Republic of Dominants

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat

A student from Arunachal Pradesh was lynched to death in the heart of South Delhi after an altercation with a shop owner who ‘joked’ at the hair style of the boy Nido, son of an MLA and student in a college here. The boy lost his life as he got beaten up by the shop owner and his friends who extracted rupees ten thousand too from the boy for ‘breaking’ their glass in the shop. There is outrage all over the country. Political parties have condemned the incident and as usual blamed Delhi police for its inept handling of the situation.

This is not the first incident of racial violence against the people from North East and Delhi is not the only state where such incidents are happening and despite all the media coverage and importance being given to the incident, this would not be the last of its kind as prejudices in our minds against those who do not look like us and have same kind of ‘characteristics’ are rampant. Frankly speaking, it is not just a law and order issue, it reflect the deep-rooted prejudices in our mind and need a long term solution.

There are two responses to the issue. One from the political angle which considers that this incident may create unrest in North east and alienate the people further particularly states like Arunachal Pradesh which are always claimed as ‘disputed’ territory by China. The others feel that it give leverage to Christian missionaries in their effort to ‘convert’ people as many of them have been blaming the church for their persistent engagement in proselytization process in these states. Many want a very patronizing attitude like they are our ‘poor’ cousins, living in forest, isolated regions and hence need to be ‘helped’ in the name of ‘national integration’.

For a ‘profit maker’ in Delhi these issues are not of importance as he sees them as helpless people who need residence in Delhi and hence force them to his terms and conditions. The middlemen extract money from them and the women from the north east are considered ‘available’ all the time due to their life style. It is not that these issues are not known to people in the North East. Many of them actually feel that these young boys and girls have to be a little careful as their security is of paramount concern for the families and their near dear ones. The question is how these issues are addressed by authorities.

If you ask people as what is the problem with the North Eastern boys and girls living in our metros and pet come the answer they must be ‘integrated’ in our mainstream. It needs to be answered as what is the ‘mainstream’ which we want to convert the friends from the north east. The police authorities in Delhi have offered some ‘guidelines’  in the form of a booklet for the students and visitors from North East as ‘security’ tips . ‘The booklet advises girls from the region to avoid wearing any “revealing dress” and has suggestions about cooking “smelly” food without creating a “ruckus” in the neighborhood.

It is interesting that the booklet has been written by a senior police official of Delhi police hailing from North East. It has been widely condemned that the police is trying to ‘integrate’ people at the cost of their culture and life style. The students, visitors and activists have condemned these guidelines and questioned their motivation. However, it is important to understand that these guidelines reflect our mindset and not merely policing and administration.

The other day, we heard Delhi’s law minister speaking about the Ugandan girls in Khirki village during their illegal raid that ‘these’ are not people like ‘us’. They are engaged in ‘prostitution’ and drug peddling said the minister. It is evident that the ‘cultural’ dissent is being seen in those who we feel ‘inferior’ to us. The fact is that despite our jargons and loud talks, Indians rarely mixed up with the people of African origins and we would definitely love to be in the company of ‘superior’ American and Europeans. Have we imagined as what would have been the repercussions of a ‘raid’ if the people were not from Uganda and Nigeria but from America or Europe?

What is visible here is a deep rooted prejudice against those who have a different culture than us where women too enjoy equal status and can go out without a male escort, where girls and boys are like friend, where violence against women is least and women are in fact  leader in their own and visible in the social culture lives. These are our northeastern states where we can find a much egalitarian and gendered society exists unlike most metros and rest of the country where feudal values are rampant.

Actually, India is a republic of dominant where democracy provides stamp of approval to majoritarian thinking pattern and their deeds and this makes India highly dangerous. Shockingly it is a society which is not ready to accept even minor changes that threaten the status quo and violent anti Mandal protests in 1990 are example of how we look towards affirmative action for the most marginalized communities. The real meaning of democracy means an equitable and liberal society where people live in mutual respect and have sound understanding of rights of each other. It also means ensuring participation of all the segments in power and feel of security and safety in the minds of the most marginalized one. Unfortunately, for Indian democracy of the dominant has become a tool of the power elite to coopt the minorities into their cultural practices and that is why a Shahrukh Khan, Salman, Saif or Aamir are popular when they adopt the ‘dominant’ cultural values and represent their values not in practice but more in symbol to give a justification to the idea of ‘’secularism’.

The friends of North-East are good as long as they take the jokes and jibes on them ‘sheepishly’ and do not respond to all those nasty remarks which they often face. The girls of north east are considered as ‘cheap’ and ‘available’ just because they do not cover themselves from head to toe and move around in confidence.  How can a man who has seen his mother, grand-mother, sister, wife in purdah all the time accept other women without that? It comes in their mind that these women are easily available and they can do whatever they wish to including commenting and even staring at them awkwardly.  The violence starts when the move is rejected by the person and hence you can hear the comments like Chinky and so on.

It is not that the slur is reserved for the North Eastern people only. If you see contempt of people looking different then who better than people of Uttarakhand and Himachal know it when they are referred contemptuously as ‘Pahadi’.  I was shocked to hear from a receptionist in Warangal, Andhra Pradesh last year, asking me to show my passport to him. He never believed me when I said, I came from Delhi. My own experiences are much better in Nepal, Thailand and even far away countries like Bolivia and Guatemala where people felt, I am one among them and not really from India. 

However, it is not as simple as misunderstanding of people and their identities. It is much bigger. Most of the people who hail from hills are actually much more liberated in their outlook and culture. Even when there may not be a matrilineal system, I would say, it is on people to record that men-women relationships in these regions are much liberal and far better than to say the people living in plain regions. One of the reasons for that is the distinctive life style, smaller land holdings and peaceful nature of the hill people. 

Last few years we have seen the protests in Delhi on so many issues mostly related to people of ‘Delhi’. They were most in the nature of Delhi’s regional aspirations though they impacted ‘India’. Delhi witness protest and dharanas from the people who are not from Delhi. They shot from ‘Delhi’but neither media nor ‘people’ of  Delhi have time for them. It look that the ‘poorest’ and most marginalized people of India live in ‘Delhi’, betrayed by all and now there was a Rambo going to ‘liberate’ them. Such protests were great but inherently biased and highly nationalistic. They shouted slogan against the federal government, called parliamentarians thieves, mocked at them and other legislatures and discredited all the institutions of democracy that we have built so far so laboriously. The protestors did not follow any rule. Most of them had anti Dalit-anti Muslim biases and their India confined to their own issues. All other Indians who do not agree with their view point needed to be demolished or conquered.  They gave example of ‘direct’ democracy. The language was abusing, vulgar and yet police did nothing. The slogan was like ‘dilli police’ was with them insidiously. No action was taken against them. It was an unruly mob mocking at every institution of democracy but do we have the same facility for the people in Chhattishgarh and Jharkhand. Can the tribal of Odisha and other central Indian state have the same luxury to protest against the police brutality in their states? Can the Muslims of Gujarat, Mujaffarnagar and other parts of India who have been falsely implicated in various cases of terror, do an indefinite Dharana at Jantar Mantar or Ramlila ground? Will the police with them be so friendly if they plan to do so?

It means it is a democracy of dominant where the opinion of the dominant matter the most and we all care for that. The minority opinion does not matter for them. The entire Indian government apparatus is shaken up when an Anna Hazare or Arvind Kejriwal sits on Dharna but non bothers when a woman from Manipur from Sharmila has been on hunger strike for the past 10 years against AFSPA but without any serious effort by the state to address the issues she raised. The armed forces are fighting war in Kashmir, in North East, in Central India and at many places fighting against our own people. At most of the places the demands of the people are political in nature, for more autonomy and yet the reaction of the state is violent and brutal.

The democracy of dominant reflects clearly in the non-action of the state in major cases of violence against minorities or marginalized. Whether it is the violence against Sikhs in 1984 or violence against Muslims in 1993 or Maliana, Meerut, Bhagalpur or Gujarat, the victims have rarely got justice. Contrary to this, such violence and polarization has always helped the dominant politically. Gujarat 2002 ensured that Modi remain powerful in Gujarat.  Shiv Sena and MNS have been engaged in goondaism in Maharastra and became more powerful after the Babari demolition in 1992 and yet nothing happened to them. Rajiv’s Congress got huge mandate on the killings of Sikh and I called it a communal mandate based on hatred against Sikh community. Nothing happened to anyone. The violence against Dalits and marginalized are on the rise and Haryana is a case example but since those who are perpetrating it are Jats, the powerful community of Haryana state hence nothing happened. Mujaffarnagar is the same case example that violence happened and people were glorified and yet no action has been taken and everybody knew why? The High Court of Patna finds no proof of involvement of Ranvir Sena in the Lakshmanpur Bathe case and each of the accused is released honorably. Is it not the irony that even after 60 years of our independence we are still finding such prejudices at every level in our ‘structure’?

The crime against minorities and marginalized have a tendency of being seen as ‘dissent’ and ‘threat’ to dominant culture and in the dominant political and social discourse it needs to be justified when crushed by vigilant mob of the dominant. The mob mindset of the dominant actually takes control of the ‘law’ in the name of societal and cultural issues. That is why we have Khap Panchayats where anybody disagreeing to a certain view point is seen as a challenge to society and hence must be eliminated. It became more so in case of people whose caste and colors are considered to be inferior. The ‘inferior’ have to be coopted in the popular belief system yet they cannot claim equal rights. Hence, a good Muslim would be those who respect ‘cow’ and the holy text books of Hindus but the same prescription is not meant for a Hindu. A good northeastern person is the one who can speak in Hindi, appreciate our ‘great culture’, become vegetarian and strictly follow the ‘rules’ dictated by the ‘dominant’. When you take a flight for Ahmedabad, you won’t get non vegetarian food as we have to respect the sentiments of ‘dominant’, in this case Gujaratis. I mean, the weak, the minorities, marginalized have to respect the sentiments of the ‘powerful’ and yet not claim equality.

Hence, Nido’s death does only reflect one thing clearly. It is that the violence perpetuated by the shopkeepers was inherently racial in nature. It is a dominant discourse that these people are not ‘like’ us. The normal description of the ‘people with difference’ is that they are meat eaters, drink, dance and engage in sex as if all this is a crime according to Indian penal code and all these ‘dominant’ do not have access to this. The raid by Somnath Bharati, the law minister of Delhi in the houses of Ugandan nationals living in Delhi is a case point. How the Minister was telling that ‘these’ people are not like us and engaged in a ‘prostitution’ racket. If Somnath Bharati has guts to close all this than he must visit GB Road and cleanse there first, rehabilitate the women there who are definitely not living there out of their choice but seer compulsion. Can he do it? Can Indian really call a spade a spade? Then Bharati has to condemn the Devdasi system which is prostitution sanctified by the ‘Gods’ and Hindu way of life. But then nothing happened to that. Devdasi is still a system and we have not been able to eliminate it fully as the forces behind promotion of it are dominant one.

Indian democracy will move towards anarchy as the dominant want it. Why Kejriwal, Arnab Goswami and Narendra Modi are liked by the urban middle classes? It is simple because they shout loud, they abuse and they mock at others who do not seem to be like them. It fetches better results. The dominants are now afraid of the domination of the hitherto marginalized sections of society. As the democratic space opens up for more marginalized and their leader take control of the system, the dominant will regroup under different banners. They will use politics, religion and morality to remain in power and undo the agenda of social justice. With media and corporate power in hand, the dominant make a full-fledged assault on the system through various means. It will make false and lofty promises to people and discredit the current system. It does not have a credible alternative yet people suffering from the institutional inefficiency rush to them in search of alternative and feel betrayed. The other way is through lies and deceits being spread by popular media in the hope that repeating lies and deceit will make them truth.

It is an attempt to codify the society and create anarchy so that forces of social justice and marginalized are further marginalized. It will create new issues so that the state does not have time to address the real issues. How is any government going to address the issues of North East, Kerala, Telangana, Kashmir, Dalits, Muslims, terrorism if India’s main problem remains Arvind Kejriwal and Anna Hazare. Since they represented dominant view point all kind of forces supported them and government was favorable to them but at the end of the day, a country like India will need to provide space for all. Democracy cannot become truly republican unless each marginalized section of society including minorities do not have fair space, representation in power structure, political parties and in the government. Those who are trying to side track these wider issues under their one point programme are actually engaged in the politics of dominant which is afraid of the growth of the marginalized sections of society and a demand for more diversity and more representation from diverse sections of our people. Democracy must demolish this politics of Khap Panchayat or Ramleela Maidan which is nothing but political discourses of dominant to destroy the real and genuine voices of the most marginalized communities. A successful democracy will only pave the way for them and bring their issues to the main political agenda.

Each political leader of today who matters in India represents one particular community in the state which is dominant whether numerically or in muscle power. And we have seen the results as they will justify everything in the name of ‘democracy’. The violence against the most marginalized continued with ostensible state support. State actually here becomes the voices dominant castes. It is important now to democratize our social system otherwise the whole edifice of democracy will be demolished by such ideas which are actually anti-democratic in nature.

Nido became victim of politics of dominance and so were thousands of Sikhs and Muslims who were butchered in Delhi and Gujarat. Same dominant kept quiet when Gandhi was killed in 1948 and Rajiv was killed in 1991 but the dominant became violent when Indira Gandhi was killed in 1984. Political scientists and analyst must focus on this political discourse and attempt should be made to expose this politics of the dominant so that democracy become vibrant enjoyed by all. Violence against minorities and marginalized is actually not the outcome of politics of this political party or that but the politics and control of the dominant communities who control all the parties as well as governance system too.

The Legacy of Nelson Mandela

Striking Similarities and coopting power elite

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat

Nelson Mandela is no more. As Indians were readying to remember their founding father Dr Ambedkar in the early hours of December 6^th, came the news of demise of Nelson Mandela, the father of ‘modern’ South Africa. World over, there is a grief yet Africans are celebrating his life. Amidst this pouring grief is another gimmickry of the western powers who are now canonizing Nelson Mandela today for their own benefits and ignoring their vast track record of violation of human rights of the people in Africa and elsewhere.

A common point of the tributes emerged is that Mandela was great because he did not believe in ‘retribution’. He was for ‘reconciliation’ and is father of a ‘united’ South Africa. I heard President Obama’s speech at White House converting Mandela as his icon and maintaining that his first ‘political action’ was fight against apartheid. The British Prime Minister David Cameroon went a step ahead saying the ‘light has gone’. Mandela was a man of reconciliation said his former tormentor FW D Clerk who shared the Nobel Peace Prize along with him.

In India the prime minister and commentators lost no time in describing Mandela as their friend and ‘inspired’ by Gandhi. The President, Prime Minister and all were in unison proud that Mandela learnt so much from ‘Gandhi’. It is other matter that Indian political class learnt little from Gandhi except in manipulating things and distorting the facts.

Let us try to recapture some of the historical facts of Mandela’s life before analyzing his politics and life. He was first arrested in 1955 along with 156 activists. Later he was sentenced to life imprisonment in June 1964. The struggle for life and dignity of the majority black population continued and African National Congress was their legitimate representative.

It is not mythological story that the American, British and rest of the western governments had no shame in supporting the racist South African regime till 1986. Mandela for them was a terrorist and ANC a terrorist organization. In fact US Congress passed Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act in 1986 against the veto of President Ronald Reagan who termed ANC as terrorist organization. Dick Chaney, American Vice President was a member of American Congress and voted against the bill. The ruling Republican Party was against the bill which was putting some stricter restrictions against the apartheid regime of South Africa. Chaney is not unhappy for what he did in 1986. Mrs Margret Thatcher and President Reagan have openly supported the racist P.W.Botha regime of South Africa against the wishes of international community. It is a fact that the same ‘champions’ of human rights have no shame in defending the illegitimate government of Israel and its discriminatory attitude towards the Palestinians.

In February 1990 Mandela was released from the prison after lots of pressure and realization in the western world that it was impossible to stop violence and retribution in South Africa. The darker side is that in the name of ‘reconciliation’ a lot of things have happened which can say that ‘political’ South Africa may be led by the blacks but economic power remains in the hands of white minority and somewhere Mandela was unable to challenge that. One can see in sports and other sectors too, there is little change in Africa as far as representation of blacks is concern. The African cricket team still consists of a majority of white minority players. One does not know whether blacks have got fair representation in the government services and power structure but one of the biggest ‘victory’ of the minority white regime was that the ‘reconciliation’ was done without ‘legitimate’ ‘land reforms’ and banking and financial institutions of South Africa remained solidly and powerfully in the hands of minority white community.

Mandela was definitely a revolutionary influenced with communist ideology. He had got support from all those regimes who were fighting against US hegemony. Countries like Cuba supported the movement for the rights of blacks and that is why Mandela’s first invite was to Fidel Castro to visit to Africa. In an interview he said, ‘

“From its earliest days, the Cuban Revolution has also been a source of
inspiration to all freedom-loving people. We admire the sacrifices of the Cuban people in maintaining their independence and sovereignty in the face of the vicious imperialist-orquestrated campaign to destroy the impressive gain made in the Cuban Revolution. … Long live the Cuban Revolution. Long live comrade Fidel Castro.”

In fact after his becoming president of South Africa, Mandela was categorical in his opposition to Israel and war in Iraq. He condemned it. He supported Palastinian demand for their homeland and said,’

“Israel should withdraw from all the areas which it won from the Arabs in 1967, and in particular Israel should withdraw completely from the Golan Heights, from south Lebanon and from the West Bank.”

For many in the West, these are difficult points and they do not expect Mandela who was now absolutely ‘fixed’ in Western ‘democracies’ to support Saddam or have any relationship with Castro regimes. But when the outpouring started today, western commentators completely ignored Mandela’s ideological tilts.

Though, it is not that Mandela changed according to western framework yet the influence was visible in the later years. Perhaps when you participate in power structure it coopt you. Mandela became a ‘statesman’ without fulfilling his party’s agenda. The blacks of South Africa still revere him yet the reality is that the ‘freedom’ has not got them much except the ‘political participation’. Is it not irony that when people seek justice they are fired and killed by the police?

In the new set-up of Africa when Mandela was being canonized and glorified to maximum hiding the western hypocrisy and double standard about human rights and democracy, the person who stood with him and took his battle further in his absence, his partner Winnie was villainised. In a revealing interview to Nadira Naipaul, in March 2010, she said, ‘

"This name Mandela is an albatross around the necks of my family. You all must realise that Mandela was not the only man who suffered. There were many others, hundreds who languished in prison and died. Many unsung and unknown heroes of the struggle, and there were others in the leadership too, like poor Steve Biko, who died of the beatings, horribly all alone. Mandela did go to prison and he went in there as a burning young revolutionary. But look what came out," she said, looking to the writer. He said nothing but listened.

It is hard to knock a living legend. Only a wife, a lover or a mistress has that privilege. Only they are privy to the intimate inner man, I thought.

"Mandela let us down. He agreed to a bad deal for the blacks. Economically, we are still on the outside. The economy is very much 'white'. It has a few token blacks, but so many who gave their life in the struggle have died unrewarded."

She was pained. Her uncreased brown face had lost the softness.

"I cannot forgive him for going to receive the Nobel [Peace Prize in 1993] with his jailer [FW] de Klerk. Hand in hand they went. Do you think de Klerk released him from the goodness of his heart? He had to. The times dictated it, the world had changed, and our struggle was not a flash in the pan, it was bloody to say the least and we had given rivers of blood. I had kept it alive with every means at my disposal".

We could believe that. The world-famous images flashed before our eyes and I am sure hers. The burning tyres - Winnie endorsed the necklacing of collaborators in a speech in 1985 ("with our boxes of matches and our necklaces we shall liberate this country") - the stoning, the bullets, the terrible deaths of "informers". Her often bloodthirsty rhetoric has marred her reputation.

"Look at this Truth and Reconciliation charade. He should never have agreed to it." Again her anger was focused on Mandela. "What good does the truth do? How does it help anyone to know where and how their loved ones were killed or buried? That Bishop Tutu who turned it all into a religious circus came here," she said pointing to an empty chair in the distance.

"He had the cheek to tell me to appear. I told him a few home truths. I told him that he and his other like-minded cretins were only sitting here because of our struggle and me. Because of the things I and people like me had done to get freedom."

Winnie’s pain has to be understood. She was sounding bitter but then it is a reality when friends part ways, when you see the one become larger than life while other colleagues are painted as villain then what can we expect? Except for Mandela, most of the ANC team was relegated to nothingness and those who were assertive were projected negatively by the western media. Can we truly say that South Africa is a country of unity at the moment? The lofty ideals of ‘forgiveness’ as being hailed by Clintons and Obamas need to be asked to those who have witnessed those humiliation of living life pushed as slaves.  I know Winnie was charged with murders, retribution, frauds and what not but none can deny her commitment to the cause of her people and her struggle in building up organization with other people in the absence of Mandela. After Mandela was released, she was sidelined and it is certain that a person who commits herself so much feel bitter which the interview clearly reflected.

The double standards are visible. You glorify a person because he has been fixed into your ‘democratic’ ‘tolerant’ model. So, you are great because you have ‘forgiven’ the tyrants, the democratic ones, who left no stone unturned to kill you and your ‘violence’. ‘We’ are opposed to ‘violence’ they would say without giving any alternatives to those who suffers in indignity and humiliation daily. Yes, violence does not mean the P.Botha regime was killing the blacks, firing upon them when they were raising issues of their human rights. Yes, ‘slavery’ is not violence perhaps and that was you can bring Gadhafi to law books, kill Saddam Hussein for violating human rights of the people but whether it is Yitzhak Rabin or FW D Klerk you baptize them through your Nobel Prizes and the entire ‘past’ is ‘forgiven’. In this battle the Western regimes have won but they have actually created differences among the communities who have been oppressed. Whether Mandela or Yasser Arafat, people of both South Africa and Palestine felt betrayed as their dream lands still eludes them.

Many of the Western commentators are still not happy with Mandela as they charge him of befriending Fidel Castro, Gadhafi and others. How much adjustment would they like once you are in power? Yes, you want ‘reconciliation’ and not retribution but is it possible to talk about ‘reconciliation’ without justice. If that is true then should we say that has happened in South Africa? Have the heart melt? How should people forget the inexplicable wounds that have been inflicted on them over a period of time? Why the racist regimes actions have gone unpunished? You punished Pinochet of Chile, executed Saddam and Ghadafi. You got Nazib killed even though by the Talibanis but you want forgiveness for a regime that violated all norms of human values and governance of modern day.

The Indian hypocrisy is much bigger than the Western World. Though it was Nehru who stood clear in his condemnation of the apartheid regime of South Africa, it would be highly unjust to say that we did enough to eliminate that regime in Africa. We are we proud of? To hide our own hidden apartheid, we can speak volumes on Africa but not allow our own people to power structure. The hatred that exists in India today clearly reflects even in the tribute to Mandela.

Leaders after leaders and speakers after speakers have mentioned Mandela that he was influenced by Gandhian values. One does not know what Gandhi did for the toiling masses of Africa. Even when Gandhi was in Africa, his struggle was not really for the blacks of Africa but for the Indian community there, which was mostly businessmen Gujaratis who actually remain dominant in a large part of Africa and who as many people allege are no less racist and casteist than their white counterparts.

Secondly, India is home to a system which is much bigger and more discriminatory than Africa. Over 160 million people in India suffer from hidden apartheid which has divine sanction and constitutional framework has not been able to protect those rights which are violated every day. Yes, Mandela came to India in 1990, a year which was the most turbulent in the history of independent India. A year in which the most marginalized got right to participation in governance structure, a long standing demand of reservation for the OBCs was fulfilled. It was a year when a government honored the father of Indian constitution with the highest honor of Bharat Ratna. It was along with Baba Saheb Ambedkar, Nelson Mandela also was awarded Bharat Ratna by the V P Singh government. Hence these two icons are entirely different in the entire list of Bharat Ratnas which has always been used by power elite to promote their own people. For the first time, we felt that Bharat Ratna deserving went to right people.

Mandela died just in the intervening night of 5^th and 6^th December. None of our commentators could find similarities with Ambedkar who fought singlehandedly the battles for the rights of Dalits in India who suffer similar prejudices and discrimination in India. He appreciated Gandhi as it is a ritual for every head of a state or a leader to appreciate Gandhi and Nehru as they are part of power structure now. There are awards and ceremonies in their names. If Mandela had time to read Ambedkar, I am sure, he would have appreciated his struggle. I don’t know how much he would talk about ‘forgiveness’ and ‘large-heartedness’. I am amused why the ‘forgiveness’ and ‘large-heartedness’ is expected from the victims. When there is laws then why not take all these action to law and human rights bodies? Can ‘forgiveness’ and ‘large-heartedness’ undo historical wrongs which the parent systems of our societies have inflicted upon the oppressed masses? If not then what is the remedy for that? If the black population in South Africa still suffers and Dalits in India are still asking for basic human dignity then what is the meaning of the so called ‘transfer of power’ and ‘inclusive democracy’. The fact is the power elite have very well manipulated this ‘inclusive’ democracy to validate on their ‘exclusive’ rights over our natural resources, our finances and our power structure.

Mandela is gone and he will always remain there. It is essential that we do not ‘deify’ him. Let there be a critical analysis of his legacy so that the movement that he launched is not stuck in the din of ‘forgiveness’ forever.

Towards a new darkness

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat

As the ASI officials start digging the ‘grave’ of enlightened India questions are being asked about the authenticity of the claims made Hindu seer Shobhan Sarkar and the way the government of India jumped into it and engaged ASI in it. For days, it became the favorite on our TV channels and all the bluff masters of  Hindutva were there to justify and interpret ‘dreams’ until Narendra Modi jumped and suggested that the ‘world was laughing at us’.  Word of wisdom by a communal fascist whose party is unable to come out of ‘Ram Temple’ complex and therefore making a bigger joke of itself.

This issue has many dimensions and need to be exposed. It has also given us an opportunity to put the secular rationalist view point in front of the people which they were not habitual off. It has also given us some insight in which direction the media is going and lastly it also shows that Indians still will not leave believing in miracles to make us a great nation.

The area

Let us start with how it started. If I dream today that there is gold underneath my house and inform it to ASI, will they start digging. Perhaps, you will need a cabinet minister at the Centre as your chela to get that happen. In a place called Dondia Kheda, we are informed Raja Rao Rambaksh Singh fought with the British in 1957. The brave king had looted huge amount of gold from the British who finally captured him and executed him. It took three days.  Interestingly, before Sant Shobhan Sarkar, none had heard about the heroics of Rajah Rao Rambakhs Singh. It is not an old story, just about four hundred years back so the documentation of this period must be there with our historians. From all our understanding we know the richest princely states in India were Jammu and Kashmir, Hyderabad, Gawalior, Jaipur, Mysore etc. but never ever heard of these unheard states where thousands of tons of gold was lying. Frankly speaking there is nothing in Dondiakheda which makes it unique. The whole area of Unnao, Pratapgarh had a number of Talukdars and most of those who claimed to be former princes or Rajas were just Talkudars and exploited the local populace more than anything. In fact, the historic uprising of marginal people in the Avadh, in Pratapgarh, Ayodhya and Faizabad regions is a great example of how people were fed up with these ‘local kings’ who left no stone unturned in exploiting the people. If these kingdoms were great then why have we not seen growth in these regions? The impact of the erstwhile kingdom of Kashmir, Hyderabad, Gwalior, Mysore are visible in various forms in those regions particularly in terms of infrastructure but in Uttar-Pradesh, we find none of those signs.

The fact is that if we go on digging these places more traces of Buddhist history would be found as Prof Angne Lal has already done much research on it and the information now is being circulated on social media too. If we dig too much, the Hindu lunatics will have to hide their faces as underneath these forts, graves lies Buddhist India which was progressive, free from prejudices and also prosperous. So, even if there might be wealth underneath, definitely, it belonged to the age of Buddhist period and not of these Rajas who were merely Talukedars.

Politics of competitive communalism

The whole story of Dondiakhera village and dream of Shobhan Sarkar can be unfolded easily. It lies in the politics of competitive communalism. It lies in desperations of political parties to use religion for the sake of power and for that they are ready to go to any extent even to create frenzy and hysteria, all at the cost of the nation. Shobhan Sarkar is Guru of the Central Minister Charan Das Mahant, who is a devoted Satnami and hails from Chhattishgarh. He came to Unnao to meet the Baba who informed him about his dream. The Minister could not ignore the ‘prediction’ of his Guru and went to Dilli darbar for an approval of digging by ASI there. For Congress Party it seems to have provided a wonderful opportunity to woe the Sant Samaj which is absolutely hijacked by the saffron party and hence the whole ‘dream’ thing was added to it. Now, once the Sadhu dreamt of one thousand tonnes of Gold came into public, the Hindutva’s forces also found a way to pontificate about the great virtues of our ‘shastras’ and the power of ‘seers’. Arguments were given how the country will develop and the ministers jumped into it. Akhilesh Yadav, the UP Chief Minister felt that he ‘wish’ every village of UP has gold mine underneath so that people are happier. Many of the Sant Samaj also jumped into the fray to justify but after people like us who have been opposing it at various forums openly and unambiguously, it seems that many of the  saffron family also realized the game and started targeting the whole issue though very carefully.

Indian politics is a strange paradox. Today, when Modi is trying to look secular and attempting everything to decast his image, it is the Congress which is weaving a bigger plot to attract upper caste Hindus who have virtually left it. It is the price of politics that Dondiakheda things happen. The problem with the government is that if it had not started the entire process, the saffron brigade would have made  the life of the government more difficult for insulting a seer who is honest enough to ‘help’ the nation. Don’t we know how they are expert in raising the issue and making a mockery of rule of law?   Each Indian is dreaming of one thousand tons of Gold in the coffers of RBI and Indian rupee turning equal to British Pound as ‘wished’ by Omi Baba, the Hanuman of Shobhan Sarkar who has rarely made any appearance to the people. The saffron Parivar may be worried as Congress has made inroads in their consolidated family but the reality is that seers had always been closure to power politics of Congress Party.

ASI’s Defence

ASI and GSI teams visited the area and conducted some surveys. It is only after that they decided to jump into the fray. They are government’s specialized agencies and none doubt about their credibility. There is nothing wrong for a government to order survey on the advice of a senior person who want to ‘help’ the government in the time of economic ‘crisis’ but ASI has to answer whether it will go all those places where any seer or madariwallah suggest is ‘gold’. The job of ASI is not to search for gold for the ‘troubled’ economy.  The specialized agency of the government is supposed to search for historical sites and maintain and preserve them so that we are aware of them.

However, in the past one decade these agencies are also used for political purposes. We have seen the entire Ayodhya fiasco and inability of the agency to put its work clearly on the same and tell the nation in unambiguous term as what is its position on the digging that it did several years back.  Further, if the ASI were working on its own, we would not have been seeing Sobhan Sarkar to inform the government about a fort which is of a historical value. Unfortunately, most of our historical places are lying in dilapidated shape where thugs, cheats, drunks etc use for time passing. The structures are virtually dying. Many of such structures have collapsed due to negligence. Historical buildings cannot be allowed to die at the hands of those who just feel them and structure of concrete.

Media Hype more dangerous

The pressure of TRPs actually forced the media to convert the entire event into an entertainment zone. It was a serious issue which snowballed into huge controversy as everyone wanted to ‘milk’ their perception through it. The politicians jumped as it gives them limelight, the seer were again demand as it is the best way of promoting brahmanical propaganda. Fine, if ASI is making a digging, how can you convert that entire operation into the ‘dream’ of a seer? And the fact is that the entire dream theory is being rejected by the spokesperson of seer now. He says that the slain Raja walks every night and speaks to every villager and the story is known to all.

The fact is that ASI is not there to dig Gold but on a special mission which was already decided in advance. My issue with the media is that fine if someone dreamt and used his offices with the government for the greater benefit of the people as it is an ancient site and already ASI has suggested that it was an important monument. But the entire thing has been made as if the country would become richer than Europe and America and rupee would suddenly turn stronger than US dollar and British pound once the gold is found. Such hypothetical questions and on those the answers only made a mockery of entire issue. All the thugs were brought on TV to defend this indefensible. You have got an opportunity to sanitize the people but you are yourself promoting those Babas, Tantriks, and so called Vastu Shastris whose only power is the ignorance of people. The whole issue was converted into a attempting to find gold and thesis being built up on that.  Can countries be developed just because of ‘gold’ and money? Are civilization just built up on those things. Will Indians not need to work after the Gold is found there? We are expert in creating this frenzy. Baba’s colleague said,’ we want to build the ‘biggest’ hospital of Asia in Unnao. I don’t know why he didn’t demand the ‘biggest’ of the world. “We want better roads, jobs and prosperity for all’, said the Baba. Now many claimants for the throne are also emerging. We are hearing that many Rajput clans are demanding a cut if the gold is found. They suggest it is their money and they have the first right.

The problem with the frenzy is that if the gold is not found then what happen? Will people hang Sobhan Sarkar and his colleague who is ready to be hanged? They are continuously speaking loudly and making larger claims. They are making claims at other places also. He has suggested there is gold worth 2500 tones in Kanpur and other places too resulting in people digging the places themselves. In a country like India where people have too much of faith on these Babas, it may lead to chaos and deterioration of law and order situation. It will only create ill will towards the ASI and other authorities of the government. The people are not going to believe in science after this digging as arrangement to keep them subjugated are permanent. The caste interests work much bigger than anything and through these ‘miracles’ Brahmanism shows its supremacy. You can see who are the people joining hands and explaining the power of ‘dharma’. It is the Brahmins, and media has a deep interest in maintaining this brahmanical supremacy and suppressing the voices of change. Everyone who challenged this was ‘anti Hindu’ and ready to be bitten by these so called dharmacharyas.

The fact is that religion is always double spoken and from last night we have seen some of the seers who are speaking now contradictory. Many suggested that the time was not auspices because of ‘lunar eclipse while other suggested that the gold change place. There was a woman ‘dream’ analyst whose only quality was on reinforcing the Manusmriti and its values. She said we were the first the first one who developed test tube baby and also added that in Mahabharat period we had so many instrument, missiles and aero planes. If we have people like her discussing things on India, I am sure you would not need a seer to tell us about the greatness of India. Therefore, if tomorrow, there is no Gold found in Dondia Kheda village, the priests have already started finding an escape route. The people and the seer will only blame the ASI and the government for their inability to find. It is the power of religion which has blinded our people and snatched their thinking capacities. It is shameful display of ignorance and romanticisation of superstition.

Positive debate

However, I will compliment Shobhan Sarkar for his frank observation.  He says that the entire ‘Gold’ must be given to the government of India so that it could be used for nation building which is in the great ‘economic distress’ at the moment. Whether there is Gold or not will only be known in next few days or months but the entire debate on this look like a Ramdev debate who want the ‘black money’ stashed in Swiss bank be brought to India. And both these issues reflect the brahmanical mindset and its crookedness. The grave fact is that Indians have huge money in India itself and if that is unearthed the fate of the country would be better. Secondly, we are trying to dig history and find gold and whether we will get it or not does not matter. Let us ask our religious places, temples, churches, mosques, Gurudwaras to declare the gold that they have so that this could be used. We know the immediate question will be the invocation of the name of God but are the religious institutions, temples, mosques, churches bigger and greater than the nation? World Gold Council recently estimated that our temples have over 2000 tonnes of Gold whose current value was approximately over USD 84 billion. Reserve Bank of India wrote a letter to our major temples to inform them the gold that they have but most of them temple management refused to divulge details. They have readymade answer that governments have no rights over the things which are gifted to God. The fact is what will ‘God’ do with this gol ? Is God eating the gold or will ‘He’ be angry if the gold is not there. It is clear that the political parties use religion as a card and big businessmen also using religion to outsource their illicit wealth. The government must investigate into the business-baba-babu nexus on the usage of religion for their own dubious dealings.  Should we not ask this question that if a nondescript Seer such as Shobhan Sarkar can think of nation beyond religion, cant our temples and mutths who have tonnes of Gold, too think of the same. 

And finally, the calamities also provide opportunities for secular humanists to express themselves. I am sure with the growth of social media, the mainstream media too remain under tremendous pressure and hence the issue of science will come. It is the sacred duty of the government to respect Article 51 ( h) of the constitution which talks of ‘developing spirit of inquiry, humanism and science’ in the country. We cannot shy away from it. A government should not be seen as spreading ‘darkness’ in the name of ‘faith’ but more than the government it is the media which need to be questioned.  Government has taken a well-planned route but not the media and the brahmanical forces inside it. I have no issues with Shobhan Sarkar who may be a rustic Sanyasi but the people who ‘theorize’ him are more dangerous.

India cannot become great with such ‘chamatkars’ or miracles. It is time we focus on our education which must develop spirit of inquiry among our students. Let the governments in India invest 9% of GDP on education. Let us build up industries and focus on developing agriculture. Let us groom our young minds for literature and art, science and technology. Let us humanize India first and build a humanist society without any prejudice. India cannot become great and strong with the dreams of a Baba or a priest in finding Gold. Only a great civilization has a potential of making India a great nation. Miracles and more searches for them will only take the country into further darkness. We cannot allow the country to hand over to those again who killed its spirit of inquiry and blinded it in superstition.

Why India need a federal law against ‘miraculous claims’ of God men?

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat

It was the month of November 2000 and I was in Lucknow to attend a wedding. It was in close relation hence the responsibility was a bit big. We arrived in the city two days prior to the wedding but our euphoria evaporated as the brother of the woman getting married disappeared. All efforts were made though the matter was kept under the wrap till the marriage was over which also reflect the brutality of social system where nobody want to take a chance and marriages are not made of convictions but of chances and money.

After the marriage ceremony was over, we lodged an FIR in the police station. For nearly a week, the police was active, giving us all the details of ‘bodies’ they recovered in accidents or unknown but later the matter was never really investigated. Being in Delhi, it was not possible for me to provide every day support but I did my best to help the family out. The mother of the boy was getting perturbed and still waiting for her son even after so many years.

In those initial days mother and sisters of the disappeared man were ready to do anything anyone suggested. And the problem was they would seek my opinion and active engagement in their matter as there was no male member in the family. Despite my being absolutely away from these nonsenses as I do not normally join marriage ceremonies unless they are self-arranged or simple in nature, I had to provide them my active support being present to them whenever needed.  One day, I was told that the police are unable to find it and we have to do at our own. The boy’s mother was doing her best to go to these ‘tantriks’ as people were suggesting. One of them told her that her son was alive, roaming around Lucknow, Faizabad side and is influenced under the evil spirit of a widowed woman. She was sure that being her only son, many girls were after her son and he must have been influenced by them.

So in those tense moments, whoever was suggesting, the family was obliging it diligently. The problem was that in many cases, I was asked to accompany them. One day, the younger sister of the disappeared man called me and said that she had heard there is a ‘well-known’ astrologer in Lucknow whose predictions are ‘perfect’ and to the point. To strengthen her point she gave numerous example of people who vouched by the ‘miraculous’ power of the priest. I told her to desist from these non-senses as nothing will come out of it and it would only be an exercise in futility. My opinion was that we must put pressure on police but the concerned sister said,’ when we are doing so many things, then what is wrong in trying this too, may be his predictions could help us find her brother’.  So one fine evening around 8 pm, we went to meet this ‘siddhast’ priest. There was a big board in the front with lots of ‘claims’ and ‘world known’ facts about him. We were asked at the gate about our motives to come and then put straight to his room where he was sitting in his room. He talked to us. The girl did all the talk about her brother and everything. After listening to her he said that her brother was alive and is with in the vicinity of Lucknow only and he would definitely return. He suggested we need to perform some special Pujas and that should be performed by the only blood relations. He just kept me separate distance, talking to the girl only and said that the Puja would be performed at his place and its timing would be in the mid night. The young sister would have to sit in the puja and very careful about it. She must ensure that she is not in the menses during that period as the entire mantras would become invalid. The most shocking thing he said was that the girl would have to come alone in the mid night to perform the puja and will have no cloth on her body when performing this only then the mantras would be effective. We both were shocked. First time, I saw the face of this girl just turned pale. We decided to come and the girl decided to not push further this. Perhaps, this opened her eyes not to believe in these thugs who use women in the name of miraculous powers.

The aim of writing this story is clear. I do not claim to save a woman from the clutches of a Baba but the fact is fortunately the woman accompanying me understood the games of the Baba and immediately decided to do away with such tactics. Today, the exploitation of women in the name of religion is growing. The story of the girl allegedly exploited and raped by Asaram Bapu is similar. One should realize how the faith and deep faith is used to exploit people and that is why it is time for the government to intervene. These issues are not going to resolve with just polite appeal but with the strict arms of the law. The claims of such Babas must be verified and testified by an independent authority.

The problem is that the devotees of these Babas only know about ‘miraculous’ power of them and hence no reasonable debate or arguments can be done with them. The endless devotees are a fodder for them to promote their senseless ideas and remain powerful without being accountable and it is not just the poor but educated middle classes too who have become ‘followers’ of them. Some of them are rustic like Asaram while others are sophisticated such as Ravishankar and the devotees will not leave any stone unturned in glorifying their power and knowledge.

In the past thirty years, we have seen enormous growth of these ‘cultural’ gurus influencing our polity and society. The basic principle of faith is not to question and only believe in their powers. It is the first work of a devout faith person to tell people that they could realize the power only when they ‘truly’ believe in them. Hence, if you do not believe truly then your work will remain incomplete and in deep faith people are forced to do many things. Among the devotees, there is a competition as who is ‘close’ to Baba. Women are the easiest target as most of they belong to middle class families suffocating at home and no chance to express. Hence when these Gurus started ‘dance’ and ‘songs’ in their ‘satsang’ all of them enjoy it. In the toughest family environment, you can only go out freely in the name of ‘satsang’. Nobody question you as why were you dancing because it is a ‘satsang’. So for many women who cannot venture out of home without a male escort, these congregations are a relief and also a status symbol. Once you are a ‘volunteer’ then you are trained to glorify the babas and force the women to follow the male diktats. Why are there more women in these congregations? And you will realize how Babas are using gender as a soft target. Women are suffocated in this feudal religious culture. When the culture of brutality so strong and locked, it is just a small window and make them feel that they are ‘something’. Most of them don’t want to lose the opportunity of coming out from their homes and ‘enjoying’. Later in the larger group, you happen to meet many people and when emotionally close then you are ready to do anything.

Last year a Srilankan woman had narrated her own experiences with one of the ‘greatest’ Gurus of India, whose ‘miraculous’ power were well known. She belonged to an influential political family of Srilanka. In the Ashram of the Baba in Andhra Pradesh, people would line up to have a ‘darshan’ of the Baba for hours and hours. In such a situation if you are considered close and ask to come to ‘his’ cottage, then it is a matter of great pride. The Baba would call himself as Rama and had many Sitas for him as he would bless everyone close to him as his ‘sita’. All these Babas have political connections and hence these ‘mutual’ understandable things never come out in open. We have seen the stories of Swami Nityanand in Karnataka and yet his ‘followers’ feel that he has been trapped.

All these stories have one thing common that women are the biggest ‘strength’ of these Babas and they use this connection to promote themselves. It is easier to push her up under the pressure of culture and also emotionally blackmail her. The babas will always tell them how they can convert them into ‘goddess’ or powerful ‘orator’ or leader. In today’s cutthroat competition, connection and ‘juagad’ have to be used and these Gurus know that psychology very well and that is why they are providing ‘liberation’ to women.

It is not unusual therefore when women come in large number and protest against the arrest of Asaram as presence of large number of women will only ‘prove’ how women are ‘safe’ in these ashrams and all the charges against Asaram are ‘fabricated’.  Today, the media is against Asaram but he can very much come back with greater advertisement and sponsored programmes on their channels. Already the Hindutva organisations are targeting the government for trying to defame the ‘Hindu culture’. The power of money actually bring  Nirmal Baba to our homes early morning despite so much of hue and cry about his ‘methods’ and ‘claims’. There are many others like him making tall claims about their miracles which have neither been verified or testified. When any item that come in the market has to pass through tests and cover under MRTPC then why are these miraculous babas left unchallenged? It is time these claims must pass through the scrutiny of a commission and people must be made aware about the dangers of them. Like the warning on smoking, let these sponsored programmes also have a warning that faith is good but blind faith kills and exploits and is detrimental to the development of human being.

It is important that the central government bring a guiding legislation against the superstition and miracle so that these claimants can be challenged in the court of law and punished under the law. With each of their sponsored programme not only should it be mentioned that these are sponsored programme but also a note about their claims that these are not verified and people must authenticate them before adoption.

In this age of science and reasoning, these Gurus are the biggest threat to reasoning and building up an enlightened society. They are the biggest threat to democracy itself as they promote a class of hoodlums who will take law on their hands and violently protest if their Guru is questioned or charged. There is no concept of equality and hundreds of girls will be vulnerable to them as their parents are ready to offer them to these ‘babas’ to wield away ‘evil spirit’.

We must thank to the bold girl and her father who dared to file case against Asaram. His eyes got opened. He listened to the cry of his daughter and realized that enough is enough. All those who blindly follow such farce actually help the cause of these powerful unaccountable elite who use religion and culture to dominate the socio-political system. From the last 12 months, we have seen a persistent hue and cry against the sexual violence on women in India. People came on street and protests forced the government to bring anti rape law. It was a great effort of the middle classes even when we know they are calculative and conspicuously silent on many other similar occasions but we felt that the law would help every woman. Today, it is not shocking that the upper caste middle classes have completely exposed themselves. Those who were crying against government to stop crime against women and hang the ‘culprits’ for rape are silent and seeking recourse in ‘law of the land’ jargon. Why the same can’t be applied to others. Problem is that we want to hang the guilty immediately when they are ‘Dalits, OBCs, Muslims and slumdwellers’ but want the law to take its own course when the perpetrators are upper castes, priests, Gurus and big people. That is why there is no outrage on violence against women in Haryana as victims are predominantly Dalit girls and the perpetrators of the crime are the powerful upper castes? There is no outrage against Asaram and Nityanand the way we saw against others and interestingly no demand for their ‘public hanging’. It is the selectivity of the issues which is destroying Indian society to unite and combat against such onslaught on women’s freedom and liberty.

Well known anti superstition activist Dr Narendra Dabholkar was killed in Pune and the Sanatan Dharm Sabha took pride in his elimination. ‘He died as per God’s wish’, they said. It was good than dying in bed or in old age, they justified. What had Dabholkar done? He was just trying to bring out an anti-superstition law which would stop activities of Tona-totka, ‘tantra-mantra’ but then those who benefit out of it would not allow it. How can the right wing allow a law against street thugs and cheats who make millions with miracle claims and super natural powers? Dabholkar’s voice was that of reasoning and those who killed him were afraid that if the society becomes enlightened and if there is a law against such claims then it would be difficult for this extra constitutional and unaccountable power to befool people in the name of culture and super natural powers.

Fight against superstition is important. One can understand nature of faith as long as it does not hurt. Nobody has a right to take life of any individual in the name of these powers. It is the duty of the state to curb on such miraculous claims. It is important because if we do not stop them then not only will we justify ‘narbali’ shishubali’ (human sacrifice-child sacrifice’) but also allow our girls to be ‘sexploited’ by these thugs. A strong federal law against superstition is essential and for that it is important that our health services must be easily accessible to rural poor but also our school and college curriculum should inculcate the spirit of ‘spirit of inquiry’ and humanism. It is also important that charitable status from such institutions which are religious and making billions must be withdrawn and they must be taxed and this tax could be used for the benefit of the poor. It is time to put a tight noose over such obscurantist forces that violate our rights and thwart the process of law.

Monstrous propagandists

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat

As the reach of web world is being recognized and realized across the political spectrum, the hate mongers have also started working on their agenda. Political debate must confine on the principles and policies of political parties and their performances but unfortunately now the personalized nature of targeting is being done by the multi-headed propaganda machinery of the Sangh Parivar. These offshoots may or may not be registered but every day, you will find a new ‘national’ organization preaching us to be united and fight against corruption and false ‘secularists’ who do not speak against Muslims.

Muslims are the favorite target of the Hindu communalists because it gives them the strength to spread their vicious agenda. They know the compulsion of ‘Hindu secularists’ who hails from the upper caste-class segments and have at their heart of heart the feeling of Islam being a problem. It is this class who feel that Muslims cannot be secular and Hindus are ‘too’ ‘liberals’. I have been forced feed on this issue of Islam many times that I am too ‘liberal’ to Muslims and too harsh on ‘Hindus by many of my secular-humanist friends.  It is not just the ordinary souls but academically sound people too have the same idea. One of them once said that a Muslim cannot be secular to which I countered as which religious person can be secular. The person further argued that Quran cannot be a secular book and I responded how Gita or Ramayana can be different then. To this, he suggested that Gita is a secular book, it does not spread animosity and that great scholar like S.Radhakrishnan and others around world actually spoke highly of ‘Gita’. I asked him to read the analysis of Baba Saheb Ambedkar and Periyar and I realized the deep contempt for them. The whole issue then reached to reservation. And unfortunately on the issue of reservation the attitude of Muslim elite who may look secular, Hindu elite, Communist elite, and Humanists elite look the same. It is disgusting how there are are point of convergence in India among the elite masquerading to follow different ideologies and yet find their common convergence in looking down upon the Dalits and rarely speak against the caste atrocities.

My point is not the glorification of Islam but definitely a legend like M.N.Roy looked to Islam in a different way in India and wrote ‘The Historic Role of Islam’. Yes, the role of Islam in India was of social change and bringing a voice of dignity to many of the marginalized. And therefore, the secular humanist breeds in India have two varieties. One who lead ‘Muslims’ through fighting for their rights particularly during the communal disturbances but does not bother to speak about the ‘internal’ issues of the community which actually are very useful in strengthening the stereotype that the Hindutva’s thugs have created about them that everything that they do is ‘appeasement’.  So, India considers ‘not speaking’ as an appeasement while a majority of the community languishes in poverty. The issue of Pasmanda Muslims is out of bound for the ‘seculars’ at the moment. The ‘seculars’ represent ‘tolerant’ Hindus who feel that India has suddenly being communalized and hence the conceptualization and myths being built up around ‘Hindu tolerance’ which is farcical.

It is important therefore to visualize what is invisible and how media plays with names and stereotype thing very similar to what the Bombay films did long back. A Brahmin in any of the Bombay film would always be poor but honest and hardworking while a Dalit or a black as ‘kamchor’ or a cunning caste-ist gangster. People with disability and dark skinned were to be laughed at and look down upon in contempt. The media story is dirtier here and need to be analysed. How they create ‘identities’, make hero of a ‘community’ and create ‘villain’ of others.  Durga Shakti Nagpal is clearly a name which helps media to promote the idea of ‘honest’ officer, ‘meritorious’ who is upright and has taken on the ‘Bhatis’ who will definitely an OBC. The problem is that there are numerous other local mafias who may be Sharmas , Tyagis, Aggarwals and others but they will not be in the ‘hit list’. Similarly, when a blast occurs anywhere, it is the people related to Islam or Muslims whose name is chanted from the very beginning quoting extraordinarily on those ‘home ministry’ or ‘intelligence’ reports which are nothing but thoroughly communalized but at the same point of time when Pakistan does the same tactics, parade Indian national or a Hindu as a terrorist then our ‘nationalism’ wakes up. You  can make it from the arrest of Abdul Karim Tunda and the way he is being ‘projected’ despite the known fact that our own ‘Tundas’ in Pakistan would be treated as ‘nationalist’.

The communal Hindutva agenda has many facets and one need to understand it deeply. They are hand in glove with crony capitalists and hence media shamelessly and nakedly coming in their support. Now, media because of its very nature cannot really chant Sangh’s anti- Muslim rhetoric’s openly hence playing with the story indirectly. For that perceptions are developed carefully and news is built in a way that does not show you propagating the ‘Hindutva’ but demolishing all those who stand against the communal fascists. So, an Arnab Goswami will scream for the right of Durga Shakti Nagpal and ask question on behalf of ‘India’ as why is she not being instated but the fact is does the state government has right about her or not. Can she decide about things on her own? So justify her act, we will bring stories of that she ‘demolished’ a temple too but nobody asked her anything. That shows the ‘Hindu’ ‘tolerance’. Then, we ‘break’ the story of a Muslim MLA’s father in Rajasthan and how he is engaged in ‘anti national’ activities and an ‘honest’ officer has been shunted just for taking him. It means that every transfer needs to go to Arnab Goswami’s table first for clearance otherwise he will scream on TV and call Madhu Kishwar for ‘justification’.

In this country, the bureaucrats never actually treat people as ‘sovereign’ but mostly as servant. Anybody, who is working with the government institutions in this country, is a my-baap of the ordinary citizen. There is no doubt that the Uttar-Pradesh government has mishandled the Durga Nagpal’s case but just to make her a demigod the media is showing its true colour. This trend is turning into other farce which media has tried to create in the past five years. After the Anna-Kejriwal farce, they went to every sound bite by him who also fizzled out. For a long period we found that the notorious Subrahmanyam Swami is the ‘model’ for our media and they lapped up each word that he spoke against the Gandhis and Muslims. If Amartya Sen has to be condemned then bring frustrated Jagdish Bhagwati whose only problem with Sen is his Nobel Prize.  Is this the job of the media to discredit the political institutions and boss over us through unaccountable arrogant bureaucratic institutions?

Yes, the political leadership is going through crisis but it reflects our society. We need to protect our democracy and change the social system to make it more equitable. Democracy can’t be strengthened if we discredit the entire process of democracy and allow the supremacy to be non-elected unaccountable bureaucratic classes in India who have developed contempt towards democracy. It is ironical that the classes which glorify Indian democracy abroad have deep contempt towards it and to understand that we must revisit the post mandal India when the political parties have been mandalised. 

A decision on August 7^th, 1990 for the acceptance of Mandal Commision report by V P Singh’s government jolted the entire nation. They tried to create anarchy in the country but failed. The upper caste forces have persistently tried to create anarchy in the country whenever their hegemony is challenged. Mandal was the biggest threat to them. Mandal’s biggest contribution may not be the rising number of OBC bureaucrats but the growth of the new leadership which emerged. As the demand for fair representation grew, the apprehensive caste forces used all the tricks to thwart that change process and ensure that some areas remain out of bound for the majority of this country, just in the name of ‘merit’.

India’s parliament is the best representative of Indian people. No other Indian institutions really represent people of India and what is the merit of the ‘selection’ process of these unaccountable ‘meritorious’ ‘experts’ in media, judiciary and academic world. Most of the appointments are done through connections whether they have political, bureaucratic or media itself. Was there a national examination organized for getting some one into Times Now or NDTV ? What was the process of appointment of Arnab Goswami or Rajdeep Sardesai ? How did Chandan Mitra got ‘Pioneer’ and haven’t we forgotten a former chief justice appointing his sister as judge of high court and attempted to bring her to Supreme Court just before he retired. Find out the family history of those who are donning our judiciary? Are there no other meritorious people in this country except those selected? These are the very similar process in the universities and colleges who have thwarted every attempt to bring diversity inside their campuses in the name of ‘merit’. 

We talk of transparency for everyone. Yes in the name of transparency create anarchy, make people fight with each other. None will ask the food bills of Ambanis or Amitabh Bachchan as they have ‘fundamental right’ to spend money of their choice as the billions and trillions they have is ‘their money’ but if Sonia Gandhi organize a party then file cases. What about Arnab’s party and the high society parties organized by the Jain brothers of Times of India. Can we seek RTI for many newspapers whose circulations are not even thousands yet their budget is in crores? How are they running their empire? 

So, news is being created here very carefully. It is created to discredit some and make other benefit. Nobody is shouting when Modi government discriminate against Sikhs and decide to throw them away from Kutch, in Gujarat. These are the people who developed that region as a wonderful place but now Modi’s Gujarati nationalism and pure business sense feel that these people should be thrown away but no hue and cry, no campaign to save people.

Soni Sori’s is languishing in Indian jail. The policeman who butchered her, violated her, tortured her has got presidential medal. Her husband died of torture. Soni Sori is a tribal so our heart doesn’t melt for her. Crime against her does not melt the heart of these women who were in Jantar Mantar. Yes, we make a rape victim as ‘symbol’ of bravery because she happens to be an upper caste but the woman who fought for her right, for her people, is languishing in Jail. None ask question to Indian state. Nobody seek inquiry. No court issue any warrant. No government fall, no heart-break, no dharnas, no tears, nothing moves. Why the nation does not question the state’s brutality? Is Soni Sori not a woman? Is she not a citizen of the country? Yes, the argument they would give is that she is a Maoist but then the jailed persons too have right to defend themselves.

The Hindutva propaganda machinery is expert in distorting facts as over centuries they have expertise in lies and deceits. The analogy is selective and so are the campaigns so that the fence sitters are influenced. The Madhya Pradesh government ordered Gita to be taught in Madarasas and we find justification. ‘Muslims and Christians can teach their religious books in their schools then why are Hindus denied to teach their holy-books in their schools’, they say. The problem is that RSS and Sangh Parivar have very cleverly converted all the government and national institutions as ‘Hindu’ institutions and hence when the minority institutions teach their values, they counter it that we too have a right to do so. Secondly, Madarasas are not Hindu institutions but Muslim religious institution but the tragedy is that such fascist imposition are being ordered in the name of ‘culture’ of tolerance and there is no hue and cry by those who have been speaking.

A number of Hindutva leaders have been caught on various scandals but that does not become an issue and therefore it is clearly visible that media is fighting the battle on behalf of Sangh Parivar today. Fortunately, the people of this country know very well the brahmanical nature of media and hence have learnt the tricks of the game. Now the news is coming clearly how and why a big staff at a famous news channel is being shunted just to make way for more saffronised journalists to be recruited who can campaign for Modi and his team.

It will be deeply disturbing if media remain unaccountable in the name of freedom of expression propagating the business interest of companies and hiding facts from the people. Political class must reflect on themselves as the goons and musclemen will only discredit them further. We desperately need political statesmen today who can rise up and speak without their own narrow sectarian interest. The middle classes may enjoy the mocking of political class who anyway can be changed but who will seek accountability from these loudspeakers who are spreading lies and spreading hatred. The day political system in India collapse, the fascist communal forces will take away all our liberties and this ‘free’ media will never come for our rescue that time. We have seen their criminal silence on Soni Sori, on Kashmir, on AFSPA and hence it is time that people must change their polity. Politicians are bad, they are corrupt ( but media men are not holy cows and many of them have turned ‘successful’ politicians too) but sweeping generalization will be dangerous and secondly if idea of India has to survive fighting against communalism and sectarianism is no less importance then fight against corruption. Do Indians really love those who fought against corruption. who are the role model? Will they love VP Singh, RamSwroop Verma, Narendra Dev, Madhu Dandwate, Ramdhan, Indrajeet Gupta, Manik Sarkar and many like them who lived their life in honesty? There are hundreds of political workers silently committed to their work without media galore but the past 20 years have degenerated political system because of media reach and we have film stars, business tycoons, media monarchs jumping in the political bandwagon and enjoying the power. It is a challenge. The biggest challenge is to expose the corrupt crony media and its unaccountable power. If India has to be saved from fascist communal onslaught, the people must understand and expose the role of these crony journalists who have nothing but khaki shorts underneath and their disinformation campaign against the poor and marginalized. If politics became the symbol of change even if it might have been negative at many places, the media, judiciary and academia are the biggest obstacle to social change and propagandist for status quo. They are simply pushing their casteist, communal agenda in the absence of a political consensus on major issues of saving the democracy. Democracy is endangered today as it will only create more problems and isolation for the marginalized and those who believe in freedom of expression and political thoughts. We must be careful of those propagandists who are using this political vacuum to strengthen their sinister fascist designs.