|
|
|
|
|
Introduction: Virendra
Parekh feels that, while dealing with the hijackers, the government gave
in when it cold have won merely by sanding firm. From rightly opposing
the sell-out at Tashkent and Shimla and condemning the release of terrorists
for saving Rubiya Sayeed and the kid-glove treatment of Islamic mercenaries
at Hazrat Bal, the BJP leaders have come a long way to strike a deal themselves
with hijackers. All in search of a ‘secular’ identity which can catapult
them to power. The search has been successful, but the price has been heavy,
both for the party and its core constituency
One full week after the event, the bitter taste in the mouth refuses to go away. Even as the BJP-led government at the Centre was preparing to surrender to barbarians of Islamic jehad in order to save some precious lives, the BJP which was long regarded by friends and foes as a party of hardcore Hindu nationalists was trying to jettison what was perceived as heavy ideological baggage from the past. Both the actions signified a loss of elan, a sense of self-forgetfulness and an abject craving for winning respectability by doing the ‘right’ thing. Both the actions represented squandering of a great opportunity and both will have serious repercussions in the coming years.
Whatever gloss the official spokesmen may try to put on it, the fact remains that India was not just humbled but put to shame at Kandahar. A country of one billion, and a nuclear power at that, was brought to its knees by a bunch of terrorists. Hardened criminals, who ought to have been executed long back for their misdeeds, were put on board a plane that carried the foreign minister of the country and honourably acquitted. And, if some reports are to be believed, they were given enough cash to fund their future activities against this country. The capitulation made every Indian feel small. In one fell swoop, the Kargil effect was set to naught. As the adage goes: kaabe Arjun loontiyo ehi dhanush ehi baan...
The time for postmortem of details is long past, but a sense of surprise still lingers that the surrender came at a time when it was least expected. The government had successfully withstood for about a week the pressure assiduously built up by Star TV and sections of local media among others to strike a deal with the hijackers. It gave in when it could have won merely by standing firm. True, the Taliban government had issued an ultimatum to resolve the crisis or leave their country in a few hours. But that was the hijackers’ headache which the government wrongly took over itself. The plane’s air worthiness was in serious doubt, no other country except perhaps Pakistan would have let them in, and Taliban had made it clear that they would not tolerate any killing of the passengers, Clearly, the government had little reason to blink first.
The choice was hard but clear: The lives of a few civilians and the interests of national security and security forces. By succumbing to the hijackers’ demand, the government unwittingly gave the impression that lives of hundreds of security personnel were less valuable than those of a few well-to-do citizens. During the Kargil conflict, we saw several bereaved wives and parents who bravely withheld their tears as they were proud of the martyrdom of their dear ones. Will they not feel betrayed?
National leaders and top bureaucrats cut pathetic figures when they allege Pakistan’s complicity in the matter, ask it to arrest, try or hand over the, hijackers, or urge the United States to declare Pakistan a terrorist state. Their fulminations will only enhance Pakistan’s glee over India’s humiliation. Similarly, brave declarations about tireless struggle against terrorism, new strategies to combat it, security beef-up on airports and in aircraft etc sound hollow and cannot restore the lost honour either for the country or the government. As is well said: jo boond se gayee so hauj se nahin aatee...
The hijacking and its television coverage brought the reality of terrorism right into the living rooms of citizens. A leadership with vision would have used the occasion to electrify ‘the country, to steel its resolve in the fight against terrorism and to inspire the civilians to repay a part of their debt to the armed forces, if need be, by sacrificing a few lives. That opportunity was lost. It was lost because the BJP-led government was unwilling to risk unpopularity at home and abroad by taking a hard stance. The same aversion to hard and clear thinking was discernible at the Chennai meeting of the national executive of the BJP where it all but jettisoned its Hindutva agenda.
The Chennai declaration once again made it clear that the BJP’s agenda for governance is the national agenda for good governance. In other words, while in power the BJP will not raise the so-called contentious issues (Ram Temple, Article 370 and common civil code). This was justified in the name of coalition dharma. Words like idealism, character, adaptability and self renewal were freely evoked to pacify the ‘hardliners’ who wanted the party to remain committed to its distinctive programme.
The clarification was aimed at pacifying BJP’s regional allies who were restless about the ‘hidden agenda’. The latest provocation for the restlessness came from the private members’ bills in Parliament for uniform civil code and ban on cow slaughter. The DMK warned against any constituent of NDA implementing its own agenda.
It is no secret that there is a tussle going on within the BJP between the moderates and extremists or, better, between pro-changers and no-changers. The former would genuinely like the BJP to shed its Hindutva programme for good, while the other would keep pursuing it within permissible limits if only to remind BJP’s traditional support base that it has been put aside only temporarily as part of coalition politics.
The former group is identified with Vajpayee while the latter, though very large, has no acknowledged leader.
The secularist media predictably support the former group and large sections of BJP seem to relish this approbation which rarely came its way. While this is understandable, a couple of points need to be made.
Even leaders with idealism and character need an ideology to take the party and the polity forward. As the largest party in the ruling coalition, it is the task of the BJP to impart to it an ideological coherence. The so-called divisive issues are actually issues of vital national concern and, far from being shelved, need to be discussed openly. A beginning could be made with Kashmir where Pakistan has been bleeding, us for a decade through a low-intensity proxy war. At a time when the obstructive role of Article 370 in the fighting against Pakistan-inspired terrorism was becoming visible to most Indians, the BJP volunteered not to touch the issue, for the sake of sharing power at the Centre. Viewed in this light, the Chennai declaration represents squandering of a valuable opportunity.
Should the BJP risk the displeasure of its allies by resurrecting the issue of Article 370? Yes, in view of national security imperatives and past experience of its dealing with secularist allies and enemies. The former need no discussion. So we take up the second. On the earlier occasions, the BJP had to tread carefully and did its duty by just remaining in power without rocking the boat, if only to call the bluff of the ‘threat of Hindu fundamentalism’. But its long experience should now convince the BJP that running after the certificate of secular credentials is a wild goose chase. BJP’s ‘communal’ identity is a handy stick to make it dance and bend at will, and it will not be thrown away easily. Notice that while the BJP goes on diluting its character, it gets nothing whatsoever in return from the secularist camp, except admonitions to dilute it even more. Now that it has shown its willingness to bend, it, may be asked to crawl. For secularists are like spoiled children: the sight of beggars only make them laugh.
From rightly opposing the sell-out at Tashkent (1966) and Shimla (1972), and condemning the release of terrorists for saving Rubiya Sayeed and the kid-glove treatment of Islamic mercenaries at Hazrat Bal, the BJP leaders have come a long way to strike a deal themselves with hijackers. All in search of a ‘secular’ identity which can catapult them to power. The search has been successful, but the price has been heavy, both for the party and its core constituency (conscious Hindus). This cannot go on for long.
A large number of party
workers realise this and feel worried. The tussle between the two camps
is far from over and may surface in unpredictable ways.
 |
|
|
|
|
|
