People's Democracy

EDITORIAL

Yet Another ‘Rath Yatra’

L K Advani has announced yet another ‘rath yatra’! Going by the past experience, such yatras undertaken by Advani have only resulted in unleashing incendiary communal passions leading to a trial of death and destruction. In the process, these yatras contributed to the undermining of the very secular democratic republican ethos of our country. 

Advani has announced a 33-day “Bharat Uday Yatra” ostensibly to highlight the idea of making India a “developed nation and a supreme power”. Since the announcement of the poll schedule has forced the government to cease its campaign of disinformation of “India shining” or “Bharat Uday”, this `rath yatra’ is hoping to carry the orchestrated propaganda to the people.

This, however, would be a very charitable interpretation of Advani’s decision. While announcing the plans for this yatra, Advani stated that this would be “highly emotive and powerful and was capable of touching the patriotic chords of every Indian”. He went on to add that this is the third yatra he is undertaking since his first in support of the construction of a Ram temple at that very spot where the Babri Masjid stood in Ayodhya in 1990. He went on to add, “As I see it, there is an intrinsic link between this yatra and the previous two”. He spared no efforts to underline that there was a “conceptual and emotional thread of resurgent nationalism (sic) that ran through all of them”. 

Clearly, this yatra, as the previous ones, is designed to rouse communal passions in the run up to the elections. The 1990 rath yatra, apart from leaving behind an unprecedented trial of bloodshed and mayhem through communal clashes also laid the basis for the destruction of the Babri Masjid. The sinister and diabolic agenda to undermine the secular democratic character of the Indian republic and to replace it with the RSS vision of a fascistic “Hindu Rashtra” is the backbone of this entire campaign. So much so for those, who had naively believed that the BJP has left behind its communal agenda in these elections. 

Advani was brazen enough to state that a bigger victory was needed for the BJP and the NDA this time around than the ones in 1998 and 1999 because it was essential for implementing the “gigantic tasks before the nation”. These gigantic tasks are, indeed, the conversion of the secular democratic republic of India into a fascistic “Hindu Rashtra”. He went on to add, “Indeed, the two-thirds majority for the NDA is essential for ensuring this task”.

Clearly, the nationalism that Advani is speaking about is “Hindu nationalism”. The RSS has never been tired of asserting that only Hindus are true nationalists, while all other religious minorities’ patriotic credentials are suspect. The consequent spread of communal hatred is the basis for reaping the electoral harvest for the BJP. Such is this party that it can destroy the very unity and integrity of India for the sake of its electoral victory which it candidly admits, is required to "transform" (or destroy) the Indian republic. 

One of the immediate provocations for the 1990 rath yatra was the decision of the then V P Singh government to implement the Mandal Commission report for the reservation of jobs for the OBCs. Fearing that this may dampen the BJP’s plans for its “Hindu nationalist mobilisation”, the BJP embarked on that rath yatra. The consequences are there for everyone to see.

On this occasion, however, it appears that the BJP has come to the conclusion that it is not in a comfortable position to form next government even with its NDA allies. Hence, the only course available to the RSS/BJP is to rouse communal passions and hope for an electoral consolidation of its Hindu vote bank.

This sinister diabolic plan which seeks to destroy our very republican India must not be allowed to succeed. The people have seen through the bombastic rhetoric of disinforrmation spread by the BJP. They must now not allow the BJP’s efforts to hijack the nation’s agenda on the eve of these elections. The need to defeat the communal forces in order to preserve the republican character of India and its unity and integrity assumes greater importance in the wake of this development.