Mainstream Weeklyby Ram Puniyani
The RSS ideologues and leaders regularly keep stating that India is a Hindu Rashtra. This has been most annoying for the religious minorities, particularly Muslims, Sikhs and all those believing in the Indian Constitution. This Dussera, when RSS supremo Mohan Bhagwat in his hour-long speech reiterated the same formulation, a large number of Sikh organisations and intellectuals showed their opposition to it and at many places protests had been planned against this statement.
Editorials in prominent Punjabi newspapers like Punjabi Tribune and Nawa Zamana criticised the statement in strong terms while the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which is a constituent of the NDA and has been an ally of BJP, also gave strong reaction to the statement of Mr Bhagwat. Giani Harpreet Singh, the acting jathedar (head priest) of the Akal Takht, said that he believes the RSS’ actions will create divisions in the country.