The Sangh Parivar organisations work on the principle of killing anyone who does not agree with them, CPI (M) Polit Bureau member M.A.Baby has said. He was speaking after inaugurating a protest rally here on Thursday against the killing of Kannada rationalist scholar M.M. Kalburgi by two unidentified gunmen last week.
“Not even the strongest of slogans or words can express the anguish we feel right now at the cold-blooded murder of Kalburgi. This is not the first such instance. Within the past two years, Sangh Parivar activists have murdered rationalists Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare. The crime that all of them have committed is that they followed the path trodden by Jawaharlal Nehru in standing up for scientific temper, rational thought and secularism,” said Mr. Baby.
He said that many including Kabir, Basava and Purandaradasa had in the past centuries criticised idol worship like Kalburgi.
“They all are lucky that they are not living in present day India or else they also would have been murdered like this. The country is now moving in a dangerous direction with the Indian government being controlled by fascistic Sangh Parivar forces. To fight these forces, we have to work towards taking this message to the people. This movement needs to continue our oppositional struggle through libraries and other cultural and social organisations. This is important as fascistic forces thrive on people’s lack of information,” said Mr. Baby.
‘Killing the truth’
CPI leader Pannian Ravindran said that Sangh Parivar is using the gun to kill truth and scientific thought. “The Parivar organisations always talk about Indian culture and the need to preserve it. But such killing of those whom we don’t agree with is not part of Indian culture. Kalburgi, Pansare and Dabholkar raised their voices for humanity and paid the price,” he said.
T.N. Seema, MP, said that investigations into the murders of the three rationalists have not been satisfactory.
“Dabholkar, who campaigned for an anti-superstition bill in Maharashtra, was killed two years ago. But, the police and the CBI are yet to nab any of the culprits. The anti-superstition bill has now been passed in Maharashtra. The Left MPs have been pushing for such a law at the Centre. But, under the current regime, chances of it happening are less,” she said.
The protest march, in which hundreds participated, was organised jointly by several socio-cultural organisations including Yukthivadi Sangham, Purogamana Kalasahithya Sangham, Sasthra Sahithya Parishad, Vanitha Sahithi, Federation of Film Societies of India, Free Thinkers’ Forum and others.
