[Reader-list] Fwd: [humanrights-movement:1632] Election Verdict 2009 -Whither BJP ISP June 2009 III

[Venugopalan K M]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: ram puniyani <ram.puniyani at gmail.com>
Date: Sat, Jun 13, 2009 at 9:22 AM
Subject: [humanrights-movement:1632] Election Verdict 2009 -Whither
BJP ISP June 2009 III
To: ram puniyani <ram.puniyani at gmail.com>


Election Verdict 2009- Whither BJP?



Ram Puniyani



The resounding defeat of BJP in the 2009 elections, decline in number
of seats and decline in voting percentage prompted various BJP
insiders and sympathizers to do some introspection. Where did the
party go wrong? In his piece in Times of India 4th June 2009, Swapan
Dasgupta feels that BJP has got too much identified with Hindutva,
which is no more appealing to large section of Hindus so it needs to
come out of this image for a makeover. Sudheendra Kulkarni (Tehelka
13th June 2009), looks at the defeat as close Advani aide and also as
an insider and points out that Advani was not sufficiently backed up
by RSS and BJP. He also says that BJP’s implementation of Hindutva
looked to be anti minorities and that its links with RSS need to be
given a second look.



Kulkarni projects as if Hindutva is all inclusive, Hindu identity is
core of Indian Nationalism, and Cultural nationalism is not meant for
Hindus alone. One can infer that Kulkarni basically stands by the core
RSS concepts of Hindutva, Cultural Nationalism and Integral humanism
and finds BJP practices faulty in this direction. One can point out
that since Kulkarni is an insider, associated with BJP from the times
of Advani’s Rath nay, blood yatra, and is close to the top echelons of
BJP and that he had all the time to point out to BJP leadership as to
how their practice is deviating from the genuine Hindutva. One is not
sure whether this has been done inside the party forums, any way lets
keep that aside.



Concepts and ideologies are not made in the thin air. They reflect the
needs of social groups. These terms couched in the language of
religion were devised by ideologues of declining sections of Hindu
society, the landlords and Brahmins from early nineteen twenties
onwards. The term Hindutva in particular came into being as the
politics of Hindu Mahasabha and RSS. It stood for politics of Hindus,
for the building of Hindu Rashtra. This word was coined by Savarkar in
1920s and was meant to be an alternate notion of politics to the one
being articulated by national movement led by Gandhi. Similar concept
of nationalism, based on the values of liberty, equality and
fraternity were also articulated by Ambedkar, while the third major
stream during freedom movement, Bhagat Singh and Communists, dreamt of
a Socialist society, based on the notions of substantive equality and
state regulating the social relations to ensure this equality.



It must be pointed out that the concept of Hindutva aims at Hindu
nation, in parallel to the concept of Muslim nation being propounded
by Muslim League, and in opposition to the concept of democratic
secular nation, the concept for which national movement was working.
This Indian nationalism is all inclusive, inclusive of all religions,
castes and both genders. The concepts of Hindu and Muslim nations are
exclusive concepts. The second point is that the Gandhi-Ambedkar
Nationalism was based on the equality of caste and gender while
HIndutva and the ideology of Muslim nationalism were continuum of the
feudal values, the harping on caste and gender hierarchy. In the same
direction later Deen Dayal Upadhyay the ideologue of RSS-BJP very
cleverly put up the concept of Integral Humanism. This concept argues
that as any organism is well balanced due to the division of work
between different parts of the body, similarly different social groups
perform different well defined tasks to provide the equilibrium for
the proper social functioning. This in a way talks of status quo in
the caste and gender relation prevalent in society.



Similarly Cultural nationalism as propounded by RSS and adopted by BJP
stands for the elite Brahminical culture as the synonym for Indian
ness. All in all this is precisely what RSS defines and BJP practiced
so far. There cannot be equal place of dalits, women and non Hindus in
this scheme of things. Swapan Dasgupta feels BJP has to drop Hindutva,
to provide an alternative based on good governance, non dynasty
politics etc. Kulkarni’s reading of Hindutva and integral humanism is
from the world of make-believe, totally off the mark. The simple
question is why were these practitioners of Hindutva, cultural
nationalism aloof from National movement? It is this National movement
which laid the basis of India and achieved India’s independence. These
streams which take the cover of glorious traditions focus only on
those traditions are elitist. In Indian context the concepts Hindu
nationalism and Muslim Nationalism derive their legitimacy from
Brahminical and Ashrafs (Muslim elite) stream respectively. Why can’t
RSS-BJP talk that primarily they are loyal to the values of Liberty,
Equality and Fraternity and dump all those concepts built around
religious identity? It is because these religion based concepts are
the best cover for oppression of women, dalits and non Hindus. And in
turn these concepts also demonize, intimidate and commit violence
against minorities, trying to reduce them to second class citizens.



BJP could come to power only because of harping on identity of Lord
Ram. BJP does hold Ram is the symbol of India’s identity. This is one
of the expressions of their cultural nationalism. The question arises
why only Lord Ram is the symbol of India, why not Shambuk, or Bali or
Sita. In nutshell their cultural nationalism picks up those characters
which suit the interests, agenda of Hindu elite. Surely had Ram temple
agitation not taken up, Babri mosque not demolished and Mumbai and
Gujarat violence not instigated, BJP would have been on the margin of
Indian society. Its very raison detre is due to the fact that it is
progeny of RSS, to the fact that it is related to VHP, Bajrang Dal
etc., whose vagaries it keeps defending most of the time. It is
thoroughly exclusionist and that’s why it justifies Gujarat violence,
Kandhamal, rejects Sachar committee etc. It is not a mere coincidence;
it is the core of BJP politics. It is not that the concept of Hindutva
is inclusionary and practice is faulty, the very concept of Hindutva
is exclusionary, in theory and practices both.



Can BJP throw away Hindutva, aim of building Hindu Nation around
glorious Hindu traditions of Manu Smriti etc? The question is
misplaced as BJP is nobody to decide that. BJP is merely a political
arm of RSS; it is RSS which has to decide that. Can RSS cut its own
legitimacy off by renouncing Hindutva? The question does not arise.
RSS essentially is aimed around these goals. Kulkarni’s confusions and
his welcome concern about poor, minorities and dalits are misplaced as
those are not the concerns of RSS, they have never been and can never
be the concerns of BJP and company at any point of time. Hindutva or
integral humanism is cleverly worded disguise to undermine the concept
of democracy. Last two decades had been a nightmare where the values
opposed to Indian nationhood asserted themselves aggressively,
bringing immense miseries. One hopes with the trend of decline of BJP,
those striving for democratic struggles, struggles for equality and
rights of dalits, women, adivasis, workers and minorities will come to
occupy the main social space and protect the nation form the damages
done by the politics in the garb of religious identity.



--

Issues in Secular Politics

June 2009 III



For Circulation/Publication



www.pluralindia.com

ram.puniyani at gmail.com



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