Targetting intellectuals is an old method of fascism, says historian Aditya Mukherjee

that RSS had an anti-Muslim and anti-Christian ideology. Speaking at the seminar Mridula said that RSS “always do things and then claim that they did not have any hand in that deed”.

“At the very time of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth centenary year they incited communal violence in Ahmedabad. It was like a slap on the face of Gandhiji and his ideology. However, they always try to make Gandhi their own,” Mridula said, adding that “RSS always had double standards” but Indira always knew their real “truth”.

Historian and JNU professor Aditya Mukherjee said that there was a time when India had a notion and understanding that people of every ethnicity, religion, caste, culture and gender will be here, but not now. “This is a time when JNU is said to be an anti-national institution and we are said to be training terrorists, just because independent voices come from JNU. Targetting the intellectuals is an old method of fascism. It believes that frighten 10 people and 100 will be silent,” Aditya alleged.

Talking about the foreign policy of Indira Gandhi, senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar said that when Indira came to power in 1967, “our situation was quite like a beggar”. “We did not have dollars and we had to ask America to give wheat in return of Indian rupee,” he said.

“The other countries were trying to use this as an opportunity as India had just gone through a war. She (Indira) had to go through a lot of problems when she became the Prime minister,” Aiyar said.

He added that people always supported Indira Gandhi and because of that whoever left Congress received a political death.