'Muslims should hand over the disputed site at Ayodhya'
New Delhi, December 15, 2000, 1800 hours IST: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh spokesperson M G Vaidya was on time for The Rediff Chat. The RSS's first spokesperson it its 75-year-old history, he spoke with candour about the planned Ram temple on the premises where the Babri Masjid once stood and defended his chief, K S Sudarshan's statment about a bomb bringing down the Babri mosque.
M G Vaidya (Fri Dec 15, 2000)
Namaskar. I am here, and you can ask me any question about RSS. I am the official spokesman of RSS based in Delhi, for the last about 4 months.
mohit (Fri Dec 15, 2000)
Vaidya sir i am a young man of 28 yrs, Myself and many of my friends always liked the way RSS functions, i have attended shakhas regularly when i was a child .Sir i have a suggestion that the RSS uniform needs slight change, we can have proper fitted shorts the way we we wear in sports & white t-shirts. I am telling this because many young people hesitate to join shakha because of uniforms.
M G Vaidya (Fri Dec 15, 2000)
Mohit: The RSS uniform has changed through many years. Formerly, the colour of the shirt was khakhi. And we can think of a change also. But what really is important is not the colour of design of the pant, but the mind set of the person who is wearing it. We are more concerned about the mind set of our swamsevaks.
JamesBond (Fri Dec 15, 2000)
Sir, why did it take eight years for Mr Sudarshan to suddenly declare that a bomb destroyed the Babri mosque? Why did he not speak earlier and what proof do you have?
M G Vaidya (Fri Dec 15, 2000)
JamesBond: Mr Sudarshan, the sarsangh chalak of the RSS, got this information very recently. There for he gave expression to that information. Shri Sudarshan is coming to Delhi to depose before the Liberhan's Commission, and he will be able to give the proof of his contention. We think that he made the statement with full sense of responsibility.
Shiva (Fri Dec 15, 2000)
Dear Mr Vaidya: Do you belive the bomb theory? If yes. Why Rajubhaiya is not agreeing to Sudarshanji?
M G Vaidya (Fri Dec 15, 2000)
Shiva: I believe in what Sri Sudarshan said. Sri Rajjubhayya gave his opinion in 1992 and this is 2000. So it is not possible to give the present opinion when this information was not available to him. As I said earlier the information was available to the RSS sarsangchalak very recently.
xxx (Fri Dec 15, 2000)
saheb, when will the Ram temple come up? and is only the VHP involved or is the RSS also involved in it?
M G Vaidya (Fri Dec 15, 2000)
xxx: The movement for construction of Ram temple at Ayodhya was launched by VHP. The RSS gave its support later on. It is for the VHP to draw the future plans and also the time table for the contstruction of the Holy temple. The Dharmasamsad of the VHP is meeting in the next month at Prayag where a decision about the time table of construction is likely to be taken. RSS will decide its role only after the decision of the Dharma Sansad (religious parliament) is known.
Farooqh (Fri Dec 15, 2000)
Tell me how much money Sundershanji take to float the theory of explosion in Babri Masjid?
M G Vaidya (Fri Dec 15, 2000)
Farooqh: It is a stupid question. We are not bribe takers, nor are we a purchasable commodity.
Salim (Fri Dec 15, 2000)
Dear Mr Vaidya: Our religion has come from Saudi Arabia. No one can deny this. Our Mecca is in Saudi Arabia. How can we Indianize our religion then? can you please tell me?
M G Vaidya (Fri Dec 15, 2000)
Salim: Indianisation of any religion whether it is Islam or Christianity has nothing to do with the place of its origin. When we say Indianisation of Islam we want Islam and the followers of Islam to accept the validity of other faiths and religions. If you accept the plurality of faiths then the religion becomes Indianised. It is not necessary to change or forsake your prophet or the Holy Quran or the basic teachings of Holy Quran. We have only to accept that other faiths and religions have also right to exist on equal footing. Just as Hindu does not discriminate between one form of worship and another. So also semitic religions that have come to our country must accept, tolerate and if possible appreciate the various forms of worship and belief.
Prashant (Fri Dec 15, 2000)
Have you given up your stand on Hindutva because you want to stay in power. What about the slogan Bharat Main Rehana Hai To Jay Sri Ram Kehna Hoga?
M G Vaidya (Fri Dec 15, 2000)
Prashant: This question is directed to the BJP. And I am not the spokesman of the BJP. As far as the RSS is concerned, it has no regerts for felling down the structure on 6 December 1992. We are happy that one symbol of religious vandalism has been eliminated, but we would like to insist the neither the RSS nor the VHP had planned the demolition of that structure. It was not necessary to collect more than a lakh people to demolish one small structure. It is for the investigating agencies to find out what actually brought that massive structure down. It is also true that the Sangh karsevaks in their over-enthusiasm rushed to the structure to demolish it. But, they were unable to do it.
Shyamal (Fri Dec 15, 2000)
Mr Vaidya: Why do you all wear KHaki shorts? Don't you feel it is little outdated? THE RSS says to Indianize everything. Can't you get some good thing to wear rather than shorts? Can you please tell me, what is the logic behind wearing the shorts?
M G Vaidya (Fri Dec 15, 2000)
Shyamal: We have to wear something, and we have prescribed the khakhi shorts. We dont think that the prestige of an individual rests on his wear. And we dont think that everytime a new fashion comes ni vogue, we should address ourselves to review our uniform.
Prashant (Fri Dec 15, 2000)
I thought that the Hindus of the BJP kind took pride in bringing down what you call the disputed structure. Now why are you backing off from it? Are you scared that you would lose elections in UP and Uttranchal? Or you are so desparate the molify the Muslims that you would goto any length to say that you did not do that work?
M G Vaidya (Fri Dec 15, 2000)
Prashant: The RSS is not interested in political power. Actually, RSS feels and it is its considered think, that the political power is unable to solve all problems of the people. The USSR tried it for 70 long years with full use of political power and it failed to change the character of the people. We are more concerned with the character of the people, and all our attention is focussed on this aspect of our social life. We know that Hindu society has many draw backs, they are disunited, they used to practice untouchability. The RSS wants to eliminate all these distinctions and discriminations and bring about an integrated social life. Creation of an integrated social life is beyond the power of the state. THe state can make laws to be implemented by coercive power. We do not use any coercion. We collect the people in our shakhas everyday and give a practical lesson of integrated life.
vijayapal (Fri Dec 15, 2000)
Mr Vaidya, you are talking about the character of the people ? How
do you think your character is good?
M G Vaidya (Fri Dec 15, 2000)
Vijayapal: From 1989 our swamsevaks have formed Seva Bharati which has undertaken many projects of service in the slum areas and tribal areas. THere are more than 2000 one-teacher schools in tribal areas where non-formal education is given. We have some dispensaries and hospitals where free treatment is given to the needy. We have some literacy centres also for grown up people both men and women. We also conduct tailoring classes for women. Almost in every town there is a Samskar Varg (classes) where children from poor families come and we teach them the basic things of our culture, sanitation and hygiene. Before 1989, the work was also done but on the inspiration of individual workers. Now, we have changed our constitution and included an office of seva pramukh (service incharge) and we are expanding these service activities every year.
jehadi (Fri Dec 15, 2000)
why is that you guys abuse Muslims as jehadis but have the same mindset yourself? Don't you have the guts to admit it that you are also Hindu fanatics and terrorists, terrorising defenceless minorities
M G Vaidya (Fri Dec 15, 2000)
jehadi: Jehad is a basic principle of Islam. Will any Muslim deny it? I am unable often to quote the verses from the Holy Quran. But does not the Holy Quran expect the fidels to wage jihad against the infidels, that is kafirs. Hindu cannot be a fundmentalist because there is no one book that the Hindus regard as The Scared Book. There is no The Last Prophet because Hindus do not believe that knowledge has an end at a particular point of time. We are not terrorists and through our long history we have never intimidated people. Have you ever seen any Christian or Muslim refugees in Bharat? RSS only wants that our tolerence should not be exploited and intolerence appreciated. We are intolerent of intolerence. We have decided not to tolerate insult, or aggression.
Mohammed FiroZ (Fri Dec 15, 2000)
I have learned in a RSS school and I am greatful to RSS for that. Why don't you RSS people make some effort to let people know about a lot of social work done by you people.By not doing that you losing a lot.
M G Vaidya (Fri Dec 15, 2000)
Mohammed Firoz: It is true that we have not publicized our work. We thought we are serving our mother and there is no point in flaunting our service of the mother. This has given a negative publicity to the RSS. I admit that we realized this draw back quite late. It was only in 1994 that the prachar vibhak of the RSS was started. And whatever damage was done by negative publicity even by interested sections of the media is being repaired now. The first official spokesman of the RSS was appointed in July 2000, and I am that person. Now I am interacting with the media and trying to present RSS as it is. I also admit that there is a gap between the reality of RSS adn the image of RSS. This year's one month mass contact programme will be able to clear some of the misconceptions in the minds of the people.
Mahesh (Fri Dec 15, 2000)
the RSS disapproves of conversion?..how does it think hinduism came into southeast asia..and also, how do you think buddhism vanished from india?...
M G Vaidya (Fri Dec 15, 2000)
Mahesh: We are against conversion through force, fraud or allurement. If anybody out of his spiritual urge wants to change his religion we are not against it. The Hindus went to southeast Asia not with the sword or the Army, but with knowledge and learned people. When we say that we are against conversion it means conversion by fraud, force or allurement. This type of conversion has no spiritual content in it. It only means increase in numbers with a political motive.
Mahesh (Fri Dec 15, 2000)
mr vaidya what is your opinion of the fact that the whole north east, which once had its own unique hindu vaishnav traditions, has become completely christian dominated?
M G Vaidya (Fri Dec 15, 2000)
Mahesh: This was the conspiracy of the British rulers. No non-Christian bodies were allowed to work in the northeast region. Only the Christian missionaries were allowed to go. Then it was impressed upon the minds of the tribals that they are not Hindus, they are animists and hence do not form part of the Hindu society. After cutting them away from Hindu society, it was easy to convert them to the Christian faith. Good educational institutions and well equipped hospitals established and run by the Christian churches helped convert people to the Christian faith. Besides, the Satra Adhikaris (incharge of Vaishno maths in Assam) were idle and lost sight of the responsibility of educating the people about their religious roots. It is only after the VHP that all Satra Adhikaris could come together and sit on the same dais.
maxi (Fri Dec 15, 2000)
mr vaidya, why did people of ur organisation burn graham staines and his children alive
M G Vaidya (Fri Dec 15, 2000)
Maxi: RSS is not involved in the gruesome murder of Mr Staines. The Wadhwa Commission who went into inquire into it, gave a clean chit to all Hindu organizations. Those who were actually involved in the heinous crime have been actually arrested and are facing trial.
AKHIL (Fri Dec 15, 2000)
Mr Vaidya..what is solution of ayodhya issue? Please reply.
M G Vaidya (Fri Dec 15, 2000)
Akhil: The real solution is that the Muslims should come forward to give the disputed land for the construction of Ram temple. It is the Hindu sentiment that Ram was born in Ayodhya and his temple must be there which was destroyed by the foreign aggressor. A mosque can be built at some other site. Ayodhya mosque is not one of those three mosques that are hailed sacred by the Muslims of the whole world.
M G Vaidya (Fri Dec 15, 2000)
I am sorry I am unable to address other questions because of shortage of time. I am prepared to come before you some other time. Namaskar. Thank you.
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