things that gleaned from the interview that are very important.
Anchor (A)
Jagath Gaspar Raj (JGR)
A: Rahul Gandhi has given an important statement, I see it as something that should become a topic of discussion at the national level. He has said that RSS agents in Congress should be weeded out/removed. Has Rahul Gandhi realized this just now?
JGA: Just as you said, within Congress, there has always been a very powerful 'RSS-force' or RSS-thought process. People with a 'Sanatana' thought process [Sanatana is dog whistle for Hindu] are dominant within Congress. Even Mahatma Gandhi, whom you all adore, was a 'Sanatani'. Many of his activities, be it the Poona Pact, be it making religion a Centre list subject, in many many issues, he was a 'Sanatani'
. Gandhi was soft-RSS; he knew that with Pakistan and Bangladesh (and their Muslim majority population) a future soft-RSS government in India will not be likely.
At that time, the foreign-educated Congress leaders, leaders who were barristers/lawyers, were of the view that the post-partition government of India should be a liberal, progressive, modern democratic government. Nevertheless, sections of the Congress inner circle has always had a soft-RSS standpoint.
I say this usually, it (the RSS) puts up an elaborate front, but it is actually an organization that is against humanity itself, not just against the nation. It has expansionist ambitions...
it is in league with Sinhalese majoritarianism, it has absorbed in the Buddhism of Myanmar and Thailand. It wants to dabble in geopolitics in this way. It even tries to coerce Facebook to remove everything related to the Tamil Eelam issue. Linguistic memories, ethno-nationalism...it tries to inject these into the future Empires. By future Empires, I do not mean BJP or Congress, DMK or ADMK. The future empires are going to be Google, etc. The RSS is scheming now to a part of this Empire.
A: The current BJP government is attacking these empires now (Google, Twitter, Facebook, etc.)
JGR: Those attacking are not those Empires (Google etc.) The attacking party is what we call Renaissance.
Today, the Church is irrelevant in the European landmass, honestly speaking. People attend them for namesake, merely as a cultural memory. Like festivals in our place.
->
Christianity has transformed itself into a progressive, modern vision for humanity.
Who is behind this Renaissance? They are the ones who rebelled against the erstwhile Church hegemony. They are the same forces responsible for modern European democracy. If you ask me, whether American or European democracy is more promising for humanity, I certainly think it is European democracy.
-> Because the forces behind European democracy are the ones that made human rights a fundamental right.
->
What you have in Europe is the fruits of a Renaissance caused by a forward-thinking/progressive Christian thought. So, the attack on BJP/RSS is from this line of thought (the liberal, progressive Christianity of Europe). Take Amnesty International - Facebook did not pin down NSO, the Israeli firm involved in the Pegasus scandal. It was Amnesty that exposed this whole episode of illegal spying. Amnnesty International is an arm of Liberal Democracy. So you should not see it that way (as Google/Facebook attacking BJP/RSS).
-> Today, actually, in Covid issue, be it Washington Post, Le Monde or Guardian and other Western papers, the forces uniting against Modi today are Renaissance forces, the Liberal democratic progressive forces.
It is difficult for people from here (India) to defeat Modi.
-> But, liberal democratic global forces will defeat him! They will fix him, you wait and see. They (BJP and RSS) will call it a conspiracy by foreign forces against India. (To BJP and RSS): say the conspiracy is against you, not against India. It is a conspiracy against the havoc you made. But, basically it is liberal democratic forces (who are against BJP/RSS and Modi).
A: You see Rahul Gandhi in that mould? (as an usherer in of liberal democracy)
JGR: Yes, I see him as a liberal democrat.
-> JGR: Yes definitely. See, today, when it comes to national unity, the RSS and Congress are on the same page. How is this possible? 'Sanatanam' needs the Indian state.
The Tamils don't need it (the Indian state). The Telugus don't need it. The Kannadigas don't need it.
A: Bengalis don't need it too.
-> JGR: Yes, they don't need it. But 'Sanatanam' needs a united India. Many, like the, Menons, Warrier, Namboodris, who are in close relation with RSS may need a united India too. Whereas, the Ezhavas, Pulayars and Paraiyars don't need it.
A: It was, indeed. But do you think Rahul Gandhi is now stepping out of that mindset?
In terms of removing subjects from the Centre list to the State [more federalism], etc. As a followup to his resolve of eradicating RSS (elements in Congress).
JGR: There is an existential crisis in the Congress, if Congress as a party will survive. He has an understanding that the Congress needs to make policy-based firm stands on certain issues, to ensure its survival. All these could be reasons for what he said.
As for RSS, why did RSS bring in Kejriwal (to public life)? It is the RSS that brought in Kejriwal. It is to weaken...I am telling you, according to the 'Sanatana' RSS, Congress has outlived its usefulness after setting up a united Indian state.
-> Take the last West Bengal elections, a big share of BJP's votes came from Dalit, Tribal, and Adivasi communities. This has happened in a number of states. It is just co-option. If someone from a community is made a minister, the entire community is happy. Take L. Murugan. Since he has been made a minister there is this feeling that the entire Arundathiyar community's life has been transformed. This is a tactic of the BJP/RSS. Apart from this, the RSS/BJP tries to pervade the subculture of communities with the goal of inducting them into the larger 'Sanatan' or 'Vedic' fold. They want to bring communities within the Vedic agenda and this social engineering is complete.
A: Do you think Rahul Gandhi's statement will strengthen Congress?
JGR: Definitely. Everyone undergoes changes. I feel Rahul Gandhi has also undergone such a change.
A: Do you see his statement as something mature and bold?
JGR: Correct.