BJP TODAY

May 16--31, 2003 - Vol. 12, No. 10

‘For me, cow is a matter of faith’
Uma Bharati replies to questions in The Indian Express "Firing Line" of May 4

• Do you know that 99 per cent of the cakes made in this country contain eggs? That cake — which you ate and offered at the temple — too may have contained eggs... Now, are you sticking to your statement that you will quit politics and go to Kedarnath?

— Ramesh Lahoti

Because of the exposure of his dismal performance, Shri Digvijay Singh is the most frightened and insecure politician in the country and is, therefore, raising such mean issues which, indeed, are non-issues. I am a devotee of Hanuman and have left the matter to Him. However, I reiterate that since it was kalakand, the onus of proving it otherwise is on Shri Digvijay Singh. And that’s why I had said that if he can’t prove his charge, he should retire to Kedarnath.

• Is every leader in Madhya Pradesh BJP unit happy with you being made the chief of election campaign leaving many seniors like Sunder Lal Patwa, Sumitra Mahajan etc behind?

— Abhinav

All my seniors in the state have blessed me in my campaign to dislodge the inert and insensitive government, and in this endeavour of mine, all my colleagues are cooperating with me in every possible manner. The speculations about their so-called unhappiness are figments of imagination.

• What would be the prominent features of your proposed Sushasan in MP if you come to power?

— Shishir Raizada

The basic tenets of my vision of Sushasan are freedom from abhaav, agyaan and anyaaya, i.e., scarcity, ignorance and injustice.

• Don’t you feel that dabbling in politics is detrimental to a sanyasi. You are being projected as the next Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh whereas a sanyasi should be ambitionless.

— R Swaminath

I have no personal ambitions. As a sanyasin, detached involvement for human welfare is a means for spiritual attainment. And as a sanyasin, I am better equipped to serve the cause, without any grievance or malice.

• Do you still continue to deny your involvement in the Babri issue...

— Merchant Aqeel

I wasn’t involved with Babri structure. I was, and am involved with Ram lalla. I will honour the verdict of the Hon’ble court. But my emotions will always lie with Ram lalla.

• As a politician you talk a lot about the Bill to ban cow slaughter. But I have never really heard you talking about banning starvation and poverty or fighting Aids. Why do you put religion above the wellbeing of your fellow citizens?

— Gunnarswamy Narain

In fact, for me, cow is not an issue of politics, it is a matter of conviction and faith. Banning cow slaughter would be a positive step in addressing the problems of hunger and poverty. Nonetheless, you will do well to remember that it was Shri Digivjay Singh who wrote to the Prime Minister demanding a total ban on cow slaughter on religious grounds.

• Don’t you think that you are cheating the people by posing as a spiritual leader and actually working for urban capitalism represented by your party, which has hijacked even religion to make money and serve mammon?

— Maj Gen A P S Chauhan (Retd)

I entirely disagree with your perception about religion and spirituality. Jargons expressed by you stem from Euro-centric vision of religion, economy and society.