{"id":90,"date":"2018-05-01T05:12:58","date_gmt":"2018-04-30T23:42:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/34.22.110.190\/english\/?p=90"},"modified":"2018-05-05T10:47:43","modified_gmt":"2018-05-05T05:17:43","slug":"why-the-politics-of-bjp-is-fundamentally-opposed-to-the-intrinsic-character-of-bengal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thebengalstory.com\/english\/why-the-politics-of-bjp-is-fundamentally-opposed-to-the-intrinsic-character-of-bengal\/","title":{"rendered":"Why the politics of BJP is fundamentally opposed to the intrinsic &#8216;character&#8217; of Bengal"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In this essay, my aim is to briefly touch upon the \u2018self\u2019 or the essential characteristics of Bengal that makes the politics of The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fundamentally opposed to the intrinsic \u2018character\u2019 of our state.<\/p>\n<p>I wish to do the analysis, under three sections: Power, Socialism and Culture.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Power<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Bengal is the rebel in the recent political history of India. For over 40 years \u2013 except for a brief spell when the ruling Left was supporting the UPA-I \u2013 Bengal is at opposition with whichever party is running the country from New Delhi.<\/p>\n<p>The \u2018anti-Centre\u2019 mindset is woven with the modern consciousness of Bengal.\u00a0 And this instinct extends out in the global context as a deep rooted anti-hegemonic sentiment.<\/p>\n<p>When US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton came over to Kolkata to meet Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee \u2013 after Didi had broken the 34 year old Left rule in 2011 \u2013 the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government was rumoured to be as cold to her as The Left.<\/p>\n<p>Once I nearly missed a flight while being caught in a traffic jam because an anti-imperialism march had been organised by the Left Government against the Bush\u2019s war on Iraq in the pretext of \u2013 later proven to be false \u2013 Weapons of Mass Destruction.<\/p>\n<p>Some years back, The Left government also cheekily changed the official name of Harrington Street to Ho Chi Minh Sarani because the U.S Consul General was located on that street.<\/p>\n<p>They wanted the U.S Consul General in Kolkata to forever remember Vietnam.<\/p>\n<p>The 1970 film <em>Pratidwandi<\/em> (Adversary, Opponent or Competitor) by Satyajit Ray was based on the novel by Sunil Gangopadhay. It was the first film of Ray\u2019s celebrated Calcutta Trilogy.<\/p>\n<p>In that film, a job interviewee \u2013 Siddhartha: an educated middle class young man amidst social unrest and rampant unemployment \u2013 is asked about the most important event of the times. He says that more than the moon landing \u2013 that was more a matter of time and would have eventually happened \u2013 the defeat of the U.S.A in Vietnam because of the heroic fight by the Vietnamese men and women, inspires him the most, and he deems that to be more significant.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/PtrP3Z4kbVc\" width=\"100%\" height=\"450\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Kolkata loves the victory of David over Golliath.<\/p>\n<p>The present address of the U.S Consul General in Kolkata is 5\/1 Ho Chi Minh Sarani, Kolkata \u2013 7000071.<\/p>\n<p>*<\/p>\n<p>Bengal is not enamoured by \u2018big power\u2019; her instinct is to remain cold, be sceptical and to oppose it.<\/p>\n<p>But the mindset of The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is totally opposite. Being a patriarchal party, The BJP is more hierarchical in its mindset that is conditioned to bow before \u2018superior\u2019 power, tolerate dictatorial ethos and obey commands without questioning authority.<\/p>\n<p>Most of the political parties of India suffer from a deficit of internal democracy, but the BJP\u2019s fundamental trait of Brahmanical patriarchal conservatism makes it extremely conscious of power, status and hierarchy.<\/p>\n<p>The BJP\u2019s enthusiasm for big power is also reflected by the shift of India\u2019s traditional non-aligned foreign policy towards the imperial axis of US-Israel and the generous \u2013 and often awkward \u2013 hugs that Prime Minister Narendra Modi reserves only for the \u2018big\u2019 leaders, while going cold before the \u2018lesser\u2019 ones.<\/p>\n<p>*<\/p>\n<p>In September 2014, a historical apolitical march by citizens of Kolkata rattled the TMC government of West Bengal. Thousands of people on a rain soaked Saturday afternoon \u2013 fighting for civil liberties, freedom from authoritarianism and demand for justice \u2013 managed to shift the mind of the Chief Minister.<\/p>\n<p>The spontaneous outpouring of dissent \u2013 organised via social media \u2013 stemmed from several pent-up issues and certain incidents pertaining to Jadavpur University aka the #Hokkolorob movement.<\/p>\n<p>The 2014 dissent brought about a welcoming change in the attitude of the TMC government, who went on to win by bigger margins in 2016 Assembly Elections.<\/p>\n<p>I was also one of the protesters in the grand march. That day, it convinced me that Kolkata, and also Bengal, won\u2019t hesitate to stand up against any power\/authority that has swayed from a liberal and progressive ethos.<\/p>\n<p>People will organise, dissent and hit the streets. It is not possible to intimidate Bengal with power.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Socialism<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Economic and social benefits must percolate to all, not just a few, is a prime understanding of modern democratic socialism.<\/p>\n<p>Socialism is the default mode of Bengal; even the present TMC government is \u2018left of centre\u2019 in key policies.<\/p>\n<p>In the recent past, Bengal has proven that she won\u2019t overlook the rights of the farmer, the villager and the tribal in favour of feudalism and corporate interests.<\/p>\n<p>The land reforms of the Left in the 1970s that transformed rural Bengal entrenched them in Bengal for three decades. But one of the major factors which dethroned The Left from power was also related to fertile land and farmers. The Left government overlooked the rights of the farmers and gave fertile land to the Tatas in Singur; a factory on unfertile fallow land would have been a non-issue.<\/p>\n<p>Bengal instinctively expects pro-people policies from the government; she desires a strong social consciousness from the policy makers that aims to improve the Human Development Indices along with the GDP and other parameters.<\/p>\n<p>*<\/p>\n<p>Bengal also largely refuses to put material profit, as the highest goal of human life.<\/p>\n<p>This attitude has been fostered due to the history of our state from the time when the \u2018Bengali\u2019 identity \u2013 language and earliest culture \u2013 appeared under the Buddhist Pala dynasty, and got influenced by the Bengal Renaissance and the subsequent socio-political history.<\/p>\n<p>The technocratic pro-corporatism neoliberal capitalism \u2013 practised by the BJP \u2013 doesn\u2019t synchronise with the general mindset of Bengal.<\/p>\n<p>Everything in Bengal, and in Kolkata, is also not all about transactions and deal making \u2013 humanity still matters; life still surprises.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Culture<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Looking at the present day India, if someone asks me about the foremost asset of Bengal, I will say it is the \u2018liberal socialist consciousness\u2019 that is blended with a \u2018secular culture\u2019 and an \u2018ethos of cosmopolitism\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>This is a priceless asset in midst of the far right Hindutva cultural <em>tandav<\/em> in India.<\/p>\n<p>Bengal has successfully resisted the right wing since 1947; the rightwing mindset and ideology haven\u2019t had any significant political success till the boisterous arrival of the RSS-BJP post 2014, and the raising of the Hindutva pitch in the last couple of years.<\/p>\n<p>(There is a support base for right wing politics in Bengal; but that percentage is not over than 10% of the polled voters, as per the latest figures: the Assembly Elections of 2016.)<\/p>\n<p>I have written more about the culture of Bengal \u2013 especially the religious history \u2013 in the context of the challenges Bengal is facing now with the arrival of right wing politics.<\/p>\n<p>So instead of repeating them, I prefer to give the links of the three articles, related to the topic, which were published in <em>The Wire <\/em>and\u00a0<em>The Daily O:<\/em>\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/thewire.in\/politics\/in-bengal-the-bjp-goes-after-two-icons-tagore-and-fish\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em><u>In Bengal, Hindutva Confronts Two Icons \u2013 Tagore and Fish<\/u><\/em><\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyo.in\/politics\/bengal-basirhat-riots-communal-polarisation-bjp-rss-mamata-bangladesh\/story\/1\/18228.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em><u>Planned Basirhat riot: Will Bengal fall to BJP-RSS&#8217; communal designs?<\/u><\/em><\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyo.in\/politics\/ram-navami-violence-west-bengal-rss-bjp-hindutva-mamata-banerjee\/story\/1\/23147.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em><u>Ram Navami violence: Why Hindutva forces are fanning communal flames in West Bengal<\/u><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Conclusion<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>One of my high school friends \u2013 who is now a <em>bhakt<\/em> of Prime Minister Modi and supports the RSS-BJP \u2013 asked me a question.<\/p>\n<p>He asked me, \u2018I know that the BJP will get 50% of the Lok Sabha seats from Bengal in 2019 and will win 2021 Assembly Elections by a huge majority. Do you also you think the same?\u2019<\/p>\n<p>I didn\u2019t bother to answer the question and remembered what Ritwik Ghatak had once told a journalist just before an interview: please ask sensible questions only.<\/p>\n<p>*<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_168\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-168\" style=\"width: 1600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-168 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/thebengalstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/04\/ju1-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-168\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The #hokkolorob Movement<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Unlike my friend, I don\u2019t think that the RSS-BJP is gaining any ground in Bengal presently, in spite of the \u2018media events\u2019 like Ram Navami processions with swords and tridents and the silly #SaveBengal campaign by the BJP.<\/p>\n<p>For the RSS-BJP to gain ground in Bengal, the very \u2018self\u2019 or the essential characteristics of Bengal need to change.<\/p>\n<p>The RSS-BJP understands that and they have embarked upon a \u2018social engineering\u2019 mission based upon Hindi-Hindu-Hindustani plank. And I don\u2019t think, this \u2018mission\u2019 will succeed anytime soon.<\/p>\n<p>I will be surprised if the BJP manages to get 1 or 2 seats in the upcoming General Elections 2019.<\/p>\n<p>However, it will be a setback for Bengal if the BJP manages to become the opposition party in Bengal by pushing out the Left. Hence, the Left, and even the Congress, have to remain as the main opposition force to the TMC. This is of great importance to prevent the \u2018cultural transformation\u2019 of Bengal that the RSS-BJP wishes to accomplish.<\/p>\n<p>*<\/p>\n<p>The \u2018cultural transformation\u2019 \u2013 being attempted \u2013 is based upon two things: devotion \u2013 based upon religious identity \u2013 and indoctrination \u2013 of Hindutva ideology via angst, fear, hate and anger.<\/p>\n<p>Blind devotion and wilful indoctrination can alienate one\u2019s mind from reality and produce a false sense of the world \u2013 this we all know.<\/p>\n<p>But when truth itself is grossed over due to the ideological lens one wears over the mind, it becomes tragic and dangerous.<\/p>\n<p>If we support lies, unfairness and injustice due to our ties and biases, then we will drag ourselves and the nation further down into the abyss of moral and spiritual degeneracy that we are witnessing now.<\/p>\n<p>The ethical deficit of the Indian establishments \u2013 the government, the democratic institutions, the media, the corporate world and the judiciary \u2013 haven\u2019t been so alarming, as it is now.<\/p>\n<p>In order to do the much required course correction, we need to put truth, fairness, honesty and justice ahead of ideological affiliations, community feelings and religious sentiments.<\/p>\n<p>Hence, the strategy of the Hindutva forces to penetrate Bengal on the back of lies, unfairness and injustice \u2013 fake news, false narratives and communal violence \u2013 will only do great damage to Bengal and her prospects.<\/p>\n<p>RSS-BJP is alien DNA; it has nothing better to offer to Bengal.<\/p>\n<p>RSS-BJP is an antithesis to the history and culture of Bengal.<\/p>\n<p>Bengal needs to keep RSS-BJP away for the sake of itself and for the sake of our Constitution, our sovereignty, our democracy and our nation.<\/p>\n<p>[The views expressed belong solely to the author, and may not reflect the opinions of the editorial team]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What makes the politics of the Bharatiya Janata Party fundamentally opposed to the intrinsic \u2018character\u2019 of West Bengal?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":98,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,7],"tags":[],"tmauthors":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-90","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nation","8":"category-opinion"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebengalstory.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebengalstory.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebengalstory.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebengalstory.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebengalstory.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thebengalstory.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebengalstory.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/98"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebengalstory.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebengalstory.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebengalstory.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90"},{"taxonomy":"tmauthors","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebengalstory.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tmauthors?post=90"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}