The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : `Vande Mataram row an attempt to communalise polity'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 05, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

`Vande Mataram row an attempt to communalise polity'

Staff Reporter

Mani Shankar Aiyar calls upon people not to fall into the trap

BOOK RELEASE: Union Minister for Panchayati Raj Mani Shankar Aiyar at the launch of his book `Confessions of Secular Fundamentalist', in Bangalore on Monday. — Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.

BANGALORE: "It is not only the martyr Maqbool Ahmed of Sholapur who, in 1930, went to the gallows singing Vande Mataram; there are thousands of Muslim Congressmen who join in singing Vande Mataram at Congress functions every day," as Mani Shankar Aiyar read aloud these words from his book "Confessions of a Secular Fundamentalist," the author was reiterating his stand against "communalising" the polity.

In Mr. Aiyar's words, the flogging of the "dead horse" was not really an honour for the memory of the Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, but an attempt to communalise the polity again. "We must not fall into their trap," he reiterated as he read out lengthy passages.

Confession

The motley gathering at the Oxford Book Store did not expect a "mole" like controversy to erupt. But Mr. Aiyar volunteered to restate a confession printed for posterity in his book. "I have a closing confession to make," he said.

"I am an atheist, a somewhat reluctant atheist because I have seen the comfort which religious conviction brings to many."

He had a reason to write that. "I saw my mother, to whom this book is dedicated, wither away with cancer — and was both impressed and moved by the courage of her conviction that she knew where she was going. Not having that conviction, the journey for me into the unknown will be perilous prospect."

Getting the paperback edition of his book read by many was his obvious intention.

But Mr. Aiyar was keen that the readers did not skip the appendix, where he ventured into providing "secular answers" to "communal" questions.

Questions

In the book, he had offered his responses to questions such as "Why should we not have a uniform civil code," "What justification was there for negating the Supreme Court judgment in the Shah Bano case by an Act of Parliament," "What is the logic of persisting with Article 370," "Why should Hindus adopt family planning when Muslims resist it" and "Why should we make such a hue and cry over secularism when no Muslim country practises it."

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