11, Jan 2016

Vikas Pathak
NEW DELHI, January 11, 2016
A front of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh, aimed at reaching out to Muslims, is holding talks with madrasas nationwide to hoist the Tricolour and sing the national anthem on Republic Day. It wants the Muslim seminaries to make their students remember the martyrs of the Freedom Struggle from 1857 to 1947.
The Muslim Rashtriya Manch, or Nationalist Muslim Front, has asked its conveners in 25 States to hold discussions with madrasas in their areas.
The Manch’s national leaders and State conveners will meet in Varanasi on January 20 and 21 at its national executive meeting to share details of how many madrasas have agreed to hoist the flag and sing the anthem. The Manch is seen as a platform for making Muslims more compatible with the dominant values of Hindus and is attempting to enlist Muslim support for a Ram temple in Ayodhya, arguing that Muslims have no documentary proof of ownership of the site. Senior RSS functionary Indresh Kumar is its mentor.
Ironically, explicit acceptance of the national flag was one of the conditions the Home Ministry, led by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, laid down for the RSS in 1948 before revoking the ban on it after Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination. The Sangh has a saffron flag.