Ashok Vajpeyi sees RSS as threat to Hinduism

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Noted poet and critic Ashok Vajpeyi on Tuesday said that RSS was much less a threat to Islam and other minority religions. It is a bigger threat to Hinduism because it is projecting a Hindutva version which has very little to do with Hindu tradition, Hindu thought and Hindu vision of life. Talking to this newspaper here, he said despite being in power for three years, campaigning in the name of Hinduism and Indian culture, majority of the writers and creative people in the country had not walked over to their side. “Sangh Parivar is facing a huge crisis as there is not a single writer of consequence in their camp,” he said.

On the recent killing of Gauri Lankesh, the writer said they had brought to the nation’s attention the growing intolerance nearly two years ago when Pansare and Kalburgi were murdered. “Writers even returned awards in protest. At that time the government spokesman accused the intellectuals of manufacturing intolerance,” he said. He said the situation was alarming. What one should eat or not eat, say or not say and hold ideas or not hold ? “If it is not in agreement with them then you are termed anti national. This is a form of tyrannical approach. All this is being done in the name of 31 per cent vote. But even if you have majority support , you are not entitled to stifle view point of others,” he said.

Vajpeyi said in Indian tradition from Rig Veda to modern had allowed space for dissent.  “I have just published a 550 page anthology India Dissents. It has collections from from rig veda period, Buddhist, Jain, Mughal, British and democratic era of very important voices of disagreement and dissent,'' he said. The writer said the cultural war unleashed by BJP was also to conceal their total failure in governance. “They promised vikas and 2 crore jobs. Nothing happened, economy is in crisis and their economic vision is deeply flawed. There is a manufactured anger against minorities, women, dalits and adviasis," he said.

Cow vigilantism perpetrators have not been apprehended or punished. What the citizen should eat or not eat, wear or not wear is not the domain of a modern state. “From modern state we are going into dark medievalism which was thrown out by our national movement,” he said. Vajpeyi said the biggest threat the State’s complicity in such matters. In the past, perhaps the State looked away during anti Sikh riots and the dark period of Emergency. “But those were short lived, confined in period or in space,” he said. He said it was wrong to assume that majority of the people were silent. “Majority has always been silent. But their silence does not mean complicity," he pointed out.

The writer said democracy was one of those instruments which keep humbling people. "It humbled Indira, Manmohan Singh and will humble Modi as well. Nobody can be invincible, not in a democracy," he added. Vajpeyi said the present government and this entire political mindset was very disturbing. But those who should be opposing them, the Opposition, was so scattered and that was also equally disturbing. "But you never know. Alternatives emerge. Did anyone think Gowda or Gujral would ever become PM. So democracy finds its own ways,” he said. "I am a writer and I cannot give up hope," Vajpeyi concluded