Masks Unlimited:Vajpayee,
Babri Demolition And Gujarat Riots
By Ram Puniyani
11 March, 2005
Pluralindia.comVajpayee had been one of the Unique Selling Points of BJP till the last elections. It was around his moderate image that it could get other parties like Samata, JDU and the like to become the part of a coalition with a party, which till 1996 was untouchable for its overt communal orientation and its role in Babri demolition. After BJP took to the Rath Yatra for Ram temple Vajpayee was not in the forefront and gave the impression as if he is not in total agreement with the 'politics of hate' generated around the temple movement. Just prior to this he had authored 'Gandhian Socialism' as the credo of his party, BJP. He did project his moderate image and it was also groomed with care. Many of his politically moderate statements were used by the media and also by other sections to project him as one of the Best Prime Ministers India ever had. His 'poetic nature' and ability to shed tears in the aftermath of Babri demolition became legendary and served as the pivot around which many a gullible citizens pinned the hope for future of India around him. He also became the mascot of Shining India campaign.
Its not that all believed in this picture which was deliberately built by his careful stance and the support of the helpful section of media. There were those who felt that he is merely play-acting as a moderate while his commitment to Hindu Rashtra i.e. the agenda of demolition of Indian democracy, is second to none. Amongst those who knew this were also from amongst his fellow swaymsevaks, the RSS volunteers. And one of them could not withhold his assessment of this man and called him as the mask of RSS, of Hindutva politics. This swayamsevak had to pay the price for speaking the truth and he is cooling his heels outside the corridors of electoral politics, out of the possibility of the seats of power. His name is not difficult to guess, the well-known RSS ideologue, Govindacharya. One really does not know why Gobvindacharya decided to make public his assessment of Vajapayee and in turn to invite his wrath. So be it. As the adage goes you cannot fool all the people all the time so is the parallel understanding that the truth will triumph and the hidden agendas and goals cannot remain hidden beyond a point. And that's what happened occasionally during the rule of BJP led NDA coalition, and that's what came out last week (March-Feb 2005) when two unrelated things tore off the last (hopefully) mask from the face of the ex-prime minister Mr. Vajpayee.
In one of the video CDs he is seen expressing his glee and feelings about the impending Kar Seva of 6th Dec. i.e. the plan of Babri demolition. It can not be dismissed as being in the lighters vein, he proclaims that he does not know what will happen tomorrow and also that he has been instructed not to go to Ayodhya. His body language in the video is that of a diehard politician who is assertive and seems to be part of the conspiracy but his role seems to have been to take care of the fallout rather than being at the site of destruction. One recalls that it is the same person who shed tears on the razing of the mosque. Later he went on to say that this is what happens when the sentiments of majority are not respected by the state. He also bounced back and demanded the particular type of treatment for Advani and other demolishers. For some time the rumor was also making rounds that he is planning to leave the party to float some other outfit. Brilliant performance!
In one of the interviews to a Malayalam magazine, Manav Samskriti, Ex-President K.R.Narayanan points out that there was a conspiracy between the Gujarat Govt. and the central Govt. headed by Vajpayee. Despite Narayanan's repeated requests through personal communications Vajpayee stood his ground to let the butchery go on in Gujarat as planned by another member of his parivar, Narendra Modi. Around this time he also did call that this Gujarat carnage was a shame for the Nation, he also stated that what face would he show abroad where he was due to visit shortly. But surprisingly while at that time he could have dismissed Modi, instead he just gave a mild rebuke to Modi that Rajdharma (Kings moral duty) should be followed. Again this was said in round about way. Interestingly in a convention of the party around that time he did go on to state that wherever there are Muslim there is trouble and also hinted that Gujarat carnage was a revenge of the train burning by Muslims! He postponed his trip to Gujarat during the carnage on the plea that he was going by the advice of his security people! Brilliant again!
On the parallel track one sees that around that time there were many an attacks on Christian missionaries on the ground that they are converting the gullible Adivasis. On a trip to Gujarat, rather than assuaging the feelings of the missionaries who were battered he went on to demand a National debate on the conversions!
In a way it was just the logical extension of his politics right from the time he started his career in the RSS, in early forties. It was the time when youth of the country were full of the sentiments of Indian ness. He came up with his poem Hindu jivan hindu Tan man, (Hindu life, Hindu body and soul), much acclaimed in the RSS shakhas. At that time youth of the country was participating in the freedom movement, boycotting the schools and colleges. Due to closure of his college he returned to his village Bateshwar where the village youth participated in the Quit India movement and went and broke the forest law as a symbol of that. Vajpayee was an onlooker along with his brother, and was arrested. Soon after his arrest he gave a confessional statement to get released, " I along with my brother followed the crowd, I did not cause any damage. I did not render any assistance in demolishing the government buildings" (From facsimile of the confession letter). But in order to garner the support for himself, especially from NRI's, he circulated an article on the net claiming that he had participated in the freedom struggle! "I also participated in the Quit India movement in 1942 and was jailed"! This lie of his was nailed in an article in Frontline (Dube and Ramkrishanan, Feb. 20 1998) but of course it did not deter this person in his usual games.
These are things overtly known but not too well known to the public. It is despite this (or rather because of this) that an aura was created around him and he did bask in the limelight of self-glory. As a matter of fact his association with RSS and his loyalty to the agenda of RSS, the one of Hindu Nation and Hindutva politics remained the central point of his politics and gave him the craftiness and ability to pretend moderation and double speak, a role which suited him perfectly.
