(The Tribune
October 4, 2006)
Editorial
Moditva in Bhopal
MP govt must reverse its orders
THE Madhya Pradesh Government’s decision to allow its employees to take part in the activities of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) violates the thin line between the government and a political party. The decision, which has come under fire from all right-thinking sections, besides political parties, is a blatant attempt to politicise government staff towards undesirable objectives. This is a transgression of both the letter and the spirit of the Constitution; which explains why Governor Balram Jakhar has raised questions about the order and the Congress party has sought the intervention of President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan would be well advised to withdraw the order before it snowballs into an entirely avoidable full-scale political crisis. The allegiance of government employees should be to the administration alone and not to any political organisation.
The MP Government’s premise that the RSS is a cultural organisation has no takers as it does not square with either the facts or the perceptions of this organisation. The RSS is the parent of the Sangh Parivar that has spawned, among others, the BJP, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, the Bajrang Dal and the Hindu Munnani. The myth of the RSS being “non-political” has been exposed time after time and even members of the Sangh Parivar no longer claim that. Given this background, it is preposterous for the MP Government to colour the RSS in shades that are at variance with both reality and experience.
When the Narendra Modi government in Gujarat passed a similar order in 1999, it was forced to backtrack after the intervention of Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Now the Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, has taken the lead in asking President Kalam to ensure reversal of the MP Government’s order, and even those who do not sympathise with the Congress party see merit in her move. The sooner sense prevails in Bhopal the better for the country.