Hindutva Has Become a Religious Idea

Shiv Sena MP Arvind Ganpat Sawant is a familiar name in India's political circles. The politician who represents the coveted Mumbai constituency says he is essentially a social worker.

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Deeply and keenly aware of the perils of the dynamics of divisiveness in politics today, the parliamentarian spoke to The Statesman's Dola Mitra in an exclusive interview.

Q. What are your thoughts on the INDIA alliance's decision to support the Government of India as far as Pahalgam is concerned?

A. This is not the time for politicisation and publicity-seeking. This is the reason the Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray party has declared unequivocal support to the Government of India. There have been attempts to politicize and publicize the issue of Pahalgam, which is extremely disturbing and disrupting at a time when there needs to be complete unity in the country.

There are many questions that come to mind, but this is not the time to raise them. Questions about security and intelligence are being asked, but is this the time to raise those questions? No, it is not. Now is the time for the entire country to stand together against the enemy. That is the meaning of Hindustani culture.

What happened in Pahalgam is extremely disturbing. It is difficult to believe that this is actually happening in the country. The issue is compounded by the complete lack of clarity that is emanating from conflicting accounts. According to some reports, people had been individually asked about which religion they belonged to and whether they were Hindus, while others refuted these claims.

For instance, Syed Adil Hussain Shah, the pony ride operator, sacrificed his life trying to save the tourists irrespective of whether they were Hindus or Muslims. He belonged to the same religion as the alleged perpetrators but that did not stop him from laying down his life while saving people of another religion. This is India.

Q. Could you talk about your party's stance on the course of action?