Thursday, November 28, 2019

प्रज्ञा ठाकुर का ही नहीं, गोडसे से आरएसएस का पुराना मोह है : इंतज़ार करें कब इस की मूर्ती संसद भवन में प्रतिष्ठित की जाएगी!


प्रज्ञा ठाकुर का ही नहीं, गोडसे से आरएसएस का पुराना मोह है : इंतज़ार करें कब इस की मूर्ती संसद भवन में प्रतिष्ठित की जाएगी!
हमारे देश में तवलीन सिंह जैसे 'भोले-भाले' राजनैतिक विश्लेषकों/पत्रकारों की कमी नहीं है जो प्रधान मंत्री, मोदी के नेतर्त्व में आरएसएस/भाजपा शासकों के जनता और देश विरोधी विघटनकारी विचारों और कार्यकलापों के प्रति सजग हो उठे हैं। यह अच्छी बात है।  हालांकि सच यह है की हिन्दुत्वादी शासकों की टोली जो खिलवाड़ प्रजातान्त्रिक-धर्मनिरपेक्ष गणतंत्र और इस की जनता के साथ आज कर रही है वे आरएसएस की पुरानी हिन्दुत्वादी नीतियों का ही अनुसरण है। मोदी के प्रधान मंत्री बनने के बाद (जिस पद को ग्रहण करते हुवे उन्हों ने देश के प्रजातान्त्रिक-धर्मनिरपेक्ष ढांचे को सुरक्षित रखने की शपथ ली थी), उनकी जुमले-बाज़ियों से अर्जित की गयी लोकप्रियता के सहारे आरएसएस के राष्ट्र विरोधी मूल एजन्डे को देश पर थोपने में काफ़ी  तेज़ी आयी है।    
एक ताज़ातरीन उधारण मालेगांव बम धमाकों में नामजद आरोपी प्रज्ञा ठाकुर का है जिन्हों ने अब संसद के भीतर गांधीजी के हत्यारे, गोडसे को 'देशभक्त' बताया। यह वही साध्वी हैं जिन्हें आरएसएस/भाजपा ने संसदीय चुनाव 2019 में भोपाल से खड़ा किया था। प्रचार के दौरान भी इस गोडसे भक्त ने इस हत्यारे को 'देशभक्त' बताया था। इन के इस ब्यान पर मोदी ने नाराज़गी जताई थी और कहा था की वे प्रज्ञा को ऐसा कहने के लिए माफ़ नहीं करेंगे। प्रधान मंत्री मोदी ऐसा कहते हुवे फिर एक बार केवल जुमलेबाज़ी कर रहे थे, इस का पता भी जल्द ही चल गया। प्रज्ञा को लोक सभा की एक अति महत्पूर्ण समिति (रक्षा मामलों की समिति) में भाजपा की और सदस्य मनोनीत किया गया। 
इस ख़ौफ़नाक यथार्थ को झुटलाना मुश्किल है कि देश में हिंदुत्व राजनीती के उभार के साथ गांधीजी की हत्या पर ख़ुशी मनाना और हत्यारों का महामंडन, उनहैं भगवन का दर्जा देने का भी एक संयोजित अभियान चलाया जा रहा है। गांधीजी की शहादत दिवस (जनवरी 30) पर गोडसे की याद में सभाएं की जाती हैं, उसके मंदिर जहाँ उसकी मूर्तियां स्थापित हैं में पूजा की जाती है। गांधीजी की हत्या को 'वध' (जिसका मतलब राक्षसों की हत्या है) बताया जाता है।
यह सब कुछ लम्पट हिन्दुत्वादी संगठनों या लोगों दुवारा ही नहीं किया जा रहा है।  मोदी के प्रधान मंत्री बनने के कुछ ही महीनों में रएसएस/भाजपा के एक वरिष्ठ विचारक, साक्षी जो संसद सदस्य भी हैं ने गोडसे को 'देश-भक्त' घोषित करने की मांग की। हालांकि उनको यह मांग विश्वव्यापी भर्त्स्ना के बाद वापिस लेनी पड़ी लेकिन इस तरह का विभत्स प्रस्ताव हिन्दुत्वादी शासकों की गोडसे के प्रति प्यार को ही दर्शाती है।
इस सिलसिले में गांधीजी के हत्यारे नाथूराम गोडसे के महामण्डन की सब  से शर्मनाक घटना जून 2013 में गोवा में घाटी।यहाँ पर भाजपा कार्यकारिणी की बैठक थी जिस में गुजरात के मुखयमंत्री मोदी को 2014 के संसदीय चनाव के लिए प्रधान मंत्री पद का प्रतियाशी चुना गया।  इसी दौरान वहां हिन्दुत्वादी संगठन 'हिन्दू जनजागृति समिति' जिस पर आतंकवादी कामों में लिप्त होने के गंभीर आरोप हैं का देश को हिन्दू राष्ट्र बनाने के लिए अखिल भारत सम्मलेन भी हो रहा था। इस सम्मलेन का श्रीगणेश मोदी के शुभकामना सन्देश से  जून 7, 2013 को हुवा।  मोदी ने अपने सन्देश में इस संगठन को "राष्ट्रीयता, देशभक्ति एवं राष्ट्र के प्रति समर्पण" के लिए बधाई दी।
इसी मंच से जून 10 को हिंदुत्व संगठनों, विशेषकर आरएसएस के क़रीबी लेखक के वी सीतारमैया का भाषण हुवा इस ने आरम्भ में ही घोषणा की कि "गाँधी भयानक दुष्कर्मी और सर्वाधिक पापी था"। सीतारमैया ने अपने  भाषण का अंत इन शर्मनाक शब्दों से किया:
"जैसा की भगवन श्री कृष्ण ने कहा है-'दुष्टों के विनाश के लिए, अच्छों की रक्षा के लिए और धर्म की स्थापना के लिए, में हर युग में पैदा होता हूँ' 30 जनवरी की शाम, श्री राम, नाथूराम गोडसेके रूप में आए और गाँधी का जीवन समाप्त कर दिया"।
याद रहे आरएसएस की विचारधारा का वाहक यह वही वयक्ति है जिस ने अंग्रेजी में Gandhi was Dharma Drohi & Desa Drohi (गाँधी धर्मद्रोही और देशद्रोही था) शीर्षक से पुस्तक भी लिखी है जो गोडसे को भेंट की गयी है। 
शहीद गाँधी जिन्हों ने एक आज़ाद प्रजातान्त्रिक-धर्मनिरपेक्ष देश की कल्पना की थी और उस प्रतिबद्धता के लिए उन्हें जान भी गंवानी पड़ी थी,  हिन्दुत्वादी संगठनों के राजनितिक उभार के साथ एक राक्षसिये चरित्र के तौर पर पेश किए जा रहे हैं। नाथूराम गोडसे और उसके अन्य साथी हत्यारों ने गांधीजी की हत्या जनवरी 30, 2018 को की थी लेकिन 71 साल के बाद भी उनके 'वध' का जशन जरी और हत्यारों का गुणगान जरी है । इस बार यह जश्न संसद के भीतर हो रहा है और इस की शुरुआत आरएसएस/भाजपा की एक नामी और कर्मठ साध्वी ने की है जिन्हों ने अपने हिन्दुत्वादी जीवन-यात्रा आरएसएस के छात्र संगठन, अखिल भारतीय विद्यार्थी परिषद् से की थी। देखना यह है की कितनी जल्दी गोडसे को 'भारत रत्न' से नवाज़ा जाता है और नए बनाये जारहे संसद भवन में इन की मूर्ती स्थापित की जाती है!
गोडसे का गुणगान करके आरएसएस और उस से जुड़े लोग तो वही कर रहे हैं जो उन्हों ने करना था, लेकिन इस मामले में सब से शर्मनाक भूमिका गांधीवादी उन मठाधीशों के है जो गाँधी जी के नाम पर स्थापित विशाल आश्रमों और बड़ी संस्थाओं के मालिक हैं। यह गांधीवादी ज़रूर आत्मा के होने में विश्वास करते हैं, और किसी से तो उम्मीद नहीं, शायद गाँधी ही इनका कुछ इलाज करें।    
शम्सुल इस्लाम
November 28, 2019
एस. इस्लाम के अंग्रेजी, हिंदी, उर्दू, मराठी, मलयालम, कन्नड़, बंगाली, पंजाबी, गुजराती में लेखन और कुछ वीडियो साक्षात्कार/बहस के लिए देखें :
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Tuesday, November 26, 2019

DEMOLITION OF DEMOCRATIC-SECULAR INDIAN CONSTITUTION IS OLD PROJECT OF THE HINDUTVA GANG


70th Constitution Day of India 2019
DEMOLITION OF DEMOCRATIC-SECULAR INDIAN CONSTITUTION IS OLD PROJECT OF THE HINDUTVA GANG

Many well-meaning liberal and secular political analysts are highly perturbed by the brazen sectarian policy decisions of RSS/BJP rulers led by PM Modi specially after starting his second inning. They are vocal in red-flagging the policies of Modi government on Kashmir, national citizens registry (NRC), demanding 'Bharat Ratna' for Savarkar who submitted 6-7 mercy petitions to the British masters (getting remission of 40 years out of 50 years sentence) murder of constitutional norms in Goa, Karnataka and now in Maharashtra, lynching, Pragya Thakur (first getting her elected to Lok Sabha and then nominating her to high powered 21-MP House Panel on Defence) who is an accused Malegaon Blast case, worships Godse, killer of MK Gandhi as hero and publically stated that it was her curse due to which renowned decorated cop Hemant Karkare  was killed. Shockingly, Hemant was killed by the Pakistani terrorists when former was confronting these heavily armed terrorists on November 26, 2008.

 

They are greatly mistaken. In fact, it is failure of such friends to understand the real anti-national character of the RSS that India has been taken to such an impasse; on the verge of losing its democratic-secular identity. The belief that RSS cadres gracing the constitutional posts would influence them to be secular or inspire them to get used to practice democratic norms is futile with this lot's diehard commitment to the cause of Hindutva. The fast-forward demolition of the democratic-secular polity of India which is taking place is neither new nor unexpected. Modi as CM of Gujarat while talking to Reuters (July 12, 2013) had declared himself to be 'a Hindu nationalist', the RSS top brass declaring again and again that India is a land for Hindus and by 2020-21 it would be Hindu rashtra with Muslims and Christians cleansed from the land, Indian nationality tied to worshipping of cow and open declaration of the Cabinet ministers that western concepts like secularism would be replaced by the principles of Hindutva.

It was less than one year after crowning of Modi as PM in 2014, one of the most decorated police officers in Independent India Julio Ribeiro wrote in an emotional piece,

"Today, in my 86th year, I feel threatened, not wanted, reduced to a stranger in my own country… I am not an Indian anymore, at least in the eyes of the proponents of the Hindu Rashtra. Is it coincidence or a well-thought-out plan that the systematic targeting of a small and peaceful community should begin only after the BJP government of Narendra Modi came to power last May? ‘Ghar wapsi’, the declaration of Christmas as ‘Good Governance Day’, the attack on Christian churches and schools in Delhi, all added to a sense of siege that now afflicts these peaceful people…It is tragic that these extremists have been emboldened beyond permissible limits by an atmosphere of hate and distrust. The Christian population, a mere 2 per cent of the total populace, has been subjected to a series of well-directed body blows. If these extremists later turn their attention to Muslims, which seems to be their goal, they will invite consequences that this writer dreads to imagine."

[https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/i-feel-i-am-on-a-hit-list/]
We should not fail to understand that whatever is being done by the RSS/BJP rulers to destroy the present Indian polity is part of a well-thought strategy to convert India into a theocratic and totalitarian state as per the diktats of the Hindutva idea of India. It has not been a hidden agenda of RSS except that we have been foolishly unaware of it. When the Constituent Assembly of India had finalized the Constitution of India RSS was not happy. Its organ, Organizer, 4 days after this historical event, in an editorial on November 30, 1949, complained,
"But in our constitution there is no mention of the unique constitutional development in ancient Bharat. Manu’s Laws were written long before Lycurgus of Sparta or Solon of Persia. To this day his laws as enunciated in the Manusmriti excite the admiration of the world and elicit spontaneous obedience and conformity. But to our constitutional pundits that means nothing."
How loyal the RSS is to the Constitution of India can be known by the following statement of Golwalkar which is being reproduced from Bunch of Thought which is not only selection of the writings of Golwalkar but also a Bible for the RSS cadres.
"Our Constitution too is just a cumbersome and heterogeneous piecing together of various articles from various Constitutions of Western countries. It has absolutely nothing which can be called our own. Is there a single word of reference in its guiding principles as to what our national mission is and what our keynote in life is? No."
[MS Golwalkar, Bunch of Thoughts, Sahitya Sindhu, Bangalore, 1996, p. 238.]

What kind of civilization the RSS wants to build by enforcing the laws of Manu, can be known by having a glimpse of the laws prescribed by Manu for the Dalits/Untouchables and women. Some of these dehumanizing and degenerate laws, which are presented here, are self-explanatory.

LAWS OF MANU CONCERNING DALITS/UNTOUCHABLES.

(1)  For the sake of the prosperity of the worlds (the divine one) caused the Brahmana, the Kshatriya, the Vaisya, and the Sudra to proceed from his mouth, his arm, his thighs and his feet.
(2)  One occupation only the lord prescribed to the Sudras, to serve meekly even these (other) three castes.
(3)  Once-born man (a Sudra), who insults a twice-born man with gross invective, shall have his tongue cut out; for he is of low origin.
(4)  If he mentions the names and castes (jati) of the (twice-born) with contumely, an iron nail, ten fingers long, shall be thrust red-hot into his mouth.
(5)  If he arrogantly teaches Brahmanas their duty, the king shall cause hot oil to be poured into his mouth and into his ears.
(6)  With whatever limb a man of a low caste does hurt to (a man of the three) highest (castes), even that limb shall be cut off; that is the teaching of Manu.
(7)  He who raises his hand or a stick, shall have his hand cut off; he who in anger kicks with his foot, shall have his foot cut off.
(8) A low-caste man who tries to place himself on the same seat with a man of a high caste, shall be branded on his hip and be banished, or (the king) shall cause his buttock to be gashed.

LAWS OF MANU CONCRNING WOMEN

1.     Day and night woman must be kept in dependence by the males (of) their (families), and, if they attach themselves to sensual enjoyments, they must be

kept under one’s control.
2.     Her father protects (her) in childhood, her husband protects (her) in youth, and her sons protect (her) in old age; a woman is never fit for independence.
3.     Women must particularly be guarded against evil inclinations, however trifling (they may appear); for, if they are not guarded, they will bring sorrow on two families.
4.     No man can completely guard women by force; but they can be guarded by the employment of the (following) expedients:
5.     Let the (husband) employ his (wife) in the collection and expenditure of his wealth, in keeping (everything) clean, in (the fulfilment of) religious duties, in the preparation of his food, and in looking after the household utensils.
6.     Women do not care for beauty, nor is their attention fixed on age; (thinking), ‘(It is enough that) he is a man,’ they give themselves to the handsome and to the ugly.
7.     Through their passion for men, through their mutable temper, through their natural heartlessness, they become disloyal towards their husbands, however carefully they may be guarded in this (world).
10.(When creating them) Manu allotted to women (a love of their) bed, (of their) seat and (of) ornament, impure desires, wrath, dishonesty, malice, and bad conduct.
It is to be noted here that a copy of Manusmriti was burnt as a protest in the presence of Dr. BR Ambedkar himself during historic Mahad agitation on  December 20, 1927 and it was decided to commemorate this day in future as 'Manusmriti dahan divas'.
Against Secularism
The RSS demands total loyalty to the Indian Nation from minorities. It is another thing that it does not feel it proper to be loyal to the constitutional-legal set up of this very Nation. The study of Prarthana (prayer) and Pratigya (oath) as practiced in the shakhas of the RSS is an example of how the Indian nationalism has been equated with Hinduism, in the same way as the Muslim League had combined Islam with nationality. Significantly, both Prarthana and Pratigya are in direct contravention to the existence of an Indian Secular State which is an important ‘Basic’ feature of the Constitution of India. It is very important to note here that those groups which have been decrying and opposing the Indian constitutional set-up have been facing the might of the Indian state in the form of bullets, gallows or jails but here is the RSS which openly rejects the legitimacy of the constitutional system of the country still is allowed to have a free run of the country.
Just imagine PM Modi and most of his ruler colleagues who took oath to uphold the integrity of a democratic and secular India were also committed to the task of creating a Hindu Rashtra as per the texts of the Prayer and Oath as essential for the RSS cadres.

RSS Prayer:

"Affectionate Motherland, I eternally bow to you/O Land of Hindus, you have reared me in comfort/O Sacred Land, the Great Creator of Good, may this body of mine be dedicated to you/I again and again bow before You/O God almighty, we the integral part of the Hindu Rashtra salute you in reverence/For Your cause have we girded up our loins/Give us Your Blessings for its accomplishment."
[Shakha Darshikha, Gyan Ganga, Jaipur, 1997, p. 1.]

RSS Oath:

"Before the all powerful God and my ancestors, I most solemnly take this oath, that I become a member of the RSS in order to achieve all

round greatness of Bharatvarsha by fostering the growth of my sacred Hindu religion, Hindu society, and Hindu culture. I shall perform the work of the Sangh honestly, disinterestedly, with my heart and soul, and I shall adhere to this goal all my life. Bharat Mata Ki Jai."
[Shakha Darshikha, Gyan Ganga, Jaipur, 1997, p.  66.]
Thus they were not faithful to the Indian Nation as it existed as a legal entity but wanted to subvert it into a theocratic state like Muslim League which created Pakistan in the name of Islam.

Against Democracy

The RSS contrary to the principles of democracy has been constantly demanding India to be ruled under a totalitarian regime. Golwalkar while delivering a speech before the 1350 top level cadres of the RSS in 1940 declared,
RSS inspired by one flag, one leader and one ideology is lighting the flame of Hindutva in each and every corner of this great land.
[MS Golwalkar, Shri Guruji Samagar Darshan (collected works of Golwalkar in Hindi), Bhartiya Vichar Sadhna, Nagpur, nd., vol. I, p. 11.]
This slogan of one flag, one leader and one ideology has directly been borrowed from the programmes of Nazi and Fascist parties of Europe.

Against Federalism

The RSS is also dead against federal structure of the constitution, again a ‘Basic’ feature of the India polity. This is clear from the following communication of Golwalkar which he sent to the first session of the National Integration Council in 1961. It read,
Today’s federal form of government not only gives birth but also nourishes the feelings of separatism, in a way refuses to recognize the fact of one nation and destroys it. It must be completely uprooted, constitution purified and unitary form of government be established.
[MS Golwalkar, Shri Guruji Samagar Darshan (collected works of Golwalkar in Hindi), Bhartiya Vichar Sadhna, Nagpur, nd., vol. III, p. 128.]
These have not been some stray ideas of the RSS ideologue on Indian Federalism. The Bible of the RSS, Bunch of Thoughts, has an exclusive chapter titled, ‘Wanted a unitary state.’ While presenting his remedy to the federal set-up of India he writes,
The most important and effective step will be to bury deep for good all

talk of a federal structure of our country’s Constitution, to sweep away the existence of all ‘autonomous’ or semi-autonomous ‘states’ within the one state viz., Bharat and proclaim ‘One Country, One State, One Legislature, One Executive’ with no trace of fragmentational, regional, sectarian, linguistic or other types of pride being given a scope for playing havoc with our integrated harmony. Let the Constitution be re-examined and re-drafted, so as to establish this Unitary form of Government and thus effectively disprove the mischievous propaganda indulged in by the British and so unwittingly imbibed by the present leaders, about our being just a juxtaposition of so many distinct ‘ethnic groups’ or ‘nationalities’ happening to live side by side and grouped together by the accident of geographical contiguity and one uniform supreme foreign domination.
[MS Golwalkar, Bunch of Thoughts, Sahitya Sindhu, Bangalore, 1996, p. 227.]
It is important to note that Indian Supreme Court in the SR Bommai vs Union of India 1994 case declared federal structure, secularism socialism, social justice, unity and integrity of democratic-secular India as inviolable 'Basic Features' of the Indian Constitution; the fundamental characteristics to which RSS is totally opposed.
Thus RSS represents the most lethal danger to the existence of democratic-secular Indian Constitution handed over to the nation by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 2019. If our Constitution is to be saved the anti-national RSS and its ideology must be confronted in Parliament, judicial rooms, corridors of administration, educational institutions and outside. We should not overlook the fact that with RSS around India does not need any foreign enemy to undo democratic-secular India, the former has to be thoroughly exposed and defeated.
Shamsul Islam
Constitution Day of India
November 26, 2019.
Link for some of S. Islam's writings in English, Hindi, Urdu, Marathi, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati and video interviews/debates:
Facebook: shamsul
Twitter: @shamsforjustice
http://shamsforpeace.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

TASKS OF WRITERS-ARTISTS-INTELLECTUALS IN THE TIMES OF HINDUTVA FASCISM

TASKS OF WRITERS-ARTISTS-INTELLECTUALS IN THE TIMES OF HINDUTVA FASCISM
[With the unleashing of reign of terror by the RSS/BJP rulers against working class, peasant organizations, women organizations, student movements, intellectuals, writers, poets and progressive social/political activists, India also witnessed a series of resistance programmes organized by the pro-people cultural organizations in different parts of the country. My address in some of these programmes is reproduced here. ]
Before sharing my views on the tasks of artists-writers-intellectuals in the times of Fascism, let me; briefly define Fascism and how it is different from totalitarianism. Totalitarianism is political concept, a dictatorship of an individual, family or group which prohibits opposition in any form, and exercises an extremely high degree of control over public and private life. It is also described as authoritarianism. Whereas Fascism while retaining all these repressive characteristics also believes in god-ordained superiority of Race, culture, religion and language of the rulers. It is the rule of the Aryans over pagans or malechas, where the latter belonging to an inferior Race (which Hitler described as "no-Race") should be eliminated as these corrupt the superior Race, its culture, religion, and language.
The capture of the Indian state by the Fascist RSS/BJP rulers should not be confused with the rule of Nazi Party in Germany and the Fascist Party in Italy after the World War I. The rise of Nazism and Fascism in Europe was the outcome of a severe crisis of capitalism globally. Since Germany and Italy had powerful working class movements, the capitalists, bureaucrats, military elite and the Rightist political leaders decided to crush the Left and impose totalitarian rules in the two countries.
India, on the other hand, had always been a breeding ground for the totalitarian ideology with Brahmanism or Hindutva Fascism as a favourite ideology of the Hindu high Castes with the arrival of Aryans to Indian peninsula. The Brahmanism codified into Vedas, Codes of Manu (Manu Smriti) and Chanakya's Arthshastra. These are the fundamental documents of Brahmanism which preach Hindutva brand of Fascism.
What this Fascism amounts to can be understood by glancing over some of the dehumanized elements contained in these documents of Brahmanism. According to VD Savarkar who played important role in chalking out the modern Hindutva Fascism in India only those could stay who belonged to a "common Race", "common blood", and "common civilization" known as Aryan Race which spoke holy language, Sanskrit.   
The Hindutva Fascism's other prominent ideologue, MS Golwalkar while fully supporting the cleansing of the Jews by Hitler and Mussolini in their countries. He went on to declare shamelessly that cleansing of Jews by Hitler and Mussolini was "a good lesson for us in Hindusthan to learn and profit by" for eliminating non-Aryans.  
We should not miss the fact that Hindutva Fascism in comparison to the German/Italian Fascism is multi-dimensional, multi-faceted and insidious. Whereas in Europe it was Aryans versus Jews, the Hindutva version denigrates adversaries at two levels. On one level minorities, specially, Muslims and Christians have to be cleansed, at the other level Sudras through imposition of Varna system have to be enslaved. According to Hindutva ideologues, Hinduism, Hindu nation and Casteism are synonymous. Manu Smriti blatantly decreed that Brahma created the Kshatriya, the Vaisya, and the Sudra from his mouth, his arm, his thighs and his feet. The lord prescribed for Sudras one occupation only that was to serve meekly the other three Castes. If a Sudra criticizes a twice-born man his tongue would be cut out; for he is of low origin. If Sudra arrogantly taught Brahmanas their duty, the king would cause hot oil to be poured into his mouth and into his ears. If a low-caste man tried to place himself on the same seat with a man of a high caste, would be branded on his hip and be banished, or (the king) shall cause his buttock to be gashed.
     As per the Manu Code if Sudras are to be given most stringent punishments for even petty violations/actions, the same Code of Manu is very lenient towards Brahmins. Manu decreed:  
  “Let him never slay a Brahmana, though he have committed all (possible) crimes; he should be asked to leave, leaving all his property to him and his body unhurt.”
The fact is that Hindutva ideology is the original Fascist system and with Modi's coming to power in 2014 India began its journey under the Hindutva Fascist rule. However, it would not be correct that before Modi's becoming PM India was a peoples' democracy. It was an anti-people rule under the garb of democracy. The rulers of all hues despite running the country for the benefit of imperialists, capitalists and feudal rule continued their public affirmation to the so called democratic-secular polity of India. But with Modi's coming to power this facade was abandoned. The RSS/BJP rulers declared Hindutva as their ideology under which India would discard secularism and democracy and convert India into a Hindu rashtra. This current vision of the Hindutva rule is direct borrowing from Golwalkar who as early as 1940 Golwalkar while delivering a speech before the 1350 top level cadres of the RSS had declared: "RSS inspired by one flag, one leader and one ideology is lighting the flame of Hindutva in each and every corner of this great land." This slogan of one flag, one leader and one ideology was directly borrowed from the programmes of Nazi and Fascist parties of Europe.

GLORIOUS LEGACY OF RESISTANCE AGAINST FASCISM BY WRITERS-ARTISTS-INTELLECTUALS
 The world history is witness to this amazing fact that whenever the Fascists tried to suppress peoples' aspirations, crush humanity and impose silence of the graveyard on the society, writers-artists-intellectual stood shoulder to shoulder with other sections of the society in resisting the march of Fascists. Some of the glorious examples are worth remembering.     
OLYMPE DE GOUGES
Olympe de Gouges (1748-93) was a French playwright, activist and feminist whose powerful polemics against racial and sexual injustice won her a wide audience in the years before and during the French Revolution. Her most vital 17 point, The Declaration of the Rights of Women and of the Female Citizen (1791) was written in response to the revolutionary Declaration of the Rights of Man (1789), highlighting its inherent sex bias and addressing key issues of women's rights that it had failed to cover. For this 'crime' she was beheaded in Paris on November 3, 1793, at the age of 45. Before being slaughtered she roared: "Since women already have the right to climb the scaffold, they must be given the right to mount the rostrum so that they can speak their minds."
BRECHT
Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. He was the main proponent of the genre named epic theatre (which he preferred to call "dialectical theatre"). During the Nazi period and World War II he lived in exile, first in Scandinavia and then in the United States. During the Nazi rule, Brecht expressed his strong opposition to the National Socialist and Fascist movements in his most famous plays: Life of Galileo, Mother Courage and Her Children, The Good Person of Szechwan, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Fear and Misery of the Third Reich, and many others.
Brecht even today remains the greatest dramatist and poet against Fascism and his teaching can play great role in fighting the Hindutva fascism. His advice to the artists that "Art is not a mirror held up to show reality but a hammer with which to shape it". Thus he wanted the artists to use art as a political tool to revolutionize the society. He wanted writers-artists-intellectuals not to be cowed down by the Fascists repression, by telling: "In the dark times will there be singing? Yes, there will also be singing. About the dark times".
Fascism plays havoc with the truth. Brecht gave five-point programme to uphold the truth and confront lies. "Nowadays, anyone who wishes to combat lies and ignorance and to write the truth must overcome at least five difficulties. He must have the courage to write the truth when truth is everywhere opposed; the keenness to recognize it, although it is everywhere concealed; the skill to manipulate it as a weapon; the judgment to select those in whose hands it will be effective; and the running to spread the truth among such persons."
Charlie Chaplin
Charles Spencer ‘Charlie’ Chaplin was born on April 16, 1889 in London. His childhood was fraught with hardship and poverty. Chaplin was sent to a workhouse at the tender age of seven. At the age of 13, Chaplin began his slow and arduous climb in the world of entertainment and not only became one of the greatest entertainers of the silent movie era but also a great an artist who confronted directly through his satires Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, anti-Semitism, and the Nazis. One of his productions, The Great Dictator had this long speech, written in lyrics and delivered to perfection by Chaplin, that has surprisingly gone down in history as one of the most inspiring and evocative orations against Racism and Fascism.
I'm sorry, but I don't want to be an emperor.
That's not my business.
I don't want to rule or conquer anyone.
I should like to help everyone if possible.
Jew-Gentile (non-Jew) - Black Man, White.
We all want to help one another, human beings are like that.
We want to live by each other's happiness.
Not by each other's misery.
We don't want to hate and despise one another.
And this world has room for everyone, and the good Earth is rich can provide for everyone.
The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way.
Greed has poisoned men's souls, has barricaded the world with hate…stepped us into misery and bloodshed.
We think too much, and feel too little.
More than machinery, we need humanity.
More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness.
Without these qualities, life will be violent, and all will be lost…
To those who can hear me, I say - do not despair.
The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed - the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress.
The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people.
And so long as men die, liberty will never perish. ....
You, the people, have the power to make this life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure.
Then - in the name of democracy - let us use that power - let us all unite.
Let us fight for a new world - a decent world that will give men a chance to work - that will give youth a future and old age a security.
By the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power.
But they lie!
They do not fulfill that promise.
They never will!
Dictators free themselves but they enslave the people!
Now let us fight to fulfill that promise!
Let us fight to free the world - to do away with national barriers - to do away with greed, with hate and intolerance.
Let us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will lead to all men's happiness.
Soldiers!
in the name of democracy, let us all unite
Martin Niemöller
Martin Niemöller was a German Lutheran pastor and theologian born in Lippstadt, Germany, in 1892. Niemöller was an anti-Communist and supported Adolf Hitler's rise to power at first. But when Hitler started pogrom of cleansing Jews and working-class turned against Nazism He became the leader of a group of German clergymen opposed to Hitler. In 1937 he was arrested and eventually released only in 1945 by the Allies. An excerpt from his long poem which remains one of the greatest anthems against Fascism.
First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me.
























Antonio Francesco Gramsci (22 January 1891 – 27 April 1937) was an Italian Marxist philosopher and communist politician. He wrote on political theory, sociology and linguistics. He was a founding member and one-time leader of the Communist Party of Italy and was imprisoned by Benito Mussolini's Fascist regime. He was released from jail a few days before his death when the Mussolini regime knew that he would not survive.
He wrote more than 30 notebooks and 3,000 pages of history and analysis during his imprisonment. His Prison Notebooks are considered a highly original contribution to 20th century political theory. The notebooks cover a wide range of topics, including nationalism, the French Revolution, fascism, civil society, folklore, religion and high and popular culture.
Gramsci is best known for his theory of cultural hegemony, which describes how the state and ruling capitalist class – the bourgeoisie – use cultural institutions to maintain power in capitalist societies. The bourgeoisie, in Gramsci's view, develops a hegemonic culture using ideology rather than violence, economic force, or coercion. Hegemonic culture propagates its own values and norms so that they become the "common sense" values of all and thus maintain the status quo. Hegemonic power is therefore used to maintain consent to the capitalist order, rather than coercive power using force to maintain order. This cultural hegemony is produced and reproduced by the dominant class through the institutions that form the superstructure.
He argued that capitalist power needed to be challenged by building a counter-hegemony. By the need to create a working-class culture and a counter-hegemony Gramsci meant for a kind of education that attempted to help students question and challenge the beliefs and practices that were dominating. In other words, it was a theory and practice of helping students achieve "critical consciousness."
Those of us who are committed to challenging the hegemony of the culture of the Fascism must learn from Gramsci. His message in the note for the editorial staff of l'unita (The Unity, official Organ of the Italian Communist Party which Gramsci was editing) at the time of the arrest (November 8, 1928) is as relevant for us at it was for Italian comrades in 1928: "It is necessary to think and study even under the most difficult conditions…to keep the risk of intellectual degradation at bay".
At the end, I would remind you of words of Comrade Lenin who emphasized that cultural activists must have a grasp of politics of the rulers as well as revolutionary politics. When asked to suggest, he responded by saying:
"We must at all costs set out, first, to learn, secondly, to learn, and thirdly, to learn, and then see to it that learning shall not remain a dead letter or a fashionable catch-phrase (and we should admit in all frankness that this happens very often with us), that learning shall really become part of our very being, that it shall actually and fully become a constituent element of our social life…In order that it may attain the desired high level, we must follow the rule: 'Measure your cloth seven times before you cut'"
Please learn from this magnificent heritage, do not replicate it only, carry it forward with revolutionary creative innovations added so that we are able to resist the current Hindutva fascist onslaught more meaningfully. Let's hasten its demise, we can do it.
WE SHALL FIGHT, WE SHALL WIN!
Shamsul Islam
September 20, 2019

Link for some of S. Islam's writings in English, Hindi, Urdu, Marathi, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati and video interviews/debates:
Facebook: shamsul
Twitter: @shamsforjustice
http://shamsforpeace.blogspot.com/