Political Movements in India
1.Introduction
“Democracy has been hailed as the true and authentic voice
of people, working for both their tangible and intangible interests. Later
periods the popular government becomes a toy in the hands of industrial
bourgeoisie and capitalist entrepreneurs, and they lose the power to govern
even the aspects of their own lives.”[1]
This give rise to the different movements like Naxelite Maoists etc… India also
witnessed for the upcoming of many religious movements such as VHP, RSS etc…
these has both positive and negative contributions in the land of diversity.
2.
VHP
VHP is also known as Vishva Hindu Parishad. It was founded in
the year 1964 on 29th August, the Shri Krishna Janmashtami festival made the
day more meaningful. The initial sole objective of the VHP was to organize -
consolidate the Hindu society and to serve - protect the Hindu Dharma even
though it had been revised on later periods. The organization finds its
foundation on the ideology of Hindutva. The organization has M. S. Golwalkar
and S. S. Apte Asits founding fathers they established this organization in
association with Swami Chinmayananda. The VHP considers Buddhists, Jains and
Sikhs as well as native tribal religions as part of the greater Hindu
fraternity. They also do number of social services such as medical assistance,
social welfare, education and vocational training programme.
The conference hosted on 29 August 1964 depicts the hidden
agenda of the organization. The conference was held under the guidance and
supervision of one of its founding fathers M. S. Golwalkar. Where he exclaimed that “all faiths of Indian
origins need to unite", saying that the word "Hindu" applied to
adherents of all the above religions”[1] the declaration of Apte who is also a founder
of this organization too shows a religious intolerance through the comment that
he had passed on that particular day. “The world has been divided to Christian,
Islam and communist. All of them view Hindu society as very fine rich food on
which to feast and fatten themselves. It is necessary in this age of conflict
to think of and organize the Hindu world to save it from the evils of all the three.”[2] VHP
organizes programmes to reconvert Hindus in the title of Garvapasy who had
previously converted to Christianity or Islam through their trained
missionaries these missionaries are known as Dharma Prasaar Vibhag.
3.
RSS
In the 20th Indian witnessed birth and perpetual
growth of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh popularly known as RSS. It was founded on
27 September 1925. Initially it was a non-governmental organization gradually
as it parented the BJP Party there is a strong and vibrant influence of government
in its administration and routine. It has Keshav Baliram Hedgewar as its
founding father. The objective of the organization is to welfare the entire
mankind and the vision for a self-confident, resurgent and mighty Bharat in
global level. They are also engaged in number of social services such as
national workshops, training programmes, donation camps etc… but most of
beneficiaries of these services are the people belong to the Hindu religion.
They mostly concentrate the welfare of their own religious people rather than
accepting people of other faith. The organization upholds the Indian culture
and civilization values as its ideal.
The organization is one of the big criticizer of Indian
National Flag for having the pattern of tricolor they suggest Saffron Flag be
adopted as the National Flag of India. Same way they also criticize Indian
Constitution for neglecting the Manu's laws from the ancient Hindu text
Manusmriti in the constitution of India. The movement is also adversely
criticized for its involvement in number of religious tolerance spread over the
country. Atal Bihari Vajpayee is the first one among the swayamsevak of RSS to
become the Prime Minister of India. Narendra Modi followed this. The RSS was
banned number of times in past first it happens during British rule then thrice in post
independence scenario in 1948 when a former RSS member assassinated Mahatma
Gandhi, then during the emergency (1975–77) and finally after the demolition of
Babri Masjid in 1992.
4.
Naxalites
“A Naxal or Naxalite is a member of any of the Communist
guerrilla groups in India, mostly associated with the Communist Party of India
(Maoist).”[3]
The movement traces its root in a village of West Bengal named Naxalbari by the
Maoist leaders Charu Majumdar, Kanu Sanyal, and Jangal Santhal in 1967. It was
a group of people for armed fight against the unfair practices that are held
during that time towards the poor and famers. Later on it became a movement of
exploitation of people and government. There are number of reasons for the wide
spread of this movement form a small town to across the country they are Growing
inter and intra-regional disparities. The Naxals lure people with vulnerable
livelihood, fishermen, bamboo cutters, farmers and daily laborers. They have
created large social base in Orissa because the government failed to ensure the
tribal alienation, displacement by large projects and food security. Naxalities
are active in 15 states and 170 districts of the country stretching from areas
adjoining Tarai region in Nepal to Tirupati in A.P. and from west champaran in
West Bihar to Vidarbha in Maharashtra. Different Naxal groups now control 19%
of India’s forest.
Today Naxalism is a threat to the Indian economy because the
earlier ideologies of Naxalism were degenerated with selfish motives thus the
movement exploit the poor people of villages and find their lively hood from
them. They also force the people to be the part of the groups. Women of the
villages were forced and taken away from their family to the sexual objects for
the group members. They also stand as a hindrance for development in the
villages thus they don’t allow to have mobile towers, good transportation facilities
etc… in the village.
[1]
Smith, Hinduism and Modernity, 189.
[2]
Smith, Hinduism and Modernity, 189.
[3]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naxalite
[1]
http://www.idsa.in/jds/4_2_2010_NaxaliteMovementinIndia_rdixit
