Contestation And Conflict of Ideas: Love-Jihad As A Challenge To Plural Society
By David Dani lal
03 October, 2014
Countercurrents.org
The society is premised around different ideas constantly rubbing each other. As we look to move towards future, simultaneously we are pulled back by history. Both history and idea of future here being constructed by several dynamics and often competing claims. It is argued that ideas that come with a promise of future should be based on harmony rather than hatred. The recent episodes emerging in Indian politics such as politics against Love, in protection of Cow and anti-conversion orchestrated by the right-ward party is threatening the multi-cultural democratic fabric of the society. Politics apart from being understood as terrain of power and domination also means ‘shaping and sharing of power’. It is this aspect of ‘sharing’ that becomes the crucial part in shaping the future human civilisation. To build a harmonious society, existence of different ideas must be appreciated. In India, different traditions in the past have shaped the creation of present secular society. This idea of secularism was further concretised by our constitution-which carries equal admiration for diverse ideas.
‘Love-Jihad’: A Social Diktat
The recent incidents centred on the creation of a ‘universal dominant idea’ in Indian politics are posing challenge to the existence of diverse ideas. The concept of ‘Love-Jihad’, like ‘cow’s slaughter’ and religious conversion is an attempt to re-invent the communal politics in India. ‘Love-Jihad’, the deliberative hyphenated use of English and Arabic words, both termed aliens by Hindutva forces, communicates the audience the attachment to foreign and external. Moreover, it generates specific curiosity and creates a mass appeal. ‘Love-Jihad’, arrived in the public discourse in the year 2009 in southern states like Kerala and Karnataka. Due to the claims of Hindu Janajagiriti Samiti (Hindu People’s Awakening Organisation) that about 30,000 young women were ‘duped’ by so-called ‘Love-Romeos’ (again note the use of fashionable English term) attracted sympathy towards Hindu women. The events rumoured in the post-love marriage events invited some serious attention. Entire Muslim community was alleged of forceful conversion of the married women or forcing the women to convert for love-marriage. Now, this allegation was located in the broader discourse of demography and increase of Muslim population. Therefore, the fear of majority from the growing power of minority due to alleged demographic change. Harmony in majoritarian term would then mean staus-quo in terms on power and domination. Meanwhile, the courts did not find convincing evidence to support either, ‘Love-Jihad’ or forced conversion. However, the event does trigger the Hindu communal activism in politics similar to the early 1990’s. It gave rise to communal consciousness among different communities. The Hindutva ideology which propagates homogenous Hindu identity in India was re-surfacing in experimental manner.
‘Love-Jihad’, as an idea is also carved from the growing global animosity against the Muslims after the attack on the twin towers on September 11, 2001. The right-wing politics in India, has harnessed the existing global perception of ‘Islamophobia’ (an artificial creation) to push the campaign of ‘Love-Jihad’. It is alleged as a domestic agenda of ‘Love-Jihadist’ to seduce the Hindu women into marriage. Do these events have any relation with the electoral victory of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) under the leadership of Modi? If we see the timing of the re-birth of ‘Love-Jihad’ in Indian politics is co-incidentally related to BJP’s win and forthcoming assembly elections in Haryana and Maharastra and by-polls in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat. First, the thumping electoral victory by Modi is seen as triumph of Hindutva politics and defeat of politics of ‘minority appeasement’. Second, the non-existence of opposition parties is observed as ‘end of ideology’ and ‘end of history’ by the supporters of saffron brigade. Third, it has rejuvenated the local organisations such as Ram Sena, and others which discipline the society in the name of Bharatiya Sanskriti (Indian culture). These attempts can be argued on the grounds of ‘Consolidation’ of Hindu community and ‘Othering’ of minority communities. Interestingly, BJP does not directly bring such issues to the fore front rather it is routed through other regional and national level right wing organisations. These efforts are pushing the pendulum of suspicion on Muslims as extremists and also an attempt to externalise the community from the everyday socio-political imaginary. On the other hand, the invocation of ‘Love Jihad’ is also a form of control over the women and taking away their agency. Further, institution of marriage is reinforced in a manner that controls sexuality and choice both men and women. Curtailing the right to choose one’s partner is also an essential facet of the ‘Love Jihad’ debate which is less discussed in this paper.
Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb: A Quest for Just Society
These communal tactics to exploit the vote bank and ‘consolidate’ the Hindus and ‘othering’ of the Muslim community is a threat to the idea of tolerance in the society. The socio-cultural life of north India was based on the Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb means harmonious co-existence of distinct cultures. The society was organically structured through mutual acceptance of different practices, norms and values. Now these are intimidated by the attempt to homogenise society on the religious basis. The alternative social vision based on social equality propagated by social thinker such as Kabir, Ravidas, Tukaram, Chokamela, Phule and others holds immense significance. Kabir’s imagination of Tehzeeb carried the message of cultural plurality, respect for different value system and humanism. Kabir, himself was born to Hindu parents was brought up by Muslim couple. Kabir in his poetry imagines building a social vision of constructing Premnagar-The City of Love. It’s a land filled with love, tolerance and mutual co-existence where there is no hatred. Kabir was one of the important architects of syncretic tradition in Indian society which propagates the inter-mixture and tolerance of different ideas. He was critiques the centralisation of power, manipulation of facts and imposition of dominant idea. Kabir universalised the concept of love, opposed the ownership love as caste and religion specific and emphasised its constructive role in the society. Even after years have passed, thousands of Kabirpanthis (followers of Kabir’s teaching) comprised of Hindu, Muslims and others communities continue to uphold the plural values in the society. The idea of Prem Nagar continues to live in the imagination of millions of people in the society. Hindutva’s imagination of devising homogeneity stands contradictory to the idea of syncretic tradition and appreciation of freedom in choice of partner. Idea of love is essential to India of today similar to freedom, rights, justice and equality. Every individual of any gender, caste, religion, ethnicity, creed, race, colour, etc. should have right to choose partner. Love-Jihad hate campaign is no lesser to Manus social laws, fatwas of Taliban regime and diktats of Khap panchayat.
(The Writer is Research Scholar at Centre for the Study of Discrimination and Exclusion, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University)
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