HVK Archives: Only BJP
Only BJP - The Times of India
K N Panikkar, Qamar Agha
()
24 September 1996
Title : Only BJP
Author : K N Panikkar, Qamar Agha
Publication : The Times of India
Date : September 24, 1996
We were pained to read Mr V. R. Krishna Iyer's letter
'Not BJP Alone' (September 18) in which he attempts to
dissociate himself from an earlier letter signed by
himself and many others ('Secular Front', September 10).
It is surprising that an eminent jurist like him who
associates himself with a large number of public cam-
paigns, including those sponsored by the RSS, should lend
his name to public statements so casually without caring
to check their content. Assuming that the above-men-
tioned letter is his own, we would like to point out some
basic flaws in his considered presentation.
Despite his stated commitment to secularism, Mr Iyer's
understanding of communalism - as demonstrated by his
letter - does not appear to be very incisive. His con-
sidered view of Indian politics does not admit of any
distinction between the BJP and other political parties,
since communal elements are present in all of them. It
should be common knowledge that the predilection of a few
members does not determine the character of a party. One
expects an eminent person like Mr Iyer, who possesses
vast political experience ranging from being a minister
in the Marxist government in Kerala to a candidate for
Presidentship of the secular republic - to consider the
politics of the BJP, including the demolition of the
Babri Masjid, before casting doubt about its "monopoly of
communal magnetology" (whatever that might mean).
May we remind Mr Iyer that the ideological mentor of the
BJP, M. S. Golwalkar, had asserted that "when the vast
majority of people are Hindu, the state is democratically
Hindu" and that the BJP's 'white paper' on Ayodhya has
stated that the movement leading to the demolition of the
Babri Masjid "symbolised the re-establishment of the
roots of our nationhood". What other proof is needed to
show the communal character of the BJP?
We entirely share Mr Iyer's concern about the recolonisa-
tion of India. Whether the BJP is intent on resisting it
is not entirely certain, particularly after the Enron
deal. Even Mr Iyer, who had associated himself with the
RSS campaign for swadeshi, seems to be sceptical about
their sincerity. In the midst of contemporary chaos and
uncertainty, it is perhaps not surprising that even our
eminent opinion-makers are so shortsighted and confused.
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