Ramjanmabhumi: Hinduizing Politics and Militarizing Hindudom 123election complained that "some people have been from time to time put-
ting forward separatist demands claiming special privileges and protec-
tion on the basis of province, religion, caste or language." In order to put
an end to the "discriminatory practices" of the "disruptionist elements,"
"a uniform civil code will be enacted to govern the laws of marriage, adop-
tion, interitance [sic], etc. of all Indian citizens."^50
The Mahasabha took pride in the facts that they had "championed the
necessity of militarisation" from the very beginning, and that its president
B. S. Moonje established the Bhonsle Military School at Nasik with the aim
of "militarising the youth of the country." Pleading for an increase in the
defense budget and defense preparations "on gigantic scales," the Mahas-
abha believed in manufacturing nuclear weapons.^51 The BJS manifesto too
called for several such measures, including a vast army with increased
strength, producing nuclear weapons and missiles, introducing intensive
military training in all colleges for two years, and so forth.^52 The Mahas-
abha manifesto unequivocally declared that they stood for the restoration
of all Hindu temples, such as Vishwanath temple in Varanasi, Ramjan-
mabhumi in Ayodhya, and Krishnajanmabhumi in Mathura, that were "in
illegal possession of Moslems." Although Hindus had been "successful in
ousting the Muslim occupiers," the Mahasabha manifesto lamented that
absolute right of the Hindus had not yet been established as the strug-
gle was still on.^53 The RSS, the silent masters of the BJS, went even one
step further in suggesting the removal of the Taj Mahal and preserving it
as a Hindu memorial, which it was before being "stolen by the Mughal
ruler"; the removal of the mosques now in situ that were originally Hindu
temples from their present locations; and imposing a capitation tax on all
Muslims until a reasonable sum of money is collected to compensate the
Hindus for their losses in the Somnath temple destructions.^54
As indicated earlier, there has been a tradition of the Hindu somatic's
preoccupation with strength. The Mahasabha's call for the organization
of Hindu self-defense squads in August 1923 in its Benaras session did
not bring about the desired result. Savarkar repeated the call to "Hindu-
ise politics and militarise Hindudom" (originally promulgated in 1939)
as his message to Hindudom on the eve of his 59th birthday on May 25,
- He said, "The Hindus should henceforth test all national and inter-
national politics and policies through the Hindu point of view alone....
And secondly, as the first and immediate step to militarize Hindudom,
let every Hindu youth who is capable to stand the test, try his best to
enter the army, the navy and the air force or get the training and secure
employment in the ammunition factories and in all other branches con-
nected with war crafts."^55 Much later, in May 1942, Savarkar set up a secret
organization called Hindu Rashtra Dal to do the work "that could not be
openly undertaken by a political party." Both Nathuram Godse and Nara-
yan Apte, Mahatma Gandhi's assassin and accomplice, were selected as