Former Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari, while repeating an old statement by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, said that the real threat to India was not communism but Hindu right-wing communalism.
Ansari made the remarks at the third AG Noorani Memorial Lecture. The event was organised to commemorate the life and work of Abdul Ghafoor Noorani.
The event was titled ‘Remembering a Polymath: The Life and Times of Abdul Ghafoor Noorani’. It was held at the India Islamic Cultural Centre in New Delhi.
Ansari says shift from civic nationalism to cultural nationalism is concerning
Ansari referred to AG Noorani’s 2019 book ‘The RSS: A Menace to India’. He expressed concern over the emerging trends of a shift from civic nationalism towards cultural nationalism.
Ansari said the book was perhaps Noorani’s last major work. He described it as significant both in terms of its size and content.
According to Ansari, Noorani expressed his views through two Urdu couplets in the book’s introduction. He said Noorani made no attempt to conceal his ideological purpose in the book.
Cites Nehru’s statement
Ansari cited a statement by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru recorded in a document by former Foreign Secretary Jagat Singh Gundevia. The statement was related to a meeting of officials of the Ministry of External Affairs.
Ansari said, “Nehru had warned that the real threat to India was not communism, but Hindu right-wing communalism.”
Read what else Hamid Ansari said…
Over the past few years, trends and practices have emerged that challenge the established principle of civic nationalism. These are being replaced by a new and imagined framework of cultural nationalism.
It seeks to differentiate between citizens on the basis of faith. It promotes intolerance, treats others as different and creates unease and insecurity.
Some of its recent forms are alarming. They also raise questions about India’s claim to function under the rule of law.
This is a question that must be answered. It is necessary to oppose these trends. They must be opposed through both legal and political means.
