The policies of RSS-BJP are aimed at marginalising Muslims economically

Rightist forces throughout the world have launched aggressive hate politics against the Muslims. This was the key rightist agenda in the recently held presidential election in France. The defeat of the politics of polarisation and hatred in the elections is quite significant. Macron’s centrist and pragmatic brand of politics holds lessons for India. He has refused to let the extremist right-wing forces hijack French politics.

India is under the grip of a right wing political party for the last eight years. Their rule has completely shattered the democratic character of the country, with Muslims being the target of the rightist force. Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi gives the impression that he is liberal and agile to the needs of the people, in reality he has been a diehard rightist who does not have any respect for liberal and democratic values.

The Modi government has been packing important posts and offices with rightist supporters. This is yet another reason that more and more urban middle class Hindu youths have been joining the saffron brigade. They aspire to get a good position if they force the authorities to implement rightist policies.

An insight into their activities would make it clear that whether it is the act of lynching or framing the centrist and liberal people into false cases with the help of the police, all is aimed at getting patronage and good offices with the blessings of the government.

Incidentally, Modi does not condemn such actions of the saffron cadres. Once this degradation of democracy has been set in motion, it is a steep and slippery slope from illiberal democracy to outright authoritarianism.

The rise of the illiberal politician who spreads politics of hate and a party which has no faith in democracy and the decline in support for democracy represents a major crisis for the country and its people. These politicians and parties are more likely to stoke crises and confrontation.

The eight years of RSS-BJP rule has witnessed a steady rise of religious conservatives to the helm of political power and massive growth of the politics of hate and polarisation on communal lines.

The RSS has managed to win a major section of the urban middle class to its fold, notwithstanding the fact that this section has been worst sufferer of the policies and programmes of the Modi government. Though India under Modi has the highest number of unemployed youths, around 43 crores, this is not deterring people from supporting Modi and BJP. They have been made to understand that their economic condition would further suffer with the rise of the new liberal and educated Muslims.

To check this, the Muslims ought to be terrorised and made to retreat; a poor and illiterate Muslim would not hamper the interest of the Hindus, they are being told in a subliminal way.

In Denmark, while addressing the Indians there on May 3, Modi claimed that he has been able to keep his commitment made to the people. But even a poor layman knows it well that he has not.

Indian rightists and religious nationalists blame the past secular governments for their indifference to matters of religion and active tolerance of an ideology of multiculturalism that welcomes and supports the ethnic and religious diversity of a society.

Right wing politics is not simply politics, but rather a form of capitalism, which is the modern religion. The RSS cadres have been striving to eliminate the Muslims from this new mode of capitalist market.

The primary mission of the RSS and BJP is clearly to deprive the Muslims of economic gains and benefits. The BJP in Karnataka, for instance, has restricted Muslim traders from being present at temple fairs.

In Karnataka, annual local fairs are held in temples, dargahs called Urus, and also churches in most rural areas. They are a representation of local culture and folklore. These fairs are documented in ancient scriptures as well. Thousands of fairs are held in rural Karnataka. Some of them were started by Muslims. The temple fair at Bappanadu is celebrated both by Hindus and Muslims for several generations.

But this year, Muslim vendors were made to stay away from the temple festivals.

(IPA Service)

Views are personal