Elections 2004-Protents For Future
By Ram Puniyani
05 March, 2004
countercurrents.orgThe state assembly elections (2003) in MP Rajasthan and Chattisgarh have
been followed by an unprecendented confidence in the BJP camp. It
immediately led to the BJP calling for a Loksabha elections, one is also
witness to the by a state sponsored Shining India campaign. Simultaneously
all the central ministries and even the planning commission are coming out
with the advertisement blitzkrieg showing the achievement of BJP led NDA
coalition. BJP has started projecting that its win in the forthcoming
Loksabha elections is a foregone conclusion. The recent survey conducted
by India Today has predicted a comfortable win for the BJP and its allies.This electoral child of RSS has come far from its Gandhian Socialism days.
After the dual membership issue rocked the boat of Janata Government in
late seventies the ex Jan sangh component refused to leave their RSS
loyalty and broke the party to form Bharatiya Janata Party. That was the
time when Gandhis image and the respectability of Socialism were high and
thats how this Hindutva party picked up this plank. Unfortunately for BJP,
its parent RSS decided to back the Congress in the 1984 elections, mainly
because Congress was suppressing the Khalistani movement with iron hand.
In due course BJPs associates started intensifying its Yatras and religion
based mobilization of upper castes, the Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram entered the
Adivasi belt to Hinduise the Adivasis. These outfits discovered the magic
of Ram. Ram temple issue came in handy to promote the mass hysteria for
Hindutva. After Mandal commission implementation, the BJP intensified its
ongoing Ram temple movement leading to Babri demolition, and the post
demolition Anti-Muslim pogrom, and the consequent polarization of society
leading to the increase in the electoral strengthening of BJP.The fractured mandate of next few elections did lead to ultimately BJP
crossing the Rubicon and coming to power on its own first for 13 days,
than in alliance for 13 months and than leading to the formation of
National Democratic Alliance which came to power in 1999. NDA agenda
avoided the core Hindutva issues, Ram Temple, articlec370, Uniform civil
code etc. Having come to power BJP ensured various steps to strengthen
Hindutvas deeper hold. Its major actions included, explosion of nuclear
device, communalization of education, naked subservience to US in foreign
policy, the outright sale of public sectors, and economic polices aimed to
please middle class. While these were bad in themselves some other issues
which came up, were promoted and took place under the patronage of this
government give a real inkling of shape of things to come.It appointed a commission to review the constitution. Though it kept
saying that the basic structure of constitution will not be disturbed, it
patriarch RSS chief K. Sudarshan did go on record to say that the present
Indian constitution is based on western values and needs to be replaced by
the one based on the Hindu(! Indian, Holy Dharma Granths, Holy Hindu
books, by inference Manu Smiriti, as that is the book giving the laws of
society) The dalits opposed this move tooth and nail for two basic
reasons. One an emotional one, that it is document whose drafting was done
under the chairmanship of Dr. Bhimraio Babsaheb Ambedkar. And two, that it
is the document which gives the values of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity
(i.e. community). Large sections of intelligentsia and other political
streams also came up to oppose the move of the Government. Any how, the
commission to review was formed, the report completed and nothing much
came out as the commission was aware of the total opposition to the RSS
designs by the large sections of population. The matter has been deferred
so to say by the RSS/BJP for the time being. The sword of Damocles is
hanging on the democratic values. BJP was able to undertake the first step
towards the long term agenda of sangh Parivar, the goal of Hindu Rashtra.
And surely if BJP returns to power with majority this may be the first
move on the cards.Gujarat carnage was amongst the worst shames to the Nation. It could
assume such horrendous proportions mainly because of the fact that RSS
pracharak Narendra Modi, who was supervising the pogrom was aware that the line of control over him will totally back him up and there is no check on
his designs to achieve the social polarization in the society. Above
Narendra Modi, were the all RSS swayamsevaks and pracharks-Gujarat
Governor Sundersing Bhandari. Union Home minister Lal Krishna Advani and
the Prime minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee himself. This carnage totally
polarized the society and the declining electoral forunes of BJP were
reversed due to the massive violence which was presented to be a defensive
act against the international terrorirism, Pakistans ISI and by
implication, the Indian Muslims. Prior to the carnage BJP was loosing
elections all over in the assembly elections of UP and four other states,
in the Gujarat elections. Post Godhra Gujarat the story seems to be
different and now the electoral fortunes swung in its favor. BJP could
achieve a victory of sorts through this violence. Also this firmly
established Gujarat as a Laboratory of Hindu Rashtra, with the human
Rights of minorities being put on the hold for good.Gujarat violence and later elections in Gujarat and four assemblies-MP,
Chattisgarh, and Rajasthan brought to fore another phenomenon, the
phenomenon of social engineering amongst Adivasi and dalits. It became
known that under the quiet patronage of the BJP govt. many NGOs have
been floated by RSS affiliates which are working in various villages and
remote places. With the help of these and the funding from NRIs VHP and
Vanvasi Kalyan Ashrams have recruited a huge army of paid volunteers which
are engaged in spreading hate, working for polarization in the society. Some
of these processes may be irreversible as well.If BJP could achieve so much for Sangh Parivar due to its being in power
in the Center, if it returns to power the same phenomenon will get an
immense boost all over the country. The new areas which are coming under
the influence of RSS in a substantial way are Karalla (Marad incidence)
Karanatka (Baba Budan Giri) and Orrisa, to name the few.
Over a period of last few years BJP has succeeded in selling its image of
a democratic party while tied to the apron strings of RSS the progenitor
of the goal of Hindu Rashtra. It is of its clever deceit that the other so
called socialist and democratic parties have entered a coalition with this
party which clearly has no faith in democracy and secularism. It is
capable of talking in different languages to suit the purpose and
depending on its electoral strength. Its ploy is to use the plank of
development if it is strong enough and to revert to Hindutva agenda when
not strong enough to feel that development mantra can get it enough votes.
Also it can also combine the two with simple maneuvers. People tend to
believe that its mascot Vajpayee is a genuine democrat and people
likeTogadia are fringe elements of this outfit. As a matter of fact
Vajpayee and Togdia have drunk the same ideological milk in the shakhas
where they were trained to be swayamsevaks. It is a clever division of
labor as far as RSS is concerned. Vajpayee and Togadia are mere two faces
of the spectrum. Interestingly with India Shining Togadia has been sent on
a sabbatical. But he is very much on the rolls of the Hindutva to be
unleashed as and when needed. A victory for BJP, with or without allies
will push the country more towards the goal desired by RSS. The creeping
fascism in the society can be transformed into an aggressive Moditva as
and when planned.