Page 42 - February EW 2024 PDF

Expert Comment

From mosque to temple:

An Indian tragedy

RAJIV DESAI

EARLY 75 YEARS AFTER INDIA AWOKE “TO The consecration of the Ram temple was
life and freedom”, Jawaharlal Nehru, who uttered
these stirring words celebrating India’s indepen- presided by the prime minister himself
Ndence, is once again the centre of attention. Prime like a medieval priest before an audience
minister Narendra Modi and his acolytes have spent almost
their entire time in government trying to diminish free In- comprising the country's who's who.
dia’s first prime minister, a farsighted leader with the vision It was a collective takedown of India's
to understand that his country could survive and thrive only
as a secular democratic republic. precious secular ethos
Now under control of bigots, India lurches from event
to event in the hands of men, desperately trying to outrun temple built on the ruins of the Babri masjid. The prime
their inability to govern. It’s true Modi and company have minister himself presided over the ceremony like a medi-
had the experience of running the Gujarat state govern- eval priest before an audience comprising the country’s
ment, a successful venture judging on economic develop- who’s who, including top Bollywood stars. It was a collec-
ment data. But as many point out, the Gujarat model was tive takedown of India’s precious secular ethos.
established much earlier, starting with Dr. Jivraj Mehta, Among the many questions quivering on many lips were:
the first chief minister who took office in 1960 after the old is this the end of the Republic on its 75th anniversary? A
Bombay state was divided on linguistic lines. Republic founded and established by the leading lights of
Under Mehta and later Hitendra Desai, both medical politics of a golden age — Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Nehru,
doctors, Gujarat became well-known for its efficient state Sardar Patel, Maulana Azad, others. What about the Consti-
and private enterprises. From petrochemicals and fertilizer tution shepherded from conception to adoption by Dr. B.R.
to textiles and plastics; from capital goods and consumer Ambedkar? And its carefully nurtured gems: independent
products, Gujarat sowed the seeds of the revolution finance Parliament, Judiciary, Press?
minister Manmohan Singh celebrated in his pathbreaking All fair questions. However, it seems unlikely that anyone
1991 budget. The result: the economy boomed, overflowing in the present dispensation is allowed, or even equipped,
with jobs, goods and services. to answer.
In Gujarat, the early signs of a crypto fascist state also ver half a century ago, philosopher-writer Arthur Koes-
emerged. A latent Hindu revivalist movement grew into Otler in his dystopian tour de force novel, Darkness at
hindutva, a political platform focused on reaching out Noon, wrote of the moral hazard of a totalitarian state. In
to groups left behind in the rush to modernity. Shrewdly the book, he questioned the totalitarian system established
mixed with undertones of fear and prejudice, the call to in the Soviet Union betraying the promise of an egalitarian
hindutva appealed to many voters. It also served as fodder paradise. At a time when communist ideology had estab-
to anti-minority extremists. Riots erupted all over cities lished itself and divided Europe on ideological lines, his
and towns of the state and spread over north India. The powerful book was splash of cold water: refreshing for
denouement was hordes of political cadres of hindutva par- some, disruptive for others.
ties overran and demolished the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, Hindutva is about belief; its proponents say it was sup-
Uttar Pradesh in 1992. pressed during centuries of elite rule. It will entertain no
The growth and spread of their retrograde manifestos questions because its proponents way of righting wrongs go
threaten to change perceptions of India from an advocate back beyond British colonial rule to the Mughals who ruled
for peace with visionary leaders into a witches’ cauldron, over India with swords and skulduggery.
bubbling with dishonest toil and deadly trouble. To keep The seductive argument underlying this is as follows:
global criticism at bay, the plan seems to be to cultivate secularist leaders who took charge after the British left,
developed countries with multibillion weapons purchases, could do no more than establish a Western style governance
and mesmerise their leaders with the charms of India like system totally unsuited to the Indian way of life. Hindu-
the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort, spectacles like Republic tva is here to bring back an era of sacred chants and holy
Day with its parade and regalia. men and tall leaders, who like Lord Rama of Ayodhya, are
But mostly, it is about keeping India diverted by dubious blessed by the gods.
statistics on the economy and even more dubious claims For its proponents, this prescription may be spiritually
to the wonder that was India. These are published by the fulfilling but for a nation trying to make its way in the 21st
media which has transformed from guardians of democracy century, it spells disaster.
to lapdogs prevented from “barking with a juicy bone”.
The most recent event staged and publicised by the re- (Rajiv Desai is president of Comma Consulting and a well-known Delhi-
gime’s media mavens was the “consecration” of a new Ram based columnist)

42 EDUCATIONWORLD FEBRUARY 2024