Ashok not so 'great' for RSS-linked magazine

Jaipur: An RSS affiliate Van Vasi Kalyan Parishad (VVKP) in an article in its inhouse magazine says Maurya King Ashok the Great embracing Buddhism and adopting the policy of non-violence (ahimsa) did a great disservice to the country and opened the door for foreign invasions to India.
The article written by Dr Raadhika Laddha was published in the May issue of the mouthpiece of the Parishad ''Bappa Raval''.Van Vasi Kalyan Parishad based in Chattisgarh is an organisation working for the upliftment of tribals in south Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh running hostels, schools, and village health care among other activities. It was formed in the 1960s to counter the activities of Christian missionaries in the tribal region.
Laddha who has a doctorate in English says in the article titled "Bharat, Kal, Aaj Aur Kal"that she recognizes the greatness of Ashok before his conversion to Buddhism. However she regrets that the same king became the reason for India's decline. She says it would have been better for the country if he too had given up his kingdom, like Buddha did. "It would have been better if like Bhagwan Buddha, Emperor Ashoka too, had given up his kingdom, become a monk and promoted Buddhism. India would have been spared of a mountain of hardships later with the invasion of the Greeks," she wrote.
However historians beg to differ with the assertion of Laddha. Dr Vibha Upadhyaya, head of the department of History and Indian Culture at the Rajasthan University disagrees with Laddha.
"Buddhism recognizes the importance of a strong king as they used the term 'chakravarthi'," she said. She pointed out that after the Kalinga war, although Ashoka did not undertake any more expeditions, he maintained a strong army. It was not Buddhism but weak successors that led to the disintegration of the Mauryan empire.
Nayanjot Lahiri, professor at Ashoka University and author of 'Ashoka in Ancient India' agrees with Upadhyaya. "I am not surprised by these remarks since India's past is a political playground for all kinds of people and organizations. Firstly, Ashoka provided patronage to the Buddhists and he was himself a Buddhist. At the same time, liberality towards Brahmans along with Shramanas frequently figures in his inscriptions. He was also a patron of the Ajivikas.
Secondly, Buddhism flourished even more significantly after the demise of the Mauryas. In fact, during the time of the Sunga dynasty which is portrayed in literature as anti-Buddhist, places like Buddhist Sanchi grew spectacularly.