5/9/2016

WhytheBJPisplayingtheDeshBhakticardRediff.com

Printthisarticle

WhytheBJPisplayingtheDeshBhakticard
March18,201611:25IST

'AseconddefeatinaHinduheartlandstatewillbedisastrousfortheBJP'smoraleandpoliticalfortune.'
'ThereisnoalternativefortheBJPbuttoplaythepatrioticcardwithgusto,'saysAmulyaGanguli.

shasbeendemonstratedbythedecisiontoputontrousersinthe91styearofitsexistence,theRashtriyaSwayamsevak
Sanghisbrimmingoverwithconfidence.
The first sign of this selfassurance is declaring a new test for patriotism, the organisation's pet theme. The decree is a
peremptoryordertoeveryonetochant'BharatMataKiJai,'ifs/heistoshowthather/hisheartisintherightplaceandnot
inPakistan.
Interestingly,theRSShasshiedawayfromthesloganwhichwasitsbattlecryduringtheRamjanmabhoomimovementJai
ShriRam.PerhapsitthoughtthattheinvocationoftheHindugodmightrunafoulofthejudiciaryalthoughpoetAllamaIqbal
calledhimthe'spiritualleaderofIndia(whose)lampgavethelightofwisdom.'
Nagpur'spatriarchscouldhavetriedsomeotherslogansandmaydosostillincaseitspitchforBharatMatafailstopass
muster.Amongsuchcatchphrasesis'GarvSeKahoHumHinduHai'(declarewithprideIamaHindu),whichwasalsoone
ofthechantswhichreverberatedaroundtheriottornlandinthe1990s.

onsideringthatRSSchiefMohanBhagwatarguesthatallIndiansareHindusinaculturalsensenotwithstandingtheir

http://www.rediff.com/news/column/whythebjpisplayingthedeshbhakticard/20160318.htm?print=true

1/2

5/9/2016

WhytheBJPisplayingtheDeshBhakticardRediff.com
onsideringthatRSSchiefMohanBhagwatarguesthatallIndiansareHindusinaculturalsensenotwithstandingtheir
differentmethodsofworship,thereisnoreasonwhy'GarvSeKaho'cannotbeincludedintherepertoireofkeywordswhich
atruepatriotwillhavenoobjectioninuttering.

ItisunderstandablethattoAnupamKherthechantingof'BharatMataKiJai'istheonlydefinitionofnationalism.Itwillnotbe
surprisingifheisn'tsoonupgradedfromPadmaBhushantoPadmaVibhushan.
WhatissurprisingisthatJavedAkhtarshouldbesovocalinfavourofthesloganconsideringthathewasoncecreditedby
grapevinewithcoiningthe'mautkisaudagar',phrasewhichwasusedbySoniaGandhiinthe2002electioncampaigninthe
statealthoughtonoeffect.
NowthattheRSShasmadeitmandatoryforeveryIndiantovociferouslyreverethecountryasthemother,therewillbe
questionsaboutimplementation.AsthesuspensionofaMaharashtralegislatorfornotfollowingthediktatshows,thatisone
formofpunishment.

utwhatofordinarycitizens?Howwilltheirpatriotismbeassessed?Andwhowilldoso?

WillthetaskbelefttothepoliceaftercallingBhimSainBassibackfromretirementtodealwiththeissuewiththesamezeal
withwhichhebookedKanhaiyaKumarandotherJawaharlalNehruUniversity'antinationals'forsedition?
OrwillthejobbeentrustedtotheAkhilBharatiyaVidyarthiParishad?
ItgoeswithoutsayingthattheenforcementofthisnewdirectivefromtheRSSwillnotbeeasyifonlybecausethejudiciary
maybeasdoubtfulaboutthelatestsloganastheoldoneaboutLordRam.
What is clear, however, that along with the consumption of beef, the Sangh Parivar has found a new way to make its
presence felt. It is noteworthy that on the day the Maharashtra legislator was suspended, four Kashmiri students were
arrestedfollowingrumoursthattheyhadcookedbeefintheirhostelinRajasthan'sChittorgarhdistrict.
Thelineshavenowbeendrawninthesand.TheHindutvaversionofIndiandemocracylaysdownthatitwillnotbeenough
onlytostandduringthenationalanthemorthesingingofVandeMataram,butunlessonealsochants'BharatMataKiJai'
andgivesitinwritingthathewillnoteatbeef,ministersintheNarendraModigovernmentwillaskthepersontoleavefor
Pakistan,assomeofthemhavealreadyadvisedbeefeaters.

heBJP'sdeeploveforthecountryisprobablynottheonlyreasonwhytheseinitiativesarebeingtakenatthebehestof
theRSS.Thepartyanditsmentormayhavealsorealisedthattheelectoraltideisnotrunninginitsfavour.Thehighwater
markof2014hasreceded.
If the results of some of the local body elections in Uttar Pradesh are taken into account, the Samajwadi Party and the
BahujanSamajPartyarewellaheadoftheBJP.FortheBJP,UPprovidesamustwinsituationsinceaseconddefeatina
Hinduheartlandstatewillbedisastrousforitsmoraleandpoliticalfortune.
ThereisnoalternativefortheBJP,therefore,buttoplaythepatrioticcardwithgusto.Theneedisallthegreaterbecausethe
seditionplankisadiceyonesinceitisdifficulttowrapacolonialeralawinthecloakofnationalism.
Hence,themasterstrokeofaninvocationtoMotherIndia.
AmulyaGanguliisaDelhibasedcommentatoroncurrentaffairs.
AmulyaGanguli

http://www.rediff.com/news/column/whythebjpisplayingthedeshbhakticard/20160318.htm?print=true

2/2