Pulwama: Aftermath Politics in India

Radhakanta Barik

Old Bollywood film ‘Bombay ka babu’ song says that a magician from Bombay has come. Dekhne me bhola hai dil ka salona, Bambai se aya hai babu chinnanna’.  The babu from Bombay is an innocent but proves to be wrong. Today's Bombay ka Babu is Modi the Prime Minister who is a coward to face the general election of 2019. As the election scene was getting hotter and the problems of people have taken the central place among people. People started discussing the issues such as corrupt practices of Modi in Rafael deal, the highest unemployment in the last forty five years, demonetization has reduced the economic growth by two percent, farmers committing suicide, workers losing jobs made  Modi sleeplessness for him . As a magician Modi has brought the issue of Pulwama terrorist attack to be the center of debates. Last one week he is having sound sleep and dreaming of prime minister once more. After the Pulwama incident which resulted in killing of 40 Jawans got perceived by Modi and his advisers as the Godra incident of 2002 which resulted in death of some Karsevaks. He started planning according to the old formula with Shah that this was the golden opportunity for these people. Dead bodies of the Karsevaks were carried to Ahmadabad for creating a large scale riot in the city and nearby towns of Gujarat. Satranja Ki Khillari the best film in Hindi by Satyajit Ray the famous film director. In the last scene when the Nawab of Awadh Wajid Ali Shah was playing the Chess with his friend, a young boy ran to him and told that the British soldiers were marching into the city. He answered, 'Let them come let me play Satranja'. This film is based on a short story of the famous Hindi- Urdu writer Premchand. When Pulwama was happening in Kashmir and terrorist killed forty soldiers, Present Nawab of Indian Republic Shri Modi was hunting birds and animals in the famous park of Uttarkhand Corbet Park. Let them die and let me enjoy my bird watching and animal dancing in front of me alone. What a scene we are seeing new Santranja Ki Khillari in Corbett Park.

Modi as the chief minister gave a slogan that he had come to play one day match not five days match. He created an excitement in the minds and hearts of the RSS and its allies in Gujarat. This resulted in consolidation of his right wing power in the State for twenty years. In the last election to assembly of Gujarat he gave a slogan for not voting the opposition as the votes would go for Pakistan. He as the Prime Minister of India gave such a slogan hurting the sentiments of a neighboring country for which he had no botheration. As their feelers from the various branches of the RSS gave the feedback the Pulwama incident was not enough. He went for attacking Pakistan by the Indian air force into soil of Pakistan with a hope that Pakistan headed by a famous Cricketer Imran Khan would play with him a match of 20-20 where at least audience will have a lot of thrilling experience. He wanted to have a war against Pakistan which would help him to mobilise the public opinion in his favour. Imran Khan is not only batsman but also was a medium pacer who threw a googly at Modi. That the prisoner Abhinandan, an airforce officer was kept by Pakistan got released by Imran Khan, the Prime Minister. This googly shocked him and the Nagpur think tank. Now he could not go for a war against Pakistan which was in his calculation was necessary to win the general election of 2019. This sort of arithmetic he is good as a Gujarati where in their blood the business prevails. This has made him confused as there was no statement for one hour after the announcement of Imran Khan of Pakistan that he would release Abhinandan the next day.

 After the arrest of Abhinandan by Pakistan the average RSS member got thrilled. In the park while going on a morning walk next day  I met a RSS person who used to say, "aba Maja Ayega" (it will give a lot of fun). After the attack two days ago on Pakistan, it seems that the attack is not decided by the air force commanders but the RSS members sitting in Nagpur. For them their anger against Pakistan needs to be articulated in a militaristic tone where the noise of fighter plane needs to be heard by them. In our childhood when planes used go over our heads we used to come out of the house and look at the sky till it disappeared. For the RSS sending the fighter planes into the territory of Pakistan has provided them a lot of fun and joys. As Modi was losing support among the RSS workers who had a second thought on Modi after a failure on the front of economy and social front, they were seriously thinking of a second person who can control the reins of power, Modi could sense it. By sending the fighter plane into the territory of Pakistan the happiest lot are from Nagpur. This reflects in the language of an ordinary RSS pracharak. Modi has succeeded as a gladiator entered into arena of war for satisfying their egoistic urges. They have captured the video of the capturing of Abhinandan which has created a lot of fun for them for which in the morning today they said, "aba maja Aega'. These words are spoken in the film Sholay by Amjad Khan after his people killed poor people of the village went back to him: Kalia kitene mara? Then after hearing from him he says, 'aba aega Maja' Modi at this juncture has turned the war scene into the film Sholay.

Odiya writers started speaking out loudly in favour of the war. They live in a thoughtless zone as they used to write love poems which I used to read and now a days they compose poems for their false patriotism. This contradiction within Odiya middle class remains who want to support the Hindutva but the tragedy is this they are so small in number and disconnected from the masses. Masses in Odisha think in a different manner who opposes the Hindutva politics and they support their bhaichara which is a strong feeling among them which is a part of Odiya tradition. It is a tradition for which they stand as all the festivals they celebrate together and share the joys and happiness together. Their aspirations are not articulated by Odiya middle class who have no knowledge or feeling for their people. Some of them have jumped into the turmoil of my writings who want to oppose me as I stand against the war as I stand with masses. I feel for their stupidity which needs to be exposed by all sane thinking people.

The Hindutva force led by Modi, the Prime Minister is requested to read the Mahabharata, the last volume where devastating impact of the war is there. Dead bodies are scattered everywhere, screaming of widows is coming. Children are crying with pains as there is no body to console them. Besides the human suffering there is a discussion on destruction of Golden indraprastha. Many question what happened to indraprastha and its inmates and its economy. Destruction creates pathos where poetic imagination can't able to describe in words. For five years Modi has destroyed the economy of India, unemployment is at highest, health and education have deteriorated. His government has left citizenry in bewilderment. After that he wants to show his false bravado by allowing airforce entered in soil of Pakistan. Sold media was speaking Modi for 24/7. Today Capturing of Abhinandan a pilot gives a gloomy picture. But in reality war will destroy us and citizens of Pakistan. Both these countries do not have money in their banks for running the business and industry for which the government is borrowing from the reserves of the RBI which has happened for the first time after Independence. Pakistan is in a bad shape as the Imran Khan after taking over the Prime Ministership told the media.  In odiya there is an appropriate proverb'mo gahita pache maru sautani rand heu.' (let my husband die as I wish that the other woman of my husband needs to suffer as a widow.) This is an appropriate observation where both these countries would suffer badly if the war starts.

Modi's politics has two devilish faces. One going to start war as he knows he is losing the 2019 general election to create a war psychosis. Another face of a war mongering leader is the attacks on common people with dissident ideas. Ashish Joshi as a friend and a brilliant officer from Deradoon who exposed the political design of some MLAs belonging to the BJP and the AAP who campaigned against the Kashmir youths who are living in the valley. This resulted in the attacks on them by the hoodlums of the Hindutva forces. Deradoon is a valley of flowers and intellectuals which has produced thirteen internationally recognized writers and hundreds of writers artists living there and producing knowledge in some forms. Hindutva is hostile to intellectual environment of the Valley and the valley of flowers. They want to destroy both by attacking the young students. Ashish protested in his own way by sending the MLA's video where the Video says that “get into their houses and attack them”. This is the worst form of Hindutva politics where Joshi has got an immediate suspension. It is interesting to note here he is a son of a retired army general who lives in the valley.

Another story is coming from Odisha the city of Bhubaneswar a young woman lecturer went to the TV debate spoke the various dimensions of the war politics. She was forced by the authority of the university managed by the Private person to resign as she protested against the Hindutva face of fascism of Modi. Let us condemn it and say that dissent is the essence of democracy as defined by the Supreme Court. Two wars cannot go simultaneously as people of India are standing face to face against Modi today in the 2019 general election. Modi is having an artificial war against People of Pakistan. For last one week his party supporters went on rampage against innocent students from Kashmir, today he is entering into sovereign country of Pakistan. Both are illegal and immoral. Let him show his 56" Chest to people of India who are ready to make him out of power. This is time for Peace not war as people are thinking the pros and cons of two wars. They should not be manipulated by a false war against Pakistan.

Modi went to the Prayag to have a dip in the Kumb in the Triveni. As he did politics there by washing an unknown person it seems that has he gone on a private visit. He claimed that the person whose legs washed by Modi belong to a Dalit.  He is holding the post of Prime Minister which is a regular job. But honesty demands having a dip in the Kumb as a private activity and has he paid for this trip? People from UP openly and loudly are telling that they are voting the opposition. Out of hundred two third of them telling that they are voting for SP-BSP alliance. One third is telling that they are voting for the Congress. Modi- Yogi created so called alliance of some castes has abandoned the BJP. The only hope is left is to wash the legs of some body and telling that he belongs to Dalit. This is politics of desperation by Modi Yogi.

PM Modi yesterday's condemnation of attacks on the Kashmir youths working outside the State is a belated reaction against the BJP ruled States where their private militia attacked the students from Kashmir. Their leaders told including the education minister of his told 'it is a spontaneous reaction of people' after the incident of Pulwama where forty soldiers died. Now it is a conflict between 'spontaneity vs calculated' statements of their leaders vs Modi. Modi was interested in going for a war against Pakistan for winning the election. A war monger Modi could do anything for enjoying power in the center. This is the lesson he as a  RSS pracharak has learned that he could do anything for bringing the Hindu raastra.

Hitler during his phase of fascism having a deep hatred for the blacks as he was proud of the Aryan race but allowed the black players to participate in Olympic Games of 1936. The famous story of the great Olympian Jessie Owens got produced. His story of friendship with a white player from Germany who got guidance from Hitler to hate the black player. After that friendship he got some position but Owens won four gold medals. In today's Modi's India Sachin Tendulkar supported Pakistan's participation in the cricket world Cup for which the Hindutva group pounced on him and telling him to go to Pakistan. It seems that Fascism of today in India is bigger than Germany. Politics of India is reaching at a critical moment in India. That the Hindutva are able to learn faster than the secular forces. They have a plenty of money, they are planning for the post-election scenario than prior to the election. They have realized that they are not winning the majority as they have done in 2014 general election. They are using all sorts of tricks as they have expert advice from abroad and inside India. Now they realize that they are losing by one hundred or one hundred thirty seats in the Loksabha. Then they have already made the adhoc plans that they have to keep money for buying independents and small parties. They are openly using the industrialists like Adani, Ambani etc to influence the regional parties in supporting the BJP after the election.

The opposition under the leadership Rahul Gandhi must create a plan for before the general election and post election scenario. They need think tanks to work out in fighting the fascism of Modi-Yogi who are concentrating in the States of the Eastern India.

2019 is going to be Mahabharat in Indian politics. The BJP led by Modi-Shah on one side. The others are the opposition front led by Rahul Gandhi. In this battle both the parties have come to the ground. The real issues taken by one front the corruption in the Rafael deal, unemployment, agrarian crisis, workers loosing jobs and national security. It looks like the battle will be one sided as the BJP is unable to bring real issues affecting people. As all support national security, then raising Pakistan as an election point is a non issue. It seems the battle is going to be ferocious Modi is showing his Palatak style in politics. He is going to be Shikhandi of Mahabharata as he started shivering in his pants. The battle is going to lead defeat for one side and victory for the other. Modi is behaving like Shikhandi of Mahabharata who is not ready to fight. Modi as the chief minister of Gujarat applied Godra tricks for creating riots in Gujarat by bringing dead bodies of Karsevaks to Ahmadabad despite the opposition from the police administration. This happened in 2002. After the Pulwama killing he is carrying the dead bodies of CRP constables to different parts of India to rouse emotions against Pakistan and Kashmir people. In some places their supporters have gone attacking the students. He is a merchant of hatred which he is doing today to win the election. Nobody in the market or parks where people gather on Sunday and spend a lot of time under the sun but no body discussed the incident of Pulwana. Modi has a  bag of tricks at the election time as form of nationalism is not working. It has been reduced to the attacks on Muslims from Kashmir. These members of vhp, bajrang, RSS and under the leadership of the BJP have gone for looking students from Kashmir. How could they know where are they staying. It's seems that the Local BJP in Deradoon have done homework by selecting these young people. The police is supporting these hoodlums. They have suggested the boys and girls from Kashmir to tender apology to them. They refused to do so. These hoodlums are behaving like SS of Hitler who attacked the Jews in Germany.

Modi's hindutva forces have turned into fascists getting support from the state wherever they control. We are in the midst of political war where fighting between fascism and democracy is going on. The real issues are being debated by people as it is the election time. They feel free to debate among friends in the field while working or in the factory. But a tragedy has occurred in Kashmir which pains us. But to diverting the real issues towards war phobia is incorrect as there are other diplomatic channels to deal such a serious problem. Modi as the prime minister must handle the issue rather than handing the responsibility to the generals which is the abdication of political responsibility. This is the way military entered into civilian authority which is another serious blunder. We calculate the pros and cons of the present situation arising out of the killing of CRP people in Kashmir and reach at a conclusion that all should say 'no to war'.

State of Democracy in the world in 2018 has got published. Index made last year shows India has slipped down by 10 points. Constitutionalism and pluralism are two important pillars of this document. In both ways India has gone down. In 2010 India’s position was much higher. India reached its highest position of 27 in 2014 during UPA time and slipped to 47 in the year 2018. It is a gift of Modi and his hard work that state of democracy has declined in its quality by 20 points. The poor quality of government in defending the civil rights of people in the name of vigilantism has resulted in increasing intolerance under the Modi regime. The poor governance in delivery of basic services to its citizenry has pushed the position down. In all indicators Indian democracy is not able to function effectively including the freedom of press. This is a gift of Modi’s slogan that less government and more governance.

Prof Radhakanta Barik, retired as Professor, Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi

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Frontier
Mar 3, 2019