RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat delivered several messages in his address before a gathering of volunteers in Nagpur on Thursday. He supported the Hindu claim on the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi on the basis of both “reverence” and “historical facts”, but emphasized that the Sangh does not support such claims being made across the country.
He reiterated that Islam had come to India through “invaders”, but its followers are not outsiders. Speaking for the first time on the Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanvapi Masjid dispute, Bhagwat said, the dispute started years ago, for which no party can be held responsible at present.
Gyanvapi has a history which we cannot change now. We didn’t make that history. It was neither made by the Hindus of today nor by the Muslims of today, it happened at that time. Islam came here with the invaders. In these attacks, temples were demolished to demoralize the freedom seekers of this country. There are thousands of such temples. Issues of temples which hold special importance in the hearts of Hindus are being raised now… no new issue should be raised everyday. Why do fights escalate? Our faith in Gyanvapi is going on for generations. What we are doing is fine. But why look for Shivling in every mosque? What happens in mosques is also a form of worship. OK, it came from outside. But the Muslims who have accepted it are not outsiders, this needs to be understood. Even if their prayer is from outside (this country), and they want to continue with it, that’s a good thing. We are not opposed to any worship here.
The gathering, addressed by the RSS chief, included over 700 volunteers selected from across the country, who had gathered for a training program beginning May 9. In the Gyanvapi case, the petitioners from the Hindu side have claimed that a videographic survey conducted by the court has found a Shivling inside the mosque. The matter is in court.
Bhagwat has suggested to find a way out by sitting together among themselves. He said- It is not necessary that every time there is a way out. In this case, the door of the court can be approached. Then the decision given by the court should be accepted. A senior BJP leader who works closely with the RSS says, this is a very clever warning to the fundamentalists who want to escalate the controversy over every other monument or mosque.
The BJP leader further said, “This message was important as it is a fact that many Islamic monuments were built after demolishing temples or Hindu places of worship. But as he said, it does not mean that everywhere can be claimed and today’s Muslims can be held responsible for it.”
Critics of the BJP might call this a “change of stance”. The ‘context’ has changed, if party leaders are to be believed, the BJP was once the opposition party fighting against the dominance of the Congress. But now it is the dominant force in Indian politics. The BJP as an opposition party could have demanded that the government settle the disputes. While in opposition, the BJP could also express its disapproval of the court’s decision or the government’s decisions, citing public sentiment. But the government as the ruling party has to work through fair and constitutional means while pursuing the agenda of the BJP.
Another BJP leader said Bhagwat’s statement was made in view of the increasing number of disputed sites. A book by Sita Ram Goel and Arun Shourie gives the number of such places as 18,00. At the same time, the VHP says that this number is more than 30,000. If this leader is to be believed, the Sangh will insist on resolving the Mathura Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah Masjid dispute apart from Kashi.
Calling Mohan Bhagwat a statesman, a BJP leader said, Bhagwatji has given a philosophical and practical solution. We can neither blame Hindus nor Muslims for the past.
Another BJP leader said that Mohan Bhagwat’s speech does not mean that the party or the RSS will stop pushing for amendments to the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991. That demand remains. It is a matter of sentiments of the Hindu majority.
Incidentally, the RSS was also a late participant in the Ram Mandir movement of Ayodhya, started by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. The BJP was associated with the Ram Mandir movement after the National Executive meeting of June 1989, i.e. even more late than the RSS. Mohan Bhagwat also said in his recent speech, “For some historical reason we went against our nature and joined the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. We completed it. But now RSS will not be involved in any temple movement in future.” Well, according to senior BJP leaders including ministers, even Prime Minister Narendra Modi now advocates for any new temple-mosque dispute to be resolved through consultations or courts rather than agitation.