Sanghi Hindutva state would mark end of Indian idea: Shashi Tharoor

Agencies
October 31, 2020

New Delhi, Oct 31: The Hindutva movement is the "mirror image" of the Muslim communalism of 1947 and its triumph would mark the end of the Indian idea, says senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, asserting that Hindutva is a political doctrine, not a religious one.

A 'Hindu India' would not be Hindu at all, but a "Sanghi Hindutva state", which is a different country altogether, says Tharoor in his new book 'The Battle of Belonging' that was released on Saturday.

"People like me want to preserve the India we love, and not turn our beloved nation into the kind of religious state we were brought up to detest," he said.

Tharoor also asserted that Hindutva movement rhetoric echoes the bigotry that India was constructed to reject.

In the book published by Aleph Book Company, Tharoor makes a stinging critique of the Hindutva doctrine and the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, which he says is a challenge to, arguably, the most fundamental aspect of Indianness.

Devoting a chapter to the 'Hindu Pakistan' controversy in the book, the former Union minister writes: "I had inveighed against the ruling party’s attempts to create a Hindutva version of Pakistan, since that was not what our freedom movement fought for, nor was it the idea of India enshrined in our Constitution."

"This is not just about the minorities, as the BJP would have us believe. Many proud Hindus like myself cherish the inclusive nature of our faith and have no desire to live, as our Pakistani neighbours are forced to, in an intolerant mono-religious state," he writes.

Tharoor's reported comment last year that the BJP will pave the way for creation of a "Hindu Pakistan" had sparked a controversy with the party demanding his apology over the remarks.

Hinduism, as Swami Vivekananda asserted, teaches the acceptance of difference as a basic credo, Tharoor said in the book.

"Hindutva is not Hinduism; it is a political doctrine, not a religious one," he said.

"What is bizarre about the media drama over my remarks is that no one who was giving airtime to multiple BJP voices, frothing at the mouth about my words, actually asked them one simple question: 'Is the BJP giving up its dream of a Hindu rashtra?'" Tharoor said.

BJP apologists point out that the government has done nothing to amend the Constitution, and others have suggested that the Supreme Court's ruling that secularism is part of the 'basic structure' of the Constitution makes the idea of a 'Hindutva Pakistan' impossible, he said.

"But the fact is that both have only been held at bay by the simple fact that the BJP has not had the numbers required to achieve their goal -- two-thirds of both Houses of Parliament and half the states," he said.

Their overwhelming victory in the Lok Sabha elections in 2019 and winning a plurality of seats in the Rajya Sabha in June 2020 has ensured that they finally have all the elements needed to fulfil their "project", he said, adding that the nation has been "warned".

Tharoor argues in the book that the battle is between two opposing ideas of India or what might be described as ethno-religious nationalism versus civic nationalism.

In a sharp criticism of the CAA, Tharoor said it is the first law to question a basic building block of the nation -- that religion is not the determinant of our nationhood and, therefore, of our citizenship.

At a time when India's major national priority ought to have been its flailing economy, whose plummeting growth rate had already aroused widespread alarm even before the coronavirus struck, the Modi government plunged the country into an unwanted political crisis of its own making with the CAA, he said.

"With its penchant for shock-and-awe, the government pushed through Parliament legislation that fast-tracks citizenship for people fleeing persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh -- provided they are not Muslim. By excluding members of just one community, the new law is antithetical to India's secular and pluralist traditions," writes Tharoor.

"The religious bigotry that partitioned the country with the founding of Pakistan has now been mirrored in pluralist India. As I told my fellow parliamentarians, that was a partition in the Indian soil; this is now a partition in the Indian soul," he said.

The Hindutva movement is the mirror image of the Muslim communalism of 1947; its rhetoric echoes the bigotry that India was constructed to reject, Tharoor said.

Its triumph would mark the end of the Indian idea, the Congress leader added.

In the book, Tharoor also delves into the issue of the slogan 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' allegedly becoming an "acid test of Indian nationalism" and reiterated his stance that no Indian should be compelled to mouth a phrase that is nationalistic in the eyes of some, but not in his own.

Revisiting the 2016 controversy involving Muslim legislator Waris Pathan, who was suspended from the Maharashtra Assembly soon after for refusing to utter the slogan, Tharoor noted that some Muslims say, "'Tell us to say Jai Hind, Hindustan Zindabad, Jai Bharat, we'll do it -- but do not ask us to say Bharat Mata ki Jai'."

"The same Constitution that, in our civic nationalism, gives us the right to freedom of speech, also gives us the freedom of silence. We cannot put words in people's mouths," he asserted.

Tharoor also criticized the manner in which Article 370 was abrogated on August 5, 2019, saying Modi shocked the nation with an announcement on Kashmir that could well turn out to be the "political equivalent of demonetization"

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coastaldigest.com news network
February 12,2025

Mangaluru: Dakshina Kannada MP Captain Brijesh Chowta has urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to prioritize increased investments in Mangaluru during the upcoming Global Investors Meet for Coastal Karnataka. He emphasized the region’s immense potential for sustainable industrial growth.

Coastal Karnataka’s Strengths

The MP highlighted Coastal Karnataka’s skilled workforce, premier educational institutions, and strong entrepreneurial ecosystem, making it an ideal destination for industrial expansion.

With its strategic location, excellent port connectivity, and robust infrastructure, the region is particularly suited for industries in R&D, Global Capability Centers (GCCs) - IT and ITES, fintech, renewable energy, marine biotechnology, tourism, and food processing.

Challenges Hindering Growth

Despite these advantages, the MP acknowledged challenges such as youth unemployment, migration of skilled talent, and a lack of large-scale industrial investments. He urged the government to take concrete steps to address these issues.

Proposed Investment Initiatives

To harness the untapped potential of Coastal Karnataka, he requested the CM’s support in:

•    Establishing an IT and startup hub to leverage the region’s large talent pool, boost entrepreneurship, and curb brain drain.

•    Facilitating investments in GCCs and R&D centers, capitalizing on the region’s skilled workforce.

•    Setting up a technological innovation park in Mangaluru to attract investors and institutions.

•    Enhancing New Mangalore Port and developing an integrated coastal economic zone to encourage global trade and manufacturing.

•    Supporting sustainable fisheries, marine research, and ocean-based industries.

•    Encouraging investments in eco-tourism, wellness retreats, and adventure tourism to drive economic growth.

The MP stressed that proactive government intervention in these sectors would significantly boost the region’s economy, attract industries, and create employment opportunities. The proposal is now under consideration.

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News Network
February 2,2025

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British-Palestinian surgeon Ghassan Abu Sitta says Israeli authorities considered the destruction of medical facilities and the healthcare system in the Gaza Strip as preliminary preparation for a plan of genocide in the besieged coastal territory.

Israel “placed the destruction of the healthcare system in Palestine at the core of its military doctrine from the beginning, in order to make the Gaza Strip uninhabitable,” he said.

Abu Sitta stated that the occupying Israeli regime launched its onslaught against the Gaza Strip with a plan to destroy the entire healthcare system and its various components.

He added that “Israel did not only target buildings but also destroyed 33 out of 36 hospitals that were providing services throughout the region.”

The British-Palestinian surgeon continued that “Israel killed a thousand healthcare workers, doctors, nurses, and lab technicians to eliminate an entire generation of healthcare professionals.”

The doctor explained that the Israeli military destroyed the Gaza healthcare system by demolishing water treatment and sewage facilities. Additionally, it destroyed the homes of residents, leaving people more susceptible to infectious diseases.

Abu Sittah emphasized that Israel considers the destruction of the healthcare system in Gaza as a precursor to the genocide project.

 “I do not know of any war in modern history where the systematic destruction of the healthcare system was central to the doctrine of the warring armies, but the destruction of the healthcare system played a pivotal role in disrupting life in Gaza from Israel’s perspective,” he stated.

The British-Palestinian doctor underlined the need to prosecute Israeli officials, soldiers, and politicians in The Hague for their destruction of the healthcare system in Gaza.

“Otherwise, every future war will follow the model of Gaza, as the destruction of the healthcare system played a central role in the management of the war,” Abu Sittah pointed out.

He stated that Interpol should issue arrest warrants against Israeli soldiers, leaders, and politicians, stressing that the International Criminal Court (ICC) should adopt the same measure.

The British-Palestinian surgeon emphasized that world countries, especially in the West, should arrest Israeli soldiers and politicians once they travel there.

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News Network
February 5,2025

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Americans have taken to the streets in Washington, D.C., protesting President Donald Trump’s scheme to take "long-term ownership" of the Gaza Strip.

“Gaza Strip is not for sale,” the protesters shouted on the city’s streets on Wednesday.

Speaking at the White House on Tuesday alongside Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump had claimed that the United States would oversee clearing up of destroyed buildings, removing of unexploded ordnance, and “resettling” of Palestinians elsewhere.

"The US will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too. We’ll own it," he had purported.

‘Deploying American troops to Gaza’

Trump’s announcement came after the Israeli regime failed to realize its objective of forcing Gaza’s entire population to leave for neighboring Egypt, despite taking the coastal sliver under a war of genocide for over 15 months, during which the regime killed way upwards of 61,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

Despite offering few details on how the scheme would be implemented, Trump suggested that displaced Palestinians could be sent to "other countries of interest with humanitarian hearts."

He also left open the possibility of deploying American troops in Gaza, stating, "If it’s necessary, we’ll do that."

‘New Riviera’

Trump predicted the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, home to more than two million Palestinians, could become “the Riviera” of the West Asia as he announced his plan to take control of it.

"The Riviera of the Middle East. This could be something that could be so magnificent," Trump said as he again voiced hopes that Palestinians could be removed from Gaza, and said the United States would redevelop the territory.

‘Recipe for chaos’

The so-called plan, which Trump described as a "long-term ownership position," was met with immediate condemnation from Palestinian groups.

The Gaza-based Palestinian resistance movement Hamas called it a "recipe for chaos and tension in the region" and vowed that "our people in the Gaza Strip will not allow these plans to pass."

The group’s denouncement came amid predictions that the proposal could escalate tensions in the region and spark new waves of resistance across the Palestinian territories and beyond.

Some regional states, including Saudi Arabia, likewise firmly rejected any attempt to displace Palestinians, citing the Palestinian nation’s demand for establishment of their own independent state.

Trump’s comments also drew criticism from various activists and experts. Omar Baddar, a political analyst, slammed the announcement, saying, "He’s essentially declaring the destruction of Palestinian society and the scattering of its people."

American congresswoman Rashida Tlaib called out Trump for "openly calling for ethnic cleansing."

International law experts and human rights organizations have, meanwhile, raised concerns over the legality of Trump's proposal, warning that forced displacement and foreign occupation of Gaza would violate numerous international treaties and conventions.

"This plan disregards the rights of the Palestinian people and sets a dangerous precedent for unilateral land grabs," said Abed Ayoub, executive director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), a US-based civil rights organization.

Netanyahu, however, praised Trump as "the greatest friend Israel has ever had" and suggested that the scheme could "change history."

The ICC-wanted Israeli official’s trip to the US has already conjured up strong denouncement on the part of various regional and international organizations, figures, and groups over war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Separately, Trump cast doubt on the stability of a ceasefire agreement between the Israeli regime and Hamas that is expected to end the genocide.

"The [Israeli] strikes could start tomorrow. There’s not a lot left to strike," he said amid Tel Aviv’s regular violations of the deal.

He also alleged that the “American-led plan” would lead to the war-wracked Palestinian territory’s “transformation.”

Critics, though, have argued that Trump's proposal could be intended to divert attention from ongoing controversies surrounding his administration, while US Senator Chris Murphy has called it a "reckless distraction from domestic issues."

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