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Hans India
an hour ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Rahul Gandhi's Comments On RSS And CPI(M) Create Discord Within Opposition Alliance
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's recent statements drawing parallels between the RSS and the CPI(M) have created friction within the opposition INDIA alliance, with Left party leaders expressing their displeasure during the bloc's virtual meeting on Saturday. Speaking at a memorial event for former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in Kottayam on Friday, Gandhi declared that he opposes both organizations ideologically, criticizing them for their alleged disconnect from common people. He stated that while he engages with both groups intellectually and through discourse, his primary grievance lies in their supposed lack of empathy toward citizens. Gandhi emphasized the importance of emotional connection in politics, suggesting that politicians should genuinely understand and respond to public sentiment. He characterized the absence of such empathy as a significant problem plaguing contemporary Indian political discourse. The remarks triggered immediate backlash from Left leaders during the alliance meeting. CPI leader D Raja reportedly raised concerns about such comparisons without directly naming Gandhi, arguing that equating the Left with the RSS could confuse party workers and undermine the coalition's solidarity. Other participants reminded attendees of the INDIA bloc's founding principle of "Save the Country, Remove BJP," cautioning against statements that might foster internal conflicts. CPI(M) General Secretary MA Baby issued a particularly sharp rebuke, calling Gandhi's comments "unfortunate" and indicative of poor understanding regarding both organizations' roles in Kerala and national politics. Baby reminded Gandhi of historical cooperation, specifically noting how Left parties' support was crucial for forming the Congress-led UPA government in 2004 when Congress lacked a parliamentary majority. Baby also pointed to Gandhi's own electoral history in Wayanad, where he faced a CPI candidate rather than RSS or BJP opposition. This reference highlighted what Baby perceived as inconsistencies in Gandhi's political positioning. The CPI(M) leader emphasized that while his party has criticized Congress on economic policies, such critiques have been conducted in a "friendly manner" without drawing false equivalencies between Congress and BJP. The controversy underscores the complex dynamics within the INDIA bloc, where national alliance partners often remain regional rivals. In Kerala, the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front and Congress-led United Democratic Front continue competing directly, while BJP attempts to establish stronger presence in the state. Despite these tensions, the virtual meeting addressed several collaborative initiatives for the upcoming Parliament Monsoon Session. Alliance partners agreed to jointly raise issues including the recent Pahalgam attack and concerns about electoral roll revisions in Bihar. The bloc is organizing protest demonstrations at Jantar Mantar on July 23-24 to address voting rights concerns, with planning details being finalized. This incident reflects broader challenges facing opposition unity efforts, where ideological differences and regional political realities sometimes clash with national coalition requirements. The response from Left leaders suggests that maintaining alliance cohesion will require more careful messaging from prominent figures like Gandhi, particularly when addressing sensitive political relationships. The timing of these remarks, coming during a memorial service for a respected Congress leader, has added another layer of controversy to an already delicate situation within the opposition ranks.
India Today
4 hours ago
- Politics
- India Today
Rahul Gandhi's 'I fight RSS, CPM ideologically' remark triggers INDIA bloc rift
Rahul Gandhi made the remark during an event in Kerala. Rahul Gandhi equated RSS and CPI(M), causing unrest in INDIA bloc Left leaders raised concerns in virtual meeting, calling remarks divisive CPI(M) leader MA Baby criticised Gandhi's comments as uninformed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's recent remarks equating the RSS and the CPI(M) sparked unease within the INDIA bloc, with Left leaders raising the issue during the alliance's virtual meeting on Saturday, according to sources. The comments, made by Gandhi at an event in Kerala, were flagged as inappropriate and potentially divisive by leaders of the Left parties, who warned that such statements could send the wrong message to cadres on the ground. Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said during a speech in Kottayam on Friday that he fights both the RSS and the CPI(M) ideologically, but his main complaint against them is their lack of "feelings" for the people. "I fight them in the realm of ideas and in the realm of speech. But, my biggest complaint is that they do not have feelings for the people," he said while addressing a memorial meeting to mark the second death anniversary of former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. "If you are in politics, feel what people are thinking, listen to them, and touch them. The real tragedy in Indian politics today is that very few people are actually feeling what others are feeling," he added. Sources said CPI leader D Raja raised the issue during the INDIA bloc's online meeting, without directly naming Rahul Gandhi. He is learnt to have said that such remarks, equating the Left with the RSS, should be avoided as they create confusion among cadres and can damage the unity of the alliance. Another leader present reportedly pointed out that when the INDIA bloc began its journey, the common slogan was 'Desh Bachaao, BJP Hataao', and that no one should make statements that foster conflict within the bloc or draw comparisons between the Left and the RSS. CPI(M) General Secretary MA Baby had strongly criticised Gandhi's comments earlier, calling them "unfortunate" and a reflection of a lack of understanding of the political realities in Kerala and India. In a scathing video message posted on X on Friday, a day before the INDIA bloc meeting, Baby said, "The very fact that he in a way equated the CPI(M) and RSS betrays the absence of a correct understanding of the role of CPI(M) and RSS in Kerala or India." He reminded Gandhi that the Congress government in 2004 could not have been formed without the support of the Left. "Rahul Gandhi only needs to recall how Mr Manmohan Singh could not have formed a government in 2004 without the support of CPI(M) and other Left parties. Congress did not command a majority in Lok Sabha after the 2004 election," he said. Taking a jibe at Gandhi's political record, he said, "Rahul Gandhi represented Wayanad, where he did not have to fight the RSS or BJP but a CPI candidate. I hope and wish that he would be more serious while speaking against CPI(M)." Gandhi had contested against CPI candidate Annie Raja in Wayanad and later vacated the seat after winning from Rae Bareli, which was then won by his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in the bypoll. Baby further said, "We will make independent criticisms, but we will never equate the Congress with the BJP or RSS." He stressed that while the CPI(M) has often criticised the Congress on economic issues, it has done so in a "friendly manner". He added, "So, it was quite unfortunate that, in a very casual and sweeping manner, Mr. Rahul Gandhi put CPI(M) and RSS together as his ideological enemies. People can reflect upon it." He also questioned Gandhi's awareness of his own party's historical role in combating the RSS in Kerala. "I do not know whether Mr Rahul Gandhi knows what the record of the Congress in Kerala in fighting the RSS," Baby said. Both the Congress and CPI(M) are part of the INDIA bloc, an alliance of opposition parties formed to challenge the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. However, in Kerala, the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front and Congress-led United Democratic Front remain direct political opponents, with the BJP trying to expand its presence in the state. Meanwhile, the INDIA bloc meeting also saw parties resolve to raise several issues during the upcoming Parliament Monsoon Session, including the Pahalgam attack and the alleged threat to voting rights in Bihar due to a special revision of electoral rolls. The bloc is also planning a protest march to Jantar Mantar on July 23-24 over the voter list revision issue, with details of the plan currently being finalised. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's recent remarks equating the RSS and the CPI(M) sparked unease within the INDIA bloc, with Left leaders raising the issue during the alliance's virtual meeting on Saturday, according to sources. The comments, made by Gandhi at an event in Kerala, were flagged as inappropriate and potentially divisive by leaders of the Left parties, who warned that such statements could send the wrong message to cadres on the ground. Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said during a speech in Kottayam on Friday that he fights both the RSS and the CPI(M) ideologically, but his main complaint against them is their lack of "feelings" for the people. "I fight them in the realm of ideas and in the realm of speech. But, my biggest complaint is that they do not have feelings for the people," he said while addressing a memorial meeting to mark the second death anniversary of former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. "If you are in politics, feel what people are thinking, listen to them, and touch them. The real tragedy in Indian politics today is that very few people are actually feeling what others are feeling," he added. Sources said CPI leader D Raja raised the issue during the INDIA bloc's online meeting, without directly naming Rahul Gandhi. He is learnt to have said that such remarks, equating the Left with the RSS, should be avoided as they create confusion among cadres and can damage the unity of the alliance. Another leader present reportedly pointed out that when the INDIA bloc began its journey, the common slogan was 'Desh Bachaao, BJP Hataao', and that no one should make statements that foster conflict within the bloc or draw comparisons between the Left and the RSS. CPI(M) General Secretary MA Baby had strongly criticised Gandhi's comments earlier, calling them "unfortunate" and a reflection of a lack of understanding of the political realities in Kerala and India. In a scathing video message posted on X on Friday, a day before the INDIA bloc meeting, Baby said, "The very fact that he in a way equated the CPI(M) and RSS betrays the absence of a correct understanding of the role of CPI(M) and RSS in Kerala or India." He reminded Gandhi that the Congress government in 2004 could not have been formed without the support of the Left. "Rahul Gandhi only needs to recall how Mr Manmohan Singh could not have formed a government in 2004 without the support of CPI(M) and other Left parties. Congress did not command a majority in Lok Sabha after the 2004 election," he said. Taking a jibe at Gandhi's political record, he said, "Rahul Gandhi represented Wayanad, where he did not have to fight the RSS or BJP but a CPI candidate. I hope and wish that he would be more serious while speaking against CPI(M)." Gandhi had contested against CPI candidate Annie Raja in Wayanad and later vacated the seat after winning from Rae Bareli, which was then won by his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in the bypoll. Baby further said, "We will make independent criticisms, but we will never equate the Congress with the BJP or RSS." He stressed that while the CPI(M) has often criticised the Congress on economic issues, it has done so in a "friendly manner". He added, "So, it was quite unfortunate that, in a very casual and sweeping manner, Mr. Rahul Gandhi put CPI(M) and RSS together as his ideological enemies. People can reflect upon it." He also questioned Gandhi's awareness of his own party's historical role in combating the RSS in Kerala. "I do not know whether Mr Rahul Gandhi knows what the record of the Congress in Kerala in fighting the RSS," Baby said. Both the Congress and CPI(M) are part of the INDIA bloc, an alliance of opposition parties formed to challenge the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. However, in Kerala, the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front and Congress-led United Democratic Front remain direct political opponents, with the BJP trying to expand its presence in the state. Meanwhile, the INDIA bloc meeting also saw parties resolve to raise several issues during the upcoming Parliament Monsoon Session, including the Pahalgam attack and the alleged threat to voting rights in Bihar due to a special revision of electoral rolls. The bloc is also planning a protest march to Jantar Mantar on July 23-24 over the voter list revision issue, with details of the plan currently being finalised. Join our WhatsApp Channel
Indian Express
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Tavleen Singh writes: Time to get beyond history books
Let me begin with an admission. I am not averse to school history books being revisited or revised by historians from the RSS school of history. For far too long, they were written by dogmatic leftists who chose in the name of secularism to exalt the 'great Moghuls', and diminish Hindu rulers and their often-magnificent achievements. The books they wrote were mostly so boring that people like me, who now read history books with fascination, ended up asleep in history class. In the moments that I was awake, I did notice that there were three periods of history that were taught: ancient India, Moghul and British. What I learned about pre-Islamic India was so little that it was not until I was an adult that I heard of the mighty south Indian dynasties and discovered the wonders of Hindu civilisation. It was on holidays in Indonesia and Cambodia that I saw the extent to which India's civilisation had influenced language, culture and religion across the east. Angkor Wat and Borobudur left me stunned by their beauty and scale. So, if there is a bit of revisionist history being introduced into school textbooks, I have no problem at all. The Moghuls did tear down temples and impose taxes on us idol-worshippers, and the truth about these things should never have been concealed. Not from Hindu children or Muslim. My problem is that I wish some of those leading this new history movement would spare time to examine the current state of our schools and the abysmal quality of teaching. I have said before in this column that when I travel to a village, almost the first thing I try to see is the local school. And the truth is that not the best of these schools would be considered a real school by modern international standards. In the best government schools, there are at least classrooms with desks and teachers, but you need only spend 10 minutes in one of these classes to discover that teaching methods are primitive. Children are taught not to think or develop a love of learning, but to learn by rote. Just enough to pass their examinations. They usually leave school with basic literacy instead of a real education, so they cannot compete with children who go to good private schools. They are, nevertheless, the lucky ones. In the worst schools, especially those that have been built for Dalit and Adivasi children, there are no classrooms, no desks, no textbooks and often only a token teacher who teaches all the subjects they are meant to study. These teachers are very well paid by rural standards, but they usually live outside the village and are rarely available after school hours. Children who might not have fully understood what they were taught can turn to nobody for help because often, their parents are illiterate. My point is that instead of wallowing eternally in the glories of our glorious past, it is time to address the problems of today. What difference will the new history textbooks make, if most schoolchildren are unable to read them? Another problem I have with the current exercise in rewriting history books is that they seem mostly to draw attention to the evils perpetuated by the Moghuls and other Muslim rulers. Is this just another deliberate attempt to make Hindu children hate Muslims? The British Raj did many bad things that were whitewashed in school textbooks, why is this not also being reviewed? We now have a new Nalanda University to remind us of the legendary Buddhist institution that once existed here and was destroyed by a barbaric Muslim invader. But why is it that nobody has noticed the decay that infects most other universities? Anyone who has visited the great universities in the West knows that we do not have a single great university in India. This is why some of our best teachers have become academic refugees in countries that have real universities. This is why Indian students who can afford it go abroad for higher studies. Why is it that in the higher echelons of the RSS nobody has noticed yet that instead of wallowing in our 'glorious past' we should be trying to create a glorious present? When Narendra Modi put Smriti Irani in charge of education in his first term as prime minister, I was a loyal Modi Bhakt. So, although I was taken aback by this startling choice, I tried to go and talk to the minister to persuade her that one reason why higher education was in the doldrums was because of too much interference by politicians and high officials. I told her that a bold and important move would be to disband the University Grants Commission. She paid no attention, and this obsolete institution continues to micromanage the affairs of universities to their detriment. A Higher Education Commission of India is meant to replace it soon, but universities do not need more control but less. Why do we need officials poking their noses into the realms of academia at all? Speaking of political interference in education, may I say that the Home Minister is completely wrong in trying to discourage Indians from learning English. It is the lingua franca of today and Indians must continue to learn it because the advantages that they have when they venture out into the world are beyond measure.
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Revenge of the vernac! Time to mind your angrezi, mister
A controversy of sorts erupted recently after home minister Amit Shah's declaration at a book launch in Delhi that 'those who speak English will soon feel ashamed — the creation of such a society (in India) is not far away.' The comments attracted widespread criticism from the opposition, which accused Shah of pushing the RSS's agenda of cultural domination. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the BJP-RSS did not want underprivileged children to learn English and make progress to become equal. So, what does it mean when a powerful politician hints at shaming people for speaking the language of colonial masters? Is it an unpleasant yet necessary process of the much-needed linguistic decolonisation of our minds, as Shah claims? Credit: Chad Crowe Or is it clever political messaging meant for the vast majority of aspiring young men and women from small towns and villages who speak in the 'vernacular' and hold an irrational grudge against the English-speaking class living in metropolitan India? Just to contextualise, the etymology of the word 'vernacular' is interesting: it is derived from the Latin word 'verna', which means a slave born in his master's house. One of the other variants derived from 'verna' is 'vernaculum' — a low-bred person or proletarian. I was made aware of my 'vernac' identity many years ago when an acquaintance hurled the word at me as an insult. He spoke rather fluent English and kept referring to Hindi speakers as 'vernacs' — a derogatory term to describe those who speak in the vernacular. I, on the other hand, was trying to argue with him in Hindi — the language I am most comfortable in. But my combative antagonist was not willing to stoop to my level by answering in the language of the general hoi polloi. Around the same time, I was offered a job in an upmarket English-language news magazine. But my excitement came crashing down in the very first editorial meeting. While colleagues were rattling off story ideas in their clipped accents and perfect diction, peppering their pitch with public school jokes, I forgot my well-rehearsed lines when my turn came, and could only manage to mumble a few words in Hindi. Suddenly, a thick pall of oppressive silence fell in the editor's room. I could see embarrassed faces all around me; some colleagues looking down at the floor to avoid eye contact. The sacrilege had been committed. A yokel had sneaked into the 'Exclusive Club of the English-speaking Gentry' and defiled it with his lowbrow 'vernacular', or so I thought. That was my first embarrassing encounter with linguistic shame. Dr Lori Gallegos, professor of philosophy at Texas State University, defines linguistic shame as something that 'involves feelings of embarrassment, a sense of inferiority, and attitudes of self-reproach that arise in relation to the way one speaks.' She equates linguicism with other forms of discrimination, like racism and sexism. Apart from direct linguicism, which is still practised in some South Asian convents and public schools, there is another form of discrimination where 'people implicitly view those who do not speak English as uneducated or unintelligent.' PM Modi himself faces this kind of glottophobia regularly when he is mocked for mispronouncing an English word or phrase. Amit Shah's son, Jay Shah, is also trolled for his lack of fluency in English. Against this backdrop, Shah's unapologetic reverse linguicism — though one is not justifying it — becomes somewhat understandable. Ironically, Shah was echoing the sentiments expressed by the celebrated Kenyan-American Marxist writer Ngugi wa Thiong'o, who died last month. Thiong'o shunned the English language back in the 1970s and declared that in future, he would only write in his mother tongue, Gikuyu. It was his way of protesting against the imposition of the language of the colonial masters, which he described as a 'cultural bomb'. So, when the wider Sangh Parivar eulogises India's past, it may appear to be rejecting the effect of the 'cultural bomb' as described by Thiong'o, but there's a big difference between the two. While Thiong'o sees English and many other European languages as an assault on native African languages, the Hindutva narrative is more selective in its approach. Urdu, an out-and-out Indian language, is as much an anathema to them as English. A more troubling thought is how such rhetoric could encourage the right wing's vast army of foot soldiers — often drawn from under-educated and poor marginalised castes who resent the English-speaking elite. Some of them have taken on the role of cow vigilantes who patrol highways. This foot soldier could now potentially have another assignment as a bhasha rakshak dal (defenders of language) vigilante — going from room to room in Delhi Gymkhana or the swanky clubs in South Mumbai, or inspecting seminar halls in universities and the India International Centre to check if the speakers are ashamed enough while delivering a speech in English. Should that dystopia become a reality, will the angreziwallas be then forced to form secret societies where one could only whisper in a language that shall not be named? Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
Time of India
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
RSS chief to speak at edu conference
Kochi: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat will deliver the keynote address on 'Bharatiyata in Education' at the four-day education chinthan baithak being organised in Kochi from July 25-28. Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar will also participate in the special session being planned to discuss the Kerala education sector with 1,000 participants, including 200 select educationists from the state. The sessions will focus on the roadmap for implementing the National Education Policy (NEP) and strengthening traditional knowledge systems. Organised by Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas, an RSS-linked body working to "revive Indian ethos in education", the Gyan Sabha will bring together around 300 select educationists from across India, along with senior officials and spiritual organisations. VCs of universities, directors of central institutions, AICTE chairperson T G Sitharam, UGC vice-chairperson and the director of NAAC are expected to attend alongside govt representatives. Education ministers from Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Puducherry have confirmed their participation. The sessions from July 25-27 noon will be at the Chinmaya International Foundation, Adi Shankara Nilayam, Veliyanad. The sessions from July 27 noon will be at the Amrita Medical College. An Akhil Bharatiya conference of education heads will be held on July 28.
