The Akhila Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS) of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for 2009 that concluded recently at Nagpur adopted the following resolutions:
1. War on terror: Crush terror networks
2. Policy of religious discrimination dangerous for national integrity
3. 500th anniversary of Krishnadevaraya's coronation
Here are some excerpts:
War on terror: Crush terror networks
The ABPS condones the death of a large number of people, including senior army and police officials, in the dastardly terrorist attack on Mumbai on 26 November 2008. It extols the gallant actions of the members of our counter-terrorism agencies that led to the capture of one and elimination of the other terrorists.
The ABPS calls upon the Government to:
- Enhance the counter-terrorism capabilities of our security agencies and equip them fully with the necessary retaliatory competence so that no future terror attacks are possible.
- Enact stringent laws on the lines of POTA and MCOCA. Give assent to the anti-terror laws enacted by some states, like Gujarat and Rajasthan.
- Destroy the local support network in the form of sleeper cells and terror modules.
- Strengthen the intelligence gathering network and create a unified command for combating terror.
- Train various agencies, including media and civilian population, in counter-terrorism measures.
- Not allow political considerations to overshadow the battle against terror.
Policy of religious discrimination dangerous for national integrity
The ABPS considers it highly unfortunate that... policy makers, instead of trying to build a cohesive society on just and equitable principles, are dividing the society for narrow political benefits overlooking the grave implications for our national security and integrity.
The ABPS reiterates that preferential treatment to a section of our society on the basis of religion is against our Constitution. It is time that fair-minded Muslims and Christians come forward to oppose these policies openly.
The ABPS demands that all reservations, concessions and privileges based exclusively on religion be abolished. It urges all Indians to make the society aware of the impending dangers of such policies and exert pressure on policy makers to abandon them.
500th anniversary of Krishnadevaraya's coronation
The ABPS considers the coronation of Krishnadevaraya, the renowned emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire, in 1510 CE as a defining moment in the history of India. Krishnadevaraya ascended the throne on Magha Shukla Chaturdashi in the year 1431 of Shalivahana Shaka (24 January 1510).
The ABPS believes that celebrating the 500th anniversary of the coronation of emperor Krishnadevaraya will revive the memories of a golden phase in the history of our country and infuse pride and confidence in the minds of the people - the younger generation in particular. Hence it appeals to all Indians to organise a variety of programmes to throw light upon the glory of the Vijayanagara Empire.
The ABPS appeals to the state and central governments:
- To take immediate steps to remove all encroachments on the historical site of Hampi, the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire.
- To protect and preserve the site, with all its sacred places and monuments.
- To develop the site, which has been declared as a World Heritage Site, so that it brings back the inspiring memories of the Empire and gives a true picture of the golden period of our history to Indian and foreign visitors.
- To bring out a commemorative stamp to mark the occasion.
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8 comments:
It is very good indeed that Vijayanagar is getting the credit it so richly deserves. It stood like a rock against Islamic expansion for 300 years. Read that again - 300 years!! And that too in the early phase of Islam, when it was at its most brutal and expansionist. And yet rarely do you hear Hindus sing praises of Vijayanagar.
There were 3 great phases of Hindu resistance and revival. The first phase was between 700AD to 1200AD, when Hinduism stopped Islam at its Western boundary for 500 years at a time when Islam was expanding so rapidly that it took mere decades for it to dismantle the mighty Persian empire and make inroads into Europe. Hindu-dom stood alone and stopped it for 500 years.
Then a period of darkness came, till about 1300 when Vijayanagar rose and stopped Islamic expansion into the South for 300 years.
Finally, in the mid 1600's the Marathas rose, and reconquered almost all the territories of today's India, and parts of Pakistan, by 1760, and remained the largest power in India till 1818. This was the 3rd great Hindu resistance (sometimes called revival). To put it in perspective, Vijayanagar lasted twice as long as the Mughal empire (1526 - 1707), and the Marathas as long as the Mughal empire. But we keep talking "Mughal, Mughal, Mughal..."
And I am not even speaking of all the local Hindu kingdoms (as opposed to empires) that lasted for 40-60 years. This would include the periods of Rajput revival (under Rana Sanga, for example, when he reconquered much of central India before again losing to Babar), or Hemu (who conquered a large tract from Bengal up to Haryana, before losing to Akbar at Panipat - II), etc.
Unfortunately, once again the Hindus (this time the marathas) lost our country, this time to the British. Once again, the flaws were the same - lack of unity, backwardness in the science of arms, and slow moving armies.
All of the above is not my opinion, but fact supported by accurate dates, maps, etc. This is the history of the Hindu people after Islam arrived. Of course, we had a glorious history before that as well.
I am a history buff - I spend all my evenings reading history. I would love to work with you to write these things down etc. If you are interested, pl. contact keshava murali ji (SS from Bangalore) at first.last at gmail.
DhanyavAd
Many people think that there was actually a long period of uncontested Islamic rule over India. That is a fallacy. There never was. Hindus kept reconquering parts of their country. I'll give you examples. When the Delhi Sultanate ended, and Babar invaded India, who was his greatest military rival? A Hindu - Rana Sangram Singh. How come? Well, because the latter had created a strong Hindu kingdom in central India (this is during the time we are supposed to be under Islamic rule). There were many many such. If you read the Ency. Brit. they give a far more balanced picture, naming so many Hindu Kings who fought and had local successes. For example, do you know how many Hindu military campaigns were launched on the Ram Janmabhoomi? Over 70. And at least 15 times that site was reconquered by Hindus. The Marathas were merely the last and most successful in this long line of Hindu resistances. But through those centuries, the Hindus never "quietly accepted Islamic rule" as we are taught.
That is why we survived as Hindus!! Not because of any other reason. We kept fighting. We kept dying. To cite but one example, LIterally hundreds of thousands of Hindus are recorded to have died in the numerous campaings to reconquer Ram Janmabhoomi (this is from Islamic records, so there is no fakery). Similarly, almost 15% of the Hindu population of Maharashtra died in the 27 year Mughal Maratha war fought in the last 25 years of the life of Aurangzeb, where he was camped in the Deccan and trying to extinguish Maratha Hindu Nationalism. There is a poignant description of this in the Encyclo Britt.. AUrangzeb's generals tell him "We came to the Deccan as young men. But we have grown old fighting these Hindu Marathas, with victory nowhere in sight. We have lived here in the Deccan with you for 25 years of our lives. When will it end. When will it end?"
These are glorious chapters of Hindu resistance. But even you are unaware of them. That is a sad state. I am not blaming you or anyone. Of course blaming the congress who wrote our history. But I am saying that at least Sangh needs to highlight this.
I want to work with Sangh to do this. To tell the story as it happened, supported by historical documentation. Everything will be scholarly. Ping me.
1. See http://indiantake.blogspot.com/2008/05/strength-of-hindus.html
2. Itihas Sankalan Samiti, an RSS-affiliated organisation, is dedicated to writing the true history of India. Shri Haribhau Wajhe is in charge of it. If you are interested, I can get you their contact info.
I have done a fair bit of research into Islamic records, and actually far from being "weak and cowardly", the invaders felt that Hindus were the bravest and fiercest warriors they had encountered. For instance, from Ency. Brit. you can read that Babar "became very nervous when he heard of the courage of the Hindus.." Similarly the quotes from Aurangzeb's generals fighting the never-ending Mughal-Maratha war. I have also collected quotes from the early arab invaders, who called us "the mighty lions of Al-Hind....thanks be to Allah that they have finally been subdued..."
So it is very very far from "weak and cowardly." If anything, foolish would be appropriate. For instance, Rusal lost Kabul to total treachery. If you know that story, you know Hindu History. If not, you don't. I am not exaggerrating of course. Kabul was a great Hindu city. You would think it's fall would be a story all Hindu children learn. But how many have heard of Rusal, and how he was killed? I found that account in a muslim historian's account as well.
I am writing up a fair bit of this stuff. Mostly Islamic accounts. I can send you some of the stuff when it is written up. Sangh is generally not very pro-intellectual. I can understand - they want to focus on grassroots work, and I don't fault them. But this is what I can help with. Each person has his own strengths.
Pl. send contact information for ISS to Keshava Murali-ji's email.
DhanyavAd
Regarding your post http://indiantake.blogspot.com/2008/05/strength-of-hindus.html, the full picture is as follows:
Islam spread through the world in two distinct phases (sometimes known as the first and second Jihads). The first phase, which followed the death of Muhammad and ended around 850AD, was the arab phase. Here, arab armies conquered all of arabia and stormed east (to Persia and India), North (into Spain) etc. Persia fell in the first Jihad. It fell to Arabs. India stopped the first Jihad at its gates, which surely ranks as one of the great military feats of History.
The second Jihad was by Turkic tribes. This second Jihad led to large parts of Europe and Central Asia being overrun by Turkic moslems. India resisted the first half of this second Jihad, but succumbed to the second half.
The other big picture you left out is this - only those parts of India where bauddha dharma was predominant fell to Islam and were converted. Gandhara was a bauddha society, it fell (and today those bauddh'as are Talibans :-)). Similarly in the East, which is today Bangladesh. The Vaidika society, with its martial traditions, resisted. Bauddha society had removed the 4 varnas - that meant that there were no permanent warriors, and also they had emphasised non-violence at all costs (since the time of Ashoka). This cost them dearly when the moslems invaded.
I am in a rush - can't type much, but this is the big pic. I am writing this up in a proper format, with scholarly references, analysis, maps etc. If you need it let me know. Else I will know Sangh, while it keeps complaining that our history is distorted, does not take up anyone's offer to work on it.
Jai Hind
1. Shri Haribhau Vaze's email is vazeharibhau AT yahoo.co.in
2. Do send me your material when it is ready.
3. I sent a mail to keshava.murali AT gmail.com, but he seems to be a different person.
Dheeraj-ji,
I am not Keshava, but work with him. We have discussed your blog. I will get your contact from him. DhanyavAd for emailing him (I will be meeting him this week).
I will send you and Haribhau-ji Vaze the material.
Frankly, it will cause you many sleepless nights. The nonchalance with which orders like "kill these Hindus and make mountains of their skulls" were given. Also the way our idols were demeaned (not only destroyed, but things like "break them up, mix them with cow's flesh, and hang it over the necks of these Kafirs and make them walk through the city".
I don't think anyone but us Hindus could have withstood such an onslaught and still kept our humanity.
Sangh is doing such great work - people like you are truly heroes. My pranams to you.
Jai Hind
Yes, Sangh is doing great work. But I am just an ordinary worker :-)
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