Continuing the conspiracy series-
taking the artistic liberty of being subversive, allow me to think a little
subversively about current Indian politics, especially the ruling BJP first.
For a longtime BJP and its
ideological mentor – RSS were keen to replace our parliamentary election by
an American model presidential election. During the last NDA regime, hawkish
politician of that time, Advani as a deputy prime minister, once even
tried to initiate a debate on the same. Although no one gave much importance to the same at that point of time,
finds new voice after running the successful
american model campaign during 2014
national election. Is it BJP trying to
build a national political discourse of right vs left to further that
agenda? Strangely the evidences are
proving to be positive!.
In spite of winning a brute
majority in parliament in 2014 and running a
Guinness book effort of "missed call" party membership
campaign, unfortunately as of now BJP
could not build the party infrastructure at booth level like its competitors
Congress or any other regional parties. Other than the elected representatives
and their hand picked henchmen, one would find it difficult to locate a local
leader or a party office in your vicinity.
Tragedy of this "party unto
himself" situation is, making or unmaking of this local elected
representative effectively also means the making or unmaking the party. Since there are no party infrastructure like
party office and permanent office bearers, in long run these custodians of
party will start smarting the "party themselves" trait- a potential
danger for any political party on long run especially for a centralised
political structure like BJP. When one considers the reality that in Indian politics, a long run means only five years, one will
understand this danger in a better perspective.
Bihar election did expose this fault line of
BJP. In spite of putting up an year long carpet bombing by BJP stalwarts and
its centralised political management, a
four month old political agreement by otherwise arch rivals of Bihar
politics had mustered the strength to
finish BJP in its prestigious political battle. The only difference between BJP
and its rivals were its local political infrastructure. While BJP's opponents had booth level
permanent offices, office bearers and
party members, BJP on the other hand had
only its political leaders and its Guinness book party membership followers( not even
members!). Their convenient policy of
considering RSS as political infrastructure had disastrously boomeranged in
Bihar. One should not forget the fact that in a Hindu majority country, RSS
still remains as an unease in the political structure than a bankable
infrastructure and its membership is still remain less than one percentage of
population.
Despite this reality calling, BJP
and its president seems to be convinced that the role of party is only about
winning election and believes that it can be resurrected at every election!
Considering the existence of huge political think tank for BJP, who are the best
“pundits” of political wheel and deal, one should not consider this trait as an
accident. This had to be a long drawn political strategy. Reading the recent
news clip in Times of India about the growing shakhas of RSS under Modi regime
only reinforces this argument. Here are few of my conspiracy suggestions
1. BJP does not want a booth level
party infrastructure, BJP wants mob.
Caste angle: The ideological
mentor of BJP : the upper caste driven organisation can never be inclusive even
at their expansion. In the past, they
founded many - now they call as fringe- organisations like Bajrang dal,
VHP, vanvasi kalyan ashram and so on and
so forth to include the marginalised and caste hindu "avarnas" to
maintain the "purity" of the core organisation RSS and its think
tanks- Vivekananda international foundation, India foundation (one exception MJ
Akbar also member of this), forum for integrated national security and few
others (estimated to be eight in number).
A booth level political
infrastructure for a political party in India would mean that the marginalised
and caste hindu "avarnas" also getting an upper hand in political
decisions above these RSS "savarna" infrastructures. RSS would at any
cost want to avoid such a scenario and would want to limit these sections of people
in their fringe organisations that are not directly connected to electoral
politics. At the most what they can do is vote mobilization, terrorizing, rioting
and do all those dirty jobs these “elite
savarana manipulators” wants them to impliment. Very few would rise
above the ranks from these fringe "avarna" Hindus in BJP or if at all any one do rise
above the ranks with their exceptional leadership qualities, they would make
sure that it will only be through the
blessings of a RSS "savarna" leader. In totality for RSS, the booth level political
infrastructure for BJP that represents electoral power politics of RSS is an
antithesis to its "savarna" agenda. So they will do every possible
tricks of “chanakya neeti” to sabotage such a scenario.
The recent national vs
antinational business should be seen in this backdrop, since these manufactured
agendas with no roots whatsoever are better suited to RSS lead party to oppress
those genuine concerns of the country like prolonged agrarian crisis,
employment, education and health. Raising these issues would also mean raising
rural leadership that are mostly driven by caste “avarna” Hindus and other backward
castes or people from other religion. So
these historically “Manipulative”, “savarna” think tanks, who had always used OBC and Dalit warriors to protect their
interest in the name of “ patriotism” continue to do the same trick even today
at the beginning of 21st century. For them all those who are better
suited for their agenda remains “nationalists” and all those who are against
are “ anti nationals”: a clear binary “either with us or you are the enemy”
declaration.
One should not confuse this trait
with even “ hitler’s Nazi” or mussolini’s fascism, since this Indian phenomena
is much complex than a race or religion. In India, this savarna syndrome is much more crude and cunning
than those nazis and fascists. As a matter of fact t unlike those race supremacists, Indian caste supremacy is not even worried about the religion or culture, considering within the religion, these self
appointed custodians of Indian culture are only interested to elevate their
position by controlling the entire “Gods” of the nation; the last
resort of a helpless poor. This is completely
different from race dominance argument. From the days of Vedas, one would find in
the history of Hinduism and it’s philosophical schools, a tireless effort and fight to question or neutralize this
cacophony or anti thesis to humanity. Unfortunately
time and again using the control over the “God” through temples and rituals (
one should not forget, most of the Gods worshiped today are caste Hindu Gods appropriated by these section of
society. Except Vishnu no other Vedic Gods find place in popular Hindu belief
system now. ) they are able to threaten the caste Hindus at individual level to
mobilise a collective frenzy for their
advantage. Ram and Ram’s temple symbolizes this cunning agenda and so is “Bharat
mata”.
Savarna Hindus will
remain the beneficiary and avarna hindus can become the martyr or foot soldier
for its upkeep!. The difference is the RSS savarna ideologues and VHP rogues.
So BJP and its mentor, RSS does
not want a booth level party infrastructure for BJP, they just want their foot
soldier rogue “avarna mob”.
Unfortunately BJP and its
ideologues do not realize that technology accentuated 21st century
has changed India much to their discomfurt.
Through thousands of centuries, the “Savarna” class of the hindu society
could successfully stifle the rise of “Avarna” hindu’s by denying the access to
education. But the post independent and especially in a technology accentuated 21st
century, India is changing that demography much faster than anyone has imagined.
Post Rohit Vehmula suicide unrest in Indian campuses signifies that change.
India is going to witness more and more
assertive, not much religious (who can not be controlled by the colonization of
the God alone) educated and demanding non savarna Indians occupying visibly and
physically the privileges and positions once occupied by the savarna Hindus
using their access to education and knowledge.
So it is time for RSS and BJP to think effectiveness of their age old trick in Indian politics and their own relevance if they continued to practice it. Their holy myths of religion will not be able to stand the academic critique and its rational objective from educated minds. Even if they unleash a panic onslaught on Universities after Universities- especially Humanities universities, will not make any impact on Indian society. The number of educated marginalized with rational critical minds are emerging across the nation and in front of them this holy religious myths business will stand the chance only for a mockery of intelligence. Ambedkar is only a beginning. Bihar has shown the result. The emerging educated aspirational India does not want your unholy “ holy myths”, rather India prefers rationality of politics: a practicing politician at booth level who would not preach them nationalism but helps them find solutions to their day to day living. Do not confuse, its not mob who voted Modi to power, it was an aspirational young Indian, who has seen the other side of the world on TV and internet did vote for Mr.Modi.
As a matter of act that young Indian did not even vote for Mr. Modi, they in fact were casting their vote for those life that their tv and internet shown them as possible: a life they believe is their right- the right of an educated, informed Indian.
Continued….