State Public Prosecutor Hasan Mohammed Jinnah and several political leaders in the state have expressed apprehensions over the proposed processions. They believed that the RSS aims to disrupt the peace and harmony in Tamil Nadu through the procession.
Syed Ali Mujtaba
CHENNAI – The Madras High Court ordered granting permission to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to take out processions at 51 places throughout Tamil Nadu on October 2. The Tamil Nadu government is considering going for an appeal against the order in view of the threat posed to law and order by the proposed RSS procession.
Justice G K Ilanthiraiyan, who granted the permission for the procession on September 23, directed the state government to allow the RSS cadre to take out the procession on stringent conditions to maintain law and order.
The RSS cadres will wear their uniform and they will be led by a musical band and conduct public meetings thereafter. The organisers are yet to submit the procession routes.
‘RSS aims to disrupt the peace’
State Public Prosecutor Hasan Mohammed Jinnah expressed the fear that the rallies might trigger violence in the state as there were places of other religious worship en route. Several political leaders in the state have also expressed apprehensions over the Madras High Court order. They believed that the RSS aims to disrupt the peace and harmony in Tamil Nadu through the procession.
The most vocal among all is M H Jawahirullah, an MLA from Ramanathapuram and president of the Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK party) allied with the ruling DMK.
Jawahirullah said, “It would be a historical blunder if the RSS takes out a procession on Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday in Tamil Nadu. The state government must appeal against the Madras High Court’s decision to allow the RSS cadres to take out processions on October 2 at over 50 locations in the State.”
“Tamil Nadu is serving as an example of social harmony and peace in India. The RSS procession will disturb it,” he contended, adding, “The state government has the responsibility to ensure that Tamil Nadu remains a peaceful state. Therefore, it must appeal against the decision to allow the procession as it is the RSS which is responsible for religious polarization and violence at several places across India.”
Unfortunate
Congress MP Jothimani expressed similar concerns. “It is unfortunate that the high court has allowed the RSS ideology that assassinated Mahatma Gandhi to take out a procession on his birth anniversary. We must firmly oppose any attempt to disrupt the peace, unity, and harmony of Tamil Nadu,” he said on his Twitter account.
Similarly, Seeman, the chief of Naam Tamilar Katchi, also reacted against the high court order allowing the RSS procession at several places in the state.
According to RSS sources, the march is being carried out for three reasons: to commemorate the founding day of the RSS, the Vijayadashami festival (when the RSS was founded in 1925), B R Ambedkar’s 125th birth anniversary, and the 75th year of India’s Independence.
The Madras High Court has said the permission will be granted on the conditions imposed by the police before September 28. The local police were approached for comment about the permission granted to the RSS, but there is no response from them to date.
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Syed Ali Mujtaba is a journalist based in Chennai. He can be contacted at syedalimujtaba2007@gmail.com
