06-07-2005, 11:59 PM
Cross post
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->N S Rajaram's Response to Dr. J. K. Bajaj's Statement
[Start]
Dr Bajaj has given an excellent summary. Jinnah's statement was an aberration, that is a contrast to the ground reality. Mr Advani, like most Indian leaders has shown a profound ignorance of history. At the same time there cannot be much doubt that Jinnah was primarily a secular figure who used Islam as a political tool-- just as Ram Vilas Paswan is using it today.
But the blame for the partition and its horrors cannot be placed exclusively on Jinnah. Gandhi and the Congress-- Gandhi's "religious sophistry" (to paraphrase Sri Aurobindo) and the Congress loss of nerve were no less to blame. And a point that is unpleasant but must be faced-- Bengali character of lack of will to fight were no less responsible.
This is a truth that must be faced: there is a serious problem, still with us and may divide India agains by losing large parts of the East to Bangladesh. For this Bengalis and their leaders are to be held responsible. I see Communism in West Bengal also as a mark of dhimmitude, preparation for the day when they may have to live under Bangldeshi Muslims. They see what is happening to the minorities in Bangladesh and are looking apprehensively to the future when they too might have to live under a similar regime. So they are whitewashing history and also ignoring the plight of the Hindus in Bangladesh (and turning back on Tasleem Nasrin).
After all many of the Communist leaders in West Bengal are victims of the Partition but still their fear of Islam makes them curry favor with their tormentors in the hope that they will be spared. They won't be-- see what happened to the Communists in Iran after Khomeini and also in Pakistan. There are no Communists in Bangladesh either, or in Jammu and Kashmir for that matter.
As Churchill once said: "An appeaser is one who keeps feeding a crocodile in the hope it will eat him last."
But Gandhi is a different matter. He, not Jinnah legitimized Muslim separatism by sponsoring the Khilafat and the Ali Brothers. But unlike Jinnah who made no secret of his aims, Gandhi and the Congress deceived the public by claiming that they would never allow Partition.This was the promise on which the Congress won the election.
And now Gandhi, the sponsorer of the Khilafat, supporter of the Ali Brothers, apologist for the Moplah atrocities-- is being held up as a 'secular' figure!
It is not clear that Indians are mature enough to face the truth about their history. They seem still to live in denial or fear of Muslim violence.
One good thing that can come out of this Advani fiasco is that there may be an open debate about Gandhi and Congress role in the Partition.
For more on this, see my book GANDHI, KHILAFAT AND THE NATIONAL MOVEMENT. It is available on internet at: Click
N.S. Rajaram
[End]<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->N S Rajaram's Response to Dr. J. K. Bajaj's Statement
[Start]
Dr Bajaj has given an excellent summary. Jinnah's statement was an aberration, that is a contrast to the ground reality. Mr Advani, like most Indian leaders has shown a profound ignorance of history. At the same time there cannot be much doubt that Jinnah was primarily a secular figure who used Islam as a political tool-- just as Ram Vilas Paswan is using it today.
But the blame for the partition and its horrors cannot be placed exclusively on Jinnah. Gandhi and the Congress-- Gandhi's "religious sophistry" (to paraphrase Sri Aurobindo) and the Congress loss of nerve were no less to blame. And a point that is unpleasant but must be faced-- Bengali character of lack of will to fight were no less responsible.
This is a truth that must be faced: there is a serious problem, still with us and may divide India agains by losing large parts of the East to Bangladesh. For this Bengalis and their leaders are to be held responsible. I see Communism in West Bengal also as a mark of dhimmitude, preparation for the day when they may have to live under Bangldeshi Muslims. They see what is happening to the minorities in Bangladesh and are looking apprehensively to the future when they too might have to live under a similar regime. So they are whitewashing history and also ignoring the plight of the Hindus in Bangladesh (and turning back on Tasleem Nasrin).
After all many of the Communist leaders in West Bengal are victims of the Partition but still their fear of Islam makes them curry favor with their tormentors in the hope that they will be spared. They won't be-- see what happened to the Communists in Iran after Khomeini and also in Pakistan. There are no Communists in Bangladesh either, or in Jammu and Kashmir for that matter.
As Churchill once said: "An appeaser is one who keeps feeding a crocodile in the hope it will eat him last."
But Gandhi is a different matter. He, not Jinnah legitimized Muslim separatism by sponsoring the Khilafat and the Ali Brothers. But unlike Jinnah who made no secret of his aims, Gandhi and the Congress deceived the public by claiming that they would never allow Partition.This was the promise on which the Congress won the election.
And now Gandhi, the sponsorer of the Khilafat, supporter of the Ali Brothers, apologist for the Moplah atrocities-- is being held up as a 'secular' figure!
It is not clear that Indians are mature enough to face the truth about their history. They seem still to live in denial or fear of Muslim violence.
One good thing that can come out of this Advani fiasco is that there may be an open debate about Gandhi and Congress role in the Partition.
For more on this, see my book GANDHI, KHILAFAT AND THE NATIONAL MOVEMENT. It is available on internet at: Click
N.S. Rajaram
[End]<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->