Author: Dr Surendra Kumar Jain,
Secretary, VHP
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: May 4, 2003
The controversy over the unfortunate
ban on the trishul and the illegal arrest of VHP International General
Secretary Pravin Togadia by the Congress Government of Rajasthan is an
example of how the dirty politics of appeasement can try to defame a pious
cause. The trishul is the symbol of Lord Shiva and Goddess Durga and their
spiritual, physical and divine forces. The Bajrang Dal worships Hanuman,
the incarnation of Shiva. It is natural for it to worship, possess and
carry the holy trishul, which is an ancient Hindu tradition. From the beginning,
the Bajrang Dal adopted trishul diksha as a compulsory organisational activity.
It is a sort of convocation function where workers take an oath to serve
the nation and not to misuse the trishul.
The trishul has become the symbol
of Hindu awakening, enlightenment and pride. Diksha has taken the place
of Vande Mataram. Mill-ions of patriotic youths have participated in this
during the last 15 years. But not a single drop of blood has been shed
during or after these programmes. There has not been a single case of misuse
of the trishul reported anywhere in India. It reflects the non-violent
but assertive power of the Bajrang Dal and Hindu society.
The Bajrang Dal's trishul is not
a prohibited weapon in the strict legal sense. According to the Arms Act
1959 and the Arms Rules, 1962, weapons with blades larger than nine inches
come under the category of arms. Any version of this Act in any State does
not include any weapon with a blade below six inches in the definition
of arms. The trishul of the Bajrang Dal, therefore, does not come under
the category of arms.
The Supreme Court has stated in
various cases that the trishul is a holy symbol of Hindu dharma and cannot
be considered as an arm. Carrying, possessing and distributing it cannot
be banned by any lawful Government. No one can stop the holy ritual of
trishul worship.
The growing popularity of trishul
diksha and the Hindu upsurge delight those who love their country. Unfortunately,
there is another class of politicians called the pseudo-secularists. They
not only accepted but criminally supported Partition due to Muslim appeasement.
They are now trying to consolidate the Muslim votebank in their favour.
The nation is paying heavily for their lust of power. Due to their politics,
terrorism is worsening day by day. They can welcome the brandishing of
naked swords during Muharram. They can ignore the threats of another partition.
They turn deaf ears towards Mother India being named a witch. They are
not worried about the posters of "waiting for Gujarat" or "Masood Azhar
will come back". But they are scared of Hindu enlightenment and awakening.
They suffer from a Gujarat phobia. They think if the Hindu does arise,
appeasement politics will have to go. No wonder parties like the Congress
are worried.
The latest entry in this list is
Laloo Yadav, brandishing lathis and exhorting his supporters to throw out
the members of a particular political party. How this is justified in a
democracy? But no noises are made even when his lathi-march turns murderous.
Never has any trishul bearer turned violent. We in fact tell our supporters
not to misuse the trishul.
The Rajasthan Chief Minister has
shrewdly issued a Rowlatt Act-type order banning the carrying and possession
of one, two or three sharp-edged weapons. He has not named the trishul
because he knows the Hindu attachment to it. Is he going to ban kitchen
knives or swords customarily carried by Thakurs? He has arrested only Bajrang
Dal workers and seized their trishuls. He cannot arrest ISI agents because
it can annoy his vote bank. But Togadia is booked under Section 121 A of
the IPC, so that the Congress can fatten its votebank. If the cross can
be distributed freely, why should the distribution of Shiva's and Durga's
trishul be banned? Why did the Congress not tell Laloo Yadav-who has openly
declared a war against the Centre and the BJP-not to distribute lathis?
The party backs Bihar's vandalism and anarchy, which resulted in the daylight
murder of a BJP leader. Why?
A section of the media links trishul
diksha with the coming elections. But this programme is being performed
throughout India. Are there elections in J&K, Haryana, UP, Kerala and
other States where the media itself has reported the programmes? It is
time biased politicians and the media rethink their stand. Can they stop
trishul diksha? Their hate campaign is, in fact, making trishuls increasingly
popular. There is now a Hindu wave and no one can dare stand in the way
of it.
