ATTACK ON SWAMI AGNIVESH, THE HINDU SPIRITUAL LEADER

ATTACK ON SWAMI AGNIVESH, THE HINDU SPIRITUAL LEADER

സ്വാമി അഗ്നിവേശിനെ ആക്രമിച്ചത് അപലപീനയമെന്ന് പിണറായി വിജയന്

Activist Swami Agnivesh was allegedly attacked by members of a Hindu fringe group in Jharkhand's Pakur on17th July,2018, Tuesday. Agnivesh claimed that he was assaulted, beaten and abused in what he called a "sponsored" and "murderous" attack.Swmi Agnivesh was attacked by a group of men in Jharkhand. Image courtesy: The Indian Express.Swami Agnivesh was attacked by a group of men in Jharkhand. Image courtesy: The Indian Express.While, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), who's memebers are being accused of orchestrating the attack, denied its involvement, political leaders have strongly condemned the attack on social media.

BJYM state chief Amit Singh claimed that while a protest was planned against Agnivesh, youth wing activists were not involved in the assault. Singh told The Indian Express, “It is true that BJYM had a programme for showing black flags to Agnivesh, as we are aware about his views and see him as supporters of Naxals. I have seen the videos; our people are only shouting slogans. They are not involved in the assault. The reason why our people have been named in the FIR is obvious.” However, Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das ordered a police probe into the incident.

P Shahdeo, Jharkhand BJP spokesperson too denied involvement of BJP pary workers in the act. "They weren't workers of our party. We condemn this but his track record is such that this reaction doesn't come as surprise," he told ANI.Meanwhile, Opposition leaders took to Twitter to express their anguish on the BJP government in the state and at the Centre for "perpetrating violence". Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said, "I strongly condemn the brutal attack on Swami Agnivesh in Jharkhand. The ruling BJP should expel its cadres behind the assault and punish the guilty as soon as possible." CPM leader Sitaram Yechury wrote, "We strongly condemn this terrible attack on Swami Agnivesh. This incident has again happened in a BJP-ruled state and these goons are from the same Parivar as the ruling party. The culprits must be punished." RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav called BJP party workers "gundas (goons)" and said that he strongly condemned "the murderous attack on Swami Agnivesh in BJP ruling state Jharkhand by BJP goons". "These state sponsored BJP gundas don’t have any fear of law. Culprits must be punished. BJP should apologise for this shameful & gruesome act," Yadav wrote on Twitter.

Senior lawyer and activist Prashant Bhushan also tweeted to express his disappointment over the incident given it happened on the day when the Supreme Court had passed a judgement to allow for stringent laws against mob lynching and public vigilantism. "Swami Agnivesh brutally assaulted by BJP Yuva morcha goons in BJP ruled Jharkhand on the day the SC delivered a tough judgement against mob vigilantism. This is the contempt that the BJP has for the rule of law and the SC," Bhushan wrote on Twitter.Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi too took to Twitter to condemn the attack. "I condemn the attack on Swami Agnivesh in Jharkhand. I appeal to chief minister Raghubar Das to take swift action in this regard. Disagreement or dissent should not translate into an act of violence," Satyarthi tweeted.

Other opposition leaders including JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav too demanded for strict action to be taken against the attackers. "Strongly condemn the brutal attack on Swami Agnivesh by BJP Yuva workers in Jharkhand. Such type of actions are unacceptable and have no space in democracy. Strict action should be taken against the culprits," Yadav tweeted. Meanwhile, Congress leaders and the party's various state and youth wings also came out in support of Agnivesh, directing the onus of act on the "BJP goons". "Flouting Supreme Court's judgement against mob vigilantism on the very day it was delivered, BJP Yuva Morcha Goons brutally assaulted Swami Agnivesh at Jharkhand. We strongly condemn this unfortunate attack," the All India Mahila Congress said on Twitter. While Haryana Congress' official account tweeted, "We strongly condemn attack on Swami Agnivesh Ji by BJP Youth workers in Jharkhand. Attack on him shows BJP wants to suppress all independent voices raised against them. Raghubar Das must punish the culprits." Youth Congress wing also tweeted that "Instead of maintaining law and order, BJP has been using their branches to spread hate and violence". "Disgusting! IYC condemns this hateful attack on activist Swami Agnivesh by Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha workers and ABVP members," it wrote on Twitter. Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot said, "Attack on Swami Agnivesh in Jharkhand is strongly condemnanble and unfortunate. This type of violence and incidents are totally unacceptable. There must be an investigation and culprits must be punished." And, Jharkhand AICC in-charge RPN Singh tweeted, "Violence by BJP Yuva Morcha leaders as they nearly lynch 80- year-old Swami Agnivesh in Jharkhand. Not surprising considering BJP’s open backing to mobs in the state. Is this the New Jharkhand?" Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala too attacked BJP for the "horrific, gruesome and murderous attack" on Agnivesh and said that the "BJP goons openly flouted the Supreme Court verdict on punishing 'Violence by Mobocracy'".Meanwhile, BJP leader and Union Minister Jayant Sinha was also among the ones to condemn the attack. He said that the rule of law is supreme and anybody violating it should be punished.

Agnivesh said he suspected it to be a sponsored assault and demanded a judicial probe.“As soon as I came out of the venue, BJYM and ABVP activists attacked me without any provocation. They alleged that I was speaking against Hindus,” he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.“I thought Jharkhand was a peaceful state, but my views have changed after this incident,” he said.Agnivesh was in Pakur to address a tribal festival organised to commemorate the 195th foundation of Damin-i-Koh, part of land allocated to Santhals, at Littipara stadium, around 350km northeast from state capital Ranchi.The incident took place outside a hotel under town police station, around 30km from the venue of the festival. The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) workers were holding a demonstration with black flags outside the hotel since morning and shouted slogans of “Agnivesh go back”.Agnivesh was attacked by the protesters when he came out of the hotel, police said.

He was dragged, beaten up and his cloth was torn during the assault and reportedly received injuries on his arms, legs and head. A district administration medical team is treating him at the hotel.Pakur BJYM president Prasanna Mishra, however, denied the allegation of assault. He alleged that Agnivesh had called men armed with traditional weapon like bows and arrows to attack them.“We are peacefully protesting his visit to Pakur. Agnivesh came here to mislead innocent tribal and misguide them against the government as he was to deliver a speech at a festival sponsored by missionaries,” he said.“We did not assault him but his men assaulted us. Our workers are badly injured in the incident,” he added.The spokesperson of the BJP’s state unit P Shahdeo said the men who attacked Agnivesh weren’t workers of his party.“We condemn this but his track record is such that this reaction doesn’t come as surprise. Pakur has recently been in news for religious conversion,” Shahdeo said.A video of the alleged attack with a large crowd thrashing the social activist and his supporters was doing the rounds on social media.

Well-known social activist Swami Agnivesh was beaten up by a mob in Pakur district of Jharkhand on Tuesday. Chief Minister Raghuvar Das has asked the State Home Secretary to order a probe.“I’m 80 years old and this is the first time something like this has happened to me. I don’t know who the attackers were, who their leader is and which organisation they belong to… the government should investigate and take action against them,” Swami Agnivesh told local journalists. “I was told that people from the BJP Yuva Morcha and ABVP [student wing of the RSS] were protesting outside the hotel against me… I told them they could come in and talk to me, but nobody came. And when I came out of the hotel they attacked me.”

Swami Agnivesh was injured and his clothes were torn. He was taken to a local hospital. “I’m alive today by God’s grace… it was a murderous attack… I don’t know why they assaulted me,” he said. The activist was on his way to Litipara in Pakur district of Jharkhand to participate in an event organized by the Pahariya tribal community.The mob raised slogans like “Swami Agnivesh wapas jao” (Swami Agnivesh go back) and “Jai Sri Ram”. He was also shown black flags. The assailants were reportedly upset with Swami Agnivesh’s visit to the State, believing him to be hand-in-glove with Christian missionaries to instigate tribes in the State. They had been camping outside his hotel since morning.

സ്വാമി അഗ്നിവേശിനെതിരെ ജാര്ഖണ്ഡില് ഉണ്ടായ ആക്രമണം അപലപനീയമാണെന്ന് കേരളാ മുഖ്യമന്ത്രി പിണറായി വിജയന്. തന്റെ ഫേസ്ബുക്ക് പോസ്റ്റിലൂടെയാണ് മുഖ്യമന്ത്രി പ്രതിഷേധം രേഖപ്പെടുത്തിയത്.ആദിവാസികളുടെ ഭൂമിപ്രശ്നവുമായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ടാണ് അഗ്നിവേശ് ജാര്ഖണ്ഡില് എത്തിയത്. മാധ്യമപ്രവര്ത്തകരുമായി സംസാരിച്ച് പുറത്തിറങ്ങുമ്പോള് അവരുടെ മുന്പില് വെച്ചായിരുന്നു യുവമോര്ച്ച, എ.ബി.വി.പി, ബജ്രംഗ്ദള് പ്രവര്ത്തകരുടെ അക്രമം. അതുകൊണ്ട് തന്നെ ബി.ജെ.പി നേതൃത്വത്തിന് ഇതില് നിന്ന് പതിവുപോലെ ഒഴിഞ്ഞുമാറാന് സാധിക്കില്ല. മുഖ്യമന്ത്രി പറയുന്നു.

വര്ഗ്ഗീയത ഇളക്കിവിട്ട് ജനങ്ങളെ ഭിന്നിപ്പിക്കാനും രാഷ്ട്രീയമുതലെടുപ്പ് നടത്താനുമുള്ള സംഘപരിവാര് ശ്രമങ്ങളെ എതിര്ത്തിരുന്ന ആളാണ് സ്വാമി അഗ്നിവേശ് എന്നും മുഖ്യമന്ത്രി പോസ്റ്റില് പറയുന്നുണ്ട്. ആശയത്തെ എതിര്ക്കുന്നവരെ നിശബ്ദരാക്കാനുള്ള സംഘപരിവാര് ശ്രമമായെ ഇതിനെ കാണാന് സാധിക്കൂ എന്നും മുഖ്യമന്ത്രി കൂട്ടിച്ചേര്ത്തു.മതനിരപേക്ഷതയ്ക്ക് വേണ്ടി നിലകൊള്ളുന്ന എല്ലാവരോടും ഇതിനെതിരെ രംഗത്ത് വരാനും മുഖ്യമന്ത്രി ആവശ്യപ്പെടുന്നുണ്ട്.

നേരത്തെ ആര്യ സമാജം പ്രവര്ത്തകന് സ്വാമി അഗ്നിവേശിനു നേരെ ഹൈന്ദവസംഘടനകളുടെ ആക്രമണം ഉണ്ടായത് ജാര്ഖണ്ഡിലെ പാകൂരില് വെച്ചാണ് .

സ്വാമി അഗ്നിവേശിന് നേരെ നടന്ന ആര്എസ്എസ് അക്രമത്തില് പ്രതിഷേധിച്ച് കോണ്ഗ്രസിന്റെ മുതിര്ന്ന നേതാവും എം പിയുമായ ശശി തരൂര്. ഭരിക്കുന്ന പാര്ട്ടിയുടെ പേരില് രാജ്യത്താകമാനം നടക്കുന്ന കിരാത വാഴ്ച അംഗീകരിക്കാനാവില്ലെന്നു തരൂര് ട്വിറ്ററില് കുറിച്ചു. ജാര്ഖണ്ഡിലെ പക്കൂര് ജില്ലയിലാണ് ചൊവ്വാഴ്ച സാമൂഹ്യപ്രവര്ത്തകന് സ്വാമി അഗ്നിവേശിനെ ആര് എസ് എസ്,എബവിപി പ്രവര്ത്തകര് വളഞ്ഞ് വച്ച് ക്രൂരമായി ആക്രമിച്ചത്.

ബീഫ് നിരോധനത്തിന് എതിരെ പ്രസ്താവന നടത്തിയ ആര്യസമാജം പ്രവര്ത്തകനാണ് സ്വാമി അഗ്നിവേശ്.ബീഫ് ഭക്ഷണമായി ഉപയോഗിക്കുന്നതിനാല് അതു നിരോധിക്കരുതെന്ന് അദ്ദേഹം അടുത്തിടെ നടത്തിയ പരാമര്ശമാണ് ബി.ജെ.പി. പ്രവര്ത്തകരുടെ ആക്രമണത്തിന് കാരണമെന്നാണ് പുറത്തുവരുന്ന റിപ്പോര്ട്ട്. ക്രിസ്ത്യന് മിഷനറിമാര്ക്കൊപ്പം ചേര്ന്ന് ആദിവാസികളെ സ്വാധീനിച്ചുവെന്നാരോപിച്ചായിരുന്നു മര്ദ്ദിച്ചത്.

Prof. John Kurakar