Stopping BJP in poll battle not enough to counter right-wing forces : Prakash Karat

5 Dariya News

Kolkata 07-Mar-2018

Stating that only trying to counter the BJP in the electoral battle will not be enough to stop the resurgence of right-wing reactionary forces in the country, CPI-M politburo member Prakash Karat on Wednesday said communists must take a leading role in uniting all secular democratic forces to fight the majority communalism.Terming Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as a well organised fascistic organisation that has been working to influence the people of various sections of the society, Karat said the Left parties must create alternative forces in those social spheres to counter them."So far we have tried to focus on determining the electoral tactics to isolate and defeat Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the elections. However, we failed to understand that BJP is just a small part of the RSS activities. "Five years back, RSS had nearly 40 mass organisations that worked in different sections of the society. We need to be able to counter these forces of the RSS. Stopping just the BJP would not work," Karat said here at a seminar on "Combating dangers of aggressive communalism in India"."Our challenge at the moment is to counter a well organised power that is using the majority communalism and trying to impose its ideology on the entire nation with an aim to reorganise it as a Hindu state. 

Unless we can counter their agenda of Hindutva nationalism with our secular democratic progressive values, it would be difficult to stop them," he pointed out.The former general secretary of CPI-M said the RSS is constantly working to influence the education and cultural sector and a section of intellectuals, while they are also working to consolidate the Dalits and tribal communities in the country by imposing the Hindutva agenda at the grassroot level."The right-wing forces are working to establish the Hindutva agenda both from above and below. Because they are in power at the Centre and have the majority in the Lok Sabha, they can appoint their people to run state offices, educational and cultural institutions. They would also aim to infiltrate the judiciary and armed forces," Karat warned."Also, they are aiming to communalise the society to impose the Hindutva agenda at the grass-root level. In states like Gujarat and Rajasthan where BJP runs the state government, RSS is working to bring the Dalits or minorities under the fold of Hindutva by hook or by crook," he noted.He pointed out that "storm troopers of the RSS" like Bajrang Dal and Hindu Jagaran Mancha are at work in these places."The secular and democratic people must transcend the party barriers to fight the majority communalism of BJP and RSS," he added.