The Hindu : Sangh Parivar critics have twisted history: PM

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Tuesday, Apr 08, 2003

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Sangh Parivar critics have twisted history: PM

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI APRIL 7. The release of a Publications Division book on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh founder, Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, amid great fanfare here this evening proved to be an occasion for launching a broadside on the critics of the Sangh Parivar.

Leading the onslaught was the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, himself who lamented the manner in which critics of the Sangh Parivar had "twisted" history to their convenience to malign the cultural movement that was the RSS. Comparing the denial of RSS luminaries their rightful place in history to the manner in which Subhas Chandra Bose's role in the freedom struggle had been written off, he said great injustice had been done to many leaders who had contributed in their own way to the freedom struggle.

Though critical of the "RSS-bashers", Mr. Vajpayee also blamed the Sangh for the state of affairs. "Even RSS workers do not know much about Hedgewar. And, much of what we know has been from our critics'' who, in his opinion, had compromised with the truth in their bid to portray the movement he founded in a poor light.

Earlier, the Deputy Prime Minister, L. K. Advani, spoke out against the "disrespect" heaped by certain sections of society on Sangh leaders. Glad that the Publications Division had filled a void in historical narrative by bringing out the book on the RSS ideologue as part of its `Builders of Modern India' series, he said that both Hedgewar and the veteran Marxist leader, E.M.S. Namboodiripad, had led regional units of the Congress at the same time before parting ways with the organisation. The RSS Sarsanghachalak, K.S. Sudershan, criticised the tendency among critics to refer to Sangh history out of context to suit their arguments. To Hedgewar, he said, goes the credit of exploding the myth that Hindus could never be united.

The Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Ravi Shankar Prasad, made a veiled attack on the BJP's political opponents for objecting to the installation of the portrait of V.D. Savarkar in the Central Hall of Parliament. The Publications Division would soon bring out similar monographs on leaders across the political spectrum including Ram Manohar Lohia, Charan Singh, Savarkar, Morarji Desai, Bhagat Singh, Namboodiripad, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee and Sheikh Abdullah.

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