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Don?t negate Ram, Save Ram Sethu ?Sangh national executive
(This is the full text of the resolutions passed at the Akhil Bharatiya Karyakari Mandal meeting of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh held at Rashtrotthan Vidya Mandir, Dharvad, Karnataka, from November 2-4, 2007.)
Negating Sri Ram?s existence is negating the identity of our nation
The Akhil Bharatiya Karyakari Mandal (ABKM) congratulates our society at large, the youth in particular, and various social and cultural organisations for extending unprecedented and massive support to the countrywide Chakka Jaam programme organised on the 12th of September 2007 under the leadership of Shri Rameshwaram Ram Sethu Raksha Manch; and making the programme a historic success thus giving a fitting reply to the forces that were negating the existence of Sri Ram?the grand personification of virtue and the illustrious symbol of our cultural identity.
Realising the threat to their very political existence from the thunderous uproar of the awakened society, the vote-hungry politicians in the government were forced to take back the affidavit filed by them before the Supreme Court which not only derisively dismissed the construction of the Sethu at Rameswaram by Sri Ram but even went to the extent of denying the existence of Sri Ram. This affidavit implied that the epic Ramayana by the immortal poet Maharshi Valmiki, which portrayed Sri Ram as a historical persona through various personal accounts of Maharshi himself, was a mere fiction. This act is tantamount to negating the very basis of our entire socio-cultural fabric besides questioning the history and geography of our nation.
The ABKM wishes to draw the country?s attention to the fact that from times immemorial Ramayana has been regarded as history which gives vivid description of incidents like construction of the Sethu by Sri Ram; His march with army over to Lanka; war with Ravan and victory over him; enthronement of Vibheeshan; and later, His return to Ayodhya by Pushpak Viman and also the geographical details. A pictorial depiction of Sri Ram?s return to Ayodhya in Pushpak Viman can also be found in the original copy of the Constitution of Bharat which bears the signatures of all its framers.
Justice Tilhari and Justice Gupta of the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court in their judgment of 1993 in one of the cases relating to Ramjanma-bhoomi observed that Sri Ram is, besides history, tradition, faith, belief and scriptures, a constitutional persona also. Mahatma Gandhi?s espousal of Ram Rajya also represents the lasting imprint of Sri Ram?s legacy on the Bharatiya national mind. It may also be noted that images of Sri Ram Durbar were embossed on the East India Company coins. Negating Sri Ram?s existence means negating the existence of Tathagata Buddha and all teerthankars including Bhagwan Mahavir who also belonged to the Ikshvaku dynasty; and the history of Guru Nanak Devji and Guru Govind Singhji who were the descendents of the Bedi and Sodhi dynasty which originated from Sri Ram?s offspring Lav and Kush.
Even after the withdrawal of the offending affidavit, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu continued his abusive utterances through various media interviews wantonly hurting the Hindu sentiments and trying to destroy social harmony. He is making such mischievous statements like the one in which he said that Sita was described as Ram?s sister in Tulsi?s Ramacharit-amanas. This sort of reprehensible bragging not only causes a severe blow to our national sentiments, but also puts a question mark on the very identity of our nationhood indirectly. Hence, the ABKM is of the considered opinion that it is not sufficient on the part of the government to withdraw the offensive affidavit. The government and all those concerned owe an unconditional apology to the people of Bharat and crores of Hindus living abroad.
Adi Kavi Maharshi Valmiki?s Ramayana, in its 22nd Sarga of the Yuddhkand, describes in detail the construction work of the Sethu including the materials used for the purpose. Description of the Ram Sethu can be found in ?Adhyatma Ramayana? (3rd Sarga), Ramacharitamanas (Lanka Kand), Kamba Ramayana (Sethubandhanm Chapter, Yuddhkand), Krittivas Ramayana, Madhav Kandali Ramayana, Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Raag Ramkali - Mahala 1), English rendering of Valmiki Ramayana by the first Governor General of Bharat Sri Chakravarti Rajagopalachari and in many other works. The 1788 AD survey map of Bharat by Australian botanical explorer Joseph Parks which is preserved to this day in the famous Saraswati Mahal Library in Tanjavur (Tamil Nadu) depicts the Sethu as ?Ramar Bridge?. Further, the bridge was described as ?Ramar Palam? meaning Ram?s bridge in the Ramnathpuram district manual of 1972 the foreword to which was written by the then CM of TN who happens to be none other than the present CM himself, who has commended the contents therein. The ruling family of Ramnathpuram state is called ?Setupatis? even to this day.
The government is insistent upon completing the Sethusamudram project projecting it as a development-oriented and economically-profitable one. Many experts disagree with this contention of the government and opine that the project is neither economically viable nor does it make any navigational sense. The obstinacy of the government in still going ahead with it makes the ABKM feel that its only objective is to destroy the Ram Sethu.
The ABKM demands that the Ram Sethu, which is revered by the entire nation, be declared a national heritage monument.
The ABKM wants to remind the people that the mission shouldn?t be construed as accomplished by mere protest demonstrations. In fact the forces inimical to Hindu culture are still determined to fulfil their evil designs. Hence the ABKM calls upon the countrymen in general and swayamsevaks in particular, who are agitating under the guidance of the saints and sages of our nation, to continue to uphold the age-old cultural and spiritual integrity of our nation and stand steadfast with conviction and valour until final victory is achieved in this struggle.
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The Akhil Bharatiya Karyakari Mandal takes strong exception to the recommendation of the National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities (NCRLM) popularly known as Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission that the Scheduled Caste status must be ?completely delinked from religion? and ?all those groups and classes among the Muslims and Christians should also be covered by the Scheduled Castes net?. What is more intriguing is the Commission?s effort to project its recommendations as consistent with the ?letter and spirit of the constitutional provisions?.
The ABKM is of the view that, in reality, these recommendations are against the basic spirit of the Constitution and in negation of all the efforts of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar who struggled relentlessly in his personal and public life to reform the Hindu society. Besides, these recommendations are also an aggression on the welfare of the Scheduled Castes and a major impediment to their uplift.
The ABKM feels that the Commission has failed to take note of the fact that the framers of our Constitution, after prolonged deliberations, concluded that caste system is a part only of Hindu society and hence the reservations offered to the Scheduled Castes must be confined to Hindus only. The ABKM also wants to remind that the Church leadership, with an eye to increasing their numbers, has been vigorously campaigning for the inclusion of the converts into the Scheduled Castes purview which was steadfastly resisted by all the right-thinking leaders during the making of the Constitution as well as in the last six decades.
The ABKM decries the brazenness of the petitioners, who have gone to the Supreme Court with the demand of inclusion of the Christian converts in the Scheduled Castes category, with the contention that ?the Dalits remain Dalits even after converting to Christianity?. Christianity claims that there is no caste system in it. It is a matter of shame that the Church leaders, in their greed for harvesting a few more souls, have no qualms in endorsing the petitioners? contention which is against the proclaimed basic tenets of Christianity.
The ABKM reiterates that the demand for the converts to be treated on par with the Scheduled Castes is against the provisions of the Constitution since only castes, races or tribes can be deemed to be Scheduled Castes under Article 341 of the Constitution.
The ABKM cautions the government that any effort to implement the recommendations of the NCRLM, which are against the Constitution, is fraught with serious consequences. It calls upon the government not to succumb to the pressure tactics of the Church lobby in politics and outside and to stand steadfast on the path carved out by the leaders of the country in the last several decades by rejecting outright the demand for inclusion of such converts into the Scheduled Castes category.
The ABKM is of the considered opinion that the Church leadership is indulging in this duplicitous contention with the conspiracy to encourage mass conversions from the Scheduled Castes. It is clear that the reservations, if extended to the converts, would be considerably eaten up by the converts thus pushing the already backward Scheduled Castes into further backwardness.
The ABKM appeals to the countrymen in general and the Scheduled Caste brethren in particular to resist any move by the vote-hungry politicians in that direction which is going to be detrimental to the welfare of the Scheduled Castes. The ABKM calls upon all the swayamsevaks to work shoulder-to-shoulder with our Scheduled Caste brethren in their efforts to safeguard the interests of the community.
Change in responsibilities
Sarkaryavah Shri Mohan Bhagwat announced the change in responsibilities of the following adhikaris at the Akhil Bharatiya Karyakari Mandal meeting:
Name - New responsibility - Kendra
1. Shri Manmohan Vaidya - Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh - Chennai
2. Shri Suhasrao Hiremath - Akhil Bharatiya Sahsewa Pramukh - Pune
3. Shri Prasad Jafarabadkar - Prant Pracharak, Pashchim Maharashtra - Pune
4. Shri Vinay Ptrale - Sahprant Pracharak, Pashchim Maharashtra - Pune
5. Shri Vijay Puranik - Sahprant Pracharak, - Devgiri Jalgaon
6. Shri Girish Joshi - Sahprant Pracharak, - Gujarat Rajkot
7. Dr Jayanti Bhadeshia - Sahprant Sanghachalak, - Gujarat Morvi
8. Shri Shankarlal - A.B. Sah Gorakshan-Samvardhan Pramukh - Seekar
9. Shri Suresh Chandra - Kshetra Pracharak, Rajasthan Kshetra - Jaipur
10. Shri Kishorkant - Sahprant Pracharak, - Punjab, Ludhiana
11. Shri Kishori Mohan - ? - ?
12. Shri Suresh Prasad Singh - Kshetra Karyavah, - Bihar Kshetra - Patna
Ramayana has been regarded as history which gives vivid description of incidents like construction of the Sethu by Sri Ram; His march with army over to Lanka; war with Ravan and victory over him; enthronement of Vibheeshan; and later, His return to Ayodhya by Pushpak Viman and also the geographical details. A pictorial depiction of Sri Ram?s return to Ayodhya in Pushpak Viman can also be found in the original copy of the Constitution.
The government is insistent upon completing the Sethusamudram project projecting it as a development-oriented and economically-profitable one. Many experts disagree with this contention of the government and opine that the project is neither economically viable nor does it make any navigational sense.
The demand for the converts to be treated on par with the Scheduled Castes is against the provisions of the Constitution since only castes, races or tribes can be deemed to be Scheduled Castes under Article 341 of the Constitution.
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