The self-proclaimed nationalists should show their commitment to the Constitution of India and work towards its ideals, if they are really committed to the country, social activist Swami Agnivesh has said.
He was delivering a lecture on ‘Diversity, secularism and tolerance’ at an event organised by the Purogamana Kalasahithya Sangham and the Manaveeyam Street Cultural Collective.
“Friends from the BJP and RSS are shouting from the roof tops that everyone should sing ‘Vande Mataram’ and chant ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai.’ Or else, you will be branded an anti-national. Who are you to give me the certificate on whether I am a nationalist or not? When everybody was fighting in the freedom struggle and making supreme sacrifice, these RSS people were nowhere to be seen. They were currying favour with the British then. Give me the name of one person from your ranks who has gone to jail or given up their life during the freedom struggle,” he said.
He said that the country might have to confront a situation similar to the partition of India if Muslims are alienated in the name of cow vigilantism and hyper nationalism.
Biggest threats
He said that the current trends are the biggest threats to national unity, polity and world view.
But the response to such fundamentalism should not itself be another form of fundamentalism, the social activist warned.
“Through friendly dialogue, we can bring about change.
But if you start violence in the name of religion, cow, caste and gender, then you completely destroy the space which is available today to create friendship and harmony,” he said.
