By
L.S. Herdenia
BHOPAL: Results of the MP Vidhan Sabha
election clearly indicate that the policy of appeasement of Hindus followed by
chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan did not pay dividend. In fact, he made
all-out efforts to convert Madhya Pradesh into a state of Hindu rashtra. The
first and foremost step was to lift the ban on government servants
participating in RSS activities. Perhaps Madhya Pradesh was the first state to
do so.
Then
he launched another scheme to finance pilgrimage of senior Hindu citizens to
holy places. The state government used to bear the total expenditure incurred
on the “Tirth Yatra”. The government used to hire entire trains, which were
used to take senior Hindu citizens to various holy places. He also involved the
state government in the mass marriages of Hindu grooms and brides. District
collectors would supervise the ceremony, hand over substantial sums and other
items in the form of dowry to the newly married couple.
By
spending huge sums on the Simhastha at Ujjain he tried to please sadhus and
sants. In earlier Kumbhas the state government’s role was limited to making
arrangements for the pilgrimage and also looking after law and order. But
Chouhan gave free lodging and boarding facilities to sadhus and heads of
various religious organisations. Not only that, many cultural and academic
programmes were organised during the Kumbh.
An
international seminar was also held, in which hundreds of experts on various
subjects were invited from various parts of the country and also from abroad.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and RSS chief also participated in the seminar.
The
government launched a massive publicity campaign for the Kumbh. Advertisements
were published in leading magazines like National Geographic and also displayed
in several airlines of the country and also major international airlines.
The
most interesting fact about some such advertisements was that the language was
Hindi. Officers of the state government in order to please the chief minister
performed “puja” and took dip in the holy “Shipra” on important auspicious
days. The chief minister accompanied by his wife visited Ujjain, the Kumbh
venue several times. This was contrary to the practice of chief minister and
other ministers avoiding visiting Ujjain during Kumbh because their visits
would cause law and order problems.
The
chief minister also launched a massive “Narmada Parikrama”. He along with his
wife Sadhna Singh spent more than four months on this pilgrimage. The entire
administrative machinery was involved in this programme. Not only were government
funds spent on this programme but collectors were authorised to raise funds
from the public. Large scale arrangements were made for the welcome of the
chief minister at various places on the bank of Narmada. Officers not only made
arrangements for the pilgrimage but also participated as devout Hindus.
The
government also celebrated the birth anniversary of Adi Sankaracharya. An
international conference was held to mark the birth anniversary of the
Sankaracharya.
The
policy of appeasement reached the pinnacle when Chouhan conferred minister’s of
state status on five sadhus. But subsequently one – known as computer baba –
surrendered the ministerial status and campaigned against the chief minister.
Perhaps
with the objective of appeasing Hindus he declared on the floor of the Vidhan
Sabha that under no circumstances his government will implement Sachhar
Committee recommendations. “If they are implemented it will result in the
creation of another Pakistan,” he said.
Thus
all his activities to please and appease Hindus were in vein as they could not
help Chouhan retain power. (IPA Service)
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