Rush for the Winning Side

The rush has begun. All are eager to find a position in the winning ranks of the BJP. Chetan Bhagat says the BJP is full of new candidates. Calcutta High Court judge Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay resigned and eagerly joined the BJP. Padmaja Venugopal, daughter of Karunakaran, did the same, as did Anil Anthony, A K Anthony's son. Indians like to be on the winning side, even if they are exploiters, whether they be the Great Mughals, British Royals, or BJP-RSS Samrats! Asim Ali has already noticed a "hegemonic ring" in the BJP campaign.

Former Union Minister Suresh Pachouri decided to sign up for the Ruling Party. So did over 300 in Jorhat. So is reported about Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barma of the Tripura royal family. His party, Tipra Motha, may have been offered positions in the BJP government in Tripura. Congress accuses the BJP of taking advantage of Pradyot's simplicity.

Stalwarts Stoop Down 

It is most humiliating that persons who once held honourable ranks in the Indian judiciary reveal their shallowness today when the Law of Opportunism has taken over as the ultimate principle of regulating social life in our land. Abhijit Gangopadhyay, who used to be hailed as the 'people's judge', said he needed time to think when asked whom he would choose between Gandhi and Godse. On shaky grounds, there can be no loyalty. Godse belongs to the same rank as Gandhi!

Again, Justice Anita Sumanth of the Madras High Court says that state support for the lower castes has led to "caste ferocity" in our days. She contends that the varna system in history was by vocation, not by birth. The present system is hardly a hundred years old, she insists. To what era does her knowledge of history assign Manusmriti? She seems to argue against helping the Dalits. It is most humiliating!

Intellectuals React

No wonder over 100 scientists strongly reacted to the Government's 'antagonistic stance' to science and evidence-based thinking. They accused the authorities of promoting "false narrative, unfounded opinions, and a cloak of religiosity to instil adherence to a majoritarian idea of India". They felt embarrassed at how the present-day leaders promote "pseudo-science and a belief in mythology as history". They consider it a closed-minded attitude to reject India's global rankings based on reliable data. They fear this "image-management takes on an anti-intellectual orientation" and "paves the way for hyper-nationalistic narratives".

Indeed, we know what may be lying ahead for us. In fact, the Pew Research finding in 2023 was that 85% of India thought a military or authoritarian leader would benefit the country. Contrast this with Sweden, where a mere 8% held that view. We are less surprised by the UK, where 37% supported the statement, and the US, where 32% did the same. We know that many democratic nations are not under democratic leaders or are struggling with internal polarisation. Many people are disappointed by the functioning of their democracy.

Making democracies work is a challenging mission in itself. Every responsible citizen can play a big role in this.

The 'Religious Version' of Emergency Is Harsher than the 'Secular Version'

As for the Pew finding that Indians today prefer a strong-handed ruler, we may remember how many expressed the same view during the Emergency and flattered their leader. Indira's was a 'secular version' of authoritarianism. If we repented for it for 40 years, we will repent for the present 'religious version' of Emergency for 400 years! It has proved itself an ongoing insult to 'religion', which it claims to represent, and to 'reason', which it has marginalised.

The recent acquittal of GN Saibaba, a former professor of Delhi University and of 5 others, comes as a great relief to committed citizens. He had been accused of Maoist connections and was considered an 'urban Naxal' for his intellectual sympathy for the exploited tribals. He would have met with the same fate as Father Stan Swamy if the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court had not concluded that "perceived peril to national security" is not a reason for detention. No facts, no evidence. Only 3% of those arrested under UAPA have been convicted so far! However, arrest cases for "crimes against the state" have increased 23% from 2021 to 2022. Meanwhile, Pandu Narote, aged 33, died in prison.

Our Future Must be a Product of "Reason and Calculation" 

So you can see that Modiji's 'religious version' of Emergency is harsher than Indira's secular one. Here, we are speaking about 'weaponised' religion. Chetan Bhagat reminds us how Congress in power had made respectable space for the BJP even when its number was the lowest, just two. They did not ask for a "BJP-mukt" India. But the BJP wants nothing less than a "Congress-mukt" Bharat.

However, as the election approaches, our primary concern is not so much which party will win as what our nation's destiny will be. We know "Every country ultimately gets the government it deserves." The words of Charles Baudelaire may be inspiring in this decisive moment: "Everything that is beautiful and noble is the product of reason and calculation."

Into whose hands are we going to commit our nation? Those who will "RESPECT" their fellow citizens or 'demonise' them? By 'respect', we mean those who recognise, esteem, honour, and foster the 'DIGNITY' of people. By 'demonise', we mean those who condemn them, alienate them, exclude them, marginalise them, dehumanise them, instrumentalise them. Invading Aryans considered indigenous people less than human. To them, they were Asuras, Rakshasas, Vanaras, Dasyus, or Dasas to be destroyed or exploited. That attitude remains. Dalits continue to be instrumentalised.

Instrumentalising Fellow Humans or their Heritages for Self-interest

The Kurukshetra war of 18 days has lengthened into 18 centuries. This is a decisive stage. Anantkumar Hegde says this Constitution that strengthened the humanising process must be rewritten to suit Hindutva ideology. We know what it really means. Call it Sanatana Dharma or whatever; spend billions on temple-buildings; buy up media structures; pay intellectuals, flatterers and digital warriors; subsidise crony capitalists; strengthen the varna system; silence critics like Mahua Moitra; appropriate all the national heritages, traditions, symbols, festivities; and most of all 'use' regional, ethnic, caste, community heroes, deities; instrumentalise them all to further your cause.

Religions taught love and compassion. Emmanuel Kant phrased the same value in non-sentimental and secular terms as recognising and respecting the "DIGNITY" of the other person. For him, the greatest mistake is using someone as a "means" for one's selfish interests. Every person is an end in themselves, to be respected, helped, and served. Exemplary leadership consists of affirming and promoting fellow citizens' dignity and personhood. This is the trend that the BJP-RSS alliance wants to undermine.

Gandhi, Tagore, Ambedkar Appropriated, "Used"

If Dalits are enslaved and "used" in fields and factories, as of now, Gandhi, Tagore, Vivekananda, Ambedkar and others are being appropriated by the Hindutva think tanks and "used" by them to serve Hindutva interests. Their teachings are being "instrumentalised" for the same purpose. Ignore their core message, lionise them, divinise them. Silence them with non-stop applause! Let your devotion to them be so exuberant and eloquent that even the genuine followers forget their teachings! If he quotes them, reinterpret the passage and give it the opposite meaning to further the interests of the BJP-RSS!

Appoint Dalits and tribals to positions of risk or honour, but never assign them to decision-making posts, lest they take over. So, Girish Chandra Murmu was appointed the first Lieutenant General of post 370-Kashmir to confront the preliminary wrath. Anusuiya Uikey presides over conflict-ridden Manipur as the Governor as long the situation remains explosive.

Regional, Cultural & Religious Symbols being "Used"

Cultural and religious symbols can be appropriated and instrumentalised as people can be used. So, people find their regional, local, and ethnic deities or heroes/heroines no longer belong to them. They have been appropriated by the Sangh Parivar and Modi Parivar and given new identities, colours, figures, and significances. Temples are being built for them, and conference halls are being constructed for their people. Their community's unique ways and styles are reinterpreted by others.

So, castes and subdivisions multiply, and anachronisms and irrelevances increase. But the original meanings of their feasts, fasts, practices, devotions, quotations, and symbolisms are lost forever. They have no more control over them. Alien sadhus, soothsayers, and godmen have come with money. Now, everything belongs to them. Everything in India will have to have a VHP stamp.

People's Anger, Discontentment, Divisive Tendencies Being "Used"

Anna Hazare refuses to admit that he was "used" to undermine the moral stature of the Manmohan Government and bring it down. But those who have followed the processes and events know it is so and have seen how he was silenced when he wanted to return to Delhi to take on the Modi Government. They understand how Kejriwal's 'broom' has come against him. They know that demonetisation was a cute strategy to catch the Opposition Parties unprepared for the elections, while BJP ensured they had an overabundance of changed cash. Consequently, how many small businesses have been destroyed is no concern for the Ruling Regime!

It may be too cruel to say, and yet it is true that our great leaders have been profiting from regional tensions, presiding over them, aggravating them and "using" them for furthering Saffron interests. They seek to undermine regionalism by fomenting sub-regionalism, localism, and even 'anti-nationalism', e.g. Bengali regionalism with Rajbanshi and Gorkha sub-regionalism, weakening Nagaland sturdy claims by encouraging the self-assertion of Eastern Nagas; giving ethnic tension in Manipur an anti-Christian twist; prodding the sub-groups of the Dimasas.

A Return to "Pre-British Anarchy", Contradictions Multiply

They do the same in Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. They weaken the minorities by stirring up discontentment among 'micro-minorities' and protesters by supporting counter-protesters, Naxalites and Maoists with counter-groups. Add to it the chaos created by cow-vigilantes and Hindu senas and vahinis, so we end up returning to "pre-British anarchy", as someone with a historical sense has described!

As the Chinese call their version of capitalism Communism with "Chinese characteristics", in BJP-India, every cultural element must be stamped with "with RSS characteristics". So, the "freedom" of religion bill will precisely mean the "absence" of it. Contradictions multiply: in Manipur, churches are burned; in Assam, healing and prayer are forbidden; while in Kerala, golden crowns are gifted to churches by BJP!

Elephant Safari at Kaziranga National Park

S. Jaishankar was asked in Seoul by resident Indians how the situation was in Manipur. He described it as "tragic". Meanwhile, his own Prime Minister Modiji was sightseeing in neighbouring Assam, riding an elephant like a rare tourist in Kaziranga Wildlife Sanctuary at 5.45 a.m. Tear-filled tales! We understand that his movements were blocked by 'lines of humiliation' in Manipur on the one side and 'barriers of embarrassment' at Sivasagar on the other, where huge crowds were protesting against the CAA.

While Modiji referred to Maa Kamakhya and Mahapurush Sankardeva to play on Assamese emotions, the 125-ft statue of Lachit Borphukan, which he unveiled, had another message for historically perceptive people. The sword in Borphukan's hand was held against "Delhi potentates", who at that time happened to be the Mughals…now, other Maharajahs. True representatives of indigenous cultures fear that the present BJP-RSS threat is far more potent against their deeper identities than the passing interference of the Mughals.

Be True to Your Inner World, Deeper Self

Elon Musk, the visionary entrepreneur behind Tesla and Space X, recently expressed his fear that AI, if irresponsibly used, can be a significant 'threat' to humanity's long-term interests. He was referring not merely to the possibility of jobs being lost or personal data being stolen but more specifically to the misuse of Artificial Intelligence for the "control of social thinking and way of life". Our collective inner being, our deeper self, is threatened.

Again, this came as a surprise. Kolkata-born writer Amitab Ghosh, who lives in New York, won the Utrecht-based Erasmus Prize of 2024 for his passionate contribution to "imagining the unthinkable". Ghosh brings the global crisis related to climate change, migration, diaspora, cultural identity, and other issues to life. He says these problems can be addressed only if human imagination is allowed to run riot. Be yourself, then! Yoko Ono, a Japanese media artist and peace activist, seems to agree with him when she says, "You change the world by being yourself". In you is found the answer to world problems.

And, in us, we will find the answer to national problems in 2024!