Hindu Mahasabha, not Congress Colluded with Muslim League

Shamsul Islam

Prime Minister describes himself as a ‘Hindu’ nationalist and member of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He proudly shares the fact that he was groomed to be a political leader by one of the two fathers of Hindutva politics, MS Golwalkar (the other being VD Savarkar), and given the task of establishing Hindutva polity in India after eradicating secularism.

PM Modi in the eyes of Hindutva crusaders represents the resurgent Hinduism and defender of Hindu nationalism against its enemies. The pre-Independence Muslim League led by MA Jinnah is a favourite punching bag for him which also helps him spread hatred against Indian Muslims. In any election, PM takes the form of a relentless warrior against Muslim separatism. Reacting to the release of the Indian National Congress’ manifesto for the ensuing parliamentary elections in an election rally in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh (which has a substantial population of Muslims and a history of religious polarisation) he declared that “The manifesto of the Congress, released yesterday [April 5, 2024], shows that it cannot fulfill the aspirations of the country. The Congress manifesto has the imprint of the policies of the Muslim League before Independence”.

‘Congress manifesto reflects policies of Muslim League before Independence: PM Narendra Modi’, [The Indian Express, Delhi, April 7, 2024.]

Modi as a leader and ideologue of Hindutva can be forgiven for indulging in blatant lies (RSS is the biggest Gurukul or university in the world which trains manufacturing-speaking lies) but not as PM of India. In any accountable democracy, he would have been charged for perjury and forced to step down. But in the present scenario when the regulator of Indian elections, the Election Commission of India is more an appendage of the ruling party only the people of India can teach a lesson to the advocates of lies.

Savarkar, one of the originators of the politics of Hindutva was the Hindu nationalist who developed the most elaborate Two-nation theory. The fact should not be missed that the Muslim League passed its Pakistan resolution in March 1940 only but Savarkar, the great philosopher and guide of RSS, propagated the Two-nation theory long before it. While delivering the presidential address to the 19th session of Hindu Mahasabha at Ahmedabad in 1937, Savarkar declared unequivocally,

"As it is, there are two antagonistic nations living side by side in India. Several infantile politicians commit the serious mistake in supposing that India is already welded into a harmonious nation, or that it could be welded thus for the mere wish to do so. These our well-meaning but unthinking friends take their dreams for realities. That is why they are impatient of communal tangles and attribute them to communal organizations... Let us bravely face unpleasant facts as they are. India cannot be assumed today to be a Unitarian and homogenous nation, but on the contrary, there are two nations in the main: the Hindus and the Moslems, in India."
[Savarkar, VD. SamagarSavarkarWangmaya (Collected Works of Savarkar), vol. 6, Hindu Mahasabha, Poona, 1963, p.296.]

The RSS, following in the footsteps of Savarkar, rejected outright the idea that Hindus and Muslims together constituted a nation. The English organ of the RSS, Organiser, on the very eve of Independence (August 14, 1947) editorially chalked out its concept of nation in the following words:

"Let us no longer allow ourselves to be influenced by false notions of nationhood. Much of the mental confusion and the present and future troubles can be removed by the ready recognition of the simple fact that in Hindusthan only the Hindus form the nation and the national structure must be built on that safe and sound foundation…the nation itself must be built up of Hindus, on Hindu traditions, culture, ideas and aspirations."

Dr B R Ambedkar, a keen researcher of the communal politics in pre-independence India, while underlying the affinity and camaraderie between Hindu Mahasabha and Muslim League on the issue of the Two-nation theory wrote:

"Strange it may appear, Mr Savarkar and Mr Jinnah instead of being opposed to each other on the one nation versus two nations issue are in complete agreement about it. Both agree, not only agree but insist that there are two nations in India—one the Muslim nation and the other Hindu nation."
[B. R. Ambedkar, Pakistan or the Partition of India, Govt. of Maharashtra, Bombay, 1990 [Reprint of 1940 edition], p. 142.]

The children of Hindu nationalist Savarkar ruling India presently are oblivious of the shocking fact that Hindu Mahasabha led by Savarkar entered into alliances with the Muslim League to break the united freedom struggle, especially, the 1942 Quit India Movement against the British rulers. While delivering a Presidential address to the 24th session of Hindu Mahasabha at Cawnpore (Kanpur) in 1942, he defended hobnobbing with the Muslim League in the following words,

"In practical politics also the Mahasabha knows that we must advance through reasonable compromises. Witness the fact that only recently in Sind, the Sind Hindu Sabha on invitation had taken the responsibility of joining hands with the League itself in running a coalition Government. The case of Bengal is well known. Wild Leaguers whom even the Congress with all its submissiveness could not placate grew quite reasonably compromising and socialable as soon as they came in contact with the Hindu Mahasabha and the Coalition Government, under the premiership of Mr FazlulHuq and the able lead of our esteemed Mahasabha leader Dr Syama Prasad Mookerji, functioned successfully for a year or so to the benefit of both the communities. Moreover, further events also proved demonstratively that the Hindu Mahasabhaits endeavoured to capture the centers of political power only in the public interests and not for the loaves and fishes of the office." Hindu Mahasabha and Muslim League also ran coalition governments in Sind and North-Western Frontier Province.
[Savarkar, VD.SamagarSavarkarWangmaya (Collected Works of Savarkar), vol. 6, Hindu Mahasabha, Poona, 1963,
pp.479-480.]

It is a tragedy of this nation that a person occupying the Prime Minister’s office resorts to brazen lies that even Hindutva archives do not corroborate. He is betraying the honour, prestige, and decorum of the office. The nation must request PM Modi that if he wants to act as a cadre of RSS he should resign from the office and take a seat in the hierarchy of RSS.

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Vol 56, No. 43, Apr 21 - 27, 2024