Narendra Modi And The Politics Of Face

NaMo

Speculations over Narendra Modi fighting 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Lucknow seat hardly comes as a surprise. Amit Shah’s another promotion in BJP party rank gives reason to believe that there is no confusion regarding NaMo’s power within BJP. We all know that this is a desperate attempt to bring BJP back into power by polarizing the votes in nation’s most politically active state- Uttar Pradesh. At the same time, Varun Gandhi has been given charge of BJP in West Bengal for 2014 elections- certainly trying to polarize votes in other parts of the nation as well.

My friend, who is a Political Science student but takes no interest in Politics, asked me, “Why will he- NaMo- fight from Lucknow? He is too popular in Gujarat?” I reminded him that Lucknow was Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s seat for a very long time. And this is a time in NaMo’s political career when he can win Lok Sabha seat from anywhere in India- well almost. Fighting election from Lucknow will give a clear message that the present Gujarat CM will be projected as BJP’s candidate for the post of PM. This will also ensure that he gets the share of love and respect the nation has for Atal Bihari.

I am sure that towards the end of 2013, we will hear many more extremely exciting news. Many of them will be unimaginable. Now that Congress has almost lost its credibility, BJP is working to leave no stone unturned to turn 2014 general elections in its favor. I firmly believe that Communalism is on an all time rise in India. Secular forces have failed miserably. 2014 elections will determine the fate of not only NaMo but of India for the coming two decades at least. NaMo is a seasoned politician and has extensive relevant experience of leading and saving a government in Gujarat. If he becomes the next PM, then he will be there for a good time. The history is witness to the fact that fascists do not leave the seat of power too early!

Consequences of NaMo’s shift to U.P Politcs

NaMo’s shift to Lucknow, if it holds any ground, will have severe consequences. It will polarize upper caste Hindu vote in Uttar Pradesh at a time when Samajvadi Party and Bahujan Samajvadi Party have taken the major vote share. BJP will have a chance of once again coming to prominence after a gap of almost a decade. BJP has been able to be in power four times in U.P- none of them resulting in a full term. The last BJP CM of Uttar Pradesh was Rajnath Singh from October 2000 to March 2002. That was the period when regional parties, SP and BSP, were working hard in the rural U.P in order to change the power dynamics of Uttar Pradesh. Since then, not only BJP, but also Congress has not been able to come to power, they have a decent vote share though. NaMo can change this decent share of vote into many Lok Sabha seats and later can present BJP as the new alternative in Uttar Pradesh. Amit Shah, a local Gujarati politician but a close aide to NaMo, has seen a change in stature from being local to going national. Being a hardcore Hindutva face, he will make sure to drive the polarization of votes. There is a good chance that Varun Gandhi will also see a promotion in role towards the end of the year. He has recently been promoted to the post of General Secretary of BJP. Being in charge of West Bengal, which still has a significant Left politics, will test his caliber.

Given the Congress’ poor performance not only politically but also economically, there is no reason to believe they can come back in power. At the same time, the rise in Communalism in the country gives a good reason to believe that BJP can come to power. Regional parties may form a third front near the election phase, but as history says, can support any party which has more chances of forming the new government.

Rise of Communalism will determine the future

There is no blinking to the fact that Communalism of the present era is of different nature. The fascists today have no intention of demolishing any mosque (well it is not on manifesto of any party at least!). This Communalism will not have direct effect, but will have structural and cultural change which may lead to direct violence in near future as well. The 2014 elections will be marred by many first time voters- many of them who are on social media platforms, a very small proportion although. This small ‘proportion’ participates actively in the ‘Clean India Drive’ on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Similarly, there is a rise in Muslim fascism and also in Sikh fascism. All of these require elaborate discussion and cannot be comprehended in a single article.

This ‘communal’ behavior will lead to a more sectarian politics in future, ultimately leading to more ghettoization of people from different faiths- cultural ghettoization being the scariest of them all! This will have severe consequences.

No, I am not trying to portray a dreadful and ugly picture of future, but this can be one of the many possible futures our part of the world will witness.

Counter not only Communal faces but also Communalism

It is important to move beyond the politics of personality. A personality may impress the young mind but it is important to understand the consequences of giving your vote to that personality. I remember the consequences of giving my vote to a very impressive guy in College elections when I was a student at Dyal Singh College, Delhi University. But who can deny that our political scenario is face driven. BJP is trying to portray NaMo and Varun Gandhi as the ‘young face of BJP’, and there shall be no doubt that they both have huge fan following among the youth of the nation. This post may invite comments from the same youth I am writing about at this moment. In fact you can be that potential youth I am talking about!

A face resonates what the ideology believes in. It is important to address the problems created by the ideology at the earliest. There is small population of people who believe in the idea of secular nation (who are called ‘Sickular’ by my dear Hindutva friends) and are working hard to fight not only Hindu fundamentalism but also Islamic fundamentalism. The book of fascism can be wrapped in any color but it will have, more or less, same content because it is not supposed to appeal to logic but to emotions.

Way ahead

This may look like a pessimistic article which speculates a bleak future. But I feel it is important to realize the problems ahead to have a better journey. It is important that all the likeminded secular or ‘sickular’ people come forward to counter not only a face but to counter an ideology- an ideology which promotes hate for each other.

First Published in YouthKiAwaaz.com on May 23, 2013
Permalink: http://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2013/05/narendra-modi-and-the-politics-of-face/

Going Beyond Communal Ideology and Violence (Part 2)

This article was published on Pul-E-Jawan website on July 5, 2012. This was written few months back as an exercise to understand the rise of Hindu Nationalism post 1990. This is a small part of a very elaborate discourse. This is also the second and last article in the series published at Pul-e-Jawan. 

Edited by Amrendra Shrivasrava for Pul-E-Jawan 

Permalink: http://pulejawan.net/2012/07/going-beyond-communal-ideology-and-violence/

Communalism can prevail in any religion. The equation of minority and majority is present in every society and country, be it Pakistan or Sri Lanka or Bangladesh. Majority religion in one country is minority in other. For example Hindus are in majority in India, but minority in Pakistan. The threat and insecurity is same for every minority irrespective of the country and religion. Reasons are manufactured to support the ideology of communalism.

Different communalists will have different narrative to support his/her religion. We also need to understand that Hindu fundamentalists do not represent the entire Hindu community. But they are people who believe in the ideology of “Hindutva”. Bipin Chandra explained in “Communalism- A Primer (2008)”: 

"Communalism is basically an ideology. By ideology, I mean a belief system or inter-related assumptions through which polity or society are viewed. Communalism is, in other words, a way of looking at politics and society and politics organised around that ideology.”

Ideology is important to spread the communal cause virally. Other activities are secondary and follow from the basic communal ideology. It is very much important to combat the ideology. Post independence, secular leaders including Nehru thought that communalism will die soon with industrialisation, spread of education and progress of science and technology. Leftists also believed that class struggle will overshadow the communal forces as they were talking about social transformation. Therefore little attention was given to the content of education and the scientific temper. As a matter of fact communal ideology has gripped the society. There has been a long and strategic penetration of the ideology including ‘Saffronization’ of school textbooks.

Communalism will not go on its own, whatever other steps like industrialisation and spread of education are taken. In recent years we have seen communalisation of a different kind as well. The communalisation of the police, administration and judiciary is no less than an alarm for the peace lovers and peace seekers and more importantly the secular identity of India. 

Communal violence cannot be confused with communalism. Communal ideology in many cases lead to communal violence, but the former is primary and the cause, the latter is the consequence. We must be clear in our minds that the Babri Masjid demolition or Gujarat riot were not simple sudden event. The ground for these celebrated RSS events were created well in advance in form of the ideological trap. No doubt that these violent acts helped spread the communalism hot-house fashion. It is the state who alone can successfully counter communal violence. A secular administration and police is required for this. What if the police and different officials are communal? This can only lead to a massacre of the “other”, as happened in the Gujarat riots where police administration was asked not to act for 72 hours while the burning was in process! 

Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, realised this. He advised the Chief Ministers of different states on 1.10.1950. He said:

"If they (District Magistrate and the Superintendent of Police) are competent and right minded, nothing wrong is likely to happen. But if they are not competent or if they temporize with communal or anti-social elements then trouble is bound to come sometime or the other. I think it would be a safe policy to put a black mark in the record of every district officer when a communal incident takes place and to inform him of this. The best of excuses are not good enough, just as all the reasons in the world which a defeated General may advance for his defeat are not good enough."

The supposedly Nationalist movement in independent India by the fascists Hindus had made the people of the country witness the worst time in a country known for its peace culture.

Saeed Naqvi in his ‘Musings of a Muslim’ in Sunday Times of India dated December 6, 1992 observed: 

If one day the Babri Masjid is dismantled, my faith in Hindu catholicism informs me that a large section of the Hindus will be as pained (they want the temple to be built, not the mosque to be destroyed) as the Muslims in India and Pakistan will be. 

Ironically, on the very day that the above was published, the Babri Masjid was destroyed by a 300,000 strong mob in Ayodhya. The demolition of the mosque plunged India into the worst outbreak of communal violence since partition. 

Rear view of the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya - Wikimedia Commons

After the demolition of the mosque there was an immediate outburst in the country. It seemed to many that the demolition was the first step in transforming ‘Hindustan’ (Urdu name for India; Urdu is an Indian language made out of Hindi and Persian language) into ‘Bharat’ (Sanskrit name for India). This lead to riots and killings of the Muslims in different parts of the nation. Innocent Hindus, who had nothing to do with the demolition, were also brutally killed. The politics of hatred once again proved that it saves none.

The culture war has done no good for the country and the greater humanity. Instead it has made the people learn “the art of hating”. In such times it is essential to look for the peace processes and the peaceful way for a better future. 

It is important not to be apolitical in such a politically volatile time. Being apolitical makes one an easy target of the ideological trap. It is just not about taking sides, but one needs to analyse the time he/she lives in. Politics of Hatred is not only suicidal but has the potential of mass destruction. 

A poem in Hindi can be quoted here to conclude:

“Agar tum Musalman se nafrat karte ho

To Musalman hoon main, 

Pasand nahi agar koi Hindu 

To Hindu samajh lena, 

Sikh ho agar napasand 

To samajhna sikh mujhe, 

Isaai ya yahoodi- 

Samajh lena mujhe apni samajh se… 

Kyoki tum insaan se nafrat karte ho, 

Aur insaan hoon main!” 

English translation:

If you hate any Muslim

Then I am a muslim, 

If you do not like a Hindu 

Then consider me a Hindu, 

If hating a Sikh helps you 

Then let me be a Sikh, 

Christian or Jews- 

You can consider me with all your wisdom… 

Because you hate a human, 

And I am a human! 

-Nihal Parashar

FILED UNDER: IDENTITY, POLITICS, SOCIETY

Author

About Nihal Parashar 

Nihal Parashar is a peace activist who uses theatre, writing, teaching and social media to bring peace.

Communal Violence in Secular India (Part 1)

Communal riots in Ahmedabad in February/March 2002. 

Photo from Wikimedia Commons. 

Skyline filled with smoke as buildings are set on fire by rioting mob.

This article was published in Pul-E-Jawan website on May 9, 2012. This was written few months back as an exercise to understand the rise of Hindu Nationalism post 1990. This is a small part of a very elaborate discourse.
Edited by Amrendra Shrivasrava for Pul-E-Jawan(Permalink: http://pulejawan.net/2012/05/communal-violence-in-secular-india/)

“There has been a monotonic increase in the barrier between the two communities, decade by decade, and what had begun as a by-product of the British rule has now become a fixed and extensive feature of the politics of contemporary India.”

-Amartya Sen, Economist and Nobel Laureate *

Secular India

There is no blinking to the fact that India as a nation has a secular character. Over the years the “secular Indians” have been making effort to establish the secular nature of the state in a better way. But incidents like Babri Masjid demolition, Godhra massacre, Sikh riots, Kandhmal riots, Bhagalpur riots, are serious questions on the well established “belief” that India is a secular State.

When we talk about communal violence in a secular setup, we question the administration of the state. But questioning alone does not help in confronting the reality. Is it the administration alone to blame for the communal outburst? Or there is more than what meets the eye? This paper is an attempt to look out for answers to such questions.

Post Independence, India has witnessed rise in Hindu communalism or “Hindutva” as coined by V.D.Savarkar in 1923. This ideological strategy of RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) led to Babri Masjid demolition in Ayodhya, in the year 1992, which was a long disputed sight. Creation of a Ram Temple at the sight of demolition is still the most important agenda of the BJP, 2ndlargest political party in the Parliament of India. The following riots after the demolition, especially in Bombay (now Mumbai), resulted in loss of more than 2,000 human lives.

Another major incident took place in Gujarat in the year 2002- a state supported massacre of the minority Muslims. Many hold Narendra Modi, the then (and present) Chief Minister of Gujarat, culprit for the massacre. The burning of the Sabarmati Express, which carried the ‘Kar Sevaks’ (volunteers for Ram Temple creation) on 27.02.2002, by the Muslim community as a result of a conflict (of which many versions are recorded) later resulted in loss of more than 2,000 human lives in different parts of Gujarat.

Romancing the Past

Matter of concern here is “human loss” which is result of the politics of Hatred. The hate for the “other” is deep rooted. This can be well understood by a suggestion given to M.J.Akbar, senior Indian journalist, by a Hindu Leader. He said, “The best solution to the Muslim problem in the subcontinent is to line up every Indian Muslim on the border with Pakistan, and then start a war: the Indian Army could finish Pakistan while Pakistan would finish India’s Muslims.” [1] M.J. Akbar took this as a joke!

The ideology of Hindutva (this is different from Hinduism) does not only talk about the national boundaries where it demands a “Hindu Rashtra” (Hindu Nation), but it also talks about the sacred boundary for the Hindu Rashtra- “Akhand Bharat” or undivided India. This is problematic. It is foolish to live in the past. Romanticising the past cannot help a nation to flourish.

The hatred for a particular religion is result of the politics of RSS, which during the freedom struggle of India portrayed India as a victim of not only British colonisers but the Muslim as well because of the Muslim invasions thousand years back. Savarkar, in his book “Hindutva” asks the question who has the right to live in the sacred land of India. Obvious answer he gives is Hindus. Other subsidiary religion to Hiduism like Sikhism, Jainism, Buddhism also find place in the holy land.

This is an ideological trap. Hindu communalism, which was portrayed as Hindu Nationalism in order to gain sympathy, gives enough reasons to the layman to believe that Hindu community which although constituted the majority of the nation, was basically victim of the Christians and Muslims.

Communal Relationship with Neighbours

The medieval era of India, which must be appreciated for its art and culture, was portrayed as the worst period in Indian history. The Hindu Nationalist discourse was further developed by M.S.Golwarkar, whose writings revolved around the question of construction of a cultural holism and national strength to negotiate and control the fragmenting impulses of modernity.

Mythology is confused with History in order to present a grand picture of the glorious India. This is a major reason why Ram Janm Bhumi (Birth place of Lord Rama) issue suddenly took the Hindu communal ideology to a total different height. Charisma of Ram was over emphasised by the television series “Ramayana” which was aired on Doordarshan in late1980s. We can also not under estimate the portrayal of Shivaji. He stood against Mughals on broad secular values but is often misinterpreted to promote parochialism and to divide the people on religious basis.

Pakistan holds a special place amongst the Hindu communalists. Partition of “Akhand Bharat” or the Undivided India, was a blow to the blind followers of the ideology. They firmly held M.K.Gandhi, amongst others, responsible for it, which led to his assassination by Nathu Ram Godse in 1948. Partition of India and creation of a new state Pakistan was a result of Muslim insecurity as well as Muslim communalism. Led by Jinnah, the Muslim communalism was put forward in the name of Muslim nationalism. Before 1947, the rage had gripped the communal Muslims in the name of Islamic nationalism; now the communal Hindus have taken to it and use it against the Muslims in the name of Hindu Nationalism; its worst exhibition has been the gruesome massacre of the innocent and helpless Muslims in Gujarat. [2]

Future is not necessarily safer than the past

In his book, Communalism- A Primer, Bipin Chandra talks about the consequences communal hatred can lead to. In such a situation when there seems a no way out, he says,

“While not giving way to a feeling of helplessness and hopelessness in facing the communalchallenge, the starting point has to be the realisation that the way out is going to be a long haul. There are no short-term or instant solutions to the problems generated over decades and generations. Communalisation of India has been occurring for over 100 years, actively encouraged for the 50 years before independence by the colonial rulers. De-communalisation has also, therefore, to be a process.” [3]

Although the secular forces see this as a problem, they fail to give a better alternative. The secular forces attack only the political wing of the ideology, the BJP, but abstains itself from talking about RSS and other related bodies like VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad), Bajrang Dal, and Shri Ram Sena who do not participate in the parliamentary system. Although BJP lost the 2004 parliament elections, the ideology is still a threat to secular India, and there is no reason to believe that the future is safer than the past.

To Be Continued

Author: Nihal Parashar, a Peace activist through theatre, writing, teaching and social media.

Notes

* Amartya sen, Foreword “Communal Rage in Secular India” by Rafiq Zakaria

1- Communal Rage in Secular India (2002) by Rafiq zakaria, page xxiv

2- Communal Rage in Secular India (2002) by Rafiq Zakaria, page xvi

3-Communalism- A Primer (2008) Bipin Chandra, page 1-2

(Read Part 2 here: http://nihalparashar.blogspot.in/2012/07/going-beyond-communal-ideology-and.html)