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Towards Brazen Communalism:NATION’S INTEREST TAKES A BACK SEAT, by Poonam I Kaushish,5 July 2008 Print E-mail

Political Diary

New Delhi, 5 July 2008

Towards Brazen Communalism

NATION’S INTEREST TAKES A BACK SEAT

By Poonam I Kaushish

It never ceases to surprise how our polity is swiftly sinking into the marshy cesspool of politics. Wherein, their world-view and vision ends just at the tip of their opponent-of-the-moment’s nose. If yesterday the sky-rocketing price rise and the rising inflation were due to the faulty financial management of the erstwhile BJP-led NDA Government, today the worsening global oil crisis, simple land transfers and international treaties have been bloodied and singed by religious intolerance. Tragically, the pseudo-secular wheel seems to have turned a full circle. Clearly, communalism is once again the cause celebre this week.

In the past fortnight communal hatred barred its poisonous blood-soaked fangs over an innocuous order by the J&K Government transferring 39.88 hectares of forest land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board to erect temporary shelters for thousands of pilgrims who annually trek to the Himalayan cave shrine. Predictably, all hell broke loose with the Muslim-majority Kashmir reacting violently. A section of the Kashmiri Muslims, led by the Hurriyat and other separatist leaders alleged the land transfer was aimed at changing the demography of the region and a “ploy to turn Muslims into a minority in Kashmir.”

Unsurprisingly, the Congress-led Government of Ghulam Nabi Azad hastily revoked the transfer order, which, in turn, provoked an angry backlash from the Hindus, with Jammu burning amidst large-scale violence and protests. The BJP seized the opportunity and the issue to turn the tables on the Congress Government by alleging that it had given into the Muslim separatists’ demand and the “anti-Hindu” nature of the revocation order. In addition, its spokesperson said, “Some forces in the Valley say that allotment of land to the Shrine Board would alter the demography. In fact, it is the separatist forces that changed the demography by driving away the Kashmiri Pandits from there”.

Presenting itself as the defender of secularism and democracy, the BJP and its Sangh Parivar has willy-nilly decided to use the land transfer issue as a major Hindutva plank to campaign against the Congress-led government at the Centre and in the Valley. How? Simple, call for a nation-wide bandh, no matter that it would drive a further wedge between the Hindu-Muslim communities and affect normal life. While Indore continues to burn, parts of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Assam and Jharkand witnessed incidents of stone pelting and road blockade, prompting the police to resort to lathicharge.

Like it or not, the BJP hit the bull’s eye when it alleged that the Congress had taken vote-bank politics to a new level and was now playing communities against each other. The Grand Dame of politics and its secular cahoots, both at the Centre and the State were hard-pressed to present a totally weak and unconvincing explanation that the decision to revoke the land transfer order was not ‘communal’. Really, they could have fooled me.

No matter that all were playing the vote-bank card with elections to State Assembly due this November, if not earlier, and the General elections next year. For the Congress revocation of the order was in line with its ‘secular’ image and reasoning and gave a further impetus to its secular credentials and would keep its UPA ‘secular’ allies happy and together. On the obverse, for the BJP, the order would help it win over regional parties as partners also. The Party has been careful not to merely focus on the emotive aspects, but look at the issue as one that jeopardises the country’s secular nature. Thus, it is a win-win situation for all.

Scandalously, the communal battle does not end here. It has, for the first time, taken a bizarre turn where international government treaties are now being given the communal flavour and presented as anti-Muslim or pro-Muslim deal. Instead of the country debating the fracas over the Indo-US nuclear deal,  whether it is in the best national interest or not it has now been hijacked by the so-called ‘secular’ parties, who have dressed it up as a coy bride ready to take India into the new world order.

Before you applaud, not to be outdone, another set of secular parties, read Left and the BSP are behaving like the communal party poopers by asserting that the N deal is anti-Muslim. Asserted the BSP’s Mayawati, the deal is anti-Muslim. 'This deal is being done at the cost of forgoing cheap fuel from Iran. Muslims are strongly opposed to the deal.” Adding, “The Congress and the Samajwadi Party are joining hands to build a united force in UP,” thus making sure that the two don’t have an easy ride. Not only that. To rub in her point Mayawati has met Shia and Sunni clerics who have applauded her stand against America.

Importantly, it is all about political survival not national interest. A political ploy to divide people on religious lines and gain votes! See how sworn enemies have now turned friends. The Samajwadi supremo Mulayam Singh broke his four-year impasse with Sonia Gandhi and went calling on her. And after their 30-minute meeting appeared convinced that the nuclear deal was in the interest of the country! Asserted Mulayam, “We opposed it (nuclear deal), as we did not have any new details. But now these new details have come." What details? And, does it only take 30 minutes to undo three years of prejudice against the deal.

No matter that, the SP buttressed its argument by stating that it had been convinced by former president A P J Abdul Kalam’s elaborate explanation about the benefits of the deal and he had allayed their fears about national sovereignty or foreign policy being compromised. The deal, feels Mulayam now will be useful for medicine and agriculture besides being clean source of power.

However, the game was finally up when Amar Singh made plain his views by stating "communalism (BJP) is a bigger danger than the nuclear deal". Needless to say, the Party’s 39 MPs in Lok Sabha would be crucial for Government’s survival following the Left parties’ withdrawal of support.

Alas, the Amarnath controversy and the signing of the nuclear deal with the US, reveal that the so-called secular or communal parties are rolled in one. For power, they will go to any extent. There is no desire to uphold equal respect for various faiths. Instead unashamedly use religion to increase their so-called popularity with voters. Tragically, our netas seem to suffer no sense of guilt or qualms of conscience. They must think beyond vote-bank politics and look at the perilous implications of their decisions. The country is being pushed towards brazen communalism, ignoring national interest.---INFA

 (Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)

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