IOS, AIMC, Genuine Publications launch two books

April 26, 2019 at Press Club of India, New Delhi

Institute of Objective Studies, All India Milli Council, and Genuine Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd. jointly organised a function to mark the release of two books: Savarkar, Fikr wa Tahrik: Ek Mutaal’a in Urdu written by the general secretary, All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat and Islamic scholar, Maulana Abdul Hameed Noumani and Sapnon ka Saudagar in Hindi by Nirmalendu at the Press Club of India on April 26, 2019.

Addressing the press on the occasion, chairman of IOS, Dr. Mohammad Manzoor Alam, announced that these books would be translated into Hindi and Urdu respectively in order to enable readers to understand the Hindutva ideologue, Vinayak Damodar Sarvarkar and the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Damodar Modi, who also had a long stint as chief minister of Gujarat.

The study of the philosophy of Savarkar could not be undertaken without understanding the grand plan of the Sangh Parivar. Referring to other ideologies similar to the RSS, he said that IOS had been engaged in the study of their impact on society. Elections to the 17th Lok Sabha were underway and it was litmus test for Indian democracy to decide if the country would be run according to the Constitution, or the RSS ideology that openly pitched for Hindu Rashtra based on Manusmriti.

He made a strong plea for cherishing the values enshrined in the Preamble to the Constitution and making them the basis for governance. He called for doing everything to maintain stability of the country as the current phase was decisive. He informed that several books on different topics were in the pipeline and would come out soon. Commenting on the voice of dissent which was being sought to be gagged by the powers that be, he held that democracy could not sustain without the dissenters’ views being heard and accommodated.

He pointed out that the country had initially believed that the Jumlebazi (rhetoric) would bring about a positive change in the country, but no such thing happened. Instead, negative discourse started setting the tone which led to an unsavoury situation. The five-year period was marked by a hate campaign against the minorities, the fear still stalking them. The move was apparently aimed at sowing the seeds of social discord. While admitting that by and large countrymen misunderstood those who ruled the country during the period. He hoped that they would not to be misled again.

The author of Sapnon ka Saudagar, Nirmalendu, explained the reason why he wrote the book. Initially, he said, he was impressed with Narendra Modi who spun dreams to put India on the map of all-round development. But, after demonetisation on November 8, 2016, all his hopes were belied. His hopes were further shattered when GST (Goods and Services Tax) was mindlessly imposed. These two retrograde steps added to the sufferings of the people. He said that his disillusionment with Narendra Modi was growing day after day, and ultimately he realised his folly of initially supporting him. He realised that NaMo was only selling the dreams as the faultlines of his decisions were clearly visible as petty traders, small and medium industries were feeling the heat of demonetisation. This decision also rendered a large number of industrial workers jobless. Before coming to power he was a vocal critic of the FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) but when in power, he invited foreign money into the country. He described NaMo as an actor bigger than the thespian Dilip Kumar. He charged Modi with befooling people.

The writer of the Urdu book, Savarkar, Fikr wa Tahrik: Ek Mutaal’a, Maulana Abdul Hameed Noumani said that he wrote the book with relevant references. Commenting on the books written on the subject so far, he noted that the majority of them did not go deep into it. This was clear from the fact that though some of them had been writing since 40 years, yet they did not read M.S. Golwalkar’s A Bunch of Thoughts. He said that Nirmal Chand of Aurangabad first used the term Hindu Rashtra, and both Dr. Hedgewar, the founder of RSS, and Guru MS Golwalkar, the second chief of RSS, were disciples of Savarkar. Unlike RSS leaders, Sardar Patel never used idol as symbol of worship. He held both Savarkar and M.A. Jinnah responsible for the two-nation theory.

Tracing the genesis of waning influence of Hinduism, Maulana Noumani said that it started degenerating since the time of Buddha and later in Ashoka’s time. Differences between Savarkar and the RSS surfaced with the result that after the former’s release from jail, he did not join the latter. He differed with the RSS that all Indians were Hindus. Maulana Noumani held that the moot question was if India as visualised by the great nationalists like Maulana Azad and Maulana Husain Ahmad Madni or as dreamt by the RSS, would sustain.

President of All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat Naved Hamid described Narendra Modi as a hypnotiser of the innocent people of India. He wanted Maulana Noumani’s book translated into other Indian languages to enlighten the people on the Hindutva ideologue and his views. He lauded the IOS for producing high quality books on an array of subjects. Former president of the Press Club of India, Gautam Lahri, also suggested that Maulana Noumani’s book should be translated into Hindi and Nirmalendu’s book into Urdu. In order to strengthen democracy, a debate on all three ideologies, vis., Centrist, Left of the Centre and Right of the Centre must be held. He also said that the impact of schemes, like the Ujjwala, started for poor households, must have been assessed to determine whether they succeeded or failed. It was surprising that NaMo did not have access to the media. Expressing concern over rising number of attacks on scribes for some time now, he demanded that such incidents must find a place in the report of National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB).

Press freedom must be maintained at all costs and a law against attacks on media persons be enacted, he pleaded. He opined that India could never become a Hindu Rasthra.

Presiding over the book launch function, a senior journalist and the resident, PCI, Anand Bagetkar, held that as journalists they too were witness to the times. Journalsits might have their own views on issues, incidents and personalities, but that should not reflect on the news stories filed. Journalists should also take a lead in coming out with books on contemporary times. Referring to the book by Nirmalendu, he said that the author made some observations on the five-year term of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister. He marshalled out new facts on demonetisation and the personality of Narendra Modi. He brought out new facts as an independent journalist, he concluded.

The function was attended by several journalists, including AU Asif. The proceedings of the function were conducted by the chief editor, online news portal, the Millat Times, Shams Tabrez Qasmi