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Social Engineering to the Fore
BJP Sweeps the Assembly Elections
by Ram Puniyani[22 December 2003]
The Assembly election results of MP, Rajasthan and
Chattisgarh (Dec.2003) have upset the calculations of
pollsters, has surpassed BJP's own expectations and
given it a clear majority. Many factors have been at
play in the defeat of Congress. To name a few its lack
of coordination with the fellow opposition, its not
being so professional in conducting the poll campaign,
its and overconfidence. Similarly BJP has been helped
to such a majority by combination of motley factors,
starting from anti-incumbency factor, to its highly
coordinated effort and the success of social
engineering by Sangh Parivar in Adivasi areas. The
last mentioned seems to be one of the major reasons
for its sweep of the magnitude this time around. In
all the assembly constituencies where Adivasis are in
majority BJP has an overwhelming dominance. The
results of its social engineering in the backward,
underdeveloped areas is giving it the dividends, it
had aimed for.
BJP being the electoral wing of Sangh Parivar(SP) is
just one of the constituents which is working for the
Hindutvisation of society. It is not just the
electoral victory for SP but also is the success of
its Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram(VKA) and Vishwa Hindu
parishad in particular that such a phenomenon is going
on right under our eyes.
One recalls that from nearly two decades VKA has been
put in the top gear. It has been working in the
Adivasi areas for Hinduising and Hindutvsing the
Adivasis. With the broadening of trade and
industrialization these remote areas came further in
contact with the villages and urban populace. The
interaction has had diverse results on this section.
While some Adivasi sections, a miniscule, could take
the advantage of reservations and urbanize themselves,
the vast number has been left to the mercy of Gods.
The encroachment, displacement, the states putting a
tab on their interaction with their forests has
resulted in the pauperization of this segment of our
society. The major section of social workers who could
reach this segment was the Christian missionaries
whose work in the area of education and health care
did influence a small section of Adivasis in becoming
Christians. Also the whole section of communities can
not be empowered and uplifted by charity work alone,
this type of work which has its own limitations. But
all the same it had a small effect on Adivasis.
Despite the assertions that Christian missionaries are
luring and converting them to Christianity, it is
clear that the Adiviasis coming under their field of
work is fairly small and today Christian stand 2.18%
as per the 2001 census.
It is here that the different type of cultural
intervention began from the SP associates. VKA in
particular focused on Hinduising the adiviasis as the
major project of theirs. This was necessary from
various points of view. The rich peasants and traders
who were in those areas were uncomfortable with the
educated Adivisis, asking for their rights etc, and
thereby disturbing the status quo. The Hindutva
project saw them as the indigenous Hindus who have
fled to forests to escape conversions by Islamic
rulers. Now having escaped the attempts of Islamic
rulers they are victims of Christian missionaries. It
is here that VKA started its multi-pronged activities.
To begin with they were called Vanvasis, to give the
impression that they are an inherent part of Hindu
fold. Than hordes of swayamsevaks swooped in these
areas preaching that they are Hindus and should be
proud of that fact. Simultaneously the promotion of
Hindu Gods and Goddesses was undertaken at hectic
pace. Adiviasis as such can not be called as Hindus by
the parameters of the identity of Hindu religion
revolving around Ram, Gita, Acharya, and the belief in
cow as mother. But by using the Savarkar thesis of
Puyabhumi, Pitrabhumi (All those who regard this land
as Father land and Holy land are Hindus) they were
called as Hindus and than made to accept the Hindu
Gods. Also a political campaign of re-conversion (Ghar
Vapasi) was unleashed akin to the Shuddhi campaign of
Arya Samaj, in early twentieth century.
While consciously sidetracking the real issues of
Adiviasis, the emotional issues, issues of identity
politics, were highlighted. Hanuman and Ram are
projected as The Hindu gods, and lately the destitute
Shabri is also being promoted as the Adivasi goddess.
On the other side a hate campaign against Christian
missionaries was initiated at high pitch, resulting in
the intimidation of the missionaries working in remote
areas, the most horrific act in this direction was the
burning of Pastor Stains with his two innocent sons.
Interestingly, Chattisgarh BJP leader Dilipsing Judeo
that time stated that he will defend the murderer of
Pastor Stains, Dara Singh. After being reprimanded by
the top BJP leader he kept quiet on this issue and his
brother took up the brief for Dara Singh's defense.
Mr. Judeo has specialized in the conversion of
Adivasis into Hinduism. The all round attack on
missionaries been going on at various levels.
Meanwhile a Hindu identity amongst Adivasis is getting
rooted and most of their traditions and nature
worships are being replaced by the Hanuman temples and
the new priests. The sample of the impact of Hindutva
amongst them was seen in the Gujarat anti Muslim
pogrom, where Adivasis were mobilized to act as the
foot soldiers of Hidnutva. It is no accident that they
could be ÇÄòusedÇÄô by the cell phone wielding BJP
cadres coordinating the pogrom. Also Dara SinghÇÄôs
activities cannot be seen in isolation. Dara Singh
also could mobilize the youth of the area for the
dastardly crimes he did. In addition to Pastor
StainÇÄôs murder Fr. Arul Doss and Sheikh Rahman were
also done to death in the area on similar and
different allegations.
The threat of BJP winning the elections is manifold.
One can feel the undercurrents of creeping Hindutva in
different parts of the country. The Kerala Marad
incident, the Baba Budan Giri issue, the Church in Goa
all are the planks for initial mobilization of the
section of Hindus. As witnessed in these elections
Hindutva was not brought to the forefront but its
subtle undercurrents were present in different forms.
It can be inferred that Hidnutva is the initial plank
followed by a clever manipulation of the issues which
appeal to the voters at the time. The solid base of
Sangh Aprivar also comes in handy in turning the tide
even of issues which seem to be crystal clear.
JudeoÇÄôs taking bribe is projected as a trap and how
can a King take bribe are successfully marketed to the
extent that the camera proven corrupt can also win the
election. Incidentally this also shows the double
standards of RSS. Same RSS in case of Bangaru Laxman,
in similar situation (taking bribe) stated that Mr.
Laxman was a shame on RSS.
There is a serious need for introspection amongst the
democratic circles. The Sangh Parivar is slowly
utilizing the democratic spaces to strengthen its
politics of Fascism. The threat of Fascism is there
for real. As one recalls Hitler also came to power
through democratic methods, winning over the minds of
sections of middle classes and then having assumed
power targeted the struggling and weaker sections of
society one by one. Tragedy is that many a socialists
of yesteryears, blinded by anti-Congressism, or using
it as a pretext to further their personal political
ambitions, are either sitting in the lap of BJP or
having an understanding with BJP at electoral level.
The argument proffered is that Congress and BJP are
two sides of same coin or some of them go on to say
that it is Congress which has given birth to communal
politics, in the form of Shah Bano, opening the locks
of babri Masjid, its involvement in Anti Sikh riots
and so on. Most of such critics fail to see that BJP
cannot be compared to any other political outfit in
Indian politics. It is a political handmaiden of RSS
which is wedded to Hindu Rashtra agenda, which does
not believe in Indian constitution and which rejects
the values of freedom struggle, Liberty, Equality and
Fraternity. One will like to state that BJP is giving
democratic postures at times only because it does not
have suffienct majority in the centre. Having
manipulated its way to Delhi, at what stage it will
totally adopt the agenda and goal of RSS is a mere
matter of formality.
The point is that all those valuing Indian
Constitution, standing for democratic values,
protection of weaker sections of society irrespective
of their religion, all those believing in plural
society need to wake up. This surely is the last such
call available to us. Democratic options may be
limited today but still they are there. And BJP is no
democratic option that is for sure.
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