Advocating fundamental human rights for minorities and the Hindu savarna alike has cost a highly admired veteran his respect.
In a tweet on Monday, Tarun Vijay, a BJP leader and the former editor of RSS mouthpiece Panchjanya, called Ramdas a liar and a traitor, for writing an open letter in 2015 to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Pranab Mukherjee, to serve a duty to protect the rights of all citizen in the face of an intolerant wave of radical Hindutva.
Admiral Laxminarayan Ramdas’ call for equality (in what is supposed to be a secular and democratic republic of India) got him crowned with the title of Mir Jaffer who is historically known for his betrayal towards the last free king of India, Nawab Siraj ud Daullah, in the famous battle of Plassey after which the whole of India became a British colony.
Shortly after posting that tweet, Vijay deleted his earlier tweet and apologised for disrespecting a veteran while maintaining that Ramdas did lie.
Unlike Mir Jaffer who will be known for serving his interest before protecting his own kingdom, Ramdas was awarded with the prestigious Vir Chakra for his gallant command in the effective blockade of East Pakistan which led 91,000 frustrated Pakistani troops to surrender to the Indian forces.
Despite Vijay’s accusation that Ford Foundation had funded his opinion, the open letter did not mention anything inflammatory that would could be considered traitorous towards India.
In the open letter, the former chief of Navy had said that series of intolerant activities against Muslims, Dalits and other minorities in India had “forced him to hang his head in shame”.
I also write to you as one who was brought up in the Hindu faith. However, the Hinduism I knew and experienced was gentle, inclusive, and filled with extraordinary diversity. My religion taught me values of love and respect for all beings. My brand of Hinduism was not filled with the kind of violence, intolerance represented by the current brand of “Hindutva” that seems to be fanning the flames of division and fear across the country.
Strongly condemning the brand of Hindutva under whose banner Dalits and Muslims have been mercilessly beaten over alleged consumption of beef and forced to chant “Bharat mata ki jai”, he urged the Prime Minister and President to break their silence on these partisan tendencies.