For many it was quite surprising to note Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat’s speech at the recent Vijayadashmi function in Nagpur. Addressing the RSS anniversary function at Reshimbagh ground recently, Bhagwat said, “There is an old story in a religious text prepared outside. There is no connection of that religion with this but there is an incident in which a village was preparing to stone a woman. Jesus Christ reached there and said, ‘you are stoning her because she is a sinner. Then make sure that the first stone is thrown by the person who has not sinned’. Then everyone realised his mistake.” “Where is this incident from? Those places have a word for such incidents.” Bhagwat said the word ‘lynching’ should not be used in the Indian context to defame the country.
Reacting sharply on his statement, John Dayal, a social and human rights activist and Secretary-General of the All India Christian Council, said, “Mr Bhagwat should not be blamed without blaming Modi and Mr. Amit Shah. The three are a trio, each supporting and encouraging the other as they raise the pitch of hate. This is not to malign any particular religion but there is no holy book which does not have words that can be used in a poisonous way. Jesus exhorted the people to shun violence. Bhagwat teaches them to hate. His hate triggers violence. Whether he likes it or not, his teachings and the teachings of his founders have created these cadres that kill in the name of the cow or the caste. Modi and Shah are complicit in not filing cases against Bhagwat or fomenting hate and for disparaging other religions, especially Islam and Christianity.”
The National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) has slammed RSS chief on his statement that they believe it is misinterpretation of the Bible on the word lynching. In a press statement, the NCCI has said, “We are shocked that such statements which have the potential to divide communities on religious lines are made in public fora. This misrepresentation has created suspicion among the people and has humiliated the Christian minority. We appeal to all people not to be carried away by such misrepresentation.
“The National Council of Churches in India condemns the misquoting of the Bible by Mohan Bhagwat, the Sarsanghchalak of RSS, to justify the term mob lynching,” said Asir Ebenezer, NCCI general secretary, in a statement.
NCCI’s statement added: “The Biblical incident that the sarsanghchalak mentioned in fact exposes how Jesus stood by a woman who was a victim of patriarchal structures of that time.
Frontline Associate Editor Zia Us Salam, who is also author of Lynch Files, told Radiance, “People will stop talking of lynching when the Bajrang Dal and other Hindutva bodies stop lynching the innocent. It is as simple as that.”
“At another level, Bhagwat is not worried about lynching but that talking about it brings India a bad name. As a citizen of India and someone whose affiliate is the ruling, he should be worried about the security of fellow citizens. Clearly he is not inclined to condemn against humanity,” argued the senior journalist.