 "Gandhi's martyrdom day to witness ideological slugfest")
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has asked its cadres to observe two minutes of silence along with the entire country at 11 am in memory of Gandhi. “Our cadres will observe the two-minute silence along with the rest of the country,” an RSS spokesperson said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior ministers will also attend events to pay their respects to Gandhi, assassinated on January 30, 1948, by Hindu Mahasabha activist Nathuram Godse.
However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s Goa unit has allowed the unveiling of a book on Godse, ‘The Story of an Assassin’, in Madgaon at a government-owned convention centre. The chief guest at the book launch is Satyaki Ashok Savarkar, described on the invitation as grand nephew of “martyr” Nathuram Godse and “freedom fighter” V D Savarkar.
The central BJP office has distanced itself from the event. The party’s Goa chief, Vinay Dinu Tendulkar, told Business Standard he had no knowledge of the event. “But what is the problem even if it were to take place?” Tendulkar asked.
However, it is not just the Gandhians that are in a quandary. As many as 67 “non-BJP, non-RSS” backed civil society groups have planned a ‘people’s march in defence of the republic in New Delhi. These civil society groups include a cross-section of left activists, Gandhians, LGBT groups as well as Christian and Muslim organisations.
Several Dalit outfits are lending their voice to the protest as Saturday would have also been the 27th birthday of Hyderabad Central University research scholar Rohith Vemula, who committed suicide earlier this month.
“We, the members of the Indian public, are deeply concerned with the grave assaults that are being mounted on the republic,” activist Shabnam Hashmi, who has coordinated the effort for the ‘Idea of India Collective’, said.
The organisers were keen not to have the direct participation of political parties or leaders at the event, but have welcomed affiliated outfits of political parties, including students’ wings and labour unions. According to sources, outfits affiliated to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) took part in the planning of the protest march but later conveyed they would be unable to share a platform if Congress-affiliated outfits were to participate.
Sources said the upcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal as well Kerala, where the Left parties and the Congress are rivals, influenced the CPI(M)’s decision. However, outfits backed by the Communist Party of India (CPI) are likely to join as they believe the cause is greater than any emergent Assembly election.
Among other events, activists and academics have planned a march in Dandi, Gujarat, to protest the “onslaught on the cultural diversity” of India. In Delhi, academician Mridula Mukherjee will deliver a speech on ‘Recovering Gandhi’ at the Gandhi Peace Foundation.
In New Delhi, the government is organising a mega stakeholders’ consultation on Modi’s pet programme of Namami Gange, involving over 1,600 gram pradhans of villages located on the banks of the Ganga. Several chief ministers will attend. Modi's clean India campaign draws its inspiration from Gandhian philosophy and the prime minister has committed to clean the Ganga by 2019, the 150th birth anniversary of the Mahatma. Acharya Balkrishna, close aide of yoga guru Ramdev, will also address a session on medicinal plants and livelihood in the upper reaches of the Ganga.
Minister of Tourism and Culture Mahesh Sharma will inaugurate an exhibition on Gandhi and a discourse by spiritual guru Morari Bapu.
(With inputs from Sanjeeb Mukherjee)