TRICHUR, 8 October — The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) yesterday called for a ban on Islamic religious schools across the country and warned of a "civil war" if they were allowed to continue functioning.
"There are 350,000 madrasas in the country teaching jihad and terrorism. They are recruiting grounds for ISI (Pakistan’s intelligence agency). This will lead us to a civil war," the hard-line group’s firebrand international general secretary Pravin Togadia told reporters here.
Togadia, who was in the news recently after he said Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee lacked courage to take bold decisions in the interest of the nation, said one factor that was impeding India’s growth was "Islamic jihad". "It has taken a toll of 70,000 civilians and 7,000 security personnel over a decade. This forced the country to maintain half a million-strong paramilitary and security force at a cost of Rs. 600 billion," he said.
Togadia was here on a visit to the Sri Krishna Temple at Guruvayoor along with VHP President Ashok Singhal. "We are for change according to the times. We abolished the caste system and now non-Brahmans are allowed to become priests. But others are insular to change," he said.
Demanding a ban on religious conversions, the VHP leader said the Indian Constitution did not allow anyone to encourage conversions. "You are allowed to keep your belief and propagate it. That does not mean that you can convert anybody into your religion," he told the news conference.
The VHP leader welcomed Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha’s decision to ban religious conversions in the state. He said Madhya Pradesh, where the Congress party is in power, and Orissa have passed similar legislations and called on Congress President Sonia Gandhi to direct other Congress-led state governments, including Kerala, to follow suit.
Togadia said his party opposes all constitutional privileges being enjoyed by minority communities. This might continue for some time, but the law should treat all sections of society as equals.
On the demand for releasing People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Abdul Nasar Ma’adani, who has been jailed in Tamil Nadu for nearly five years without being charged, Togadia said the charismatic Muslim leader’s release would re-ignite a "Moppila Rebellion".
He was referring to the bloody Muslim-led peasant uprising in early 1920s in northern Kerala demanding land reform. The British police with the support of mainly Hindu feudal landlords suppressed the revolt, which was a turning point in the history freedom struggle in south India. He urged Kerala Chief Minister A.K. Antony not to intervene in the case despite increasing political pressure on him.
