Fraudulent "Hindutva" Propaganda

 

Fraudulent "Hindutva" Propaganda

 Shrikant G. Talageri

 

After splitting and co-opting opposition parties, siccing the ED and IT on individual corrupt but influential opposition leaders and then fully whitewashing and empowering them after they join the BJP, taking full control of the Election Commission, jailing opposition leaders and even opposition chief ministers who are not likely to jump ship into the BJP, choking opposition parties of new funds (and even freezing their existing bank accounts), and umpteen other measures − and in spite of the fact that even staunch critics like me are in no doubt that the BJP and Modi will be back in power (only the exact number of seats that they are likely to get being any matter of speculation or debate) − the BJP seems desperate to break every possible past record and present speculation in this matter of number of seats, so as to increase the absolute stranglehold of their Thousand-Year Reich on Indian polity, and is leaving no stone unturned in matters of organized propaganda to achieve its fullest objective.

In matters of propaganda, of course, we have the personality-cult of the Great Leader being emphasized in every possible different way. Here in Mumbai, every time I enter a local railway station (especially Charni Road station from the Chowpatty side after my morning walk), I find, facing me, a huge TV screen showing the PM walking casually (and alone) through a leafy ground where a sweeper/gardener is busy sweeping up the leaves with a broom. The PM pauses to inquire about his welfare, pats him encouragingly on the back, and then takes the broom and pan from him and starts sweeping the leaves into it!

All this is apart from the propaganda about the massive strides in economic development that have taken place under this Leader and this Party government.

All the above, though alternately irritating, amusing or gape-worthy, is perhaps legitimate in the field of electoral political propaganda for any party.

But the particular propaganda that I strongly object to, or at least feel like pointing out the fraudulent nature of, is the fake and brazenly fraudulent "Hindutva" propaganda. Though no political party (and most definitely not the BJP) has ever found it necessary to be discreet and reasonable in its political promises and claims before elections, nevertheless every party is aware that these promises and claims, if made officially, have some (even if only nominal and superficial) official relevance at least for table-talk discussion and purposes of criticism as a matter of official record.

When it comes to propaganda, especially (but not exclusively) on Hindutva issues, the BJP has a powerful second line of action on the ground (or rather in the media and social media): its huge armies of internet and whatsapp  bhakts and trolls, who make all the Hindutva promises that the BJP itself would never dare to make − and would never possibly dream of even trying to implement − and manage to create the impression among gullible Hindu voters that a vote for the BJP is a vote for Hindu survival.

 

One such whatsapp message doing the rounds was brought to my notice (I must mention here that I do not have or use a mobile phone, so it is just by chance that I saw this particular message):

"My personal request to all Hindu families.

Share with 10 family members and 10 friends. Don't go for picnic on Election Day. make sure you Vote for BJP and then go for picnic or to your work or to your friends place.

1. 407 seats are required in the Lok Sabha to abolish Waqf Board (this is more dangerous than Article 370 of Kashmir).

2. If Modi has 407 seats in the Lok Sabha, then 10 crore Bangladeshi intruders will be driven away by implementing CAA_NRC law.

3. If Modi has 407 seats in the Lok Sabha, then Minority Commission will be abolished.

4. If Modi has 407 seats in the Lok Sabha, then Places of Worship Act will be abolished (Thousands of Hindu temples will be returned which were converted into mosques and given away).

5. If Modi has 407 seats in the Lok Sabha, then Uniform Education Act will be made by banning Madrasa, the factory of terrorism.

6. If Modi has 407 seats in the Lok Sabha, then 600 Minority Ministries run by the Centre and 29 State Governments, which have been running continuously for 77 years, will be abolished.

7. If Modi has 407 seats in the Lok Sabha, then 2 child law will be made for everyone (Population Control Law).

8. If Modi has 407 seats in the Lok Sabha, then UCC (Uniform Civil Code) will be implemented in whole India which will ban 4 Nikah and 3 Talaq.

9. If Modi has 407 seats in the Lok Sabha, then 100% properties of stone pelters and rioters will be confiscated and there will be provision of 10 years of punishment.

So friends, put in all your effort. This time BJP should cross 400, exactly 407 seats".

[The 10th point is an Economy-and-Development argument irrelevant to this article].

All this may seem unimportant in the sense that it just represents the views of some lay person: after all we all have the right to hold and express our views.

But it is not simple, ordinary, innocent or harmless. This is the kind of propaganda which is being systematically unleashed all over the country by well-funded and well-organized groups of "unofficial" propagandists. Thousands of such whatsapp messages are flooding the social media, influencing countless millions of people to vote for a party which is in no way morally or practically or legally bound to fulfill such claims and promises made by some lay person in his personal capacity. Has the BJP made, or even hinted at anything indirectly in the faintest possible way, in respect of a single one of these points (except point 8)? Will the BJP, either its Supreme leader or even any BJP leader in a minor capacity who could be considered in any way some kind of spokesperson for the BJP, dare to endorse a single one of these claims and promises officially without having strong action taken against him by the Party?

 

The claims made by these unofficial social media propagandists are not about unimportant or irrelevant issues. All these issues are indeed extremely important for the survival of Hindus, Hinduism and India.

What is wrong, and not just wrong but fraudulent and even criminal, on the part of these unofficial propagandists is the claim that the BJP is going to do any of these things. Most of these issues are described and discussed in detail, with facts and figures, by Anand Ranganathan in his book "Hindus in Hindu Rashtra − Eighth-Class Citizens and victims of State-Sanctioned Apartheid". They are issues which should, in sensible words, be included in, and in fact should form the highlights of, the election manifesto of any political party claiming to be Hindu or Hindutvawadi, or even simply claiming to believe in justice to and equal treatment of all citizens regardless of religion. But these issues (with the exception of point 8, on which more presently) do not form any part of the proclaimed manifesto or agenda of the BJP:

 

 

Not only do these issues (with the exception of point 8) not form any part of the proclaimed "Hindu" agenda of the BJP, but in fact, in respect of every single one of these issues, even Ranganathan's book points out that the BJP stands exactly in the same category as all other parties and that it has not done anything in respect of a single one of the issues. But while there are areas where Anand Ranganathan fears to tread, there are many other clear-headed, intrepid, honest, sincere and forthright Hindus on the social media who have repeatedly highlighted how the BJP is not only not a savior of Hindus or Hinduism, or a follower of the simple principle of equality for Hindus with non-Hindus, but actually and actively the worst offender against Hindus in respect of all these issues.

 

Yes, "Uniform Civil Code" (point 8 in the above list) figures in the manifesto. But in what way is it relevant to Hindus or in what way is it a Hindu issue? It is a purely Secular issue in the truest sense of the term: every secular country in the world has a uniform civil code; and even the framers of the Constitution of India made it a Directive Principle of State Policy to introduce a Uniform Civil Code. And, last but not least, it does not benefit or even concern Hindus as such in any way: it is Muslim women who should be clamoring for a Uniform Civil Code, not Hindus.

Note that Anand Ranganathan in his above book has given a full list of all the things that a Hindu party should do for Hindus. One of them, the "Waqf Board", which is indeed "more dangerous than Article 370 of Kashmir", was in fact not fully known in all its horror even to a person like myself (whom no-one can accuse of being ignorant in matters of Hindu issues) until I read his book. Is there even the faintest of possibilities that the BJP − which would never even dream of claiming to want to do so − could possibly try to abolish this monstrosity (in whose creation and perpetuation it has actively participated down the decades, as shown in detail by so many true Hindus in the social media) under any circumstance?

Note that the abolition of articles 25-30 of the Constitution, or their equal application to Hindus also along with non-Hindus − which is the single most important thing that requires to be done, is completely missing in not only the BJP manifesto and promises but also in the fraudulent claims and promises of its unofficial propagandists. It must be noted that just as the Uniform Civil Code is a Secular issue which should concern Muslim women and does not benefit or even concern Hindus as such in any way; similarly the equal application of Articles 25-30 to followers of all religions (Hindus as much as Muslims and Christians) is also a Secular issue which should concern Hindus and does not harm or even concern non-Hindus (especially Muslims, though it might affect the political machinations of leftists and evangelist institutions by protecting Hindu institutions from their attacks): it must be noted that the only politician to have seriously tried to bring a bill in Parliament for equal application of Articles 25-30 to followers of all religions was Syed Shahabuddin of the Babri Masjid Action Committee, and his proposed bill was effectively killed by all other political parties, including the BJP!

 

Therefore it must be understood why the BJP officially, as well as through its troll armies, so completely sidelines the issue of Articles 25-30. The first reason is, of course, that all mercenary politicians of all shades want to loot and milk public institutions to the maximum extent. These articles prevent them from doing so effectively in respect of Muslim and Christian educational and religious institutions, but at least allow them to do so in respect of Hindu institutions. So, plainly and simply: BJP politicians (always seeing things from the point of view of politicians in power who are expecting to be always in power), just like all other politicians, don't want to lose these mercenary powers.

But there is a more deplorable reason why the BJP is not bothered about the iniquities of Articles 25-30 in respect of Hindus:

A look at the list of nine Hindu or "Hindu" issues listed in the propagandist whatsapp message ( which is just one drop in the flood of such propagandist messages doing the rounds of social media in this pre-election period) shows that (although each one of them is a perfectly important, legitimate and necessary issue for Hindus, and at the same time it is equally clear that the BJP has no intentions of doing any of those things), nevertheless all the nine issues (even though one of them, the Uniform Civil Code, gives no practical benefit to Hindus as such) can have a strong polarizing effect on Hindus and non-Hindus (specifically Muslims):

In respect of a certain section of Hindus, all these issues make them think "this will teach those buggers a lesson", and, in respect of most Muslims (although to different degrees), they help them think in their time-tested traditional terms of "we are under attack from kafirs". However, the issue of equal application of Articles 25-30 to followers of all religions (even though it gives incalculable benefits to Hindus and Hinduism) neither "teaches those buggers a lesson" nor raises the bogey of "we are under attack from kafirs"; and therefore is of zero polarizing value in pseudo-Hindutva electoral politics. This is the cynical reason why this issue does not figure (as yet, that is) in the list of claims and promises being made safely off the record by the unofficial troll armies. Of course, for purposes of strategy − after all, promising to do something does not mean you have to do it − it (or some other one of the genuine Hindu issues listed by Anand Ranganathan in his book, or raised elsewhere by other true Hindu thinker-activists) could still figure as a last-ditch issue. But just an electoral issue to be shelved permanently after the votes are counted.

Will these cynical tactics work? Sadly, since this is the kaliyug age of "asatyameva jayate", I at least feel certain they will. But, whether it serves any practical purpose or not, it is also necessary that the truth should be pointed out on record. Hence this article.