Karnataka Script : Time-tested Polarising Ways !

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 BY R.K.MISRA

Rishi Sunak, Britain’s first  Prime Minister of Indian heritage and a practicing Hindu struck a multi-faith theme when he read from the biblical book of Colossians at the coronation of King Charles III on May 6.Taking part in a predominantly Christian ceremony, he described the coronation as a proud expression of our history, culture and traditions. ”In the Abbey where monarchs have been crowned for almost a thousand years, representatives of every faith will play a central role for the first time”, said Sunak in a statement before the event.

Contrast this with BJP leader late Sushma Swaraj’s statement in 2004 when the Congress- led UPA was set to assume the reigns of power in India.” I will  shave off my head and renounce politics if Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, an Indian citizen of Italian origin becomes the prime minister.   ”First Kamala Harris, now Rishi Sunak. The people of the US and UK have embraced  the non-majority citizens of their countries and elected them to high office in government. I think there is a lesson to be learnt in India and the parties that practice majoritarianism”, Congress leader and former union minister P. Chidambaram was quoted as saying on Sunak’s assumption of office.

Switch to Karnataka  which is in the final throes of a red hot election. The state has witnessed three government changes, three-floor tests and the, by now familiar, ‘operation Lotus’ to destabilise the JD(S)-Congress  government and replace it with a BJP one. The ball is back in the people’s court for a verdict on the past and directions for the future.

As the electoral match goes into the decisive slog overs of campaigning, the scene seems a replay of  the December 2022 Gujarat Assembly elections. With the opposition parties  focusing on rising corruption in governance, the ruling BJP has shifted focus to  crass majoritarianism. The BJP and Sangh Parivar set-ups are working overtime to bring Lord Hanuman to centre-stage led by the Prime Minister himself, same as demolition politics with bulldozers on display was done in the Gujarat elections. The Congress manifesto had stated that  decisive action would be taken under law for hate mongering against  the Popular Front of India(PFI) and Bajrang dal. In the magical hands of the BJP  campaign commanders, the Bajrang Dal ’transformed’ into “Bajrangbali” and the voter  polarization campaign  swung into gear shifting focus to fanning fear. It was the union home minister, who went on record to state  that Karnataka will witness riots if the Congress comes to power. Should the worthy responsible for law and order in the country be saying so?, asks Congress spokesperson Dr Manish Doshi adding “ Moreso, at a time when Manipur, a BJP- ruled state in the north-eastern part of the country has been torn by ethnic strife with its most famous daughter, international pugilist Mary Kom tweeting “My state Manipur is burning, kindly help” and tagging Prime minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Shah and Defence minister Rajnath Singh. Journalists  in Imphal term the situation as incendiary with the Army and Assam Rifles  called out  when the Centre moved  into the scene after the state government proved unequal to the situation.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat who was in Ahmedabad last month to address a ‘samajshakti sangam” had stressed on the need to unite all sections to ensure that the country regains its past glory. ”Hindu society, Indian society are synonyms”, he said. However , on the ground every election witnesses the familiar ploy of polarization on religious lines to ensure  electoral dividends. “ We may claim to be a  ancient  civilization but India is merely  a 75 year old country painstakingly knit together by our founding fathers from a medley of castes and religions. It is a fragile mix and the constant fraying at the seams for electoral gains is causing incalculable harm”, adds Doshi.

He sure has a point. One cannot unite a nation by dividing its people. In October 2021, 14 people were booked in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir for the ludicrous act of clapping at Pakistan’s victory in a  T-20 match with India. While the losing side was seen congratulating the winners, these 14 in three Indian states were charged with sedition and cyber terrorism, sections normally associated with instigating riots and those meant  for terrorists. “ isn’t it funny”, says a cricket enthusiast”, when a british-indian watching an India -England match in the UK claps for India, against his own country, we are  happy but if a minority community Indian citizen in India claps at a good shot by  a Pakistani player, he finds himself charged  under the law? What insane and inverted nationalism is this?”. Examples abound.

A Christian nun had last month knocked the doors of the Gujarat High Court seeking registration of an FIR against a speaker of a right wing organization who had made derogatory remark about nuns and the pope at an event organized in Kadi town. One hundred nuns had made representations to the police on the hate speech against Christians who is seen in a video but the police has failed to act on it forcing them to seek judicial redressal.

Published on May 9,2023

http://epaper.lokmat.com/lokmattimes/main-editions/Nagpur%20Main/2023-05-09/6

http://odishapostepaper.com/edition/4494/orissapost/page/9

 

 

 

 

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