Inveterate news avoiders among us cannot have avoided the recent BJP (RSS) train wreck. Stellar achievements of some group members include the Babri Masjid demolition, Godhra riots, goading jihadis to go seek their virgins, mob dismembering+killing of a secular Muslim MP etc. The zeal of their anti-Muslim agenda is insanely complimented with a zest for Hindu Talibanism. Yes...like Palin and reason.....politics and logic dont always go together and that's just that.
But in their defense, they take Gandhi's words "You must be the change you want to see in the world" rather seriously. By all indicators they will not rest until we are a bunch of Saraswati vandana spouting, jeans-abhorring, Hindu birthing, uninformed, paranoid drones. But much of this is common knowledge. So to get us up to speed on what happened now - a quick recap...
- Jaswant Singh publishes a book on Jinnah where he says it wasn't so much Jinnah but really Nehru and Patel that were for partition. Top BJP folks get their collective langots in a bunch (ergo some chinta during the baithak) and expel Jaswant Singh like the turd they claim him to be.
- The book is banned in Gujarat where you can be jailed if you have it on hand. However it is okay if you have it only to burn it which has given the matchstick industry in this already prosperous state a boost. Apparently it is unconstitutional to jail you for this, but "constitutional" is as foreign a concept as "McDonald's beef burgers" in much of Gujarat thanks to pioneering work done by some of these folks.
- We must be grateful for the vigilant eyes of the rightwing that protects us from such secular vitriol, even if they are facts. Yes they missed a similar book written three decades ago by an RSS idealogue, H V Seshadri, a bunch of others by historians on partition and also didn't have quite such a hissy when Advani praised Jinnah during his trip to Pakistan. But eighth time's the charm!
- Arun Shourie (BJP) attempts to defend liberal thinking and free press but instead goes on an Alzheimer-tinged rant where he references fictional characters and nursery rhymes insulting BJP leaders but then back-peddles furiously. He quotes Tagore's "Where the mind is without fear" in one last attempt of borrowed, literary glory.
- Unrelated to the book fiasco, at the same time the leadership tries to fire Vasundhara Raje (leader of the opposition, Rajasthan). She has a strong administrative record but like all women in power she's more trouble than her male bosses think she is worth. The Kicker though is that when asked to quit she went.."uhm okay but I have 3 conditions. First...I want a beter job than I have now. Second...." One simply has to admire a Rajasthani woman going Kaikeyi!
To know Pakistan you have to know Jinnah, was Jaswant Singh's defense for why he wrote the book. In that vein it may help to know today's BJP to scratch the surface of this oil-spill.
- BJP slogan: Yes they actually have one. Sushasan, vikaas aur suraksha (good governance, development and security.) Given their current state of affairs that would be like Barbie claiming she cared about quantum physics and fat chicks.
- RSS: The Ayotallah to BJP's Ahmedinajad. Enough said.
- Core philosophy: Pretentiously labeled Integral Humanism - this is actually a remarkably mature, balanced and idealistic vision of how India should change with the times while preserving the heritage that makes her strong. As part of the sanity-avoidance diet they are on, much of this has been excluded in their political reality. Tolerance and the need for control (not anger) are some of the guiding principles, so you know what I mean...
- Current agenda: While one can actually get on board with some of their pet issues (Uniform Civil Code and getting Kashmir to not be a brat) it's pretty amazing that building the Ram Mandir officially tops this list. Given India's key concerns are infrastructure, resource allocation, eradicating social evils etc, one may wonder how a temple in Ayodhya is a legitimate political platform. One hypothesis is that since Ram rajya was a time when these issues were not a concern, that temple will act like a portkey and all 800 million of us can go back to a better time. In the future Babur will likely break it down again but we are future-agnostic so will not go there.
Thanks for reading this week's edition of Utter Desiness. And a special thanks to those of you who opted to follow me...am especially grateful to whatever drugs you are on... :)
2 Responses to 'Utter Desiness: Why the BJP has their langots in a bunch Edition'
Comment by Unknown.
Whoa, that's a research-packed, too hot to handle package! Liked the bit on Gujarat, and use of kaikeyi, barbie and portkey. :) Did not know most of the tidbits here, just the main story. But seems to me that "To know Pakistan you have to know Jinnah" would have been a good start. You are very politically oriented, but you have read Integral Humanism too? :)
Hey Ki - thanks as always! I never used to be interested in politics until I discovered Jon Stewart and Bill Maher. I saw that by being able to laugh at things like this you tend to actually love your country more and hate your countrymen less. Point is that it is better to have cathartic, irreverent release than turn into an armchair, apathetic, insular whiner. This route also seemed like an easier medium to understand politics and civics than drab textbooks and editorials. Only after you got me started on this I have been able to do this though. I found initially that it was tough to find the humor in things going wrong in my own country. And I had even more respect for Stewart and Maher. Especially when you read about stories of child rape etc. there never is anything funny there. But I will try and sharpen my skills and hopefully find a market some day!
Regarding your question - yes - I read the whole whopping bit on Integral Humanism...works out to be close to a 1000 tweets :)
Thanks for letting me know what you liked. In the future also let me know about stuff that doesn't make sense etc. Thought you would like the portkey reference :) Was thinking of you when I wrote that...
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