There is nothing sacrosanct about Pranab, but he being brahmin was important for RSS... as also for others

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*

Pranab Mukherjee has paid 'gIorious' tribute to RSS founder Hedgewar as a great son of India. At the same point of time he also spoke of 'constitutional patriotism'. Yes, people like us have been speaking about constitutional morality but Pranab Da also knows that such things will fail when constitution does not become part of our life, not to be used suitably by everyone according to their convenience.
There are many who felt that Pranab Mukherjee did well and spoke at the Sangh Parivar platform and put his 'strong' viewpoint and there are millions others who felt 'betrayed'. Many said, would Pranab go to attend any political meeting organised by other political outfits of either Muslims or Christian organisations? There is no doubt that RSS's inviting guest is nothing but to project its image as 'Iiberal’ organisation.
Second, it is also clever in knowing people's profile. We all know Pranab Mukherjee a die hard brahmin whose Janeu is visible during the nine days fasting at his home town every year. Such learned persons, full of 'knowledge', still follow those casteist traditions reflects the whole mindset. He gave an idea that constitutional patriotism alone can unite us but he would never dare to say that it is the brahmanical forces who are hell bent to destroy this country. After all what does RSS mean about Indian culture? It means a culture of brahmanical hegemony, that too of pure Nagpuri brahmins.
I did not have any expectations from Pranab. I always felt he was a typical babu who is 'expert' in nitty gritties and Indira Gandhi used his quality. There are hundreds of babus in the secretariat and offices who know more than their bosses, but for being a leader you need more than mere technical knowledge. You need courage to say things and you must have convictions.
Can any one say Pranab has convictions? Can Pranab ever come close to say Arjun Singh, a man much discarded by Delhi elite but was brilliant and never compromised on his secular values? When did Pranab speak about social justice in his entire career even as he hailed from Bengal, which has a huge Dalit and Muslim population? Where were his principles when he met Bal Thackrey for his own campaign?
Pranab knows well that the same RSS and its internet goons have been carrying on campaign against Sonia Gandhi and the Nehru family. Sonia was targeted for her foreign origin. Rather than appreciating the woman who made India her home, it continued to vilify her. Question is, how long will we justify our softness towards such an organisation whose ideas are absolutely farcical and supremacists? Though they abuse Nehru they will find a photograph here or there suggesting that he attended their meeting. If Nehru had a soft corner then why they didn't invite him?
Krishna Gopal has written about Babasaheb Ambedkar's relationship with RSS leaders. We know for fact, that at the highest level, leaders do not get personal and will not insult individually, but to suggest that all those who met them in person support their viewpoint is mischievous and scandalous. None of these leaders ever attended their platform and spoke in admiration for their 'politics'. Even if someone has spoken several decade back, when the organisation was an isolated urbanised one, it is a much different thing than today when the organisation wields enormous power and guide the ruling party.
It is important to understand whether RSS really believes in dialogue or not. What are the dialogues it wants? It has used the bogey of culture to make you surrender and plant stories against you in the media. Will the Sangh Parivar uphold what Mukherjee said, 'value of constitution' and rule of law? Should we accept whatever the constitution says or should we say that the constitution must adhere to all the highest standards of human dignity and human rights, right to choice as defined in international laws, and various human rights covenants?
We admit that at the moment defending the constitution is the best thing, but it is equally important that RSS is influencing the government to change various things. We need to oppose them. When we say respect the constitution, it means respect the constitution in original, and not as per the amended version on the advise of Sangh Parivar. Can we accept the rules framed to humiliate the minorities?
Pranab Mukherjee is a drawing room politician. He could win his first Lok Sabha poll in 2004, thinking he could have become prime minister. Well, as an individual he has every right to become the prime minister, but that depends on the party in power.
There is nothing sacrosanct about Pranab, but some factors that his being brahmin was important for RSS and others. The other factor was his close association with Reliance. That is the reason that for long there was a whisper that Reliance was forcing Modi to work for a second term for Mukherjee.
Pranab Mukherjee is a senior citizen now and may be seen as a consensus candidate in case there is crisis. We hope this situation will not arise in India, as there are enough leaders. India needs political leaders with clear vision and unambiguous characteristics, and not those who can define things according to their convenience.
In his life Pranab da rarely spoke of Ambedkar. I would suggest him to visit Nagpur during the Dhamma Chakra Pravartan Diwas and see a million people turning up to pay their tribute to Babasaheb Ambedkar and celebrate the Dhamma. We would like him to speak there and address the nation.
The Bania channels, who have been dutifully broadcasting the absurd drill of the so-called Swayamsevaks, have never ever done a live show of the Deekshabhumi event. Nagpur is the birth place of RSS, but in the city the Sangh is totally outclassed by Ambedkarites. Mukherjee is called a knowledgeable person but I dont know how much he knows that there is a huge congregation every year at Deekshabhumi, where people flock on their own.
Will Mukherjee ever show his willingness to visit Deekshabhumi and address the huge gathering of the people there? I am sure, he will get more enlightenment there than he got at the Sangh Parivar's headquarter. Was it not shameful that an organisation claiming to be more patriotic could not unfurl the national flag and sing national anthem? For last four years, the goons in the name of patriotism have been beating up people, giving licence of nationalism and patriotism to them but rarely do the same.
I agree with Shramistha Mukherjee, his daughter, who said that only visuals will remain and would be used in future by the fake news agencies of the Sangh Parivar. The speech would also be used that way. Pranab Da is a politicians and played his game but it will be a disaster if he considers himself an alternative of the current government, or is attempting to be a consensus candidate. We hope it will not happen.
Pranab should have been speaking as conscience keeper of our country, rather he has legitimised an organisation, which is responsible for all the chaos and anarchy that we have in the country today. It means nothing to say that he was a Congressman all his life. Janue i.e. sacred brahmanical thread, wins over ideology.
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Source: The author's Facebook timeline