BJP’s Hindutva a political gambit, not real Hinduism

Anything which is divisive or exclusionary in character will surely undermine the cohesion and unity in the society. The BJP, as a party, made the pretence of representing the majority community and, in its desperation to capture power, raised issues with an eye on appealing to baser human emotions.

In the process, they have misused and abused a culture that has great noble traditions which withstood the vicissitudes of time. There could not be a more monstrous distortion of the Indian way of life, known for its philosophy of tolerance and compassion, than to portray it as bigoted.

In the late nineties, the rise of the BJP was linked to the Rath Yatra, propagating a sectarian road-map by cynically exploiting volatile religious disputes. However, the integrity and character of this party’s ideology was ostensibly put on the back-burner to cobble up an opportunistic alliance to rule the country.

A deliberate effort was made over the years by the BJP leadership to mislead its allies and the people by creating an impression that it had distanced itself from the contentious sectarian issues that had made it a paraiah in Indian politics.

The truth, however, was that the BJP had merely put on a mask meant to be discarded at an opportune moment, like the recent events have proved. Once the BJP was exposed for its malgovernance and the various scams and scandals which marked its rule, the ‘‘party with a difference’’ fell back with a vengeance to its original plank.

Gujarat is a brazen example of the mask falling off, revealing the party’s true agenda. The BJP created an atmosphere of fear and insecurity among the people and went about in a planned manner to polarise the society on sectarian lines. Its sole objective was to check the tide of electoral defeats across the country and the resurgence of the Congress. Such an approach from a ruling party is not only myopic but also poses a great threat to Indian’s constitutional democracy.

The victory in Gujarat made the BJP delusive of the people’s acceptance of their communal ideology and concept of Hindutva.

For quite some time, there has been a systematic attempt by the Sangh Parivar to confuse the people by claiming that Hindutva was real Hinduism. And all those who challenged or opposed their doctrine were sought to be labelled as outcasts. It is fundamental to mention that the RSS-BJP concept of Hindutva is merely a political strategy tailored to capture power. It bears no similarity to the popular Hindu culture or way of life.

This was proved in the recent elections in Himachal Pradesh, where the BJP, with imminent defeat staring in the face, shifted gears mid-course from developmental issues to aggressive Hindutva in a vain bid to influence the voters. But they couldn’t fool the discerning Himachal voters, who made a sharp distinction between Hindu culture and political Hindutva.

The BJP-Sangh Parivar has fine-tuned the art of multiple-speak to confuse and confound the voters. In one election, it is convenient for Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee to don the robes of a moderate, leaving the hawkish role to his deputy. The next election, there is a sudden reversal of roles. It is left to affiliate organisations to orchestrate contentious issues. Although they seek to give the impression that the BJP, VHP and Bajrang Dal are working at cross purposes, they are in fact working in tandem for a common cause.

This is evident from the fact that invariably in every election, when the BJP’s fortunes are sliding, the VHP starts a side-show bringing in its ‘‘political’’ sadhus and sants. This is nothing but an attempt to divert the attention of voters and mislead them.

India would be better served if there was a clear delinking between religion and politics and religious matters were left to those who are genuinely religious and have no political ambitions.

The BJP, while arrogating to itself the right of representing the majority community, is now seeking to deride all those who do respect their culture and religion but do not subscribe to its ideology and agenda. That in itself is an outrage.

It needs to be underscored that followers of a centuries-old religion and culture who find the Sangh Parivar’s philosophy abhorrent, do not need any certification of their credentials from bigots nor any permission to practice their faith while keeping it isolated from politics.

The writer is the spokesperson for the Congress and the architect of the party’s recent election campaign in Himachal Pradesh