Jaswant Singh has been mentioned on this blog before, and its clear I don't think much of him or his politics.
But as I was interviewing scholars of Hindu Nationalism, and an old devout Hindu Nationalist in Delhi, I came across all the hoopla surrounding BJP's expulsion of Jaswant Singh because of his book on Jinnah. I wasn't surprised much, what do you expect from a party that endorses Varun Gandhi's hate-filled rhetoric, and not only supports but counts on Narendra Modi's divisive politics? A party that built its campaign on the Ram Jamnabhoomi Movement, and has always believed in a Hindu Rashtra?
Some say the BJP is in shambles after its recent loss in the General Election, and I agree, it probably is. But it is important to understand that even if the BJP is in shambles, divisive discourse of the Sangh Parivar continues to build and flood this nation, both formally through shakhas and samitis, and informally through walks in the park, lunch breaks at school, and yoga sessions at the neighborhood community hall. And at this juncture and any other, it is important to understand that economic development or not, the Sangh Parivar stands for something that can only break this country, and is already beginning to do so. The BJP needs to let go of a past that they have imagined, and we need to let go of them, to build the future we imagine.
But as I was interviewing scholars of Hindu Nationalism, and an old devout Hindu Nationalist in Delhi, I came across all the hoopla surrounding BJP's expulsion of Jaswant Singh because of his book on Jinnah. I wasn't surprised much, what do you expect from a party that endorses Varun Gandhi's hate-filled rhetoric, and not only supports but counts on Narendra Modi's divisive politics? A party that built its campaign on the Ram Jamnabhoomi Movement, and has always believed in a Hindu Rashtra?
Some say the BJP is in shambles after its recent loss in the General Election, and I agree, it probably is. But it is important to understand that even if the BJP is in shambles, divisive discourse of the Sangh Parivar continues to build and flood this nation, both formally through shakhas and samitis, and informally through walks in the park, lunch breaks at school, and yoga sessions at the neighborhood community hall. And at this juncture and any other, it is important to understand that economic development or not, the Sangh Parivar stands for something that can only break this country, and is already beginning to do so. The BJP needs to let go of a past that they have imagined, and we need to let go of them, to build the future we imagine.
7 comments:
Hmmm.. I agree to some extent. But I think that we need a strong political party other than the Congress. The Congress did virtually nothing for the country through the decades that it ruled. There is pressure on it to do something because of the BJP.
Modi is divisive, true, but he has transformed Gujarat. He has developed Gujarat into a fantastic, developed n industrialized state.
The BJP is more pro-economic reforms and pro-free markets than the Congress. So, I think we need the BJP just as much as we need the secular Congress which has been doing quite a bit for the common man of late (NREGA etc).
Oh..and the BJP is down but not out by any means. It will bounce back before the next General Election. The Vajpayee loyalists who are at the centre of the mess(Yashwant Sinha,Jaswant Singh,Brajesh Mishra, Arun Shourie etc) have virtually no mass voter base.
Advani's time is almost over. Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and Narendra Modi will soon take over. Plus, the cadre of the BJP is full of RSS pracharaks and swayamsevaks who are a dedicated lot despite their ultra-right wing ideology.
Btw...for the record, I am not a BJP supporter and have never voted for the BJP in my life.
Dear anonymous,
Yes I agree, the Congress is surely not strong enough. But it is the better of the two evils.
And I do agree that Modi has transformed Gujarat, but not without killing thousands of Muslims in state sponsored riots.
If economic devpt is to be sustained in our country, it cannot sprout from of a right wing divisive ideology.
I study Hindutva for both work and school, and I have spent quite a lot of time talking to people from RSS, VHP, and the BJP, including some top politicans, and yes the samiti people are very devoted and hardworking, but only to a Hindu Rashtra.
And India is not a Hindu Rashtra, last I checked. Both old and new Hindu Nationalist politicians not only cannot stop holding onto to the "Muslims taking away a piece of Bharat Mata" but actively talk about how the Hindu Rashtra is ONLY for those whose "matra bhoomi, pitra bhoomi, and poorna bhoomi" is here and will always be (implying that those who look towards Mecca need to leave). You will be shocked to hear them speak, such is their hatred and their conviction of it.
Yes, I would like to see a stronger government, and economic devpt at more than 9% too, but not at the cost of a divided, bloodshed ridden country.
Right Wing BJP is not the solution. And I think India is waking up to that fact.
1) Yeah...Modi probably was responsible for the loss of loads of lives. Its sad that a guy capable of such good work wrt development will be haunted forever by the ghost of the post-Godhra riots, but rightly so. He did indeed behave like the desi version of Adolf Hitler. He would have made an ideal PM if it werent for his anti-Muslim actions.
2)Yup...India isnt a Hindu rashtra and should never become one. The state should be religion-blind and caste-blind. But sadly, it isnt. At the moment, Muslims get preferential treatment from the state, whether it is wrt their own Personal law or reservation. The BJP has been campaigning for a uniform civil code(which is good) but as you rightly pointed out, its gone too far.
3. Yup...it is probably true that the urban voter will not allow the BJP back into power for quite some time given its communal past.
I guess,people like me should take some solace in the fact that the present Congress govt is doing some good work - NREGA, tax reform, rural electrification etc.
Alas! If only the BJP was not as hindutva-oriented as it is....
yep if only!
also in a multi-ethnic country with a secular government technically yes Muslims might be getting preferential treatment on paper.
But if you look at facts and figures, they really do not. Society still discriminates, and not much of what is on paper is implemented.
And there is a story behind BJP's push for uniform civil code. I wrote a paper on that once. One of the founding myths of the Hindutva movement in India is built on the premise of the "rape of the Hindu Woman" (read metaphor for Bharat Mata) by the "Muslim man".
And the uniform civil rights push arose out of the whole Muslim men can have more than one wife (read Muslim men are more manly than Hindu men). If you are interested in reading more on the subject, google up the Shah Bano case.
So lets just hope the congress takes up more economic reforms, and hardens a bit wrt Pakistan, and we should be good to go. Given the choices we have.
Come to think of it.... I just read an article yesterday which compared the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and the post-Godhra riots. The total number of people killed in the 1984 riots was 3500, twice the number killed in the post-Godhra riots.
Those anti-Sikh riots had the active support of the rank and file of the Congress party in addition to several Congress leaders. Yet, the Congress in considered secular and the BJP communal.
Parties are secular or communal when it suits them and their vote banks.
Yep I agree, Indira Gandhi was a total bitch. She played a very good game because she wanted the sikh vote. So she first supported the Khalistan movement and the leaders. Then the movement went out of hand, and she backed out, and sent the army into the Golden temple, and then she had no idea how to handle the riots AT ALL.
The congress couldn't stop the riots for sure, but the difference is that in the case of 1984- a struggle for power led to a horrible mess- the congress's ideology is secular- Indira Gandhi screwed up. BJP on the other hand sprouted from a divisive ideology, strengthened on account of riots, Ayodhya temple etc, and till today stands clear on a divisive ideology.
I am no big fan of the Congress, and definitely not of Mrs Gandhi, but between the two I would still take the Congress.
And yea I agree parties change according to their power struggles- but my problem with the BJP is that it AROSE with an agenda, one that hasn't changed.
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