Pretender to Patels legacy: Modi wants a statue for him but buries his idea of India,Digvijaya Singh,Times of India, 13.3.2014 The idea of India is thrilling because it captures the countrys heterogeneity, encapsulates every period of its history and focuses on fulfilling the aspirations of more than a billion people. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was among those who laid the foundation of this very idea of India. Essential to Patels idea of India was a democratic polity and pluralistic society. The RSSs idea of India on the other hand is the complete anti-thesis of Patels. This can best be understood by reading some of the statements of M S Golwalkar (RSSs second sarsanghchalak), during whose reign Narendra Modi was a pracharak. Golwalkar believed, as stated in We, or Our Nation Defined, that non-Hindus of Hindustan must be wholly subordinated to the Hindu nation, claiming nothing, de-serving no privileges, far less any preferential treatment - not even citizens rights. Given the inherent contradiction in Patels and RSSs philosophy, the sudden ap-propriation of this national icon by BJP is sheer political opportunism. Modi, who joined RSS when he was 15, is deeply influenced by its philosophy. He has stated that he was fortunate to have been an RSS swayamsevak and imbibed the outfits values. Modi has said, I can say for sure that what is best in me, finest in me, is due in large part to my training with the RSS. Patel believed RSSs ideology to be poisonous. He wrote to his cabinet colleague Shyama Prasad Mookerjee on July 18, 1948: Our reports do confirm that, as a result of the activities of these two bodies, particularly the former (RSS), an atmosphere was created in the country in which such a ghastly tragedy (Mahatma Gandhis assassination) became possible. The activities of the RSS constituted a clear threat to the existence of government and the state. The government, with Patel as home minister, promptly banned RSS on February 4, 1948. Some argue that it was Patel who lifted the ban on RSS, but conveniently forget that this was done on certain strict conditions in July 1949. Central to this agreement was that RSS should adopt a written and published constitution, restrict itself to culture, forswear violence and secrecy, profess loyalty to Indias flag and Constitution and provide for a democratic organization. That Modi today is proud of RSSs values, which Sardar Saheb held responsible for the Mahatmas death, is telling. It is even more surprising that Modi chooses (rather deceitfully) to suddenly be an ardent follower of Sardar Saheb, given that during the third year of his RSS training he lived with a senior functionary of the outfit. The functionarys son, Mohan Bhagwat, is now RSS sarsanghchalak. If Modi has had a genuine change of heart, is he willing to openly denounce RSS? This brings us to a more fundamental point. If for a moment we (disregarding his-tory and looking beyond every iota of reason) assume that this change of heart has happened, what did Modi do before this to honour the Sardar? Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurated a museum honouring Patel. The construction of the museum, conceptualised by the Sardar Patel Memorial Society and supported by the government, was made possible by generous donations from the people of Gujarat. The Modi-led Gujarat government did not contribute a single rupee to the cause. Where was the admiration for Patel at this time? Or was a museum commemorating Patel not an appropriate honour? BJPs prime ministerial candidate has twisted the truth, repeatedly stating that Congress had forgotten Patel. One of the most important police institutes - National Police Academy - was established under Congress rule and is named Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy. Congress associated Patels name with the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation building in 1956. It was the same Congress which associated Sardars name with the Narmada dam project that is Gujarats lifeline. Congress also named Ahmedabad airport after Sardar Saheb. Apart from the fundamentally different ideology, Patels style of administration is also intrinsically dissimilar to Modis. It is known to one and all that Gujarats CM believes in one-man rule and an autocratic style of functioning. Patel was a believer in collective leadership. Having selected his men, Patel trusted them entirely to im-plement his policy. Sardar never assumed that he knew everything and he never adopted a policy without full and frank consultation, Sardars home secretary V P Menon had said. If Modi did truly understand Patels philosophy, the Rs 3,500 crore he wants to spend on his statue, billed to be taller than the Statue of Liberty, could have been used towards a scheme to benefit the people. The Gujarat government could have then named it after Patel. Pretenders to Patels legacy should introspect. They should avoid being ignorant of history and economical in telling the truth. If they do desire to emulate Patel, they should do so in a holistic manner and look at what the Sardar dedicated his life to a united India, which has space for everyone, irrespective of caste, creed, language, ethnicity and, most importantly, religion. The writer is general secretary of Congress party.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 07:23:35 +0000
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