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Journalism of Courage
The Congress Party’s manifesto for the Gujarat elections, released yesterday demanded ‘‘a white paper on the Godhra episode,’’ called the polls a ‘‘battle for the soul of India,’’ but why didn’t Gujarati newspapers report this? Because all this is dropped from the party’s manifesto in Gujarati.
In fact, in a clear signal of the confusion in the party over how to tackle Narendra Modi’s hard Hindutva, it has released two manifestos that don’t just differ in language and length—the Gujarati version has 26 pages, the English one 19—but in content and slant.
Certainly, ‘‘protection of minorities’’ and a ‘‘law to prevent communal riots’’ figure in both but unlike the English version, the Gujarati manifesto is clearly defensive on secularism. Except for calling the polls a battle between ‘‘humanity and demons,’’ it sidesteps the carnage.
Here’s a verbatim reproduction of what the English manifesto has, and the Gujarati version doesn’t:
• A white paper on Godhra episode and the role played by the BJP government will be prepared.
• The forthcoming elections in Gujarat are a battle for the soul of india. On one side are ranged the forces of narrow-minded communalism. On the other, are ranged the forces of secularism.
• Secularism is the bedrock of our nationhood. So, what we are fighting for in Gujarat is the nationhood of India.
• We are fighting for the preservation of our great and glorious diversity, a heritage to which all the communities of India have contributed the genius of their spiritual insights and cultural brilliance.
• We are inheritors of Gandhiji’s mantle. Our opponents belong to the same school of thought as those who assassinated the Mahatma. It is that mindset which led to the awful riots of February-April.
• Gujarat is sick of the government, which aided and abetted the perpetrators of that carnage. Gujarat wants a government of all the people, a government, which maintains peace and harmony, not a government that provokes communal outrages and seeks to take political advantage of inflamed passions. (The Gujarati version says: This government has abetted criminals. People want a government that works for all, promises peace and properity, and not a government that causes communal riots and exploits it politically.)
• Whole of Gujarat is of all communities that have suffered greatly in the violence that engulfed Gujarat for months on end. The minorities have, of course, suffered the worst…But because all Gujaratis have suffered the economic consequences of communal fanaticism, the largest numbers of Gujaratis economically hurt…have been those of the majority community.
• Can fanatics and bigots of the Narendra Modi kind possibly ensure such a Gujarat. Think carefully for your life depends, literally, on your vote.
A verbatim reproduction of what the Gujarati manifesto has, and the English version doesn’t:
• The elections are a fight between humanity and demons.
• Setting up of Rs 100 crore fund to help depositors who suffered due to scam-ridden cooperative banks going bust.
• Unemployment and poverty increased in Gujarat because of man-made calamities and riots.
• Gujarat is a birth place of Gandhiji, Sardar, Narsinh Mehta, Jamshedji Tata, Dhirubhai Ambani, Umashankar Joshi, Premanand, Dayanand Saraswati, Zaverchand Meghani.
• When 15 states can remain without riots and progress economically why can’t Gujarat have political stability?
• Power concessions for powerlooms.
• Sops to maldharis (cattle owners without land) and families having only one child.
What’s common to the English, Gujarati manifestos
• A law to prevent communal riots
• Protection of minorities
• No political interference in police administration
• Removal of corruption
• Narmada development
• Industry package
• Injustice in allocation of natural gas to Gujarat
• Employment
• All agricultural produces will be freed from government control
• Groundwater recharging
• Power for all in five years
