HVK Archives: Ideas and conduct
Ideas and conduct - The Statesman
Editorial
()
4 April 1997
Title : Ideas and conduct
Author : Editorial
Publication : The Statesman
Date : April 4, 1997
How do you fight what are called "communal forces" (read:
Hindu fanatics)? By simply not letting them form a
government anywhere? Is that all there is to fighting
communalism? If it is, then it is a manifestly
ineffective strategy as the recent developments in Uttar
Pradesh have shown, where the victimisation and injustice
of the Governor's actions led to the formation of a
government which if not run by the communal forces
themselves, owe its existence to them and from which they
will derive a certain amount of power and influence,
without a doubt. In other words, it is not possible
strategy, for the simple reason that if the BJP is a
communal party - and its ideology has a powerful communal
element to it - it is no on the basis of an idea that
appeals to a sufficient number of people to constitute a
significant voice in our democracy, if not, as yet, a
mandate to govern. How does one fight an idea? By
stonewalling, muttering inanities under one's breath and
bickering about the secular credentials of one's
neighbour eve when he is doing no less and no more than
the complainant? An idea has to be fought with another
idea. The fight against communalism is not a fight for
power alone. It is about convincing people not only that
communalism will not work, but that the alternatives are
better, more rewarding propositions.
It is apparent that all those political formations who,
jointly are able to contain the BJP, by virtue of where
numbers, neither represent an idea of secularism that is
coherent to the general public, nor are they able to
apply it in practice, effectively. A considerable section
of the public which votes for the BJP no longer considers
secularism to mean periodic concessions to the
minorities, mainly to Muslims. They know that these have
failed to bring minorities into the mainstream and which
creating a certain amount of resentment among Hindus.
Basically, they have understood that these are insincere
political gestures made by ideologically bankrupt people.
Ask any of them to give a cogent definition of secularism
and you will be inundated with cliches about protecting
minority interests. Secularism is not about defending
minority interests or banning book considered offensive
by them, or even, in the ultimate analysis, protecting
places of worship (that is a simple act of
administration, not a political favour to be bestowed n
occasion). Secularism, to put it bluntly, means being
blind to religion when taking decisions.
But, and this is the crucial point, let no one think that
Hindu nationalism is the only reason why people vote for
the BJP. The BJP holds out the promise of a strong, clean
and ideologically homogeneous government, notwithstanding
its record in Gujarat, Rajasthan and elsewhere. And this
impression will grow in direct proportion to th mess in
the other camp. So, two things are involved here: strong
political ideas and principal political conduct. But
where are they to be found!
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