By Shivaji Sarkar
It was the year 1997. The then parliamentary affairs minister CM Mohammed, a close aide of ex-prime minister HD Deve Gowda, in a casual chat quipped,: “We Muslims are responsible for the rise of the BJP by opposing the construction of Ram Mandir. Where else but India could the Ram temple be built?”
What he said was an apt comment on the Muslim mindset which has heavily impacted the political scenario in independent India. Clinging to the old imperial mindset Muslim leaders could not appreciate the religious sentiments of the majority Hindu community in a democratic society. And that is the reason we have problems in Hindu religious places like Ayodhya, Mathura and Kashi.
The inability of Muslim leaders to change their mindset has led to a political scenario in which Bhagwan Ram finds himself embroiled in a fresh battle joined by all vested interests – political, social, cultural and financial.
Of course, the big business is the biggest gainer in this battle as it manipulates and decides the course its political and religious representatives take.
In fact, Bhagwan Ram has been a deciding factor in every election since 1991. The Bhagwan Ram factor overshadowed every other issue from corruption to high taxation, galloping inflation, ED, CBI raids or allegations of EVM manipulation. The Press failed to build a dialogue on relevant socio-economic issues and followed suit. How could it challenge the power of Bhagwan Ram factor?
Most regional parties play the Muslim card and swing between soft and hard Hindutva defined by taking the name of Bhagwan Ram to win elections. However, Hindutva is not without its obsession of the Muslims, by which at times going to the extent of calling all sorts of names against the community. All those who refuse to subscribe to its “Hate Muslim” doctrine are termed as anti-national. Even farmers or truckers agitation are seen to be the deeds of these non-Muslim hating “secularists” and all sorts of expletives are used against them. North India that specialized in gender-offensive expletives has now modernized itself with “secularist” ones.
Rationality and exclusivity of Indian politics has been replaced with rabid expression of hatred either way. Since the Hindutva brigade, united by some supposed ideological thread or rabid hatred, is more “modern” in terms of its infotech power. They have a stronger echo system to corner all other sects or parties or persons who differ from them. Trolling the opponents is invective and virulent. Instilling a sense of insecurity is a victory sign to the extent of creating organized “narratives” being churned out differently. They know very well that what they are often narrating is not the truth, but may be the Donald Trumpite post-truth. But the opponents are no less biased or Ram-centric albeit in a different way.
This is getting sharper with unprecedented expulsion of 146 Opposition leaders and getting crucial bills such as the new criminal law bills passed without a discussion in parliament or in the society. The bills adopted all the suggestions of the police and executives while sacrificing the rights of the people by shunning an open social discussion.
But this is not sudden. The vital National Education Policy 2020 was also drafted, passed and implemented without an open social discussion. In the melee, it ignored the basic issue of the well-being of children and youth as it imposed many systems that are uncalled for like the four-year degree course, imposition of three-year nursery education and multi-year so called PhD research, that add little value. The opposition parties have been feeble in their response be it the Left, Congress or regional.
The minority syndrome has clouded the decision. A phobia, deliberate or random, decides the course. Enmity replaces the playful inclusive politics, where the then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru praised a young Jan Sanghi, Atal Behari Vajpayee, with “accha bole” after the sharp running down of his decision.
The opponents try but fail. Rising prices or unemployment are not issues. The CAA or NRC onslaught protests succumbed. The farmers’ rallies were suppressed with showering of invectives. The issues of inflation or unemployment get lost in the cry of being anti-national. The opposition have a rabid dislike for the regime and its leader, Narendra Modi, but are clueless. A stir or protest has no place. Even blatant safety flaws of Delhi Metro are ignored.
The Bharat Jodo Yatra of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi evoked some response but it failed to raise the massive administrative failures, mayhem in Manipur, shooting prices, heavy debts, questioning of irrelevant infra investments, demolitions and road construction fad.
Though some may claim monopolistic rights on Him but Bhagwan Ram does not belong to any particular party, group or community. He belongs to all. And none should take a position in which one is on a side opposed to him. Bhagwan Ram is everywhere. A political party may lay claim to a temple of Bhagwan Ram. So what! Ram never stayed in one place – went to the Guru’s ashram for education, crossed rivers, travelled in the wilderness and tamed the seas to become what he is in the hearts and minds of billions of his followers and admirers today. The day the minorities, opposition parties, intellectuals, social activists, ruling class and others in this country understand this, the nation will have a new narrative. All those who are pitted in the grim 2024 electoral battle need to understand this.