Chennai: The RSS is contemplating to move the Madras high court for initiating contempt proceedings against the police for preventing their route marches across Tamil Nadu on Sunday to glorify the contribution of Rajendra Chola.
But things did not go as the Sangh had planned. According to party sources, over 35,000 persons including thousands of BJP members and public were arrested by the police and later released.
The police had since long been denying permission for the RSS route marches in Tamil Nadu. In certain districts the police had laid conditions that the processionists should not raise slogans like ‘Vande Mataram’ or ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’. This was “a clear case of colonial hangover,” points out a RSS leader.
Certain provisions of the Chennai City Police Act, enacted by the British, provided only for regulation and not prohibition, he contended. In fact, this was clearly pointed out by the judge when the case came up before the Madras high court.
A permission letter seeking to conduct route marches was given to every district police office. But police denied the permission citing Section 41A of Chennai City Police Act, 1888, read with Section 54 (A) of the Tamil Nadu District Police Act, 1859.
Following this, the RSS representatives filed writ petitions under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, in high court seeking to lift this ban on permission.
When a batch of writ petitions from Chennai, Mannargudi, Thoothukudi, Karur, Coimbatore and Kanyakumari came up for hearing on November 3 and again on November 6, Justice
V. Ramasubramanian who heard the arguments on both sides observed that the orders passed by police were not in accordance with the mandate of Section 41A, as the section has no application to hold processions.
Interestingly, when the issue of khaki trouser and white shirt worn by the RSS volunteers emerged, as the respondent contended that this resembled the uniform of armed forces, the judge observed that no member of police force today wore half trousers and the uniform was designed way back in 1920s and set aside the argument on Sangh uniform.
Also, the judge asked police to grant permission to RSS and allow processions on the specified routes.
Meanwhile Invoking Chola king to whip up Tamil pride
If King Rajendra Chola’s name spelled doom for his adversaries, invoking his name 1,000 years later, has evoked spontaneous public support, including several thousands of men and women, for the RSS.
Sunday’s unprecedented arrest of over 35,000 persons in the RSS sponsored route marches in TN indicates that the Sangh Parivar could cash in on this legendary monarch’s name.
The state BJP, which was quick to the toe the lines of the RSS has decided to whip up the “Tamil pride” by invoking Rajendra Chola. Much of the impressive turnout of the public during Sunday’s RSS route march was due to the wholehearted support of the BJP and Hindu Munnani which had well in advance informed its members to make the event a ‘grand’ success.
“There is nothing wrong in glorifying the contribution of Rajendra Chola. One of the main activities of the RSS is to promote prominent leaders and their contribution to society. We see it as a Tamil pride,” says Vanathi Srinivasan, state BJP general secretary.
She claims unlike the Dravidian parties, national party like the BJP and organisations such as the RSS alone could take up such issues to a larger audience.
Though how much the BJP could succeed in tweaking the Chola’s name remains to be seen, the issue has raised concerns. For instance, route marches are usually taken out by Army and police to instill confidence among people. “Only after the Coimbatore bomb blast, the police started denying permission to the RSS in taking out the route marches.
But the Sunday march was peaceful,” a senior BJP leader said. “Despite organising the programme at 36 places, the Sangh discipline was maintained fully and totally incident free,” a senior BJP leader said.
