> Q. Should India go for a full-fledged war?
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> Ans: If there is no other way left. Whenever the demons (Aasuri powers) start dominating this planet, there is no way other than the war. Tell me Chetan if there is any other way out. But war should be the last resort. Before that Bharat should consider other options.
>
>
>
> Q. Don't you think that warfare will not stop at guns, bombs and grenades?
> Ans: Yes, I know it will not stop there. It will be nuclear war and a large number of people will be perished. In fact, not me but many people around the world have expressed their apprehension that this terrorism may ultimately result into III world war. And this will be a nuclear war in which many of us are going to be finished. But according to me, as of now, it is very necessary to defeat the demons and there is no other way. And let me say with confidence that after this destruction, a new world will emerge which will be very good, free from evil and terrorism. (Is vinaash ke baad jo sansaar aayega, waha bahut hi sundar hoga. Vahan par kuch bhee bura nahin rahega aur aatankawad bhi gayab ho jayega ).
Kuppahalli Sitaramayya Sudarshan (born June 18, 1931) is the current Sarsanghachalak (appointed leader) of the Rashtriya Swyamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu nationalist organization. Sudarshan was born in Raipur (now in >Chhattisgarh) in a Kannadiga Brahmin family. He was just 9 years old when he first attended an RSS shakha. He received a Bachelor of Engineering (Hon.) degree in Telecommunications from Dr. Hari Singh Gaur University, University of Sagar. In 1954, he was made Pracharak and in 1964, he was made the Prant Pracharak of Madhya Bharat. And finally he was made the Sarsanghachalak in the year 2000.
Considered as Ajatshatru (a person having no enemies) by the people around him, he has a charishmatic persona and a million dollar smile. Even at the age of 77 years, he has the energy of a young man. Anybody will get impressed by his quote when he says, "I am not an intellectual, rather I am an implementer of the ideas from great intellectuals."
A very down to earth and soft-spoken person as he is, he never looses his cool. An avid speaker on issues ranging from education and society to history and politics, Sudrashanji, as he is popularly called, was on Tuesday at India International Centre Annexe in New Delhi to release a book by historian, Prof. Kittu Reddy.
Soon after the programme was over, Mr. K.S. Sudarshan, the friend, philosopher and guide (Sarsanghachalak) of the R.S.S. - the biggest Non government organization of the world, more than happily agreed to have one-to-one chat with Chetan Upadhyaya, journalist and secretary of Satya Foundation and discussed at length about many things including his vision about the terrorism and ways to tackle it.
Excerpts:
Q. The people in general and especially after the terror attacks on Mumbai are very upset and there is general sense of perception that the government has failed in protecting the country. What is your say?
Ans: I don't see this attack in isolation. I see this in totality. And I feel that there have been conspiracies since a hundreds of years to kill the social and cultural fabric of India. And this incident is only a part of the total game plan. Building something is very difficult and destruction is very easy. They want India to be broken into pieces but Indian people have always won. We are tolerant, but a very brave society. We were defeated and enslaved only when we were disunited.
Q. What should the government do?
Ans: The government should do what the public says. The people are highly agitated. The people came in open protest against the attacks and this was a never-before phenomenon. And in this moment of crisis, whatever the people and the government decide, we are with them. There is no question of any opposition on the question of handling terrorism.
Q. Supposing that you were the Prime Minister of this country, what would have been your stand?
Ans: It is a hypothetical question. I am not in politics and so there is no question of my becoming a Prime Minister. But tentatively speaking, I would have done what the people thought collectively. And even today, I will say that let us take into account what the intellectuals, scientists, businessmen and the common man in the street thinks about the attack, and deal with the problem accordingly. When the government of Pakistan and also the United States has accepted that all the terrorists involved in the attacks on Mumbai were from Pakistan, there is no point in sitting back and not taking any action. We have asked them for giving us the 20 most wanted criminals and they are making excuses and refusing to hand over the culprits.
Q. Sudarshanji, we demanded 20 and they gave us the list of 35 criminals. They want all the 35 to be handed over to them.
Ans: Yeah, this is all their trickstery and diversionary tactics. This is all their Shararat. This way, they are jeopardizing the whole path of reconciliation.
Q. Should India go for a full-fledged war?
Ans: If there is no other way left. Whenever the demons (Aasuri powers) start dominating this planet, there is no way other than the war. Tell me Chetan if there is any other way out. But war should be the last resort. Before that Bharat should consider other options.
Q. Don't you think that warfare will not stop at guns, bombs and grenades?
Ans: Yes, I know it will not stop there. It will be nuclear war and a large number of people will be perished. In fact, not me but many people around the world have expressed their apprehension that this terrorism may ultimately result into III world war. And this will be a nuclear war in which many of us are going to be finished. But according to me, as of now, it is very necessary to defeat the demons and there is no other way. And let me say with confidence that after this destruction, a new world will emerge which will be very good, free from evil and terrorism. (Is vinaash ke baad jo sansaar aayega, waha bahut hi sundar hoga. Vahan par kuch bhee bura nahin rahega aur aatankawad bhi gayab ho jayega ).
Q. What do you think of Hindu terrorism?
Ans: A Hindu can never be a terrorist. It is not proper to brand any religion as terrorist.
Q. Don't you think that as reaction to Islamic Jihad, a new breed of Hindu boys may come up with guns, grenades and bombs in the coming years?
Ans: The very nature of Hindu religion is against violence.
Q. No, if the situation comes so, like Shivaji did?
Ans: Self- defense is a different thing, but any true Hindu can never be a terrorist. Our basic teaching is against killing the innocents. In fact, we believe in taking the whole country together.
Q. So we must admit that Hindu religion, as a whole has been not able to show its warmth and take the whole country into its fold of love?
Ans: No, attempts are always in progress. We are continuously working for all sections and religions of our society & for communal harmony. On the last 7th November only, we organized a programme for the protection of the cows and you would be surprised to know that with the active efforts of Muslim Rashtriya Manch, about 170 clergies and intellectuals of Muslim society of our country participated. Also 6000 clergies of the Deoband school of thought have signed a declaration against the slaughter of the cows. In fact, even Hazarat Mohammad has said that Gaya ka doodh shifa hai aur gaya ka maansa jehar hai (The milk of cow is nectar and its flesh is poison). The Muslim Rashtriya Manch is doing commendable work for communal harmony. And let me tell that this is just one example. We do believe that there are many good people in every religion; we have full love and respect for them and it is our duty & pleasure to be together, living in harmony with each other.
Q. Do you think that BJP is the victim of infighting?
Ans: Yes, like any other party, BJP is also the victim of this to a certain extent. But it is the result of the political system that we have adopted. Some people think that system is not to blame; it is the men who are running the system who are at fault. But this is only a partial truth. A system also can have inbuilt limitations that can cause problems. We have adopted the Westminster type of British electoral system which is not at all applicable in about thirty times bigger country like Bharat with so many diversities of caste, creed, language and religion.
Q. There was news, during the last Loksabha elections that in view of the bad performance by Bhartiya Janta Party, RSS is open to the idea of supporting some new party? Is the idea still alive?
Ans: (laughs off) Would not like to comment on it. We are a social and cultural organization and BJP is a political organization. Swayamsevaks, who are eligible for voting, would vote according to their own conscience. R.S.S. does not direct them.
Chetan Upadhyaya: Thank you so much Mr. Sudarshan for sharing your views with the readers.
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THIS IS THE COPY OF MAIL FROM HEGDEWAR BHAVAN, NAGPUR (Headquarters of RSS) CONFIRMING THE CONTENTS OF THE INTERVIEW TO BE APT FOR BEING PUBLISHED:
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Bandhuvar Chetanji
Namaste.
As per man. Sudarshanji's instruction I am sending the text of interview taken by you on 9-12-2008 in Delhi.
Man. Sudarshanji read this and ok it.
Give me call after getting it.
Vikas Telang
(Karyalaya Sah-sachiv)
09422148092
