The mandate given by the people of Karnataka in the just-concluded elections gives us hope for many reasons. Most importantly, it tells us that there is a complex and unbreakable network of associations between people who have lived together for long periods of time and shared geographical and cultural spaces.
A political party might attempt to re-organise these densely complex social networks and divide and reshape social communities in keeping with its political ideology. But however persuasive the speeches of political demagogues and brutal the use of the state machinery; however strong the prejudices and self-interests of certain groups of people, these bonds cannot be completely severed. And when a political party, for the purpose of consolidating its political power, tries to break these networks of relationships established through cultural intersections, shared knowledge, conduits of trade and commerce and the affections of friendships and neighbourliness, it can only go so far.
When the people realise that those who claim to be their protectors and leaders are, in actuality, splintering the finely patterned, delicately beautiful, mosaic of a multi-cultural, multi-religious, multi-linguistic, community living, there will be a backlash. The Karnataka election results indicate one such mighty backlash.
In an attempt to pull apart and disfigure the great variety of lives and livelihoods and life patterns that are woven together and framed within the geographical boundary of the state of Karnataka, textbooks were corrupted, history was skewed, uniformity was imposed and communities were bulldozed and flattened into insiders and outsiders. Sacral spaces were identified, itemised and classified. Some were marked out as foreign intrusions meant for desecration and destruction while others were monumentalised as indigenous, national and sacred.
The first major, direct attack on this dangerously destructive politics and its political architects came through the Bharat Jodo Yatra. For 22 days Rahul Gandhi walked across Karnataka, with the people of Karnataka, talking to them, eating with them, listening to them. His journey across our state, walking on the roads that were familiar to us, bearing the message of love, made us realise that we have the right and prerogative to choose the man or woman who will represent us. His Yatra made us believe that we should choose as our leaders only those who had earned our trust and love.
After a long time, we heard a political leader speaking of love, of friendship, care and concern and the community of human beings brought together through their common vulnerabilities. He wanted to listen to us, to hear about our lives and what we needed to make them fulfilling. He restored to us a sense of community, and gave us the hope of peaceful co-existence.
A spark was ignited and people came together to fight the hard sedimented layers of hate, indoctrination and exploitation. Civil society groups, citizens and ordinary people came together to dismantle the existing structures of power, to awaken the people to their responsibilities as citizens, to declare on the streets, on doorsteps, and in public places, that a government that had kicked aside the footstool of the people who had elected it, was dangerous and had to be dissolved. People realised that they too were powerful.
People came together, through meetings, discussions, and organised efforts at collecting opinions and information. Silently they have been working with selfless dedication, believing that a peaceful, harmonious, egalitarian society is possible and urgently necessary. I think of them with a deep feeling of gratitude. For it is their effort and their belief in the values of democracy that has made the electoral victory of Karnataka possible.
A leader walking with us on the streets that are familiar to us, talking of love and friendship, and collectivities of people who passionately believed that we have to fight for a society founded on love and friendship, came together and through their work and faith in a renewed society, made this mandate possible. And the people of Karnataka through their magnificent display of solidarity with the values that will sustain life and love and equality, have reassured us that ultimately sanity and humanity will prevail. That even those who have mastered the craft of demagoguery will, in the end, fail if it is used to destroy and disrupt a society based on co-existence and care. The mandate of the people of Karnataka is a great sign of hope that ultimately sense and sanity will prevail over all else.
The writer is professor, department of English, Mangalore University
