Politics of Modi Yogi downfall

Radhakanta Barik

Politics has gone beyond Modi Yogi syndrome. Mass movements are getting organised against the regime. In the post Independent India for the first-time mass movements are happening all over India against the repressive and anti-people policies of the government. Yes, during the emergency there was anger against the regime but no popular movements against the regime. It is quite widespread in class terms as working class showing their anger against Modi by coming to the streets. In most of public sector industries there is an anger as these industries are getting closed. Students are against the Modi Regime as their freedom is restricted by the various laws. Farmers are against the regime as they do not get price for their products. Soldiers are unhappy of the Modi regime as they do not get proper dress according to CAG report. Such widespread anger all over India looks like a mass movement against the British rule.  Hindutva does not create a legitimacy among people of India. Hindutva as an ideology is a negative one which is based on, we vs they. The otherisation has worked for some time. Now people realise the importance of positive ideology. This has led to question the BJP in Delhi assembly election. From Prime Minister to Home Minister and other leaders are harping on the other. People want to reject the BJP and clear indication is there. Modi or Shah functions as Non-Performing Assets which gets accumulated over the years. People are protesting against the BJP. Saheen Bagh symbolises the unity of the Hindu and Muslims. This unity will destroy the these Mahisasurs. Let us hope that the BJP turns into a party without any support in Delhi Assembly election politics. The BJP government is in a dilemma regarding the handling of Shaheen Bagh. They are speaking loudly and in an abusive language. There are MPs who speak of shooting at them. As one knows the supporters of hindutva are cowards and they belong to the tradition of Savarkar. People who are sitting in a protest are a fearless lot. Only way to handle it is to have a dialogue with these people. Come to a conclusion. But only alternative is to withdraw CAA and NPR. The other extreme step to go for a massacre which will give death knell to Hindutva. There will be an international repercussion over the incident. There is every chance this will lead to end of Modi Raj.

The BJP had an election manifesto talking of sab ka sath sab ka bikash. That was in 2014. After that they have forgotten manifesto and talk of Pakistan to capture power. Modi used the Pulwama incident in 2019 general election. Just an anti-Pakistan Slogan got absolute majority. Now they use anti-Pakistan anti-Muslim but it is not an easy task for winning the election. Moreover, it is not easy to use the EVM in Delhi election. They use only vulgar and blasphemous statements against all their opponents. Be it congress Or APP such as terrorist what a down fall of a party within one year. Their behavior is showing problems of psychological disorder. They need psychiatric treatment. It pains us to see the downslide of economy and downslide of the political leadership of the BJP.

 Modi's election speech in Delhi needs to be studied. He gave a speech by using a theatrical style by moving his hands. His body language lacks confidence. He looks a highly defeatist in his style. There was hardly any clapping by audience. It looks that the BJP is losing Delhi assembly election. Modi Shah government have taken steps in the budget regarding selling of public sector units to the highest bidders like the East India Company did to the local zamindaris. The traditional zamindars lost their estates which resulted in inviting outsiders. In the process the Indian industries are going to sold to the outsiders and economy will be in their control. India is going to lose its sovereignty. The finance minister spoke on the budget for almost three hours but said nothing of the real issues. Real issues are not touched by her. Her hard work is like Prime Minister's eighteen hours work for a day. Both lack imagination to tackle the problems of people. The real problem is unemployment which makes majority people without income. Consumption of people has fallen as they do not have the buying capacity. The real investment would have been in generating employment by putting money in MGNREGA but this budget has slashed the allocation. The state lacks resources for meeting its own routine matters such as more taxes but slashed tax level. As a good bania PM is ready to sell the major public sector units including district level hospitals in the name of public private partnership. There is no money for health, education and social Security. He wants to work out the RSS vision by destroying the economy which is going to reduce India into a pastoral economy where Aryans used to move with their cows by reciting shloks. A modern economy is going to be replaced with a pastoral economy. Three cheers for Modi- Nirmala for their unintelligent hard work.

 The way shooting incident took place in Jamia reminds us the way Godse shot at Gandhi. There are many Godse’s in the BJP led by Shah who created terror in JNU and they are targeting students all over India who stand for Gandhi's ideas that nonviolence and truth are the basis of public protests. They are protesting all over India against CAA and NRC. Salute the brave boy who got wounded by the shots of a supporter of Hindutva. Gandhi stood for simplicity and honesty in public life. The best example is Maulana Azad's honesty. He had gone to Patna during 1937 and spent 25 rupees for the train journey. He was given 50 rupees. He returned back 25. Many Congress leaders used to lead their public life. This got demolished by the leaders belong to the BJP who are ruling now. PM spends public money recklessly by making foreign trips and making publicity for thousands of crores. There is a provision for Royal styles as governor.

. Today's crisis in India's politics has brought liberal, socialist and communist under Gandhi's canopy. The man who walked thousands kms understood the importance of nonviolence and communal harmony in everyday life of an Indian. Politics of everyday life needs to be probed. In the morning he sings bhajans and prayers which brings the importance of one God which is there in every religion. His prayer "iswar allah Tere naam" Which brings truth of universal appeal of an idea of God. He cleans his dress and takes bath and meets people. Every day he meets a thousand people. In the afternoon he replies to letters and writes articles. In the night he reads books. Reading writing and listening making him complete. His everyday life runs around activities without self-interest for which he is known as Gandhi for us. We all depend on him at present to save the Constitution.

 The language used by the ministers and leaders belong to the BJP speak a lot. Their unparliamentary words indicate that they don't believe in electoral politics. Loosing and winning is two sides of the same coin. They don't have the capacity to digest the defeat. This is the work of Modi who entered into politics in Gujarat in 2002 when it was expected that the BJP would be losing in the assembly elections. He used his magician’s tactics for creating riots by which people would be polarized. They won the assembly elections. His tactics have been used in assembly elections to Delhi. They used abusive language for winning the coming elections of Delhi. Delhi is not Gujarat. Despite the backing of money bags and media the BJP is going to lose the coming elections. Gandhi led three popular movements against the British rule. All his movements were based on nonviolence and truth. There Swaraaj is truth whereas saving Constitution is the truth today.

Arresting a young student from JNU under the sedition act for a speech is the caricature of the law made by colonial state. Supreme Court has clearly said for a speech nobody can face the sedition act. Actually, involved in violent activities can be the basis of charging someone. Another BJP central minister spoke that firing at the people who oppose them or the country. The BJP and country are synonymous today. He has not been charged yet by the election Commission or Delhi Police. He should be charged under the sedition act.

Our preamble speaks of fraternity which indicates how-to live-in harmony. Diverse social groups live in peace and harmony for thousands of years. We have friendship with the foreigners. This spirit prevails in the writings of Tagore in his story Kabuliwala where a Bengali child falls in love with a trader from Afghanistan. This story for the first time reflects humanism and fraternity. It is getting subverted in politics of CAA by Modi government.

 Liberty of thinking and expression in any society to grow. Ideas shape an economy and society. Modi regime is reinventing Sedition act to those who show their descent. They are branded as tukde tukde gang. People are suffering from fear psychosis. Equality which is the corner stone of constitutional democracy which created disorientation in our hierarchical society is affected by enacting a citizenship act restricting one religious’ group. This is against our civilisation as it is based on accommodation of different groups and religions recognized by Vivekanand today is being challenged by Modi government. Our constitutional principles which guide the state and civil society are subverted by Modi government. They don't like Philosophy behind preamble of Indian Constitution. In our Preamble we solemnly declare that we are a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic Republic. Modi's foreign policy has affected our capacity as a sovereign nation. Under the pressure of American President, he has invited the Brazil's right wing racist and anti-women leader to be the guest on Republic day celebration. He could not take an independent stand on the America's attacks on Iran, a friend of India.   Modi's position on Israel is guided by America. We look like a shadow of America in foreign policy making.

Such a high level of inequality has affected our socialist economic policy. Budget is allocating less for social sector and provided tax concessions to the corporate houses. It is now that one percentage of rich controls more than Fifty percentage of wealth. Modi is against the preamble of Indian Constitution. Modi Shah have subverted the preamble on a careful manner. It is a planned attack on the preamble which is the soul of the polity. We the people of India are the product of a long political struggle of the world against theocracy. Theocracy is based on divine right to rule where as we the people of India are in a regular monitoring of the rulers. The rulers and ruled have a contractual agreement where both have to perform and on regular evaluation. But Modi gave slogans Sab ka sath and after coming to power subverted the trust with various sections of society specifically Muslims and Dalits. Lack of trust has created a distance with Modi who never holds a dialogue with them. Fear becomes the basis of his rule. Anyone opposes him he uses the CBI and ED against him or her. The machinery of the state is being used for his personal benefit.

 All over India young, old and professionals like lawyers, teachers and journalists are going for the second reading of the Indian Constitution today. They are reading out loudly the Preamble of the revolutionary text in comparison to another written Constitution that's American Constitution. We knowingly accepted "We the people of India..." which brings a contract between a citizen and state which subverts the old identities such as caste, religion, ethnicity etc. This contract is based on the assumption of right to equality where discrimination is banned. This makes a difference with the American Constitution where right to equality is there but without mentioning 'no discrimination' they have to wait two hundred years till 1964 for Brown Judgment when racial discrimination got banned. With the operation of Constitution today 71 years back all belonging to whichever caste, community or religion entered into public places without fear and prejudice. People confronted the social hierarchy in a bold manner that a new citizenship got shaped in schools, colleges, trains and restaurants, hospitals which is not being liked by the RSS and the BJP. As they stand for Bharat defined by Manu who want to discriminate the Muslims in the new law of CAA which has brought a massive protest against this unconstitutional act.

. Farmers and workers are protesting against Modi raj. Women in many parts of India are protesting against the CAA made by the present government. In the city of Delhi women including old and young are protesting for 50 days. This is a government which has invited Brazil”s President as a guest for tomorrow who is a worst political leader in the world. We are suffering from moral crisis as majority of people are suffering from disenfranchisement because of unemployment, low economic growth and distress around us. Indian Republic celebrated its Republic Day when students all over India were on the streets. Farmers and workers were protesting against Modi raj. Women in many parts of India are protesting against the CAA made by the present government. In the city of Delhi women including old and young are protesting for 50 days tomorrow.

. India Today's survey shows Yogi as the number one chief minister. UP has a theocratic state according to the senior most lawyer Nariman. He is the first monk turned into chief minister. He was involved in communal politics and cases against went till he withdrew those cases. He has reduced UP into the last state in terms of health, education and child mortality. The state has the highest crime rate and illegal killing. The chief minister speaks 'badla' revenge against a community. Police entered into the houses of Muslims and attacked old and children. It's a manufactured survey by India Today regarding the first position of UP chief minister.

 India started reading the Preamble of Indian Constitution on 26th January. I want to state that in my book Saffron Regime, ideology, liberal intelligentsia and Fear published by Shipra Delhi 2012 I kept a chapter on liberal democracy on the lines of the preamble of Constitution. It got threatened by Vajpayee regime. Today's fascism is attacking Constitution which brought crowd to the streets. It's a great political moment in our history. Over this book Indian Institute of Public Administration removed me from the job in 2014. It is easy to understand the worldview of Modi now that he invited the President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro as a guest on Republic day to prove that he can be compared with the world's most right-wing leader. He allowed tribals to leave their home land as Aamzan jungles caught fire. He is anti-woman and telling abuses against women. He is anti-working class. He is anti-students. He butchered many. He is anti-humanity. Indian public will not tolerate his presence as a guest but to protest against him.

 India slips 10slots in 2019 democracy index. Under Modi rights of Kashmiri people got threatened with the abrogation of Art370. With CAA came into operation, a large scale protests have been organized as their rights as citizens have been threatened. Six years of Modi rule has reduced India's position to the lowest scale. Congratulations to Modi for his contributions to diluting the substantive democracy. By induction of Amit Shah as the Home Minister, Modi made it clear that government must function on the lines of Gujarat model. That in politics and love everything is moral as it helps in staying in power. Shah created encounter killing of some criminals belonging to Muslims and branded them as terrorists. Those police officers were found guilty and punished till Modi's government came to power and these officers got reinstated. They wanted to create a similar situation in Delhi on the Republic day celebration by induction of Devinder Singh a police officer from J and K. While he was bringing some hard-core terrorists from Kashmiri to create a scene in Delhi but unfortunately Devinder Singh had been caught by Kashmiri police for doing anti-national activities. It looks like parallel scenes on the lines of Gujarat can be repeated by Shah in coming days.

 In 1990 a right-wing destructive phase of Indian politics started as ratha yatra politics two people became known faces in front of Indian public. Advani and his sakha Modi went from Gujarat to Ayodhya which experienced a series of communal riots on the route. This resulted in destruction of four hundred years Babri Masjid. The phase of violent politics brought the Vajpayee government and Modi government. One couldn't expect better from Modi as a leader of a right-wing movement. He destroyed Indian economy and desired to destroy Indian Constitution. Here a democratic upsurge has started with a slogan of saving constitution. This will help in strengthening political democracy by allowing secular and progressive political parties to recruit new young blood to their organizations. Fascists do not differentiate between liberals and Marxists, they crush every one under their boots. They don't believe in dialogue and discussion. They think that is a wastage of energy. This belief guides Modi that he does not hold the press conference for his six years of rule. He believes in Man ki Bat. Every month he goes on giving sermons. After he came to power, he gave a slogan of Congress mukta Bharat. Under the Modi-2 he wants India minus Constitution which he brought out the CAA which Ram Guha, a liberal historian says that's divisive and diabolical. Fascism cannot be separated from Modi as it gets articulated in a person. Historical experience teaches us that Hitler can't be separated from fascism in Germany. Guha praises Modi just because he disagreed with Rahul Gandhi a son of Nehru- Gandhi dynasty. Today's struggle is against fascism and anybody who are opposing, are it for democracy. Mass struggles are going on all over India. He came to the street with sick Karantha in Banglore that a movement "it is not me' where the famous journalist got killed by fascists. Today Guha is vacillating which he should tell whether he needs constitutional democracy or fascism. We have an experience of authoritarianism of Emergency and the election of 1977 when a leading economic historian Professor Dasgupta from Shantiniketan raised a question whom to vote then as a true liberal he voted against authoritarianism.

 Today India is experiencing a full-blown fascism. Where do you stand? Politics has gone beyond Modi -Shah. It now brings the RSS into center of political struggles. It's their theory of two Nation is getting challenged by students all over India. It is a struggle for the defense of Indian Constitution. It is politics of the Preamble of Indian constitution which captures the essence of human philosophy developed in the West with Greek thinking of a dialogue resulted in a concept of the Republic combined with democracy. It is embedded in contractual theory of state started with Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau who brought people into construction of a nation state. Their rights get articulated in the writings of political leaders of India and imagined by poets and writers like Tagore and Bharati. All these flowers came together to a universal garden which gets colours by Ambedkar. Market economy and industry and pluralism of culture become three pillars of India.

The RSS which grew in the small room of a shopkeeper or a puja room of Hindu upper castes remains primitive in comparison to the idea of India. This struggle is to crush this primitive idea that is RSS which grew in Nagpur in 1925 where trees have not grown yet. It's a barren ground which cannot germinate new ideas. People of Nagpur recently defeated the RSS backed BJP in local election which is the beginning of an end.

It is a struggle for the defense of Indian Constitution. It is politics of the Preamble of Indian constitution which captures the essence of human philosophy developed in the West with Greek thinking of a dialogue resulted in a concept of the Republic combined with democracy. It is embedded in contractual theory of state started with Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau who brought people into construction of a nation state. Their rights get articulated in the writings of political leaders of India and imagined by poets and writers like Tagore and Bharati. All these flowers came together to a universal garden which get colours by Ambedkar. Market economy and industry and pluralism of culture become three pillars of India. The RSS which grew in the small room of a shopkeeper or a puja room of Hindu upper castes remains primitive in comparison to the idea of India. This struggle is to crush this primitive idea that is RSS which grew in Nagpur in 1925 where trees have not grown yet. It's a barren ground which cannot germinate new ideas. People of Nagpur recently defeated the RSS backed BJP in local election which is the beginning of an end.

Back to Home Page

Frontier
Feb 12, 2020