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| Between a rock and a hard place | | | Prafull Goradia
The BJP is struggling with a split identity. Many Hindus accuse the party of soft-peddling the ‘Hindu cause’. On the other hand, the BJP feels it has been too aggressive with Hindutva
BJP’s internal problems needs a more-focused all-round introspection that will deal with the shortcoming and its defeat in the Lok Sabha election. The party’s brain-storming session in New Delhi on June 20-21 is just a small step in this regard.
The BJP is a continuation of the Jana Sangh. Ousting of the Sangh members from JP’s Janata Party in 1979 was not unexpected and soon, thereafter, the expelled members went out to form the BJP. The inauguration of the new party was warmly welcomed by nationalists. The ideological shift by the new party from Hindu Rashtra to Gandhian socialism and the party flag being altered from saffron to one-third green went largely unnoticed. Members were delighted when Mr LK Advani inveighed against the bogey of pseudo-secularism 1985 onwards. They were also happy to see the party including Article 370 and a Common Civil Code in its programme. Ayodhya issue was included in 1989.
BJP’s role today must be to give voice to the discrimination that Hindus and other non-Muslims are facing. Political life of India is getting more and more Muslim-centric. The Haj subsidy is unique as is the entire package recommended by the Sachar Committee. Apart from all the help offered to new and old madarsas, wakf boards are to get Rs 1,000 crore. Instead of protesting against such discriminatory allocations, the BJP promised in its manifesto to evict squatters from wakf land.
A new option has been opened by the Congress Government: The Equal Opportunities Commission would be a bridge to Muslim reservation in Government employment. Every year India’s population is increased by 27 million headcounts, yet birth control can no longer be nationally advised because it is alleged to be violative of Prophet Mohammed’s exhortation: Marry women who will love their husbands and be very prolific, for I wish you to be more numerous than any other people.(Mishkatu l-Masabih, book xiii : Dictionary of Islam).
BJP leaders should realise that there is a fundamental difference between an ideology-inspired party and a personality-based or a dynastic party. The communist movements in India were ideologically driven. The Congress, on the other hand, is a party which flourishes on the leadership principle: Mahatma Gandhi until 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru up to 1964, Indira Gandhi followed by Rajiv Gandhi and now Ms Sonia Gandhi. Since 1916, for most of the years, the Congress has been led by a charismatic leader, ideology was unimportant. In 1991 the Congress-led Government could not otherwise have overnight switched to liberalisation. The BJP cannot live with such an ideological somersault.
A Common Civil Code and Article 370 are prescribed in the Constitution. These two and the Ayodhya issue were abruptly dropped from the BJP’s agenda during the general elections of 1999 and 2004. They were brought back quietly on the eve of the 2009 poll. This is an illustration of what has led to loss of credibility. The flip-flop might have placated some allies, like the JD(U), but disheartened its cadre who were once its greatest asset. Party supporters were following Mr Varun Gandhi but the BJP leadership initially tried to distance itself from what he had said.
A cure for BJP’s dilemma is to return to ideology and to hold on to its core principles. Coming to non-ideological issues, the BJP was the first party to espouse women’s reservation in its 1994 session at Baroda. A Common Civil Code is surely more progressive than the suppression of Muslim women, implicitly supported by most other parties. The Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government administered the country more effectively than any other Government. Gujarat is a model State of development throughout the country. The BJP could reinforce its performance by declaring, say a hundred national targets, and promising to achieve them through excellent governance.
The allegation that the BJP is a backward-looking and not a ‘current’ party emanates largely from Ayodhya issue which is all about redeeming respect for a religious sentiment. If religion is backward, why did the self-styled progressives, the communists, lose so many seats? The BJP is as much ‘current’ or modern a party as any other, its State Governments govern well and all its fundamentals are right. But its leaders are unable to assert and drive home the party’s virtues because of inconsistencies, lack of self confidence and often an apologetic stance.
Above all, the BJP is known to be a party which was formed on the Hindutva plank. The espousal of the Ram Mandir confirmed this faith and brought the party to form the Government in 1996 and again in 1998. Then, issues close to the heart of Hindus were put on backburner. This retreat has disappointed its vote-bank. Today the BJP has all the disadvantages of a Hindu party compounded by most of the drawbacks of the other parties.
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