RSS leader justifies ban on SIMI

By Our Special Correspondent

JAIPUR, SEPT. 30. The spokesman of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Mr. Madhav Govind Vaidya, today termed the demand for a ban on Bajrang Dal and other organisations connected with the Sangh Parivar as reflection of the colonial hang-over. ``The British used to do this kind of balancing act in India when they were in power,'' he said while justifying the recent ban on the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).

``Such an action needs proof. They have it in the case of SIMI. The provocation is not the coming elections to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly. Even the Maharashtra and the Madhya Pradesh Governments had sought a ban on SIMI. In fact, ever since the bomb blasts near the RSS headquarters in Nagpur the intelligence agencies had been on their trail,'' Mr. Vaidya, responding to newsmen's questions, said. He said the `selective' ban on SIMI was ``appropriate.''

Mr. Vaidya was briefing the mediapersons about the preparations of the RSS volunteers for a march in the Rajasthan capital on October 13. The proposed `path sanchalan' is claimed to be the biggest one as 50,000 swayamsevaks would participate in the march besides thousands of others.

``Everyone knows who indulge in terrorist activities in the country. It is known to all that who makes bombs and have links with intelligence agencies outside,'' Mr. Vaidya asserted. However Mr. Vaidya conceded that ban itself was not a solution. ``We (RSS) have faced three bans in the past,'' he said. He refused to concede that the demolition of the Babri mosque in Ayodhya was an act of terrorism.

Yet Mr. Vaidya noted that RSS did not consider every Muslim as a `jehadi.' ``All Muslim believers are not jehadis. But it should be noted that the inspiration for jehad comes from the same book.'' Only solution to terrorism would be invoking patriotic feelings, he asserted.

Talking about the recent dialogue between Christians and the RSS leadership, Mr. Vaidya said the three meetings which had taken place with the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church and other Christian denominations were ``introductory'' in nature. ``No contentious issues were taken up but for some immediate cases like the rape of nuns in Jhabua and attacks on churches. We told them that they cannot hold RSS responsible for such incidents without proof,'' he said.

Mr. Vaidya indicated that the talks with Christians would continue. ``The hope is that the existing misunderstanding between the two groups would be cleared and a dialogue would be established,'' he noted. Asked whether the RSS would hold similar dialogue with Muslims, Mr. Vaidya said in the case of Christians, the initiative had been from their side. ``If Muslims take initiative, we are not averse to it,'' he said.

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