75 Years of Bhonsala Military School Militarising Minds, Hindutvaising The Nation
By Subhash Gatade
10 March, 2012
To bring about
military regeneration of the Hindus and to fit Hindu youths for undertaking the
entire responsibility for the defence of their motherland
To educate them in the
'Sanatan Dharma', and to train them "in the science and art of personal
and national defence"
(Aim of 'Central Hindu
Military Education Society,' NMML, Munje Papers, subject files, n 24, 1932-36)
This training is meant
for qualifying and fitting our boys for the game of killing masses of men with
the ambition of winning victory with the best possible causalities (sic) of
dead and wounded while causing the utmost possible to the adversary.
(Preface to the scheme
of the Central Hindu Military Society and Its Military School 'NMML, Munje
Papers, subject files, n 25, 1935)
NASHIK: Expressing
concern over the dominance of 'rich and powerful people' in politics, besides
the soaring inflation rate, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan
Bhagwat said that India's situation was better during the British
rule...Speaking at a function organized by Bhonsala Military School (BMS) to
celebrate its platinum jubilee year in Nashik on Monday, Bhagwat ...laid stress
on the need for imparting military education to students, citing rising threat
to the nation.
(India was better off
under British rule: Mohan Bhagwat, TNN Feb 22, 2012, 03.31AM IST)
I.
Platinum Jubilee of an
educational institution is definitely a moment of celebration. For all those
people who are associated with it or have played role in its nascent emergence
it is a moment of triumph and also an occasion to revisit the journey so far.
For the rest of the society also it is a moment to shower some words of
appreciation and praise.
Would it be possible
to exhibit similar feelings, show one's appreciation for an institution which
had its genesis in one of the darkest chapters in human history - which
humanity still abhors and (if possible) would like to obliterate it from its
memory - and which still carries imprints of the era? Definitely not
The platinum jubilee
of Bhonsala Military School, which was founded in 1937 by the Hindu Mahasabha
leader Dr B S Moonje who also happened to be founder member of RSS, present
before us a similar occasion. Apart from the fact that it has of late found
itself on the wrong side of law, where its premises have been used to hold
training camps of Hindutva terrorists or the likes of Lt Col Purohit, getting
initial exposure to the sectarian agenda here, or its officials being taken to
Bombay for interrogation by the anti-terrorist squad, a close look at the
goings on in the institute, the work of indoctrination packaged as education,
its vision of 'regenerating India' makes it amply clear that the seven plus
decadal journey of the institution, has made no difference to its core
weltanshauung.
One is reminded of its
founders' yearning for the 'military regeneration of Hindus: so that the
artificial distinction emphasised by the British of marital and non-marital
classes amongst Hindus may disappear' and his fascination for the goings on in
Italy under the leadership of Mussolini and its military and paramilitary
organisations. It is now history how Dr Moonje, learnt his skills when he got a
chance to visit Mussolini and Italy's Central Military School of Physical
Education, the fascist academy of Physical Education and Balilla and
Avanguardisti, organisations which influenced many a rightwing initiatives in
India which he used in not only developing RSS but also laying down the
foundation of this military school.
Celebrations held on
the occasion of platinum jubilee rather reinforced its image as a modern
institution bearing a medieval mindset. It was quite symptomatic that barring
the real claimants to this legacy not many people joined the celebrations.
Sangh Supremo Mohan Bhagwat, who was recently chided by the supreme court for
his remarks on Malegaon blast case.(ET Bureau Mar 1, 2012, 04.55AM IST)
happened to be the chief guest for the programme. Stirring up a heated
political debate, Mr Bhagwat said India was in a much better situation under
the British rule. Underlining the fact that the School which was founded 'to
protect the nation' and has been acting as a 'feeder institute to fulfill
backlog of military officials' he stressed the need for imparting military
education to kids citing "rising" threat to internal security.
Senior RSS functionary
Prakash Pathak - who happens to be the General Secretary of the management
committee informed the gathering that Bhonsala Military School plans to to
start a similar facility exclusively for girls in Nashik. It is also mulling to
set up a flying club and a pilot training institute besides a centre for
service preparation and aeronautic engineering education. Mr Pathak also
reported that the The BMS run by the Central Hindu Military Education Society
(CHMES) is also receiving proposals from the states of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat,
Uttarakhand for setting up military schools there and would soon take a call on
them.
One did not expect
that neither Mr Pathak nor Mr Bhagwat would share with the audience the key
role played by the school in the metamorphosis of Lt Col Purohit into a terror
mastermind especially of the infamous Malegaon bomb blast 2008 or for that
matter would reveal how many key functionaries of the school facilitated
holding of 'terror training camps' inside the school premises. The 'exploits'
of the school first came to limelight after the Nanded bomb blast 2006.
II.
PICKING UP THE SPLINTERS:
THE NANDED BOMB EXPLOSION!
The backdrop had never
been so 'promising'. Timing chosen for the whole 'operation' seemed perfect.
And the ambience was very 'conducive' for a riot to 'happen'. Maps of mosques
in adjoining districts were ready, dresses had been stocked, even caps and
beards had been stored in large numbers. The idea was to attack mosques and
Gurudwaras wearing those dresses and instigate a riot. The expectation was that
the community under attack would retaliate and a full scale riot would ensue.
The only thing left was explosives in one form or other which could cause
maximum damage to the places hit. The making of bombs in a house owned by a old
RSS hack who dealt in firecrackers also seemed rather perfect.
Nanded, a city in
Marathwada (Maharashtra) inhabiting around a million people ( 5 Lakh Hindus), 2
Lakh Muslims or one Lakh Sikhs was already reeling under communal tension then.
The alleged elopement of a Sikh girl with a Muslim boy had put both the
communities at loggerheads. The preparations were so foolproof that nobody
expected any mishap to happen. But the sudden bomb explosion in the very house,
which killed two ringleaders on the spot and seriously injured the rest four,
rather foiled all their plans. All the grandiose ideas - which must have been
tested on earlier occasions- to 'start' a riot, lied shattered.
It has been around six
years that Nanded, Maharashtra, a town described as being communally sensitive
witnessed bomb explosion ( 6 th April 2006) in a house belonging to Laxman
Rajkondwar, a retired employee of irrigation department and an old activist of
RSS. Incidentally this man with his wife and few other family members was on a
religious excursion when the explosion occured. Ofcourse his son Naresh was
among the two people who died on the spot, the other being Himanshu Panse, a
Bajrang Dal leader and an active member of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)
.Four others present that night included Maruthi Keshav Wagh, Yogesh Vidulkar
(Deshpande), Gururaj Jairam Tuptewar and Rahul Manohar Pande, who were
grievously injured. Narco analysis of Rahul Pande revealed that the same terror
module led by Himanshu had planned the bomb blasts at Masjid in Jalna, Purna
and Parbhani in 2003 and 2004 and Rahul had even accompanied Himanshu to Jalna.
It need be noted that the Marathwada region of Maharashtra has had a history of
such mysterious attacks on religious minorites. Only two years prior to Nanded
bomb blast miscreants on motorcycles had fired at a crowd offering Friday
prayers in nearby Parbhani. The whole of Marathwada went up in flames by the
evening. Till the exposure in the Nanded case the police had not been able to
unearth the case and apprehend the criminals who fired at the religious
congregation.
The Maharashtra
Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) investigating the case found that Himanshu had
organised a training camp at the Bhonsala Military School in Nagpur, apart from
other camps. The charge sheet filed by ATS in the Nanded case underlined that
Himanshu Panse and Rahul Pande had started a gymnasium called Power Zone to
motivate youth and rally them around for the war against Muslim terror. Apart
from mentioning their training in making pipe bombs near Pune it also talked
about the fact that Panse and Wagh attended a 40-day training camp at Bhonsala
Military School at Nagpur. The charge sheet and narco analysis of accused in
the Nanded blast case made it very clear that a training camp was held in the
Bhonsala Military School at Nagpur attended by 100 to 115 people in May 2000
from all over the country. City of Nanded witnessed another blast in February
2007, this time inside a bakery shop. Two persons died in the incident, both
belonging to Hindutva organisations.
Despite ample proof
that Bhonsala Military School, was engaged in activities which are nothing but
'terror related' no action was taken against it. Preparing the ground for
similar acts in future
III.
How Bhonsala Military
School 'facilitated' emergence of terror masterminds 2001 : 40 days training
camp of RSS-Bajrang Dal activists was organised on the premises of the Bhonsala
military school, Nagpur. A total of 115 activists from all over the country,
including 54 from Maharashtra, attended the camp. The trainees were imparted
training in handling of weapons, making of bombs and exploding the same.
Retired and serving army officers and retired senior IB officers were among the
trainers (as disclosed in the investigation of Nanded blast case of 2006 and
Malegaon blast case of 2008.)
(P. 43, ‘Who Killed
Karkare')
Pune, which has been
an epicenter of many social reform movements in the past has been in the news
of late altogether for wrong reasons. In fact the exposure in the Malegaon bomb
blast (Sep 2008) could be said to have brought out this change. Many of the
accused in the case belong to or have been associated with this city only,
reminding the people that the legacy of Nathuram Godse, the first terrorist of
independent India, who was a resident of Pune only still survives. Not very
many people outside the state know that till date one finds a significant
section of the elite entertaining sympathies with his exclusivist project. One
such gentleman happens to be Lt Col Jayant Chitale, a retired air defence
artillery officer who runs the Maharashtra Military Foundation (MMF) and
functions from his bungalow only. Few years back Maharashtra Military
Foundation was in the news for organising a camp to ‘train youth on a suicide
mission to counter terrorism'(Indian Express, 16 th Nov 2002, PTI, Posted
online: Friday, November 15, 2002 at 1249 hours IST) In an interview to the
‘Outlook' reporter (‘Godse's War, Nov 17, 2008) Jayant Chitale told him that he
had “[o]ver 1,000 of my boys serving in the three services today. Each one has
been brainwashed by me. They are motivated, determined and will do anything for
the nation.” The visitor's book which Chitale has carefully preserved lists the
names of all the young men who were trained under him. Entry on February 20,
1993 tells us that Shrikant Prasad Purohit, Law College, Pune was also enrolled
here.
There is no doubt that
the metamorphosis of this son of a bank officer, who had no particular
political leanings, into one of the masterminds of a terror plot of the
Malegaon bomb blast 2008 has baffled many. In the dominant media which has
always sang paens to the ‘secular character of the Indian army,' the emergence
of a Lt Col as a key strategist of Hindutva terror plot, the debate about his
‘being an exception' or ‘not' still remains unsettled. If one were to browse
his biographical details one learns that Shrikant Purohit had his brush with
the Hindutva politics in his late teens when he attended a special coaching
class for Short Service Commission officer-aspirants at the Bhonsala Military
School in Nashik. His military career does not seem to be very remarkable. His
participation in the counter-terrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir (2002)
did not win him any special laurels. His tenure in Jammu and Kashmir continued
upto January 2005, where he was transferred to the counter intelligence unit of
the Military Intelligence Directorate. While his earlier stint in MMF or at
Bhonsla Military School had convinced him about the weltanshauung (world view)
of the Hindutva forces, his transfer to Maharashtra in 2005 seemed to have
accelerated his attempts to work towards ‘building Hindu Rashtra'. His posting
in the Military Intelligence Cell , which is meant for developing and
maintaining links between army as well as the people , must have helped him a
lot. It facilitated renewal of his contacts with the Hindutva activists, where
Col S S Raikar, school commandant of Bhonsala Military School, played a key
role, which later germinated in the form of Abhinav Bharat. He is reported to
have even organised training camps in which dozens of people took part and were
taught to handle arms. He also took initiative in organising camps in Pune but
most of these camps took place in the campus of Bhonsla Military School only
(Indian Express, 7 Nov 2008). Purohit said during the Faridabad meeting:
“Whatever I have said today is in fact taken care of by the officers sitting
there. The entire school is in my hands” (26 January Conversation: 25).
There is no doubt that
he carefully used his position in the military intelligence unit, to develop
contacts within the military and outside. In fact, he was smart enough to give
an impression to many of his gullible colleagues that what he was doing was
part of some ‘secret operations' on behalf of the some higher-ups only. The charge
sheet filed in the Malegaon case tells us a lot about it.
IV.
Nashik, Nov 12, 2008
(PTI) The Principal and a clerk of Bhonsala Military School (BMS), where some
of the arrested accused in Malegaon blast case held meetings, resigned today
after both were questioned by Maharashtra's Anti-Terrorism Squad.
Principal Shailesh
Raikar and clerk Rajan Gaidhani tendered their resignation to the city-based
school management. Talking to PTI, BMS divisional secretary Diwakar Kulkarni
said the management will discuss on the resignation issue at a meeting to be
held tomorrow.
Both Raikar and
Gaidhani has not given any reasons for their resignation but said the
management has not asked for it.
The duo were recently
taken by ATS in Mumbai for questioning in connection with the meeting the right
wing group Abhinav Bharat held in the School premises on September 16, 13 days
before the Malegaon blast. The meeting was attended by Lt Col P S Purohit and
others.
Anyone who has had
access to the charge sheet filed in the Malegaon (sep 2008) bomb blast case
would tell you that it has testimonies of a few military personnel also - who
knew Lt Col Purohit and whom he tried to rope in for his grand project of
‘Aryavarta Hindurashtra'. The recordings of the meetings which were done by
Swami Dayanand Pandey also provide details about the contacts the team had
tried to establish with Israel and the king of Nepal who had promised them arms
as well as training in arms. Another recording tells us about Delhi Hindu
Mahasabha chief Ayodhya Prasad Tripathi's loud claims about his links with an
anti-Islamic group based in the UK headed by a ‘dreaded anti-communist and
anti-Islamic' David Gaus whose units ‘are growing rapidly in France, Germany,
England and America'.
On these tapes Purohit
is heard talking about starting a military school in every state, where
recruits would be given rifle training during the summer. According to him
these schools could be used to hide people in case of “any police action.”
Interestingly, he emphasises that RSS's name should not be linked in any way to
the schools. “We have to assume such a name that is deceptive. We will work
under the name ‘Bastion Guards.'
During the 2006
inquiry into the Nanded blast, a retired navy officer hailing from Pune, S R
Bhate, who was associated with the RSS since 1996, declared to the police that
as early as March-April 2000 he had been asked by the local Bajrang Dal leader
“to train his activists in the use of gelatin sticks at a camp in the city”
(Indian Express 2008) and then at a larger one in the Bhonsala Military School
(Nasik).
Bhate told the ATS
[Anti-Terror Squad] investigators that the camp had been organised by the RSS
and about 115 activists from across the country were trained in karate, ground
obstacles and firing of revolvers. Two retired ex-servicemen and a senior
retired officer from the IB [Intelligence Bureau] were also present, he stated
(Indian Express 2008).
The probe into Nanded
blast (April 2006) further revealed that an army man called Mithun Chakrabarty
had trained the accused in the case to make IEDs for the blasts at the Sinhagad
Fort, near Pune.
Apart from the direct
involvement of Ramesh Upadhyaya, a retired army Major, in the operations, one
also gets to know from newspaper reports that the ATS under Mr Karkare had also
interrogated Mr Raikar, Commandant of the Bhosla Military School for his
knowledge of the whole conspiracy and the manner in which the premises of the
School were freely given to others. In fact, Purohit had served with the new
commandant of the school, Col S.S. Raikar, who also worked with military intelligence
earlier, and had even requested him to let Abhinav Bharat hold its meeting in
the school.
Perhaps one need be
reminded that Bhosla Military School was under the scanner when investigations
in the Nanded bomb blast were also on. Looking at the key role played by Bhosla
Military School, which is run by a group of people whose sympathies with the
RSS is no secret, one fails to understand why the chief bosses of the school
were allowed to go scot free and were not arrested for their dubious role in
facilitating and supporting outfits committed to Hindutva terror. Very few
people even know that it is one of those rare schools which impart training on
service pattern to the students’ along with regular courses which is aimed at
encouraging and preparing them for entry into National Defence Academy (NDA),
Indian Military Academy (IMA) etc and other defence services.
V
Dr Moonje formed the
Central Hindu Military Education Society at Nasik in 1935 and started the
school on 12th June 1937. The school started functioning in the Surgana Palace
in Nasik city with 90 students on its roll. The Maharaja of erstwhile Gwalior
state, H H Shriman Jivajirao Scindia inaugurated the main building of the
school. In his inaugural speech, He said, “It is not a mere coincidence that
within a short period of the opening of a first rate public school in India (he
was referring to the Doon School, Dehradun), we are here today to open a first
rate Military School.” Such was the charishma, charm and aura of the founder,
that he made the then Governor of Bombay State, Sir Roger Lumley to lay the
foundation stone of the present main building of the school. Over the years,
the school has established itself as a premier residential school catering for
educational needs of students from all over India and also as a focal point for
military education. In 1995, the school was granted affiliation by Indian
Public Schools Conference, an association of heads of leading public schools of
the country.
(From the official
website of the Bhonsala Military School)
What is common between
late Shri Vasant Sathe, former Union Minister and a leader of the Congress
Party, Shri Vinayakrao Patil, former Minister Govt. of Maharashtra, Padma
Bhushan Lt. Gen (Rtd) M L Chhibber, PVSM, Lt. Gen (Rtd) Y D Sahasrabuddhe,
PVSM, Lt. Col (Rtd) Prakash Kitkule, VrC, Flt (Rtd) S M Ghatate, V M, Maj. (TA)
Pandit Rao, Shri V G Pagare, DCP. All of them have been students of Bhonsala
military school and have been receipients of the 'Bhonsala Bhushan Award'
instituted by the school for its ex-students.
The school campus
which is of nearly 65 Hectares is called 'Rambhoomi' and the students are
called 'Ramdandees". The Hindu mythology speaks of Nashik's association
with
According to the
guidelines issued by the management "[a]admission is open for boys to
class V every year. Admission to higher classes is given only if vacancies
exist and are filled up as per the decision of the school management. Admission
is open for all eligible candidates irrespective of caste, creed or religion.
For admission to class V, the candidate should be between 9 to 10 yrs. of age
as on 1st July and should have passed class IV, preferably from an English
medium school. “Interestingly a close look at the students selected for
admission in the present year showed near absence of any non-Hindu names in the
list.
Apart from the regular
courses the school also runs 'Personality Development Course' (PDC) for boys
for around a fortnight during summer where boys aged 12 to 14 who are studying
in standard VII or above are selected on 'first come first serve basis' and the
syllabus includes riding, swimming, shooting, self Defence, Yoga, drill,
physical Training, group discussion and public speaking. Participants are also
taught basic skills of horse riding and are also introduced to army training
& weapon training. There is also a demonstration of artillery firing. For
students above this age it runs 'Summer Military Training Course (SMTC) during
summer vacating for one month where students studying in standard X and above
and age group 15 plus are admitted and has similar syllabus.
The Central Hindu
Military Education Society which runs the Bhonsala Military School established
Bhonsala Adventure Foundation on 28th January 1994 at Nashik supposedly to
inculcate 'spirit of adventure in youth’. Multifarious adventure activities of
varying duration are conducted throughout the year. One Major General Anant V.
Natu PVSM (Retd) who had received Paramvishishta Seva Medal and Mahavir Chakra
for his performance in the Indo-Pak war was initially the chief advisor and promoter
of the foundation. whereas one Brigadier A. M. Warty, VSM (Retd) was the first
chairman of the foundation.
It is claimed that
"Bhonsala Adventure Foundation is a premier Adventure training institute
of Maharashtra. The youngsters are getting involved in this institute in big
way. This is a unique Adventure Institute by itself. The foundation has most
modern equipment required for carrying out adventure courses and has planned to
procure more sophisticated equipment for aero sports and water sports. The
foundation also has the sports from India Armies Adventure sports
organization."
V
It was the year 2008
when investigations into the Malegaon terror attack were going on there were
news in a section of the press that '[t]here are leads of some Hindu leaders
from Bangladesh having attended the training camps held at the Bhonsala
Military School, "(outlook 23 Nov 2008)
It was the same time
when in a statement, the CPI(M) Politburo demanded firm action against
extremist elements in both communities. “They will have to be dealt with firmly
and their networks dismantled irrespective of the community they belong to.”
Asking the Centre to take the reports of Hindutva infiltration in the Army
“seriously”, it said the role of the Bhonsala Military School in Maharashtra
should be probed. “No private educational institution can be allowed to provide
military training.” (PTI 07 Nov 2008)
One does not know
whether any action was taken on the demand of the CPM politbureau which was
then supporting the government at the centre. But looking at the fact that
status quo vis-a-vis Bhonsala Military School remains, it is apparent that all
such demands have been put in the cold storage.
Subhash Gatade is a
Writer and social activist based in New Delhi. Subhash also edits a Hindi
Journal Sandhan. His most recent book is "Godse’s Children: Hindutva
Terror in India" Email. : subhash.gatade@gmail.com
Source: Countercurrent