[Reader-list] Congress created Pakistan, Pakistan created the BJP? - Jawed Naqvi (DAWN)

[Rakesh Iyer]

Dear Kshamendra (and all)

Since you have put up this article, I would also like to share my views on
it. Mind you, it's not a comment on you, but this article.

The BJP is a party which has misused the Hindu religion, as equally as Islam
has been misused in Pakistan and other nations like Afghanistan in the name
of protecting culture, society and even the nation. However, this does not
mean they can be criticized for bringing religion into politics.

All those who feel that religion doesn't involve politics are living in a
fool's paradise. Religion is politics. It always involves politics. When it
is decided that a temple would be constructed for the devotees to express
their devotion, and people donate money for the cause, is it not politics.
Is it not the case if Muslims donate money for building a mosque? Isn't that
too politics?

Organized religion expects that people pray 5 times a day in a particular
direction. It asks that people should go to temples day in and day out. It
expects people to be always fearing God. It asks people to follow customs
and traditions which have no reasons or rationale. Isn't that politics?

The fact is that even Gandhi used religion in politics. And he himself
acknowledges it. When an earthquake struck Bihar in the pre-independence
period, (around 1934 I think), Gandhi went around telling people that the
earthquake was a price people paid for practicing untouchability. Isn't
untouchability politics? And didn't what Gandhi say and ask people to do
also meant politics?

The problem is not that religion is mixed with politics. It always was there
and is there in politics, and both are inter linked. The issue is that
religion should be used as an issue for constructive society building, as
this can certainly go a long way in human development. My problem with the
BJP is that it misuses religion to destroy society.

A scene of 'The Final Solution" :

In Ahmedabad, there is a place called Vejalpur. There, you can see something
called the 'border'. It's not an Indo-Pak border, it's a Hindu-Muslim
border. People from 'their' side don't cross over to the 'other' side unless
absolutely necessary and essential. They accuse each other of creating
troubles during 2002 after Godhra. And while Hindus are living in tall
buildings and belong to middle class, Muslims are living in slums or
shanties. And both accuse each other of violence.

My issue is not that any side is pious; both may have indulged in stone
pelting and violence. As I see it, there is a class and religion gap between
the two people. If I would have been CM of Gujarat, I would have been
ashamed of such divisions and would have got children of people living on
either side of the border (with proper fencing) to study in common schools,
so as to at least get rid of the suspicions and wrong notions about each
other. What has Modi and his government done about it?

Those who talk about Gandhi must know that he used religion to bridge gaps
in society. He was proud that Hinduism gave him the tools to do so. Today,
people are misusing Hinduism to create divisions. As for Advani, the less
said the better. Whenever anybody talks about BJP, nationalism and other
things, Kandahar was, is and will be an albatross around the neck of BJP for
the issues they raise. (And unlike others, I would say BJP did the right
thing then)

As for Pakistan and BJP, it is Pakistan which has ensured that BJP survives
on the basis of its ideology. If there is no Pakistan (suppose it were to be
bombed or some other configuration emerges with no Taliban), the ideology of
RSS and their supporters would go away for a toss. Anyways, for their
handling of Indo-Pak crisis at different times, the BJP only deserves kicks,
tomatoes and eggs.

And unlike what Modi says, the day BJP wins an absolute majority in
Parliament, Pakistan army would be celebrating the most like our BJP
supporters here. And if required, US satellites would show proofs of that.

Regards

Rakesh