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| Ram Puniyani |
Ram Puniyani
The
recent electoral victory of Narendra Modi, his third consecutive one (Dec
2012), has drawn lot of applause from a section of society and he is being
projected as the BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate. It’s another matter that
BJP, itself is in shambles as far as electoral arena is concerned and its NDA
allies are unlikely to endorse Modi, given his aggressive communal politics and
the authoritarian style of his functioning. One knows that this victory of Modi
was predicted by many exit polls, one also knows his victory was not a smooth
sail, as by now the dissatisfaction from his policies, his style of functioning
is adversely affecting a large number of Gujarat population. The people of
Gujarat turned out in big numbers to cast their vote.
Many
commentators feel that his win is due to his development policies, that he has
won again is an endorsement of his claims of development of Gujarat. The
development model undertaken by Modi is a total surrender to the favored
industrial houses, which are having a gala time in Gujarat. The shiny malls and
roads of Gujarat hide behind them the travails of the deprived and marginalized
sections of Gujarat, the villages in particular. Every Nano car rolling out
from Tata car is subsidized by the state to the extent of Rs 60000. The hype of
development propaganda, managed by the American Company APCO Worldwide, which
has already worked for notorious dictators like Sani Abacha (Nigeria) and
Nurusultan NAzarbayev (Life President of Kazakhstan), has done its job well
again. The job by this agency has been done so well that anybody questioning
the development of Gujarat is receives various derogatory labels. As a matter
of fact what Modi has done is nothing unusual and states like Maharashtra have
achieved much better in this direction, without the hype. Here comes one of the
roles of Modi, not only to hire an image maker but also to act like Goebbels.
This
so called development hides that the social indices of Gujarat which are very
much on the lower side when compared to many other Indian states. What matters
in popular perception is the image more than reality. So this aspect of Modi’s
propaganda did sell well for a section of middle class not only in Gujarat but
all over the country. Many a commentators do buy this uncritically and
attribute Modi’s victory to this factor. As its not only the mall going middle
class but even the suicide committing farmers families, the starving dalits and
Adivasis, who also vote, they feel the reality of the ‘development’ of Gujarat
in their lives, so a large turn out to vote and in rural areas they did show
that the so called development is from the annals of make believe World.
The
major factor which has worked in Modi’s favor is the polarization which has
taken place in Gujarat after the 2002 carnage. This is one episode of violence,
which has separated the communities on religious lines. While Hindus, have
bought the line that it is only due to Modi that they are safe, at the same
time Muslims know that they have not only been the major victim of 2002, but
also that post 2002, they have been totally marginalized in physical space,
with ghettoization taking place. They know that they are physically not safe
and have been pushed back economically and socially. The real fear is stalking
the lives of Muslim community as a whole. They have been relegated to second
class citizenship. Modi has given a clear message that the nine percent
Muslims don’t matter to him as he has made up his vote bank by consolidating
the Hindus by instilling the fear amongst them. Still all Muslims do not vote
against them. To begin with the Muslim majority areas have been delimited in a
way that they can’t influence in the electoral result, or the impact of their
voting is minimized. A section of trader-businessmen Muslims did vote for Modi
for sure. Another section had to vote for him out of fear.
As
far as dalits and Adivasis are concerned the social engineering unleashed by
BJP associates VHP and Vanavasi Kalyan ashram has done its job and a section of
these deprived sections has been won over to the Hindutva fold and vote for the
BJP. The sense of insecurity amongst minorities and minority women is
paramount, making them withdraw into their shells. The liberal space in the
state of Gujarat has shrunk rapidly, more than in other states. The educational
institutions have been thoroughly brought under the management of academics
sympathetic to Modi’s ideology. The state now reminds one of a dictatorial
state, as pointed out by the ex- BJP chief Minister Keshubhai Patel himself. It
can be called as communal-semi fascist state. The major factor in the state is
the polarization and abolition of liberal space. This is ‘Hindu Nation’ in one
state. One is reminded of the USSR, where ‘Socialism in one state’ was the
slogan to begin with. In India while there are many states ruled by BJP, it is
Gujarat, which fits into this ‘Hindu Rashtra in one state’.
The
real danger today, which is reminded by Modi’s victory are manifold. To begin
with the communal fascism is creeping in India through deeper pores of the
nation. It is said that RSS is not happy with Modi coming to power and becoming
larger than the party, the BJP. This is a contradictory situation. RSS on one
hand wants to create a Hindu Rashtra. On the other it wants to regulate the
whole process. The contradiction is that RSS ideology pushes the nation towards
dictatorial thinking, as RSS itself is modeled on Ek Chalak Anuvartita,
(controlled by single supreme dictator), the Sar Sanghchalak, whose writ is
unquestionable. At the same time one recalls that one of the characteristics of
fascisms the single charismatic leader. Modi fits in to that model very well.
It is being said that in Gujarat, the RSS and its progeny VHP, Vishwa Hindu
Parishad has been marginalized. One should know that the RSS and its non
electoral progeny is there to make the ground for creating a communal space in
which BJP can then rough shod and work for Hindu Nation. In Gujarat, these
organizations are redundant now as they have already played their role. With
Modi’s victory it’s clear that in India the communal fascism is marching state
by state, and in the social space, in a gradual manner.
Modi’s
blatant proximity to industrial houses is again in tune with the pattern of a
fascist state. Hitler was also the darling of big capital. Hitler had mass
following amongst the middle classes and could co-opt the poor as its storm troopers,
street fighters. Modi is walking the same path, the difference being that of
speed and regional variation. India being the vast diverse nation, the Gujarat
pattern stands out very clearly as a repeat of German fascist onslaught with
many differences. The other BJP ruled states are adopting different paths, some
features being common. These common features are cultural infiltration, and
relegation of minorities to the margins.
It
is in this situation that those committed to secular democracy need a rethink.
At electoral level, the parties like Congress, Samajvadi, Communist and
Socialist parties, do not perceive the threat to democracy and secularism as
they should be doing. If they understand the implications of Hindu Rashtra, the
impact of Modi in hiking up the communal politics and communal thinking, then
they have to close their ranks. They need to rise above their electoral and
prime ministerial ambitions and take this threat of communalism head on as a
united front. That seems to be a very tall order to expect from these electoral
formations which so far have not demonstrated their willingness to come
together for the sake of principles. Is it thinkable at all these parties will
contemplate more in terms of saving democracy and secularism rather than
protecting their fiefdoms? Its time these parties wake and realize that unless
they hang together, the danger of communal fascism taking over the country in
the future is not ruled out. Still one knows all this is an optimistic urge. If
wishes were horses!
What
can secular elements do at this point of time? They have engaged in legal
activism, advocacy work, done rehabilitation work and conducted awareness
programs to the best of their capabilities. It seems their best is not good
enough. The need for more innovative thinking to ward off the threat of looming
communalism has become more menacing with the victory of Modi. It’s a warning
signal of sorts to do our utmost to strengthen the values of freedom movement,
Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. It’s time to remind ourselves of what the
preamble of our Constitution tells us. It’s time to build a real people’s
platform for secularism and democracy. It’s time for social movements to take
this issue in utmost seriousness before the situation is created that social
movements will themselves will not be permitted to march forward for the cause
of human rights of the deprived sections of society.
The onus of contents of the article rest on its author; not necessarily of
Amity India’s.
