Rahul Gandhi and the Congress have been talking the language of social justice for some time – from goals like equal representation for castes to a nationwide caste census. On Saturday, Gandhi added another layer to his pitch, apart from mentioning VD Savarkar, the famous archer of the Mahabharata, who belonged to a “lower caste”, in a reference to Manusmriti.
Participating in a special debate on the constitution in the Lok Sabha titled ‘Discussion of the 75-year glorious journey of the Constitution of India’, Gandhi said that Savarkar, a Hindutva ideology, is the worst thing about the Constitution of India. That there is nothing Indian about it. Manusmriti is the scripture which is the most feared text for our Hindu nation after the Vedas and which has been the basis of our culture, customs, thoughts and practices since ancient times.
Gandhi said that Savarkar wanted “this book (the Manusmriti) to supersede the book by which India runs”. “And this is about the fight (between the BJP and the opposition),” the Congress leader said.
Dalit activists and social justice parties say that Manusmriti is against the idea of the Constitution and that Dalits, tribals, women and people from backward communities are second-class citizens.
Does the BJP support what Savarkar says, Gandhi asked. “Do you support what your leader says? Because when you talk about defending the Constitution in Parliament, you ridicule Savarkar, you abuse Savarkar, you defame Savarkar.”
Congress MPs have spoken about Savarkar before, but Eklavya’s focus in his speech was most notable. Gandhi spoke at length about how Dronacharya, a royal teacher like the Pandavas, refused to take Eklavya as a disciple because he was born as a “low caste” Nishad. how Eklavya taught himself archery with the help of a clay image of Dronacharya as his guru (according to the Mahabharata); And how Dronacharya was still on his way by asking for the thumb of Eklavya’s right hand as a teacher, thus ensuring that he could never use the bow and arrow again.
Gandhi said that, similarly, the Narendra Modi government is cutting off the right finger of the underprivileged youth to deprive them of their skills and talents. As Dronacharya cut the finger of Eklavya, he is cutting the finger of the youth of India.
The Congress leader equated the Modi government’s “bias” towards the Adani group, thus “cutting the fingers” of the underprivileged; Also for lateral entry to government posts, which do not require reservation to be considered, and the Agneepath recruitment scheme for the defense forces, to undermine “India’s youth, backward and poor”.
The Congress MP then reiterated his call to remove the 50% cap on caste census and quota. The Congress has been making similar promises since the Lok Sabha elections and has repeated the same in the Maharashtra elections.
Other issues mentioned by Gandhi were the 2020 Hathras rape-murder incident and the families of Dalit victims “waiting for justice”, which were raised by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as part of the debate in her first Lok Sabha speech.
Both Gandhis also raised the Sambhal controversy and violence in the Lok Sabha in their speeches. Of late, the Congress has shied away from associating itself with issues seen as “Muslim” to avoid the BJP’s claims of appeasement politics.
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