the Congress was not sure of gaining power in view of the anti-Congress upsurge among the Hindus.

But what were their innermost thoughts about the Muslims? Gandhiji says that though Hindus and Muslims came from the same stock, the religious environment in which they were brought up made all the difference between them. And being a minority, he says, Muslims, as a class, developed into bullies. How? He explains: ?The 1400 years of (Muslim) imperialist expansion made the Mussalmans into fighters?. They were, therefore, aggressive. ?Bullying is the natural excrescence of an aggressive spirit, ?he warns. Surely Gandhiji was not blind.

As against this, say the Mahatma, the Hindus had an age-old civilisation. They were essentially non-violent. As such, he says, they were not equipped to fight.? In fact, ?they had become docile to the point of timidity or cowardice,? he says. If Hindus would but believe themselves, the Mahatma says, and work in accordance with their tradition, ?they would have no reason to fear the bullying.? (Young India, 19.6.1924)

Gandhiji admits that the sword is not the emblem of Islam. But (it) is ?yet too much in evidence among the Mussalmans?. It must be ?sheathed, if Islam is to be what it means (what it claims to be?)?peace,? he says. (Young India, 30.12.1926)

If this was what Gandhiji really thought of the Indian Muslims, his policy of appeasement can be explained only in terms of expediency. It is true, Gandhiji was least informed on matters Islamic.

Independent India offered the Muslims an unique opportunity to share power with the Hindus. But they failed to seize the opportunity. After raising a revolt against the British raj in 1857, they became collaborators of the British. And after having brought about the horrendous Partition of the country, they became collaborators of the Congress Party. This was no way to carve out a worthy destiny.

Of course, they desperately wanted assurance of security. They also wanted to prevent a Hindu revival. And the Congress, as I said before, was desperately in need of Muslim votes to be in power. That was how a deal came to be struck between the Muslims and Pt. Nehru. The outcome was the introduction of secularism as a government policy.

But did Nehru know that the Muslims consider secularism as the worst evil? He did not. He had a poor opinion about the Muslim advent. He writes: ?The people of Central Asia, who invaded India, were fierce and merciless… Having conquered a new country, they knew only one way of keeping it under control?the way of terror? A terrible indictment! Terror is still a major weapon in the hands of Muslims.

Nehru did not hide his real feelings about the vandalism of Aurangzeb. He writes: ?He was an austere puritan, a bigot tolerating no religion but his own. Deliberately, he laid down a policy of persecution of Hindus. Deliberately, he reversed Akbar'spolicy of conciliation and synthesis?He reimposed the Jaziya, excluded Hindus from office, gave offence to the Rajput nobles and brought about the Rajput war.? Not these alone. He ?destroyed Hindu temples by the thousands and many a beautiful building of the past was reduced to dust.?

As against this, he was a great admirer of India'spast. ?Their (Hindus?) moral and spiritual culture was so high that it could resist conversion?The blind bigotry of the Muslims was gradually tempered by the philosophic culture of the Hindus.?

But it is true he had a poor opinion of the Hindus among whom he lived. In a confidential letter dated 17.11.1953 addressed to his Home Minister K.N. Katju, he says: ?What real Hinduism may be is a matter for each individual Hindu to decide. We can take only as it is in practice and in practice the Hindu is certainly not tolerant and is more narrow-minded than almost any person in any other country except the Jews. It does not help much to talk of Hindu philosophy, which is magnificent. The fate of India is largely tied up with the Hindu outlook. If the present Hindu outlook does not change radically, I?m, quite sure that India is doomed. The Muslim outlook may be, and I think is often worse, but it does not make much difference to the future of India.? (emphasis mine)

Dear reader, the ?Muslim policy? of Gandhiji and Nehru might have been a Himalayan blunder, but they were under no spell. I am convinced that the appeasement policy of the Congress today is far more shameful than it ever was under Gandhiji and Nehru. Think it over.

ShareTweetSendShareSend
Previous News

VSK honours journalists on Narad Jayanti

Next News

A Matter of Economics Growth without inflation Some creative suggestions for Chidambaram

Related News

President appoints five new judges to the Supreme Court

President appoints five new judges to the Supreme Court

Wanted Maoist held in Aurangabad; security forces unearthed Maoist dump in Odisha’s Kalahandi

Wanted Maoist held in Aurangabad; security forces unearthed Maoist dump in Odisha’s Kalahandi

Pakistan’s ISI, LeT sent hand grenades for ‘lone wolf’ attack in Hyderabad: NIA

Pakistan’s ISI, LeT sent hand grenades for ‘lone wolf’ attack in Hyderabad: NIA

Hindenburg-Adani Controversy: Attack on Adani is continuation of assaults on Indian economy

Hindenburg-Adani Controversy: Attack on Adani is continuation of assaults on Indian economy

India joins hands with France, UAE in trilateral defence, energy cooperation

India joins hands with France, UAE in trilateral defence, energy cooperation

AMU sudents chanted ‘Nara-e-Takbeer Allah-hu-Akhbar’; praised BBC documentary in memorandum

AMU sudents chanted ‘Nara-e-Takbeer Allah-hu-Akhbar’; praised BBC documentary in memorandum

Comments

The comments posted here/below/in the given space are not on behalf of Organiser. The person posting the comment will be in sole ownership of its responsibility. According to the central government's IT rules, obscene or offensive statement made against a person, religion, community or nation is a punishable offense, and legal action would be taken against people who indulge in such activities.

Latest News

President appoints five new judges to the Supreme Court

President appoints five new judges to the Supreme Court

Wanted Maoist held in Aurangabad; security forces unearthed Maoist dump in Odisha’s Kalahandi

Wanted Maoist held in Aurangabad; security forces unearthed Maoist dump in Odisha’s Kalahandi

Pakistan’s ISI, LeT sent hand grenades for ‘lone wolf’ attack in Hyderabad: NIA

Pakistan’s ISI, LeT sent hand grenades for ‘lone wolf’ attack in Hyderabad: NIA

Hindenburg-Adani Controversy: Attack on Adani is continuation of assaults on Indian economy

Hindenburg-Adani Controversy: Attack on Adani is continuation of assaults on Indian economy

India joins hands with France, UAE in trilateral defence, energy cooperation

India joins hands with France, UAE in trilateral defence, energy cooperation

AMU sudents chanted ‘Nara-e-Takbeer Allah-hu-Akhbar’; praised BBC documentary in memorandum

AMU sudents chanted ‘Nara-e-Takbeer Allah-hu-Akhbar’; praised BBC documentary in memorandum

“Never, ever bet against India” – Here is what Anand Mahindra said regarding Hindenburg Controversy

“Never, ever bet against India” – Here is what Anand Mahindra said regarding Hindenburg Controversy

Bageshwar Dham Row: Why ‘Liberal-Secular’ rationalists leave no stone unturned to defame Sanatan Dharma

Bageshwar Dham Row: Why ‘Liberal-Secular’ rationalists leave no stone unturned to defame Sanatan Dharma

Sant Ravidas: Devotee of Bhagwan Ram and a social reformer

Sant Ravidas: Devotee of Bhagwan Ram and a social reformer

Sant Ravidas Jayanti: Dharma & Religion and the nine ways of devotion to God

Sant Ravidas Jayanti: Dharma & Religion and the nine ways of devotion to God

  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Cookie Policy
  • Refund and Cancellation
  • Delivery and Shipping

© Bharat Prakashan (Delhi) Limited.
Tech-enabled by Ananthapuri Technologies

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Bharat
  • World
  • Editorial
  • Analysis
  • Opinion
  • Defence
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Business
  • RSS in News
  • My States
  • Vocal4Local
  • Special Report
  • Sci & Tech
  • Entertainment
  • Education
  • Books
  • Interviews
  • Travel
  • Health
  • Obituary
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • Circulation
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Refund and Cancellation

© Bharat Prakashan (Delhi) Limited.
Tech-enabled by Ananthapuri Technologies