Hindutva
or Development
By Ram Puniyani
countercurrents.org
21 January, 2004
The recent victory of BJP in MP, Chattisgarh
and Rajasthan (Dec. 2003) is being attributed to development issues
taken up by BJP in these states.
Many a commentators have opined that now BJP is coming out of the grip
of Hindutva and is focusing on the much-needed development issues. These
comments are coming even at a time when the scars of Gujarat carnage,
the Modi's victory on the Hindutva plank are fresh in our minds. Is
there a change in the track of BJP and is it that it is now going to
give up Hindutva as the goal and program of its politics?
The first point,
which is striking in the current scene, is that in the states where
BJP has raised the BSP (Bijali, Sadak, Pani) issues are the one's where
Congress Governments have been ruling. The social development is a multifactor
issue and the ruling Governments' especially in Rajasthan and MP were
focusing on `soft development' like education and health. One can concede
that the `hard' development, like roads and electricity, were not as
much on the priority of those Governments. Did the electorate not register
these facts of social policy of the ruling Governments? Did the voters
feel that it is BJP, which can solve their problems? One has witnessed
enough of BJP rule to say that BJP Government's. have hardly concentrated
on the developments in a serious way. Despite the projection of `Resurgent
Gujarat' by its shrewd Chief minister, one knows that Gujarat is definitely
slipping down in the social development indices. BJP is not a party
for which the issue of development matters in a serious way.
Even in these states
overt and covert attempt to project Hidutva were present all through.
Uma Bharati tried to raise the issue of Bhojshala, Togadia of trishul
diksha etc. It is another matter that both these were nipped in the
bud. The whole paraphernalia of Sangh Parivar did campaign on the supposedly
Hindutva issues. The door-to-door campaigns gave that message and the
leaflets accompanying the voter's cards were accompanied by the messages
from the Hindu Jagran manch and from the horde of brother organisations
of BJP. This party has a distinct advantage that being the political
child of RSS, other progeny of RSS is eveready and in full preparation
to supplement the BJP's actions, especially those that should be inviting
the censure of election commission, those related to its use of naked
communal issues in the election campaigns. Since these organizations
do not talk the direct language of electoral politics, they escape the
wrath of auditor of the electoral process, the election commission.
One major factor
contributing to BJP victory has been the social engineering and co-opting
sections of Adiviasis to Sangh Parivar (SP) fold. Amongst Adivasis,
Vanvasis Kalyan Ashrams have been engaged in Hinduisning and Hindutvaising
them. It is likely that a combination of various factors is resulting
in Adivasis succumbing to the designs of RSS. Many an Adiviasi do ape
the upper castes and tend to give in to SP designs. This Sankritisation
process, which is based on identity politics, is the major weapon of
SP which has been pressed in to operation from last many years. In addition
the fragmentation of Dalit movement is the other major factor due to
which many a dalits also succumb to the guiles of Hindutva politics.
Hindutva, anti-minoritism is the basic signature of this politics, accompanies
BJP like the network of cell phone companies, trying to reach the customer
destinations as far as possible.
The issue of BSP
is mere incidental as for as BJP electoral propaganda and plank is concerned.
In a clever manner it is capable of utilizing even the
development issue into its pantheon without meaning it. Where it was
in power, Gujarat, it used Hindutva, i.e. threat of minorities, thats
what is the obvious face of this politics. In these states since the
anti incumbency was present, it decided to use this also as the launching
pad for victory. The strategy was to combine overt development issues
with covert Hindutva
message, and that being supplemented by clever social engineering, cooption
of Adivasis.
BJP, which was formed
on the plank of Gandhian socialism, did adopt this slogan at a time
when both these words had prestige and social acceptability. In due
course BJP found that these pretensions are not leading it far. And
in the post Shah Bano period it latched on to the aggressive Hidnutva
to ride the
chariot of electoral power. The dumping of Gandhian Socialism, was so
clever that it could not even be noticed by the society. It could whip
up the
sentiments of sections of Hindus. It went hammer and tongs on the path
of Hindu fundamentalism and raised practically every non-essential issue.
The Mandal commission implementation gave it an opportunity to further
consolidate sections of upper caste and affluent upper classes around
its agenda and politics. The issues it selected to project depended
on the
context and every time a subtle message was inherent in those for appeal
to the sections, which are its major support base. The opposition to
Mandal did not come in the direct form but in the parallel projection
of Ram Temple. It was said that as `they brought forward Mandal so we
have brought Kamandal' (The issue of caste being opposed by subtle religiosity).
Occasionally it was asserted that Muslims are our flesh and blood, at
the same time the issues, which can torment the Muslim minorities, were
propped up.
Aggressive Nationalism
is the other major plank, which always accompanies the BJP propaganda.
It is essentially a political wing of RSS, which is wedded
to the concept of Hindu Rashtra, a concept totally opposed to the secular
democratic India as envisioned in our constitution. It is worth recalling
here that the greatest Hindu of 20th Century Mahatma Gandhi neither
supported the idea of Hindutva nor the goal of Hindu Rashtra. Hindu
rashtra is the one, which exists here from last 5-8000 years in this
land according to this assertion. The social hierarchical values of
caste and gender are the core of Hindu Rashtra. India as a Nation in
the making is the totally opposite concept in which the transformation
of caste and gender hierarchy accompanies the social development.
Accordingly SP aims
at status quo to begin with and to reverse the social transformation
achieved during last decades if possible. This requires coming to electoral
power. The methods adopted for this have been emotional appeal of Ram
Temple, supplenmted by anti minority rhetoric. Depending on circumstances,
the other issues are roped in for purely tactical reasons and this will
be needed only till BJP is brought in to majority on its own, after
which the development issue will no more be necessary as it is counterproductive
to the process of status quo. And it is an incidental matter as for
this political outfit is concerned.
Time and over again
the top leaders of BJP do take care to ensure that their message of
Hidnutva is not lost, their primary loyalty to RSS and its agenda is
reiterated. It is in this context that some of them will assert that
primarily they are swayamsewaks (RSS volunteers) or that Ram temple
will be built. The division of labor in the Sangh Parivar further ensures
the needed `balance' is always kept. If Vajpayee can not talk about
Hindutva, Togadia will precede or follow him, if Advani cannot talk
the language of Hate Muslims directly, Ashok Singhal will do the job,
if Murali Manohar Joshi cannot spew the poison against Christian missionaries,
Dilip Sigh Judeo will supplement that.
The coming times
are going to be more crucial as far as electoral battles are concerned.
The BJP led NDA coalition is going to suffer from the incumbency
factor, the people's frustration with decling jobs, economic travails
and all that. A right mix of Hindutrva and development will be devised
for that occasion and efforts will be made to have good of both the
worlds, sacred and profane, to ride back to power. It depends on secular,
plural forces to see if they can pull up their socks to put all their
might together to ensure that the subtle agenda of retrograde politics
called Hinduta is halted in its tracks in the right time. It is high
time, that by sinking all the differences and egos, all those committed
to upholding the values of pluralism come together. It is imperative
that we chart a course which ensures that all types of communalism is
pushed back and the central issues of bread, butter and shelter are
taken in the right earnest, not just for electoral victories but to
ensure their real implementation.