Anil Anand
Currently there is a raging controversy over the “historicity” of places of worships belonging to Hindus and Muslims. Although the controversy had its origin in Babri-Mosque-Ram Janam Bhoomi dispute, that was ultimately resolved through a judicial process, which catapulted BJP to the Centre of power. The current controversy is an extension of that political success story which has been effectively used by the current BJP dispensation to cement its political foundations which has manifested in its repeated resounding electoral victories.
Whatever the means adopted be to secure success, in electoral politics particularly in India of current era it is the end that matters more. Unfortunately, the end result in the form of success almost erases the debate over the means adopted, fair or foul, out of public mind. And this has been convincingly done by the BJP’s top leadership through strategies to keep the public mind preoccupied with emotive issues of religion and nationalism brands.
At present there is a new fillip in questioning the current status of religious places with the self-professed historians of the rightwing variety renewing the old Sangh Parivar demand to hand over 3000 mosques all over India which had reportedly been constructed after demolishing temples. There is a sudden spurt in such demand with the iconic historical monuments also being dragged into this controversy where as the powers that be looking the other way round or in fact acting as catalysts.
In this backdrop two recent developments have attracted a wider attention, becoming a topic of hot debate. Firstly, a statement by RSS Sarsanghchalak, Mohan Bhagwat on the controversy surrounding the religious places of Hindus and Muslims, secondly, which happened in quick succession, the BJP’s decision to suspend its national spokesperson, Nupur Sharma and expel from the party Delhi BJP’s media unit in charge, Naveen Kumar for their alleged anti-Islam rant.
Are the RSS and BJP on course correction?
On the face of it both the developments look unprecedented but at the same time happening in close consonance it has created an impression that these were part of the fire-fighting mechanism of the ruling dispensation in view of the diplomatic row created by the alleged anti-Islam observations by Ms Sharma and Mr Kumar. It can be safely presumed that a spokesperson only pursues the agenda of the party that he or she represents as their task is cut out. And, then they are not the only ones from the ruling camp who were ballistic on Hindu-Muslim agenda or demonising Muslims. Perhaps, they crossed the line or perhaps they made the acerbic comments at the wrong time and were made scapegoats.
What did Mr Bhagwat say? “We did speak about certain places which were symbolically highly revered to us. But we should not raise a new issue every day. Why do we need to escalate disputes?”
“We have certain devotion for Gyanvapi, which is fine. But why look for a Shivling in every mosque? That is also a form of worship and Muslims who have adopted this form of worship should also understand they have not come from outside. We have no problem with any form of worship. We respect all forms of worship, but we are all descendants of common ancestors”, he said, while addressing an event in Nagpur.
These words of counsel or wisdom, though belated, mean a lot provided taken to the logical conclusion by Mr Bhagwat. Even after his statement there has been no end to dragging new places and monuments into the Hindu-Muslim controversies.
It would have been in the fitness of things that Mr Bhagwat should convene a meeting of the heads/representatives of all its off-shoots including the political arm the BJP to discuss the issue threadbare and ask them to read the finer-print of his statement and implement it in letter and spirit. Otherwise it would be construed that the exercise was only part of the broader strategy to diffuse the situation after the diplomatic row at the international levels that has the potential to sully India’s image in the world order.
It is still to be seen whether disciplinary action against two spokespersons will lead to a change in strategy, or tone and tenor of the party on religious issues particularly those related to Islam. There are reports that the BJP top brass has identified over two dozen of the party spokespersons who have been following a hard-line similar to Ms Sharma and Mr Kumar. Known for holding strategy sessions with impunity, such a session to be taken up the highest in the party with the battery of spokespersons and those manning the BJP’s social media as the audience, only will show seriousness to tackle this problem.
Only a naive would imagine that the party managers were unaware of the spokespersons aggressive Hindu-Muslim and Temple-Mosque discourse and that it has suddenly dawned upon them and spurred into disciplinary action. Fact of the matter is that the brazenly aggressive no-holds-bar discourses of the ruling party spokespersons ably abetted by some TV anchors, has been on public display for quite some time which has also forced other political parties to adopt a similar deplorable approach.
The argument in vogue these days is that a course correction is needed to undo the wrongs committed against Hindus and their places of worship, which the spokespersons have been articulating without any prescribed limits. On the face of it, this argument sounds good and when laced with emotions it has become convincing for many. But if extended beyond a limit it has dangerous portents for the country a reflection of which is recent diplomatic row.
History, more so the Indian sub-continental one, is full of turmoil and controversies. According to education-planners it is important to read history as it gives an idea to the current and coming generations as from where we have come and as to how our ancestors used to live and progressed thereafter. At the same time study the causes behind variety of disputes that led to devastation so as not to repeat the same. But raking history for the sake of settling scores and raising religious passions for political benefits not only defeats the basic purpose of reading or teaching history but is also fraught with dangerous consequences.
Yes, India has the potential to become a world -leader and it is already on course to achieve that goal with successive Governments contributing in their own ways. The Narendra Modi Government has vigorously pursued this goal but in the process has been dealing with internal diversities, which is India’s strength, and resultant complexities, from the ruling party’s ideological prism which is heavy on religion based agenda.
A prerequisite to becoming world leader for any democratic country with large diversities is a peacefully co-existing society. There are issues many of which flow out of the baggage of history which the Indian sub-continent and its people carry, and there are problems arising out of this baggage that includes desecration of places of worships in different era and by different religious groups. Opening the pandora’s box, with whatever evidence is available or not, will not only derail the nation from course to becoming a world leader but also has the danger to jeopardise the peaceful existence of future generations.
The purpose of history as well as the current and future generations would only be served if such wounds are not reopened particularly for politico-electoral purposes. The best way to resolve issues of faith, carried in the baggage of history, is through a process of reconciliation and not sniping at each other and in the process dragging the deities and Holy Books into the controversies.
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