The Telugu states have been witnessing several untoward incidents and fake, divisive narratives that kindle religious sentiments as part of an apparent effort of the Sangh Parivar to spread its influence.
Published Feb 03, 2025 | 9:00 AM ⚊ Updated Feb 03, 2025 | 9:00 AM
An RSS event in Hyderabad. (File pic/Supplied)
The Sangh Parivar is not concerned with the nation or patriotism. Their goal is to eliminate dissent, questioning, and diverse opinions from society. They do not want people to read, discuss, or engage in dialogue. Their journey is towards preventing education itself.
The Sangh Parivar is making every effort to expand its influence in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, dividing society to further its agenda and seize power in the next elections.
Following the ideology of their theorist Golwalkar, they are in search of excuses to attack their perceived enemies — Muslims, Christians, and Communists.
They are constantly on the lookout for opportunities to incite hatred against these communities. Even in the absence of genuine reasons, they create false narratives, propagate them, and provoke their cadre into aggression.
Given the proliferation and widespread influence of social media, the Sangh Parivar has established IT cells in its offices across both Telugu states, hiring dozens of employees to spread falsehoods and to troll its opponents on social media. They fuel hatred against those with differing opinions and incite physical attacks.
While these activities have been ongoing across the country and in the Telugu states for a long time, they have intensified in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh over the past two to three years, especially during elections.
Gradually, they are poisoning the atmosphere and corrupting the minds of innocent people. These deliberate attempts to toxify the social environment are becoming increasingly visible in public life, media, and particularly on social media.
Individually, each incident may seem minor and unworthy of attention. However, each one is part of the Sangh Parivar’s broader conspiracy to divide society. Therefore, it is essential to understand the connections between these incidents and the Sangh Parivar’s schemes and to resist them.
On the last day of the Hyderabad Book Fair, a deliberate argument was staged at the Veekshanam stall, recorded, and immediately uploaded onto social media. The Sangh Parivar’s IT cell employees ensured it went viral.
The argument was ostensibly over a book that had already been launched a week earlier at the same book fair. The publisher of the book also had a stall at the fair, and the book was available in at least 20 other stalls. Yet, on the final day, the Sangh Parivar deliberately chose the Veekshanam stall, knowing the editor would be present, to pick a fight.
The argument was recorded from the beginning, clearly indicating the intention to use the video to incite hatred against progressive ideas. Within hours, the video was shared by hundreds of Hindutva supporters on Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter), accompanied by inflammatory comments.
Under each post, comments like “beat him up,” “kick him,” “kill him,” “douse him with petrol and burn him alive” and other violent and criminal incitements were rampant for days.
The objection to a historical research book published over 30 years ago in English and translated into several languages was merely a pretext. The real aim was to attack the editor of Veekshanam and, through him, to attack progressive ideas spread venom, and divide society.
During the same book fair, two other authors were also targeted.
In July 2023, news broke about a BJP leader in Madhya Pradesh urinating on a tribal youth. Many poets, sensitive and empathetic, responded to this incident. Mercy Margaret, the editor of an anthology compiling these poetic responses, titled Ucchala Jaladhi Taranga (Waves of Urine), rhyming with Jana gana mana.
In the Telugu literary world — or for that matter in any other language — this kind of parodying is not new. In Telugu particularly, revolutionary poet Cherabandaraju in his Digambara Poetry days used Vande Mataram as the title of one of his poems.
Popular novelist-turned-Marxist ideologue Ranganayakamma wrote voluminous Ramayana Vishavruksham. And in that context, Mercy Margaret’s title was neither shocking nor objectionable.
However, the Sangh Parivar, which thrives on pseudo-patriotism and pseudo-respect for the national anthem, launched a vitriolic campaign against the editor.
Similarly, the path-breaking research by Bhasha Singh on the manual scavenging profession in India was translated by social activist K Sajaya and titled, Ashuddha Bharat (Impure India). Despite the book gaining popularity over the past three years, the Sangh Parivar recently attacked Sajaya, claiming the title insulted the nation.
They have no issue with the inhumane practice of manual scavenging but consider highlighting this inequality as anti-national and disrespectful to the country and its anthem.
In reality, the Sangh Parivar is not concerned with the nation or patriotism. Their goal is to eliminate dissent, questioning, and diverse opinions from society. They do not want people to read, discuss, or engage in dialogue. Their journey is towards preventing education itself.
A Hindutva YouTube channel even urged people not to visit the book fair, falsely claiming that 95 percent of the books there were anti-Hindu and anti-India. It is no surprise that the heirs of Manusmriti, which prohibited Shudras from education, propagate such ideas.
However, it is surprising that Hindutva forces in the Telugu states are attracting Dalits, Shudras, and Bahujans in good numbers with their false propaganda.
Here are some examples of the venomous propaganda and conflicts instigated by Hindutva forces in the Telugu states over the past one to two years:
• January 2023: In Nizamabad district, a school teacher, Mallikarjun, was attacked for not contributing to Vinayaka Chaviti funds. False accusations were made that he taught atheism to students and insulted Saraswati. He was paraded on the streets and pressured into tendering a public apology.
• January 2024: In Sangareddy district, a Muslim family’s fruit shop was attacked and set on fire following a dispute over a Sri Ramalayam procession.
• February 2024: In Rangareddy district, a Methodist Church was attacked and vandalized over a road construction dispute, injuring several Christians.
• April 2024: At Kakatiya University, Warangal, a seminar on ‘Secularism and Literature’, organised by Samooha, a secular writers’ forum, was attacked by Sangh Parivar activists on the pretext that The Ramayana was criticised by one of the speakers. Several poets and writers were attacked, chased, and beaten up.
• June 2024: In Medak, a madrasa was attacked during Bakr-Id preparations, and the hospital where injured Muslims were taken, was also vandalised.
• September 2024: In Asifabad district, an attempt was made to incite communal violence after an alleged assault on a tribal woman. A mosque was attacked.
• October 2024: In Secunderabad, an attempt was made to incite communal tension by claiming a Mutyalamma Temple was desecrated.
• December 2024: In Rangareddy district, P Ramulu, a Dalit school headmaster was assaulted and humiliated by Ayyappa devotees over false allegations of kicking a student.
Similar incidents have occurred in Andhra Pradesh, where the BJP is part of the ruling coalition. Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, a staunch Hindutva supporter, has emboldened the Sangh Parivar.
On the pretext of an alleged adulteration of Tirupati laddu, the deputy chief minister openly said he was “an unapologetic Sanatani.”
Attacks on mosques, burning of the Holy Quran, and inflammatory speeches have increased.
In a recent gathering of hundreds of thousands of people called Haindava Sankharavam, hate speeches were delivered openly with impunity.
The Sangh Parivar’s agenda is to dismantle the pluralistic and harmonious fabric of society and establish Manusmriti and Brahminical hegemony. Their goal is to seize power to enforce this ideology. They are poisoning society and destroying its unity. Only when society recognises this danger and resists collectively can this threat be eliminated.
(Views are personal. Edited by Majnu Babu).
