Calcutta: CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury sounds press alarm over RSS’s agenda of creating ‘Hindu Rashtra’
CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury said in Calcutta on Wednesday that the RSS’s agenda of creating a “Hindu Rashtra” dates back to before Independence and appealed to the country’s secular, democratic political environment to ensure that the BJP is separated from state power.
Yechury was speaking at a symposium on “Challenges to safeguard a secular, democratic republic” organized on the occasion of the foundation stone laying ceremony of Jyoti Basu Center for Social Studies and Research in New Town.
The event coincided with the 14th death anniversary of Bengal’s longest serving Chief Minister.
The present challenge is to protect the secular, democratic, republic. The threat did not come because of one person who is our Prime Minister. Yechury said, “Because of them, danger has emerged in the present but this danger has come because of an ideological battle before independence.”
The CPM leader was referring to the ideological opposition of the RSS and the Muslim League to the idea of a secular, democratic, republic as they wanted a nation based on religion.
“The debate was on what would be the character of independent India. The broad idea was that given the diversity of the nation, India should be a secular and democratic republic…. Communists including Jyoti Basu agreed with the idea of a secular democratic republic, but said that it should not stop there and should move towards socialism… of the kind envisioned by Bhagat Singh… but the twins – the RSS and the Muslim League – a Hindu Rashtra and Wanted an Islamic republic,” Yechury said.
Emphasizing that the bigotry prevailing in India is not the work of “one Prime Minister” but the goal of the RSS, the CPM leader wanted like-minded political parties and people to come together to save the four pillars of the Constitution – secularism. Come forward. , economic freedom, sovereignty and federalism.
As India heads towards another Lok Sabha election battle and a nationwide frenzy over the inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22, Yechury appealed to the people to “separate the RSS-directed BJP from power in the state”. Urged to make every possible effort. Save the secular democratic republic”.
Without naming political parties, Yechury said the fight against the BJP will involve opposition from all across the saffron ecosystem.
Speaking after Yechury, CPM state secretary Mohammed Saleem reminded the audience that weakening the freedom struggle was also a part of the RSS’s agenda.
Although Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan could not attend the event in their respective states, they sent written messages for the event.
Nitish described Basu as an inspirational person and a great leader of the democratic-socialist tradition. Vijayan recalled the role of the former Bengal chief minister in protecting India’s democratic institutions.
Nobel laureate Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee also sent a note welcoming a research center in Basu’s memory.
