Sudarshan's agenda
We do not know why RSS leader KS Sudarshan decided to pay a visit to Manipur but we certainly do not want to see him try anything to bring in the brand of politics that the RSS has gained notoriety all over the
country. If his visit was here to strengthen and expand the base of the RSS we have no reason to grudge him anything but if his visit was aimed at strengthening the RSS by picking at an imaginary foe then we strongly oppose such a move and if the verbal' diatribes the RSS leader unleashed against the Christian Missionaries during the Ekatmala Sammelan held at THAU ground on April 18 is anything to go by then we would certainly like to raise a number of objection.
What KS Sudershan and his ilk should realize is that the situation in Manipur do not warrant any attack on any particular religion and holding the Christian Missionaries, responsible for giving birth to the concept of Greater Nagaland underlines the point that to the RSS any religious group that comes nowhere the Hindu faith and belief should be seen as foes.
Whether Sudarshan is particularly concerned about protecting the
territorial integrity of Manipur or not is a different matter but in trying to sound that he sympathizes with a cause so dear to the Manipuri people, he absolutely has no business to cast aspersions on other religious group. Far from bridging the gap that has arisen
between the hill people, particularly the Nagas and the majority Meiteis, the venomous attack against the Christian Missionaries will only give rise to further distrust amongst the different communities.
Technically speaking Sudarshan did not pick on the whole Christian community but concentrated on the Christian Missionaries, but implicit in this was the very audible message that Christianity is the chief
reason for the Nagas to want to break away from Manipur. This is what is intolerable.
We do not need a Sudarshan to tell us that the Khasis, Nagas, Meiteis, Kukis and other tribes of the North East region share the same affinity but we certainly do need him not to sow seeds of communal hatred here.
The brand of communal politics espoused by the RSS in other parts of the country need not be elaborated but let it be very clear that the territorial integrity of Manipur cannot be protected by picking on any
religious grouping. Majority of the Kukis are Christians and therefore the question arises why the agenda of the Christian Missionaries, as interpreted by Sudarshan, has not, worked with the Kukis who are
no less practitioners of Christianity as the Nagas.
The RSS leader should remember that it was the BJP that extended the NSCN (IM) cease fire to Manipur and not the Congress or any other party though the peace talk started during the tenure of the Deve Gowda led
United Front Government at New Delhi. And we all know the umbilical cord that ties the BJP to the RSS.
Sudarshan and RSS leaders of his ilk should realize that the people of the North East particularly Manipur are not so naive as to fall hook, line and sinker to the communally charged talks that he delivered here on April 18. The territorial integrity of Manipur should not be reduced to hurling invectives at other religion. Religion and the territorial integrity of Manipur are as far removed as cheese and chalk.
(Courtesy: The Sangai Express)
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