“We never realised the secret of organised strength, and hence we lost our freedom and peace though always numerically superior to any invading force, for want of organised life. .. Even a solitary Muslim goonda feels confident that he can terrorise the whole Hindu population of a place. Every Hindu feels that he is alone and single-handed though the truth is otherwise. This feeling is responsible for the atmosphere of dread and cowardice prevalent in our midst. It has made us wretched and degenerated to such an extent that we are not ashamed to connive at the atrocities committed under our very nose just to save our skin…It should be our effort, therefore, to fight out these unworthy and perverted ideas and replace them by healthy and proper outlook, if we have to put a stop to our downfall”.
– M S Golwalkar (Shri Guruji), Second Sarsanghachalak of RSS, in his speech delivered at the Sangh Shiksha Varg on May 7, 1942, at Nagpur
On July 9th, 2022, since early morning, ordinary people thronged the streets of Central Delhi unprecedentedly. It was not a political call. No posters or hoardings were raised to mobilise the masses. Just messaging through direct or social media and more than 1 lakh 50 thousand people hit the street with just one question – whether this country would be run by the Constitution or by the Sharia Law.
The Hindu Sankalp March organised under the aegis of Vishwa Hindu Parishad was unique in many ways. It was a peaceful march of the entire Hindu society who felt concerned about the growing Islamic radicalisation in Bharat and how violence is being justified under one pretext or the other. People from all walks of life, from Armed Forces personnel, bureaucrats, and spiritual leaders to ordinary women, children, students and labourers, started gathering around the Mandi House circle of Central Delhi.
The massive march concluded at Jantar Mantar, a designated protest place near the Sansad Marg. There was only one speech by the International Working President of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Shri Alok Kumar, an eminent lawyer. He broadly made three points through that brief but fiery speech: Firstly, targeting Nupur Sharma is a diversionary strategy of Islamists so that the right to worship at Kashi and Mathura takes a backseat. Secondly, the present-day Bharat is not ready to accept the Sharia mindset of Sar Tan Se Juda. Thirdly, the question of free speech is central here. Do we have a right to discuss the Islamic history, personalities and scriptures and raise relevant questions about them as we do in the case of all other religions? This question should be a fundamental consideration before the court in this case involving Nupur Sharma. The March ended with the collective recitation of Hanuman Chalisa.
After the Ram Janmabhoomi Movement, perhaps it was the first time that the nation witnessed this kind of Hindu strength on roads. The entire atmosphere was electrifying and disciplined at the same time.
The brutal killings of Kanhaiya Lal in Udaipur, Rajasthan and Umesh Kolhe in Amaravati, Maharashtra, had shaken the nation to the core. After the controversy erupted with the television debate involving Tasleem Rahmani, a former SDPI leader and Nupur Sharma, former spokesperson of BJP, violent protests were orchestrated all over Bharat, with an open call for beheading of Nupur, as per the Sharia Law. Even the people who stood by her were threatened. The actual killings of Kanhaiya Lal and Umesh Kolhe reminded everyone of Taliban or ISIS-like beheadings. The judicial observations while hearing the petition filed by Nupur Sharma for clubbing all FIRs were perceived to encourage the Islamists, as they held Nupur Sharma responsible for beheading. There was an atmosphere of anger and frustration. Everyone believed that the threat of Islamic radicalisation was real and existential. The show of unity and expressing concerns through placards and slogans sent a message nationwide.
The Hindu Sankalp March itself was a message. It was an embodiment of awakened Hindu consciousness. Each woman talking to the media was fearlessly standing by Nupur Sharma and defended her, citing the Islamic scriptures. The underlying message of the March was simple and straight: the Hindu Unity for protecting the civilisational values of our nation is the sole guarantee for free speech, religious freedom and other Constitutional rights.
