The third factor which led to the collapse of the Congress leadership was their disastrous policy vis-a-vis Hindus which broke up their will and mora… - H. V. Sheshadri

" "

The third factor which led to the collapse of the Congress leadership was their disastrous policy vis-a-vis Hindus which broke up their will and morale. It was the direct and tragic consequence of their going after the chimera of “Hindu-Muslim Unity’ at any cost. And what was the ‘cost’? The word ‘Hindu’ was dubbed as communal; all historical memories of his glorious past were dumped into a dark corner; since the national flag Bhagava had betn ‘tainted’ by Hindu glory, it was to be shunned; since Vande mataram tended to stir the Hindu heart to its depths, that song was to be mutilated; the same with Hindi, the national language. Similar was the case whenever riots broke out. On the one hand the Muslims had declared jehad and were indulging in. barbaric’ atrocities, with Government too abetting them. On the other side were the Hindus, to whom the leaders kept on preaching non-violence, and condemning them for raising their arm even in self-defence. Thus, at every step the Hindu who was, in fact, the backbone of the freedom struggle got worsted - beaten both by the Muslims and their own leaders..