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SHRI CHANDRA SHEKHAR : Mr. Chairman, Sir, when the discussion commenced in the House, Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav raised some points. Thereafter the first person, who spoke from the Treasury benches was Kumari Uma Bharati. After hearing the speech of Kumari Uma Bharati, it seemed to me as if we have reached a dead end as far as the Parliamentary system of democracy is concerned. Though I am not very well versed in politics, yet I do have a fair knowledge of it. I have studied political science and been active in politics of the country for the last 50 years. Once advocates of Nazism used the Parliament in the same manner. What we have witnessed here today is the same language, spirit and expression. She began her speech on the note that they did not want to level charges against anybody and are interested in promoting the politics based on consensus and everybody should go into the root cause of the problem. Thereafter she said that it was the Congress Party which messed up things. She did not say that Congress messed up the things in the year 1984 but said that it committed the mistake in 1920 when it opposed the Khilafat movement where communalism started. Perhaps Umaji is not aware that Mahatma Gandhi was leading the Khilafat movement.

SHRI CHANDRA SHEKHAR : All right. If you are aware of it, I also know who killed Mahatma Gandhi. But I do not want to go into those issues. I would like to submit through you that this country may forget Gandhiji but the entire world remembers him today. The countries, where democratic system of governance prevails as well as the countries which are still fighting for democracy remember him alike. I request you, Uma Bharati Ji, those please go through the book, whenever you have time, written by Lui-Fisher on Mahatma Gandhi. It described as to how various countries all over the world reacted at his death, how the poor people and political leaders had wept. With due apologies to hon’ble Member, Shri Somnathji I would say that with the sole exception of the then Soviet Union, not a single country was there throughout the world which did not keep its flag at half mast over his death.

SHRI CHANDRA SHEKHAR : You might be knowing better about Pakistan but even Mohammad Ali Jinha, who was the founder of Pakistan, also paid his condolences over the death of Mahatma Gandhi and dubbed him as a great personality of the world. If you know something more than that, then that part of history is not known to me. Mr. Chairman, Sir, I would like to submit that I am not blaming anybody. I am just telling as to where we have landed ourselves.

SHRI CHANDRA SHEKHAR : Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I could not recall the word of Mr. Jinnah, but I quote the words of Nathu Ram Godse... (Interruptions) Mr. Chairman, Sir, if it would continue like this, I would like to take my seat.

SHRI CHANDRA SHEKHAR : Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we did not expect such things from Uma Bharati Ji. I thought that she would end her speech in the manner with which she had begun. But I submit with pain that she had propounded those principles which were at the roots of Fascism. These very principles took the Germany to that stage.

We forget the historical facts. Hitler came to power through the Parliament. He misused the Parliament in the same manner. Today, what Umaji was lecturing was nothing, but the ideology of Hinduism so deeply rooted in her mind. I beg your pardon, but I would like to say this about hon’ble Prime Minister while according great regard to him that I know him for the last 40 years and I have been working with him since the year 1962, when I made my maiden entry into Parliament that year. He may be backing in many other things but certainly I have never seen him indulging in equivocation. Umaji made a mention of the year 1970 but I was by Shri Atalji’s side even in 1977. The manner in which a person like Atalji delivered his speech in Goa sounds very strange to me. From his and Umaji’s speech I gather that we have now got no place in the functioning of this country through democracy. Shri Vaidya is the spokesperson of RSS. I have heard his speech on TV last night. He stated that NDA have got their own agenda, DMK got their own agenda and TDP have also got their own agenda. Everybody wants to achieve something by implementing his own agenda. All want to reiterate their ideology. In the same manner, we have also got our own agenda. We are bound to implement that agenda. When this point is repeated in and outside this House time and again that this is not the Government of BJP. But that of NDA’s, then I wonder whether this Government is headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee or Shri Vaidya? I would like to make request through you, that this should be clarified once and for all. Enough blood has been shed by now. One of our friends spent a long time with us and presently is in charge of the Defence portfolio. I read this statement yesterday in which he stated that once leader of the masses Shri Jayaprakash said that he saw a ray of hope in Narendra Modi. I do not know whether Shri Jaya Prakash had actually said so or not but George Saheb’s vision is certainly seeing that ray of hope...(Interruptions) I do not want to make comments about that type of people.. .(Interruptions)

SHRI CHANDRA SHEKHAR : Mr. Chairman, Sir, I withdraw, if it is unparliamentarily... (Interruptions)

SHRI CHANDRA SHEKHAR : Mr. Chairman, Sir, I have been requesting you that whatever is happening in this House signals the path which we are treading and I think that people like me have no place in the House. I know this point before hand ...(Interruptions)

SHRI CHANDRA SHEKHAR : I would like to express my feelings in a few words. If you are so much irritated, I can keep quiet with due consideration to that anger.

SHRI CHANDRA SHEKHAR : I stated that Umaji had opposed Khilafat movement ...(Interruptions) Now, you please listen to me, you are not allowing me to give reply. Muslim communalism originated from Khilafat movement. It conveys that Gandhiji promoted communalism. If it is so, historical facts are needed to be re-written...(Interruptions) You please, keep silence, why are you competing with Km. Uma Bharati.

I would like to state through you that if one wants to put an end to the democratic system of Governance from any country or to its civilization and culture, one must first eradicate the symbols thereof. Gandhiji symbolises this country. Gandhiji’s ideology is symbolic of the civilization, culture and traditions of this country. To put an end to that ideology amounts to say good bye to the country’s traditions. She said that the very existence of secularism depends on the existence of Hindu religion. What is the concept of Hindu religion. The interpretation may vary from person to person. This is not four six or eight hundred years old. It dates back to five thousand years. This definition is derived from Vedas and Upnishads. I would like to state through you that temples did not have existent during the times of Veda and Upnishads Lord Rama and Lord Shiva were not worshipped in those times. This religion expanded its reach worldwide through Yajanas, mantras and established traditions. The shlokas which were repeated there conveyed this message that God is one and ways to attain Him may be different. So, why should there be a fight over the issue as to who would chose which way to attain Him. If this is the ideology of Hindu religion, then there is no scope in it for any difference between Hindu, Muslim, Sikh or a Christian. Has Hindu religion anything to do with what is being preached today or what we read today or what Somnath Dada has just read about? What is happening in Gujarat, whether that can be termed as Hindu Dharma at all.

Another thing she said was that since independence nowhere else in the country were the riots controlled in the manner they have been controlled in Gujarat in just three-four days. The facts remains that two months have passed and violence is still continuing there. Killing of hundred persons by the Government of Gujarat is no big an achievement. On the one hand inciting the poor to riots while on the other hand getting them killed is not the way to run the country. The responsibility of controlling riots is that of the Government. He said that nobody protects anybody. An individual may not come out to protect someone, but the Government owes the responsibility to protect the citizens. A Government which cannot protect its citizens has no right to remain in power. And to go on tolerating a Government which has failed in its duty of protecting its citizens is all the more contrary to Rajdharm the sacred duty of governance. The Prime Minister seeks to preach Rajdharm to other but he should first learn to follow it himself. The Rajdharm demands that if innocent people are being killed somewhere in the name of religion, then the Union Government should take initiative to stop it.

I would like to submit that this country is heading towards such a blind alley from where it would be difficult to come back. I know that speeches will hardly have any impact. It is easier to win elections and to run the Government, but the country cannot be run like that. Now is the time to consider what the entire world thinks of India and not just I or leaders of the Opposition or the people of Gujarat. Till two three months back the Prime Minister, the Minister of External Affairs and the Home Minister of the country used to say that the image and prestige of India was enhancing in the world. Now it is important to note the comments being made by America, Canada and other European countries in relation to which we were claiming that our foreign policy had been proving successful. They can silence us in this House, but we are not so strong a country as to silence the voices coming from outside. The history bears testimony to the fact that whenever efforts are made by someone to remain in power by dint of force, manipulations, untruthful conduct and by defrauding the people, then although he may succeed in running the Government for sometime, but surely he cannot run the country like that. Now our country has reached such a situation wherein even a man like me feels that I should speak very cautiously lest what happened in Godhra, Gujarat may be repeated here. On the day Godhra killing took place I went to meet the Speaker who is now no more. I asked him to do something to get a unanimous resolution passed on the Godhra incident. Kunwar Akhilesh and Ramji Lai Suman had moved an adjournment motion. I said that let the same motion be adopted and something should be done on the basis of that. However, that day there was lesser noise from the opposition side and much more noise made from the Treasury benches. You were more vocal on that day in favour of protecting Hindutva. Had there been a unanimity in the House on the Godhara incident...(Interruptions) Had a proposal been passed on that day on that issue that there would have been no excuse to say that the ongoing killings in Gujarat were the corollary to the Godhra incident. However, that did not happen.

SHRI CHANDRA SHEKHAR : Mr. Chairman, Sir, I was telling that there was a lapse. And if that lapse is not corrected and allegations and counterallegations continue then that will surely not be a proper thing. As Umaji herself said at the outset, had she aborted upon it would have been better the causes of violence.. .(Interruptions)

However, I would like to pinpoint the cause. The violence took place because of mistrust among people. Their hearts are broken. People think that they are not safe whether it may be due to Godhra or Ahmedabad. We should not forget the reference to the places of killings or violence is immaterial because whoever are the victims they are the sons and daughters of mother India. Some people consider that they alone are the beloved sons of mother India. But if they think that there are also other sons and daughters of mother India, then their perception may change.

Sir, things would not improve in Gujarat by referring to the incident of 1984. I do not know many persons came out openly to oppose the violence of 1984. But I know, I was the only person accompanied by 15- 20 persons to go round on the roads of Delhi...(Interruptions)

SHRI CHANDRA SHEKHAR : You might have been there.......... (Interruptions) I am watching. I am not saying anything. If even watching is prohibited, I won’t even look at you ...(Interruptions)

My speech is never pleasant. This is because I do not talk in your language. I refrain from speaking in a language which is dangerous for the country. The language that has been used here and the speeches that have been made are bound to further instigate riots in Gujarat.

You should not be under the impression that they can generate fear in the minds of people. It is another thing that the Prime Minister said that Muslims, wherever they live, do not live in peace. However, we should remember that when 10,000 Muslims had come to India, they were not drowned by us into the Arabian Sea then how can we drown 14 crore Muslim population now.

History should be seen in the right perspective. Do not challenge the world. The people of the world are looking towards us with rage. They are already at it. Our friends Shri Yerranniadu has left. Efforts are being made to pressurise and push us back on the economic front. If the foreign forces are allowed to interfere in our social and religious sector, then nobody can save this country from disintegration. We should remember that big forces from within the country are trying to divide us as was done by the Britishers. Not only in this region but in the entire land mass comprising India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal anarchy is growing slowly but steadily. The same forces are instigating them. You are playing in their hands inadvertently. This should be stopped so that the country may proceed further on the path of ruin.

Umaji, I have great respect for her because she is a Sanyasini. We have been taught that we should respect saffron-clad persons that is of the Nazi regime. Please protect the country against such kind of speeches. I ask you and also to the people sitting on this side, to ponder over it. If you keep on inciting them and we do not get united then we will surely be contributing in taking the country on the road to destruction. why I respect her. She is aware that I am not saying it casually. However, the speech that she made here does not behave of a Hinau Sanyasini. After hearing her speech it appeared to me as if it came from a volunteer