Author: Pradeep Kaushal
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: May 21, 2006
The VHP has offered to team up with Pope Benedict
XVI to fight their ''common'' adversary of Islamic terrorism. VHP president
Ashok Singhal made this offer to the Pope today, two days after the latter
expressed serious reservations about moves to ban conversions in certain parts
of India.
The entire Sangh Parivar, particularly VHP,
would have normally unleashed a no-holds-barred campaign against the Pope.
However, Singhal, by courting the Pope, has obviously made a major tactical
turn.
The VHP chief said: ''Christians and Hindus
are both facing the same historical threat of jihad.'' Drawing a parallel
between Christian and Hindu history, he equated the ''destruction of Kashi,
Ayodhya, Somnath temples'' to the terrorist attacks ''on WTC, London and Madrid''.
Then comes the proposition: ''Instead of fighting each other, let us fight
jihad.''
The new tactical position in place, Singhal
did affirm his basic stand: ''Pope should declare that Church will not convert
a single Hindu''. He also turned around to ask if the Pope would allow Christians
in Vatican to convert.
Meanwhile, BJP spoke-sman Prakash Javadekar
came out with a rather mild response today: ''The Pope's remarks are not relevant
to India, there is more freedom here than in many countries. State laws are
not against conversion by conviction, but if people convert en masse, motives
have to be there.''
