As for the first one regarding the Shiv Sena: The Sena are fascists, Ulhas agrees with that, & yet dismisses them as a minority current of no note. Leaving aside the history of previous minority currents that swept into power, it should be pointed out that the SS are very closely allied ot the ruling party the BJP. The BJP itself, has been at the forefront of the Hindu revivalist scene know as Hindutva. (One activist article on this is at: http://www.foil.org/politics/hindutva/hindutna.html The author at this page, summarizes the notions of Hindutva not inaccurately (at least according to my own view) as:
Hindutva is a nationalist ideology, based on a modern day version of centralized intolerant Hinduism. It has nothing to do with a historical tradition of spiritual practices that we call Hinduism. Such a centralized and chauvinistic Hinduism - Hindutva - has been brought to the fore front in today by a group of political organizations called the "Sangh Parivar " (Sangh Family) - consisting of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (National Volunteers Association - the mother organization after which the label Sangh Parivar is coined), the Bharatiya Janata Party (Indian People Party - Hindutva's constitutional front that fights elections etc.), the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP - World Hindu Council - the formations activist front), the Shiv Sena (the fascist front), the VHP of America (Hindutva's overseas arm) and the Hindu Students Councils (VHP of America's student wing).
http://www.foil.org/politics/hindutva/hindutva.html Now even taking into account the conjectures on the NY Humna Rights Watch they were pretty clear about the responsibility for The Mumbai riots & for the Gujerat state sponsored slaughter of Muslims. Even those attempting to argue that this was a biased
judgment are pretty circuitous indeed (For example admitting Hindu extremists were unquestionably involved in the attacks against Muslims in Gujarat. Furthermore, the Modi government willfully neglected its duty to protect the rights and lives of its citizens and promoted further communal polarization in a state with already tense communal relations ; see; http://www.saag.org/papers9/paper891.html) Arundhati Roy had this to say about what happened:
Take any politically volatile issue?the nuclear tests, the Babri Masjid, the Tehelka scam, the stirring of the communal cauldron for electoral advantage?and you'll see the Congress Party has been there before. In every case, the Congress sowed the seed and the bjp has swept in to reap the hideous harvest. So in the event that we're called upon to vote, is there a difference between the two? The answer is a faltering but distinct 'yes'. Here's why: It's true that the Congress Party has sinned, and grievously, and for decades together. But it has done by night what the bjp does by day. It has done covertly, stealthily, hypocritically, shamefacedly, what the bjp does with pride. And this is an important difference. ........... Whipping up communal hatred is part of the mandate of the Sangh Parivar. It has been planned for years. It has been injecting a slow-release poison directly into civil society's bloodstream. Hundreds of rss shakhas and Saraswati shishu mandirs across the country have been indoctrinating thousands of children and young people, stunting their minds with religious hatred and falsified history. They're no different from, and no less dangerous than, the madrassas all over Pakistan and Afghanistan which spawned the Taliban. In states like Gujarat, the police, the administration, and the political cadres at every level have been systematically penetrated. It has huge popular appeal, which it would be foolish to underestimate or misunderstand. The whole enterprise has a formidable religious, ideological, political, and administrative underpinning. This kind of power, this kind of reach, can only be achieved with State backing&&&& .One hundred and thirty million Muslims live in India. Hindu fascists regard them as legitimate prey. Do people like Modi and Bal Thackeray think that the world will stand by and watch while they're liquidated in a 'civil war?' Press reports say that the European Union and several other countries have condemned what happened in Gujarat and likened it to Nazi rule. The Indian government's portentous response is that foreigners should not use the Indian media to comment on what is an 'internal matter' (like the chilling goings-on in Kashmir?). What next? Censorship? Closing down the Internet? Blocking international calls? Killing the wrong 'terrorists' and fudging the dna samples? There is no terrorism like State terrorism. But who will take them on? Their fascist cant can perhaps be dented by some blood and thunder from the Opposition. So far only Laloo Yadav of Bihar has shown himself to be truly passionate: "Kaun mai ka lal kehta hai ki yeh Hindu rashtra hai? Usko yahan bhej do, chhati phad doonga!" (Which mother's son says this is a Hindu Nation? Send him here, I'll tear his chest open.) http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DRUMnewz/message/1247
Another useful site is this: http://www.geocities.com/indianfascism/fascism/secular_agenda.htm, which detials the plots of the ruling BJP. ---------------------------------------To Be followed re "The Multi-National Character of India"---------------------------------------------------------------------