Hindutva ideologue V.D. Savarkar’s point of view on a Hindu rashtra (nation) was not logical, according to B. R. Ambedkar, a new book in Hindi titled Gandhi: Siyasat aur Sampradaiykta (‘Gandhi: Politics and Communalism’) says.
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It has been written by journalist-turned-author Piyush Babele, who currently heads the Madhya Pradesh Congress’ media department.
He cites extracts from Dr. Ambedkar’s book Pakistan or the Partition of India and other sources, and claims to “contextualise the developments leading up to India’s Partition in 1947 to bust the illusion spread by the Hindu right wing that Mahatma Gandhi was responsible for the Partition”.
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An excerpt from the book says — “Ambedkar expresses his opinion about Savarkar’s Hindu Rashtra: ‘Along with this it has to be said that Mr. Savarkar’s point of view, if not strange, is also not logical. Mr. Savarkar believes that Muslims are a different country. He even accepts that they have the right to cultural autonomy. He also allows them to have their own separate national flag. But in spite of this he does not allow a separate country for the Muslim nation. If he claims a separate homeland for the Hindu nation, then how can they oppose the Muslim nation?”
Calling Dr. Ambedkar an “exceptional researcher” on the subject of the Partition while not being someone who “supported the cause of a Pakistan”, Mr. Babele emphasised the date of publication of Dr. Ambedkar’s book (1940 — although publicly available information suggests it was much later).
The author said that since the idea of Pakistan had taken a firm shape much before it was actually created, it was important to appreciate the events and developments leading up to the Partition to fully appreciate his titular subject of Mahatma Gandhi’s politics vis-à-vis communalism, and specifically the Mahatma’s views and statements on the sensitive subject of Partition, which were “often used to spread myths against him”.
“It is to be noted here that the Partition of India is taking place in 1947 but Dr. Ambedkar is declaring in 1940 itself — that if Muslims want, then Pakistan will remain. In such a situation, it can be understood that the Hindu right wing people who spread the illusion that Mahatma Gandhi is responsible for the Partition and fuss about the events of 1946 and 1947, they do not want to understand the situation at that time honestly,” Mr. Babele, who has previously authored a book on Jawaharlal Nehru titled Nehru: Mithak aur Satya (‘Nehru: Myths and Truth’), said.
The formal launch of the book, published by the New Delhi-based Genuine Publications and Media Private Limited, will take place in Indore Tuesday at an event that former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath are expected to attend, Mr. Babele said.