Verdict Maharashtra:
2004
By Ram Puniyani
03 November, 2004
Countercurrents.org
Close
on the heals Lok sabha (Parliament) elections, the results of Maharshtra
elections have come as a big blow to BJP and its allies, Shiv Sena in
case of Maharashtra. In the keenly contested elections in
Maharashtra, BJP coalition initially tried to test the waters of emotive
issues. Tiranga, Savarkar, Bangladeshi immigrants and to its dismay
found that these issues are no longer able to rouse the passions of
average people the way similar issues did few years ago. Than they were
left with no option but to talk of worldly issues of the people but
as average people have already seen their performance during the period
of 94-99 it did not wash and they were trounced at the hustings. It
is also to be remembered that the 'Mumbai chauvinism' displayed by Shiv
Sena, like the attitude towards, Non Marathi speaking could not be forgotten
by the electorate. The campaign of Mee Mumbaikar with its xenophobic
tone, the beating up of Non Maharashtiran boys by Shiv Sainiks was too
fresh in the minds of people.
As far BJP, the
Gujarat has been a big blow to the sensibilities of the 'aam adami'
(common man), the whole carnage on the pretext of Godhra and the post
carnage humiliation and intimidation of minorities and the Supreme Court
injunctions against Gujarat Government have an indelible impression
on the minds of people. The dis-investment of the major properties in
Mumbai, Centaur Hotel, at throw away price and the petrol pump allotment
to the RSS coterie by previous govt., revealed a lot about this political
outfit.
During Lok Sabha
elections (mid 2004) also the emotive issues failed to click, the high
fi 'shining India' campaign was perceived as an insult by the deprived
masses and the highly confidant BJP electoral machine had to bite the
dust. It seems, gradually the electorate has realized over a period
of last one decade that the divisive politics promoted in the garb of
religion is dangerous to society's amity and the poor and marginalized
suffer much worse during BJP regimes. It is their concerns, which get
pushed back to promote the interests of the handful of elite and 'shining
Indians' of the society. It is the Adivasis, dalits, workers, minorities
and women who suffer much worse during such Governments.
So is it that it
is the end of road for the BJP type religion based politics, the Shiv
Sena type sectarianism? Is it the end of the cycle of ascendance, which
began with Advani's Rath Yatra in the year 1990, the campaign which
was meant to distract the social attention for the Mandal, the need
for addressing the issues related to social justice? One Recalls that
these parties propagating their politics in the garb of religion Were
able to create a mass hysteria around Ram Temple to begin with. This
increased their electoral strength by and by to the extent that they
could come to power in the Center. When this emotive appeal began to
decline, the Godhra happened and the clever projection of threat of
terrorism did the trick and Gujarat could be won back with bigger majority
by BJP's Narendra Modi, under whose supervision the biggest massacre
of 21st Century has taken place. While this helped the BJP to have immediate
gains, in the medium term it has become and albatross in BJP's neck
and has been working against its political ambitions.
So is it the end
of road for communal politics? Is it that we can Breathe easy and ignore
the threat of RSS and its progeny? It will be suicidal For democratic
values to think in those terms. The votes-polled in favor of these parties
is substantial. One has to know that the communal poison
sown by this outfit has reached far and wide. One should know that RSS
trained swayamsevaks have infiltrated in most of the walks of our society,
educational, cultural and media. Its penetration into bureaucracy and
other wings of state structures has been phenomenal. By now it must
have hundreds of front organizations which are spreading hate against
minorities in particular and against weaker sections of society in general.
Its funding by the NRIs must be incalculable.
It is sure to come
up with more aggressive intimidating strategies in Due course of time.
Already one of its progeny VHP is asserting that return To Hindutva
is called far if they have to win elections. In the past we Have seen
that communal violence, orchestrated in a very clever manner, so That
it looks to have been initiated by the 'others', has been the major
Weapon of consolidation of RSS ideology. One cannot take it easy that
so much subjective power bend upon destroying the concept of Democratic
Secular India and to bring in Hindu Nation is scattered all over.
The need Today is
to combat this poisonous ideology. The very notion of fraternity (community)
has been mauled by the hate ideology dished out through shakhas and
other outlets of RSS. We are witnessing the 'mini Pakistans' and 'borders'
right in our cities and small towns. Surely no society Can progress
under these circumstances. The need is that we try to build bridges
between our communities at social level. The need is to celebrate our
diversity, to have mutual respect for different traditions of the country.
The defeat of BJP. Shiv Sena should not lull us into slumber.
We can only think
that this has given the secular democratic forces space And time to
bring together communities, to bring back the social issues Back as
the major concerns of our social and political polices.