Political Diary

New Delhi, 6 December 2014

Hate Terrorism

TIME TO BAMBOO LEADERS

By Poonam I Kaushish

Democracy is a conflict of interests masquerading as a contest of principles. A saying which aptly nails our politicians’ quandary when it comes to their reactions to ‘hate speeches’.  All depends on which side of the secular-communal coin one is. With the devil taking the hindmost!

The power of rhetorical public abuse by our leaders underscore political discourse is not only rabble rousing abusive devoid of any substance but also tilted towards widening the communal divide. One look at Union Food Processing Minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyothi’s offensive diatribe, “Do you want a Government of Ramzaadon (Ram bhakts) or ‘haramzadon”? says it all.

Predictably, Parliament got rocked with the Opposition demanding Sadhvi’s resignation, notwithstanding her apology followed by the Prime Minister’s strong disapproval of her controversial remarks. It’s another matter that Modi added fuel to fire my describing his Minister as a MBC village woman, an insult to rural women who sought to be portrayed as uncouth and rude resulting in her followers raising the ante.

Said a senior OBC leader, “No lasting harm has been done, and people should put it behind them, and move on. When Digvijay Singh leering called a woman leader “tunch maal” or phirangi Sonia taunted Modi as the “maut ka saudagar” why weren't upper caste leaders up in arms about this?”

This not the end of political intolerance The West Bengal maverick Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee castigated bête noire CPM colourfully, “They could do nothing themselves and are now  all the time looking for ways to stick a bamboo up (people’s) backside!” The war of words turned murkier with J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah allegedly stating those who attend Modi's rally and vote for him are “bastards”.

Alas, none wants to address critical questions. Can such language and conduct by a Minister be condoned? Do backgrounds warrant a lenient view? What action have Central and State Government taken against the perpetrators behind hate speeches, mails etc? Why are politicians’ discourses becoming more and more venomous and toxic?

True, one can fault Sadhvi Jyoti on her harsh language, innuendoes, call it too blunt for the political palate even dismiss it as being brash. But the fact is the Minister’s intemperate language is no different from what other netas read Political Terrorist have perfected down the years. Namely, the diabolical machinations of vote-bank politics, pitting Hindus against Muslims resulting in a secular-communal divide.

Remember, Andhra’s Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi callous speech last year. Calling the Hindus “impotent” and the police an "impotent army”, he averred, “Remove the police for 15 minutes, we 25 crore Muslims will finish off the 100 crore Hindus.” Or the Hindutva-driven communalism championed by the likes of Bajrang Dal leader Togadia, Lok Sabha MP Adityanath, VHP leaders Ashok Singhal, Sadhvi Ritambhara, Shiv Sena’s Udhav Thackeray, and his cousin MNS’s Raj et al.

What to speak of the ‘other’ Gandhi scion, BJP’s Varun who was hauled up by courts for a hate speech during the Lok Sabha 2009 elections. “If somebody lifts a hand against Hindus, or thinks they are weak, there is nobody behind them, I swear on the Gita I will cut off that hand”. And, the UP Minister who promised an Rs 50 lakhs reward to anyone who beheaded the Danish cartoonist who showed the Prophet in bad light. Why were our leaders mum?

Recall, the North Easterners were made to flee Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad etc to their homes two years ago. Knocked out by hate SMS, “Leave immediately or face unspecified action.” Socking ‘secular’ India a deathly communal hatred -blow!

In 2007, a Maharashtra Buddhist group filed a complaint against actress Rakhi Sawant because she posed in a bathtub against a Lord Buddha statue. In the 1990s, many cases were filed against famous painter MF Husain for hurting religious sentiments by painting Bharat Mata as a naked woman.

Undeniably, we are watching cut-throat communalism at work. Whereby, our netas have made the Hindu-Muslim vote-bank the tour de force of politics. With every leader propounding his self-serving recipe of ‘communal’ harmony harbouring the same intention: To keep their gullible vote-banks emotionally charged so that their own ulterior motives are well-served. Never mind, the nation is getting sucked into the vortex of centrifugal bickerings.

Raising more questions: How does one control the hate mongers and blunt them? Has our polity realized the ramifications of their actions? Would it not only further divide the people on creed lines but is also antithetical to hope of narrowing India’s burgeoning religious divide, thereby unleashing a Frankenstein.

Clearly, in a milieu of competitive democracy, if caste politics ensures convergence of electoral booty, politics based on religion has better chance of polarising voters via vicious speeches inducing raw emotions of hostility and hate. Who cares if it is destructive and stokes communal violence and sows the seeds of rabid communalism.

Importantly, no quarter should be given to those who fan hatred among people and communities. Be it a Hindu fundamentalist or a Muslim militant. Both are destroyers of the State, which has no religious entity. Thus, our moral angst cannot be selective but should be just, honourable and equal.

In a mammoth one billion plus country there would be a billion views and one cannot curtail people’s fundamental rights. It is imperative for the public to decide.  One is free not accepting the view of others, it is a matter of perception, a statement objectionable to a person might be normal to another. Clearly, the speed with which our tolerance is falling to fragile levels is scary.

Where do we go from here? Pander to rabid rabble rousers and vote banks politics? Is the Government capable of defusing this treacherous power keg? When vote-bank politics dictate our leaders’ political ideology, their attitude and stance and everything is weighed on the voters’ scale there is no hope in hell for the janata.

Notably, no licence should be given to anyone from any background to spread hatred or ill-feeling towards any community or against atheists who do not see themselves as Ram-Rahim-Jesus children.

In the ultimate our petty-power-at-all-cost polity needs to think beyond vote-bank politics and look at the perilous implications of their insidious out-pourings. Realise a nation is primarily a fusion of minds and hearts and secondarily a geographical entity. India is a big country with enough room for all to live in peace and goodwill.

Our leaders should adopt a zero-tolerance stance on offensive and divisive language. The message has to go out clearly that no leader belonging to community, caste or group can spew hatred, and if they do, they lose their democratic right to be heard. Such rhetoric has no place in a civilised polity.

The aim should be to raise the bar on public discourse, not lower it any more than has been done. India could do without netas who distort politics and in turn destroy democracy. Our polity must desist from using caste and creed as pedestals to stand on to be seen. Will they heed? ---- INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)