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| Charismatic Leader |
In late nineties, they already decided to move on sans those core but contentious issues. National Democratic Alliance (NDA) drafted its common minimum program that put those matters in back burner in the interest of good governance. The decimated Congress without firm leadership never enthused electorates enough to rally behind it, so nobody made any fuss about the said shift in BJP’s election strategy. Also BJP’s political formation at national level seem to be the only available and a formidable option. As usual Congress was more concerned about its conventional pockets to put forward a good fight. The rhetoric of secularism and allegations of communal agenda against the nationalist party never gained any ground. The reason was quite obvious, leading the pack was an unblemished character, AB Bajpai. He was able to march the whole bunch of ideological fence sitters behind him. The noteworthy exceptions here were already marginalized, let that be the entire Leftist movement and the grand old Congress party, slowly bouncing back after resolving the leadership issue.
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| Post Nuclear Test AB With AK |
Come 2004 before the general election, the mood in incumbent establishment was quite upbeat. Quite naturally, they were able to bring the nation back on the track of development and the economy was at its peak. At least on those fronts even the biggest critics would appreciate the debutante’s performance as very impressive, its always a difficult task when you are fighting against all odds of external sanctions. The 2004 general election too never witnessed use of the so called communal propaganda as BJP fought the election on the planks of development. The BJP think tank relied heavily on the Rising India pitch, newly anointed global super power both on intellectual and muscular sense. Worlds largest democracy with 3rd biggest army with the most dangerous nuclear arsenals under the wrap of “No First Use” doctrine. The world looked at the same country of Snake Charmers as an emerging power in Software as well as Space Research. Investment in critical infrastructural projects put India in the league of top investment destinations. A country of new promises that could get rid of the menace of unemployment and price rise in the second populous nation in the world.
So what went wrong, the possible reasons behind BJP’s loss? There are in fact many. Close analysis should substantiate BJP’s loss in 2004 election was not exactly translated into Congress win. Those who claim that as a Congress’s stupendous performance against BJP’s unexpected debacle, should understand the actual fact that completely contradicts the popular assumption. The reality is both BJP and Congress secured 130 odd MP each. A micro analysis suggests how different factors lead to BJP’s defeat and loss in almost 50 odd seats. The anti incumbency becomes a major force in every ten years if not five, lets not forget Congress was out of power for almost a decade, since Rao government. People across the country continuously voted for BJP and sent around 180 seats or more for 3 consecutive terms. In the mean time the BJP lost its credibility too to a great extent, inefficiency to build a Ram Mandir was quite clear, some allegations of corruption dented the Party with Difference with irrecoverable damage. The local factors became more relevant to electorates and started mounting over cosmetic national issues. The opposition was successful in hitting BJP where it hurts most, they fabricated many chinks in their armour, and forsook the very perception that once India voted for e.g. non-Corruption, national security. BJP’s so called ideological shift while being part of NDA never won it a secular tag but it lost crucial support from its core vote base, BJP was no longer drawing a 50+ number from UP alone. Though it was compensated a bit by virtue of new alliances with BJD, TDP, TMC and even DMK but the regional factors marginalized these satraps in their own stronghold. Except BJD all major partners including JDU, Shiva Sena and Akalis collectively lost almost 100+ seats to ensure no repeat of NDA government in 2004. In comparison, BJP did not do well in just 20-30 odd seats, where it fought alone in direct fight against Congress.
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| Leadership Crisis |
One more factor that also pervaded voters mind with strong impression was the issue of leadership, after a decade long struggle, the BJP apparently full with a bunch of tired and old leaders. The leaders that marched the entire youth behind it could not realise that their voters are actually bored with them. They needed a new young face with new ideas to counter anti-incumbency and rejuvenate the cadres to force them to power again. A timely promotion of Pramod Mahajan, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitly or a Narendra Modi then could have reversed the motion, in favor of the ruling establishment. In opponent camp, serious political realignments happened, being marginalized Left parties along with the socialists aligned with their arch rival Congress, as a pure survival instinct. If you look at the arithmetic, neither of the leading political formations NDA and UPA was in striking distance of simple majority. But there was this so called Third Front (read as Left and SP) to the rescue of UPA on the pretext of keeping communal forces out of the reach of power.
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| Look at my Cap, Am a Muslim too |
This is the time to discuss the term called Secularism in the right perspective, this word first coined by the European scholars in nineteenth century, who viewed excessive Church interference in governance matter and suggested a path for religion neutral government. In essence, contrary to the theocratic approach, Secularism advocates no special treatment to any particular belief not necessarily religious. However, on the ground secularism was always defined as minority appeasement at the cost of the majority society. In this huge country with a billion plus capacity, cultural and religious diversity is a unique feature of this oldest civilization. This in way defines no section in this society in fact enjoys majority following or Hindu majority is rather a perception than reality. Hindus are already divided into many castes, religious beliefs and languages, so considering Hindus as a block would be serious miscalculation. So when it comes about secularism, the age old British policy of divide and rule is applied in the matter concerning Hindu society but implemented policies for Minorities en-block. We never heard a particular government policy announced just for Catholics or Sunni Muslims, but for Hindu Jats. The grand design is to ensure fractured Hindu votes and united minority votes. The caste system could have long been eliminated under a strong leadership, but the same is pursued further and promoted for mere political mileage. A very simple step, that prescribes the reservation based purely on economic condition would permanently eliminate hatred within society while still serving the purpose. But this won’t allow politicians to yield any more dividends who indulge into loathsome politics of discrimination. That poses another issue to the group of people, who profess minority appeasement, as the united Hindus, would have a much stronger voice against such communal agenda.
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| The Bond of Trust |
A pertinent question, how Hindu Code Bill was a product of modern thought to revolutionize our society but its always deeply communal talking about a Common Civil Code which suggests a similar modernization of other minority sections of the society. Why in the first place we have special treatment to a particular state under section -370, in the union of India. The same special status gave rise to many other issues like insurgencies in Punjab and North-East vying for similar facilities. This is beyond a layman’s understanding that how discussion about such a constitutional article is so communal. There is a multitude of issues that is very rational in perception but communal in practice. Religious conversion is quite secular but the re-conversion makes the whole matter a communal act. A meeting with a Hindu religious leader is never secular and a similar meeting with a minority leader is never communal. Who actually gets benefited from this? Those who makes their livings out of such kind of hatred politics.
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| Crown Prince |
Let us come back to the subject here, Congress party ruled over India for almost six decades, there were minor hiccups but most of the time it was either a Congress Government or a Government affiliated to Congress. Congress was always jealous of any political alternative and used all means to exterminate any such emerging option. The Janata Dal of seventies reduced to regional power in few restricted states, Left parties are already fighting their last battle for survival. In corporate sector such an act of cannibalism is banned as monopolistic-restricted trade practice. However, there is still a hope in this multi-party largest democracy, a political alternative that the nation still counts on, thanks to BJP without this political formation India could rather be called a Hereditary Monarchy.
By the mid nineties at least one ground rule was set by the intelligent voters of this country, a bipolar political system, two alternative options led by Congress and BJP respectively. The rest always look for opportunity to show their solidarity to a particular formation, mostly towards one in power. Collectively Congress and these fence sitters define this popular term of secularism in India. In real sense they issue the secular certificate to all but themselves and found most of the time competing with each other to prove themselves more secular. If Congress announced 9% reservation to Muslims, SP announced 18% thats too when election is in progress, in complete violation of model code, most importantly any reservation based on religion is constitutionally untenable and already spurned by the supreme court several times. Any further reservation too not acceptable as that crosses the 50% mark, so why all these false posturing. In fact secularism is measured in terms of degree of appeasement but does constitution defines it that way. By wearing a skull cap if one could be secular, then only Muslims in India are secular. This is a dangerous mindset, the voice of secularism is almost week and nullified in states like UP and Assam with significant Muslim presence. In Assam a perfume seller vows to throw out BJP on flimsy ground while nursing terrorism with illegal migrants from Bangladesh.
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| Whats in Agenda? |
The whole nation debated just one riot for more than a decade while conveniently ignoring 1000 odd riots across the nation. How could just one riot be a communal act and rest all are secular riots. Why all the print and electronics media keeps silent when Congress president meets a fundamentalist cleric to urge for vote on communal line. How all the vocal moderates become deaf and dumb and vanish from news channels when any such crime is committed by a secular entity. Without any other issues Congress resorts one and only tactic, labeling BJP as communal to instill fear and hatred in voters. So that, they still remain in power irrespective of massive misgovernance and corruption, but this ploy is almost few decades old and the voters are very educated now. Congress conveniently, raises the issue of Gandhi murder even though RSS the ideological parent of BJP has already been exonerated from the same allegation. A Hindu Mahasabha affiliate Nathuram Godse killed Gandhi, but the idea of Gandhi was killed by the very Congress party and the Nehru-Gandhi family. They now stand for each of the factors that Mahatma fought against, let that be dynastical politics, corruption, or pseudo secularism for minority appeasement.
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| Vision Statement |
At last the obvious question, why the onus of secularism is always on the nationalist party, BJP? Why there is always a herculean realignment on political front on the prospect of a possible BJP government at center? The same people never spared Atal who they are suitably praising now to demean Narendra Modi. AB Bajpai government was pulled back twice and they always made it tough for him during the election with consensual rival candidate. The answer to those complex questions is very straight forward, the guiding ideology of BJP challenged the very status-quo of politics in India by posing as sincere alternative that promises to break the myths of caste system uniting the Hindu votes. Once that happens, there won’t be any petty politics nor minority appeasement to remain in power, then only the politics of development ensues. The foundation of global super power lies in the rich fundamentals of its democracy sans these avoidable anomalies.
Vande Mataram
Bijay's Blog 