Shiv Raj Singh Chouhan:
Shiv Raj Singh Chouhan, is the present Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and  the  latest to join the “Sack/Resign Omar brigade”  His grouse is the same- “Accession but not merger” remark made by  Omar Abdullah in the Legislative Assembly. In a recent statement carried by Economic Times, New-Delhi, he has also pleaded for an exemplary punishment to Arundhati Roy and Syed Ali shah Geelani for their alleged Anti national comments in Delhi Conference. He has further stated that those who speak anything about “saffron terror” are actually attacking Indian culture.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan  (Born 5 March 1959) took over the reins  of State from  Babulal Gaur  in  November 2005. In the party hierarchy, he belongs to RSS cadre which he Joined in 1972 when he was barely thirteen. He has held positions in Akhil Bhartiya Keshariya Vahini, All India Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha and other affiliate organizations of RSS. Obviously when a person has been groomed in RSS ideology  from the days of  his tender age, the results are bound to be disastrous. That was  evident recently when goons of Chouhan’s  tribe created a ruckus in front of the Hamidia Medical College premises in Bhopal with the sole purpose of harassing Kashmiri Muslim students there.

I am least bothered when Chouhan demands Omar Abdullah’s resignation on Accession remark because I am sure that Junior Abdullah is not going to oblige him. By the way Omar’s resignation has also been  demanded earlier  by Chouhan’s peers like L.K.Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi but of no avail. Omar’s comment, which is only reiteration of  a  historical fact, has been endorsed by all those who matter, except People from RSS-BJP clan.

The perennial problem with RSS-BJP politicians is their tendency to  twist or ignore  historical facts to suit their ideology particularly with reference to Kashmir. If  allowed their way, they may even change the name of Kashmir to “Sindu-desh” or something like that.

As far as punishment to Arundhati Roy and  Geelani is concerned, I think  Chouhan has not heard Union Home Minster,  Chidambram declaring that relevant material  was perused and it was found insufficient  to proceed  with sedition charges against the duo . When troubled persistently to take some action, he   said that   even “No-action” is  an “action”.

What I am concerned is the statement of  Chouhan in which  he equates any mention of  saffron  terror with  attack on Indian Culture. In other words,  Chavan would like us to believe that terrorism is perpetrated only  by non-Hindus  (read Muslims)  and saffron brigade has nothing to do with it.
Vow-Chouhan Ji –“By stating that talk of saffron terror means attack on Indian culture”- You have even beaten  D.K.Barauh, the Congress President of Emergency Era and most trusted sycophant of Indira Gandhi -  who  coined the infamous phrase-“Indira is India and India is Indira”

Chouhan Ji-  Please  Think beyond Sunday drills and Khaki Nickers. Have a holistic approach. Existence of  saffron terror  is a hard  reality. That is proved with the recent arrest of top guns belonging to your saffron brigade  who  otherwise swear by  superior Hindu culture and high moral values day in and day out. In the recent past even Sadhus and sadhvis, wearing saffron robes and sporting extra-large “Tilaks”  have been arrested on terrorist charges. If that is not saffron terror then what it is?

Chouhan Ji- If your  statement is accepted for a discussion sake,  then persons connected with terrorist attacks like Ajmer Sharif, Makkah Masjid and  Samjutha Express blast, to name a few, and who profess a Hindu faith, cannot be punished because in that case Indian culture will be attacked. Even Dara Singh of Bajrang Dal, Who burnt Graham Stains and his two sons alive, can claim impunity on the basis of Indian culture. So is the case for persons responsible for Gujarat carnage. The list is endless and the conclusion  horrifying for any right thinking  person.

Hence your vicious and spiteful statement needs to be condemned loudly and clearly. And for this malicious statement,  Shiv Raj Singh Chouhan deserves a stone to be pelted at.   

 G. Parthasarathy 
 Gopalaswami Parthasarathy  is a retired diplomat. He started his  career as Foreign Service Officer and served in various capacities including as Ambassador to Pakistan till he retired in year 2000. Prior to his entry to the Indian Foreign Service,  Parthasarathy was a Commissioned Officer in the Indian Army. He has served as special emissary to Sri Lanka and Nepal as well as Spokesman, Ministry of External Affairs  and  Prime Minister’s Office. 
 Parthasarathy is  also a  columnist and is frequently seen in various TV panels presenting his extremist views.  After retirement, one of his main activities,  is to support the cause of “Panun Kashmir”. He  is a regular at the meetings of this rabid communal and dubious organization. His views and association leave nobody in doubt that he belongs to the “eat communal, drink communal and talk communal” brigade.

In one of his articles published in Daily Poineer of 15th October 2010,  Parthasarthy says: “Paradoxically, the Kashmir Valley where one now hears calls for ‘azadi’ was ruled ruthlessly for over 700 years by Mongols, Afghans, Mughals, Sikhs and Dogras before people experienced democracy and freedom under India’s Constitution. Moreover, while communal harmony has prevailed in the multi-religious Jammu and Ladakh regions, it is in the Kashmir Valley alone, which boasts of a proud history of secular ‘Kashmiriyat’, that 4,00,000 members of the minority community of Pandits have been forced to flee their homes”

Parthasarthy Ji- Your views on migration of Kashmiri Pandiths are totally misplaced.  In fact the migration was planned , organized and supervised by  Jagmohan, the then Governor of J&K with malicious intentions. Should you need any proof, please read what following reputed columnists have reported at various times:

Brij Bhardwaj-Kashmir Times-November 25 1996
“If the events of May 21( on this  day the protestors mourning the death  of Maulana Muhamamd Farooq were fired upon )  were bad, what happened earlier in terms of mass exodus of Kashmiri Pandits including officials from the Valley was no better. It was strange case of administration instead of stepping forward to provide protection to minorities encouraged them to migrate by providing transport and other help.

The worst was the case with respect of government staff. As if the move to allow the government staff to leave for Jammu was not bad enough even the men in uniform were allowed to go. It was strange that while the local Muslim employees were being asked to report for duty as they were a part of the essential services an employee from the minority community was being allowed to migrate to Jammu or in some cases even to Delhi and draw his salary there.”
Kuldeep Nayyar – The Times of India April 18 1997

 “The plight of the Pandits has only worsened because they have been used as pawns in the game which the various rulers and different political formations have played in Srinagar and New Delhi. Mr Jagmohan, now a BJP MP, encouraged the Pandits to leave the Valley when he became governor of the state for the second time. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah has confirmed this. Jagmohan gave the Pandits air tickets, provided them with transport and arranged financial and other help to ensure their journey to Jammu. It was as if he wanted them to be out of the way to be able to deal with militants. Did he want to communalize the situation, plan to use the Pandits one day against the Hurriyat's demand for independence? Whatever the reason, his rough methods provided a spark to an already combustible situation.”

Parthasarthi Ji- That Kashmiris  are secular by nature and conviction-  They need  no certificate from persons like you. It has  been testified long back  by that Apostle of peace Mahtama Gandhi- when he saw a ray of light and hope  in Kashmir. Kashmiri Muslims were in forefront of protecting their minorities even when in their own backyard, in Jammu precisely, around five lac Muslims were massacred in October-November 1947 by RSS fascists in total complicity with State ruled by Dogra king. Since the bibliography is long and exhaustive, I will  advise you only to read   Ian Stephen’s Book  "Horned Moon" and also a series of articles titled “Elimination of Muslims  in Jammu” published by Times of London of  that period to know more about the holocaust perpetrated on them.
 Parthasarthy- I find your statement devoid of facts and divisive meant only to partition  Kashmiris into Hindus and Muslims.
And for that obnoxious statement,  Parthasarthy deserves a stone to be pelted at:

Shashi Tharoor:
Shashi Tharoor is India’s  former Junior foreign Minister .Following a controversy about his involvement in a cricket scandal, he was instructed to resign from the post which he complied dutifully.

Well read, articulate and sporting an ever smiling look, Tharoor also held a high post in United Nations. He was in contention for the top post there but lost to present incumbent Ban-ki-Moon. He has recently married a Kashmiri Pandith girl. We respect that relationship.

In a recent statement Tharoor said that Kashmir is not UN business and the world body has no role in resolving the contentious issue. The statement was given in the background of Pakistan’s appeal to UN and USA to intervene in the  dispute.

Tharoor Ji- The UN resolutions on Kashmir dispute are well documented and defined. Therefore, it is patently false to say that Kashmir is not UN business. We are also aware that those resolutions cannot be enforced like the the ones pertaining to Iraq and Afghanistan because of  inapplicability of relevant chapter under which these resolutions have been passed.

Tharoor Ji- Inability of UN to enforce UN resolution on Iraq and Afghanistan pattern does not mean that Kashmir is not UN business. The two statements have different connotations. Hence your statement is false and misleading.
And for giving a false and misleading statement,  Tharoor deserves a stone to be pelted at.

(The author is a practicing Chartered Accountant.  feedback at amzargar1@indiatimes.com)

Lastupdate on : Fri, 12 Nov 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 12 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 13 Nov 2010 00:00:00 IST