The Economic Times reported that Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi told party leaders from minority communities in Karnataka to be prepared for polarisation efforts by the BJP in the run-up to the 2018 assembly polls.
According to the report he said “We need to be ready to take on polarisation of Hindu votes in the upcoming elections.Let us be very clear and not opt for soft Hindutva. We should stand for the rights of the minorities without any ambiguity, even if it costs us votes”
For the first time Congress has come out strongly against playing soft hindutva politics. Well, that’s a bold stand and a historical one too. Everybody knows that Congress had been playing soft hindutva politics all along. It is very common to see Congress leaders switching to ultra Hindutva Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for electoral gains.
Now that Rahul Gandhi has taken a bold stand against soft Hindutva, it’s time for him to back up his words with deeds. The new rule issued by the Government of India banning the sale of cattle for slaughter just before the holy month of Ramadan is a very divisive politics with an aim to undermine the lives and livelihood of Muslims and dalits who eat beef and engage in beef and related trades. Since BJP came to power dozens of Muslims and dalits were lynched. With this new law, BJP aims to unleash the ‘Gow Rakshaks’ (cow vigilantes) on Muslims and Dalits putting their lives in danger.
The cattle slaughter ban is not just an issue for minorities. It will affect the lives and livelihoods of millions of farmers across India. Livestock controls close to a quarter of the agriculture gross domestic product (GDP). In 2010-11, it generated outputs worth Rs 3, 40,500 crore (at current prices). This was 28 per cent of the agriculture GDP and about 5 per cent of the country’s GDP. The cattle slaughter ban will impoverish the lowest of the low in Indian economic ladder and push millions of farmers into suicide
If Rahul Gandhi means what he says, he must come out strongly against this illegal ban on cattle slaughter. He must lead a movement across India against this illegal, divisive law and uphold the secular values that the Congress profess.
Rahul Gandhi must realise that keeping silent on the slaughter ban itself is ‘soft hindutva’.
Ask Congress President Ms. Sonai Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to take a bold stand on this issue.
Time for Congress party to reform itself as a truly secular party by standing up for the rights of minorities,Dalits and other oppressed sections of the society.
What you can do.
- Tweet this article to @OfficeOfRG or share on facebook tagging https://www.facebook.com/rahulgandhi and https://www.facebook.com/OfficeOffRG/
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If you have the email address of Congress leaders write to them directly.
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Call up the office of Congress President Ms. Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Mr. Rahul Gandhi and ask them to take a bold stand
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Fax them a letter
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Write them a letter by snail mail
You can contact them here
Smt. Sonia Gandhi, MP
President
10, Janpath
New Delhi-110011
Tel. (O) : 23019080, 23792263
Tel. (R) : 23014481, 23014161
Fax : 23018651
Shri Rahul Gandhi, MP
Vice President
12, Tughlak Lane
New Delhi-110011
Tel. (O) :23019080, 23019056
Tel. (R) : 23795161
Fax : 23012410
Binu Mathew is the editor of www.countercurrents.org. He can be reached at editor@countercurrents.org
Rahul Gandhi has ‘ golden opportunity ‘ to mobilise masses towards his party by voicing protests against anti- people’s policies of bjp and it’s supporters. He should come out of the traditional Congress fold, accept it’s blunders like Sikh massacres, emergency excesses, etc and try to help victims of 1984 riots and many people tortured in the erstwhile Congress regimes. He was one of the rare opposition politicians who appreciated kejriwal assume power. He should not be bowed down by traditional Congress bourgeoisie leaders.
If Rahul Gandhi ‘ liberates ‘ himself from old generation prejudices and moves forward, he has lit if scope to serve people.