December 11, 2014
Saugata Roy speaks on the reports of forcible conversion in Agra | Transcript
Sir, I rise to speak on the discussion under Rule 193. As you said earlier, this is a sensitive issue and we should not do or say anything which raises the communal temperature of the House or the country. We should discuss the whole matter dispassionately and calmly.
What happened in Agra? In Agra, in a slum cluster called Madhunagar, 200 Muslims were reconverted to Hinduism, in a religious function called ghar wapsi (get back home). They were promised ration card and houses. Farhan, a Muslim from that area he said that 40 people in saffron scarves came and stood on their head. This was carried out by Dharma Jagran Samanya Vibhag, an RSS offshoot and Bajrang Dal.
Sir, as a citizen of this country, as people’s representative, I feel somehow worried about the turn of events in the country. It is known historically that when capitalists fail to give economic relief they go for religious or racial issues; the best example is Adolf Hitler, who on the basis of Aryanism created Fascism which is a mixture between reactionary philosophy and capitalism. This is something I am worried about.
Just today one respected member of the House said in a speech in Maharashtra that both Mahatma Gandhi and Nathuram Godse were patriots. Is this what the BJP accepts? I thought that BJP is for Ram. Now I know BJP is for Nathuram. I do not appreciate that.
I am astounded by this statement by a senior Minister. She said that the Gita could be the National Book or National Scripture. I have read Gita, memorized. It is a matter of believe. But my soul doesn’t teach me that I have to force Gita on somebody whose religious book may be Quran, Granth Sahib, Tripitak or the Bible. Why should I impose that on him? This is called majoritarianism. Jo sankha guru hay usko mat dusre por lagao, isi ka hum khilaf hay.
Sir, I have come from Bengal where the great Sage Ramakrishna Paramahansa Dev said Joto Mot Toto Poth. There are as many ways as there are opinions. His great disciple Swami Vivekananda went to America and he said I am a Hindu Sanayasi and I have come to talk about the teaching from Guru Ramakrishna but he never said that Christians must get converted to Hinduism. He said it is a question of belief.
Now what is happening in our country? In Delhi, two churches are vandalised and destroyed. In a place in Trilokpuri, just before the Delhi election, communal riot takes place. Several hundred small and big communal riots have taken place. You all know Muzaffarnagar riots and how we polarized the society. It gets political benefit to a certain political party but do you want these things to happen? You wanted power, you got power. Now it is your responsibility to see that everybody in this country can live peacefully according to the Constitution.
Sir, I salute the founding fathers of the Constitution. We happen to be victim of the partition. Jinnah created Pakistan on the basis of two nation theory. In spite of that, the great founding fathers – Gandhi ji, Nehru ji, Azad, Ambedkar, Rajendra Prasad – created a secular Constitution. And what did it say? “We the people of India, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic.”
In the educational field, the Vice Chancellors are being appointed on political and communal basis. Is this what we want our Vice Chancellors to be? The President of ICHR, Indian Council for Historical Research, has no other subject, he wants to find out exact date of Ramayana and Mahabharata. There is a difference between mythology, epics and actual solid history. Maybe he is not aware of that.
I have mentioned in this House earlier, that the HRD Minister, spends time with Dinanath Batra, the ideologue of Hindu Communalist Organisation and astrologer. Now what happened to the scientific temper that Nehru ji had proposed? Sir, that is why, I am worried and I again through you Sir, appeal to the members of the ruling party, Sir, let us give up this divisive attitude.
They need not revert to divisive politics for political gains. They have all the power in the world, let them change the country. Achhe din agar lana hai toh laya jai, lekin logo me bibhajan paida math kare. Hindu Muslim Sikh Isaai, Apas me sab bhai bhai.
In the end, I want to quote Rabindranath Tagore. He said:
Esho hey arjo, esho anarjo, hindu-musalman.
Esho esho aaj tumi ingraj, esho esho khrishtan.
Esho brahmon, shuchi kori mon dharo haath sabaakaar.
Let this great country with a tradition older than 5000 years, not it be divided on the basis of religion, caste or community. Let us together march towards the future unitedly, as was envisaged in the Constitution.
