I - UNI Report

J&K Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah today came out openly in support of the RSS saying the organisation was not untouchable. Addressing a gathering after receiving the National Amity Award ... he said (It) was not anti-minorities. Their people have a certain ideology but certainly not based on caste, colour or creed. There are certain wrong notions about the leaders of the RSS. These notions are based on hearsay ...

II-The Hindu Report, 10 January, 1999

... "We must make an effort to understand each other. Even the religious differences are created only by the power-hungry people to perpetuate themselves. We must give up our prejudices".

In this context ... the repulsive thought that all RSS people were bad was equally a prejudiced view. "There are good people and bad people everywhere. RSS is an ideology, that is all. Are we to believe that one set of people are worthless and another set of people worthy of ruling us? We must sink our differences and reach out to each other in a spirit of camaraderie.

Instituted in 1994 by the Foundation for Amity and National Solidarity, the previous recipients of the National Amity Award Nani A. Palkhivala, Wahiduddin Khan, Jiwan Singh Umranangal and Ms. Nirmala Deshpande.

III - Shahabuddin's Letter to Farooq Abdullah, 18 January, 1999

Please accept my felicitations for the National Amity Award which was presented to you by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayce. However, in your speech on the occasion you not only gave a good character certificate to the RSS but advised the Muslims not to shun to RSS.

Those of us who had the opportunity and experience of studying the ideology of the RSS and its functioning at the grassroots level are perhaps better aware than you are of the reality. Ever since its formation, the RSS has been trying to consolidate the Hindu on a never changing platform of suspicion , distrust and hated for the followers of the other religions of the country, particularly Islam and Christianity. This is self-evident from the basic texts of the RSS the writings of Guru Golwalkar.

Your statement about the RSS has caused distress to many of your friends and admirers including myself. I request you to study the RSS literature and then come to a judgement.