The CNN-IBN’s latest pet theme for media manufactured activism is the Liberhan Commission’s findings on the Babri Masjid demolition. Neither has the Liberhan Commission gone public with its findings nor has any new evidence surfaced of a conspiracy to demolish the mosque but the CNN-IBN as usual has tinged its reportage to reflect its own prejudices and biases. This becomes clearly evident in the way its lead story is headlined “Advani to get off lightly”.
However Offstumped feels CNN-IBN’s activism nevertheless maybe a blessing in disguise for the BJP for it presents an opportunity to set the direction of the national political discourse.
To appreciate this better first some context on the current state of the BJP.
The Indian Express today in its editorial painted a rather bleak picture of the state of affairs within the BJP in the context of the so called Advani flip-flop on the Indo-US Nuclear deal. The Express while touching a relevant note perhaps got too carried away by its own convictions on the importance of the deal. The reality of the deal however as Offstumped had pointed out earlier is that not a single seat will be won by the Congress for successfully negotiating it and not a single seat will be lost by the BJP for its flip-flop. The irony of the heated debate that has gripped the nation for the last several weeks is its grand irrelevance to the average voter. The Prime Minister has belatedly tried to make it a political issue by bringing in the Nuclear Power angle but its too little too late for anyone to pay attention or appreciate with the exception of the informed blogger and the enlightened op-ed columnist. However the Express has a point on how the BJP is adrift.
As Offstumped had pointed out earlier its initial political position on the Indo-US Nuclear deal made perfect political sense as it gave it an opportunity to highlight the unnatural marriage of convenience between the UPA and the Left as well as expose the wedge that had been lurking in the background all along. The subsequent refinement in its position as expounded by Mr. Advani in his interview to the BJP was exactly what Offstumped had called for when it pointed out that the wedge had outlived its usefulness and it was time for the BJP to break itself from the Left’s Agenda and chart its own course. This was a logical next move in terms of political strategy because the Congress controls the timing of the next election and the Left with its position on the Nuclear Deal was controlling the debate. Thus it was imperative for the BJP to chart a different course and hence Mr. Advani’s refinement made perfect political sense.
But yesterday’s convoluted clarification by the BJP to reiterate the Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie position while trying to rationalize the Advani refinement is puzzling. Especially on an issue with very little electoral consequence it is strange the BJP is going to great lengths to clamor for a JPC and a Constitutional Amendment when it knows there is a slim chance of either demand being entertained in Parliament and a rather dim prospect of evoking any moral public outrage outside it.
This is no time for senile attempts at preserving someone’s legacy at the expense of political strategy. It is time for the BJP to draw a sharp distinction from the rest of the political pack and make the next the election about itself and the rest. And hence the CNN-IBN’s activism on the Babri Masjid is a perfect opportunity and here is why.
The Ram Janmabhoomi Babri Masjid issue continues to be at the heart of the fault line dividing Indian Politics. It would be irresponsible of the current political generation to bury the issue for another generation to deal with. What kind of legacy would the current generation bequeath to the youth of this nation if they have to face the ghosts of Babri Masjid 50 years from now with no perspective on the contemporary issues and the political environment that resulted in its demolition. It would be unfortunate if this issue is allowed to fester for another half century leaving behind hate and mistrust with none of the background.
Hence it calls for extraordinary leadership and courage to confront the issue and resolve it while the chief protagonists in the generation that made it a political issue are still around. If there is anyone party that can resolve this issue it is the BJP. The Congress will never risk its twin vote banks by taking a position on the issue and try to bring closure. The Communists are irrelevant to the politics underlying the issue. The regional parties lack the foresight and credibility to bring the two communities together on this issue. It is only the BJP that can make a serious attempt at bringing closure. Mr. Advani as the chief protagonist is uniquely positioned to do this and by doing so he can legitimately lay claim to the agenda for the next election.
Here is a possible way forward to bring closure to this issue. There has been a move in recent months from Tirupathi to Sabarimala to Gurvayoor to resist political interference and Government control of Hindu Religious Institutions. In fact attempts by the LDF in Kerala to legislate control have raised a storm. It is in this context that a move towards freeing Religious Institutions from Government Control and reverting the ownership of these institutions to the local communities makes eminent sense. Through such a movement a possible approach for closure on the Ayodhya issue could be found by relying on the wisdom of the local community which stands to immensely benefit economically by appropriately developing Ayodhya as a favored religious destination for the rest of the nation.
Offstumped Bottomline: The BJP is at a crossroads and it requires bold imagination to break free from the ideological rut it is currently trapped in. Mr. Advani as the chief protagonist of the Ayodhya issue should seize the opportunity to bring closure to this issue. A movement to free religious institutions of government control and empowering local communities to directly reap the economic benefits of religious-tourism could provide a way forward to resolve this issue as a win-win for both communities.
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poverty, illiteracy, infrastructure, floods, nuclear deal, poor state of farmers, terrorism, naxalism – these issues are all passe and not “election” or national interest issues..
Building a temple/masjid/developing tourism in ayodhya is the most pressing issue in India right now and every political party concerned should state their positions on this issue.
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jujung – all the issuess mentioned by you are exactly the reason why this faultline must not be allowed to fester for another 50 years, it must be brought to closure so we are never again distracted from addressing all that u have listed.
@Yossarin
A possible approach for closure on the Ayodhya issue could be found by relying on the wisdom of the local community which stands to immensely benefit economically by appropriately developing Ayodhya as a favored religious destination for the rest of the nation.
I think that still the contention will remain that Which religion’s destination Ayodhya actually is. I think what you’re trying to suggest is that Ayodhya as an issue should be buried into past as soon as possible, However the solution proposed by you doesn’t seem quite strong or practical to me due to basic point of contention still remaining unsolved. In fact, already such solutions like building a Hospital or school at the site of contention have been proposed without much success.
But yes, I do agree with your main point that BJP and Advani stand to gain most by changing their stance on Ayodhya. Only I’m afraid that RSS won’t allow this to happen.
It is not unknown for a political party to make a 180-degree turn to meet an altered context. What L.K. Advani is trying to do to the Bharatiya Janata Party regarding the Indo-US nuclear deal is more profound than that. After the general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) precipitated a political crisis by announcing his party’s hostility to the deal, the BJP surprised everybody by taking a position that nearly echoed the CPI(M)’s shrill anti-Americanism. The implications of this for the BJP were profound. It meant that it had vacated the platform of nationalism and national interest for the Congress to occupy. The BJP had thus dropped one of its strongest cards.
Mr Advani is now making a valiant effort to pick up the pieces, and to take his party back to its original pro-US position. It is not yet clear if he will succeed since unity is not, at the moment, the BJP’s strong suit. But his attempt is important for the BJP, and also for its wider political ramifications.
But Advani’s latest position is at variance with the position adopted by BJP vice president and former foreign minister Yashwant Sinha and former union minister Arun Shourie. Sinha and Shourie – the latter writing well-argued articles against the deal – have been leading the BJP charge against the Manmohan Singh government, which is also facing the heat from its Left allies.
Dissecting the 123 agreement, they had said: “There is nothing in the agreement regarding the reprocessing of the spent fuel of Tarapur which has accumulated over the last 33 years.”
Moreover, “nuclear testing has not been mentioned in the agreement. According to the government of India this is a matter of great comfort for us. This view is entirely untenable”.
The two had also claimed that “with regard to fuel supplies, reprocessing rights and the right to recall the equipments supplied, the US has maintained its position as in the Hyde Act. India, on the other hand, has accepted legally enforceable commitments in perpetuity”.
Their view was endorsed by BJP president Rajnath Singh, who said Aug 18 that the “entire mood in the country is against the deal”.
When reached by IANS, both Shourie and Sinha avoided comment on Advani’s new take.
One immediate fallout of this shift will be a further marginalization of the CPI(M) and the Left. For the BJP, as Mr Advani has been quick to grasp, even an unintended congruence with the Left is akin to the kiss of death.
Mr Advani has once again begun to count in Indian politics.
RoW,
Pls start ur own blog asap. When commenting always keep it to the context. Otherwise whatever sensible stuff u write still that will be termed spam.
I promise I will regularly visit u.
Offstumped Bottomline – “The BJP is at a crossroads and it requires bold imagination to break free from the ideological rut it is currently trapped in” – The Ayodhya issue is a worn-out case. The Indo-US Nuclear deal is more contextual at this stage & time !!
RS – you have missed the larger context my dear friend (as usual)! Advani is smarter than you, and he has picked up the right issue to resurrect the BJP…
Himanshu – follow the money and you will find the answer to your question.
ROW – Thanks for the running commentary, no post is complete with your expert comments
Yossarin, I disagree with your view that the BJP will not lose a single seat because of going against the nuclear deal. Do not forget the fact that the higher the level of education of the voter, the greater the likelihood that s/he votes BJP. The educated voter believes that overall the deal is good for India. BJP lost a good chunk of urban seats in 2004 because of indifference of educated voters. Just when Sonia and gang have managed to rouse this segment to anger to come out and vote, the BJP has scored a self-goal.
Comrade Chingo Chango,
>>One immediate fallout of this shift will be a further marginalization of the CPI(M) and the Left.
I never disputed your claim that you are staunch Congress loyalist. Indeed,
your love of the Congress party brings tears to my eyes. Such devotion. Too bad Congress attracts thinking people like you whereas the poor comrades can’t.
Sir,
Do you think privitisation of Hindu shrines is a solution? What about Kanchi Mutt?do you think Kanchi mutt is running better than Thirumala Dewasmom board?
BJP lacks TRUTH AND COURAGE. The leaders should admit their complicity in the distruction of the Masjid and face the prison term and then face the people.This requires courage and political wisdom.
BJP is controlled by the Hindus of USA who have no local knowledge and think like Americans.
Why BJP is so shy of taking on Farmers deaths a very elective political issue? But jump to Kanchi mutt’s seers defence? Why it is so much concerned about ramar sethu which itself conceived by BJP when in power?Who are behind these agenda’s? One can see the real answer to the
demise of BJP to these answers.
If a backward Dalit Mayawathi is emerging in the national scene which may rival BJP’s numbers in the next election, then BJP should know how its BRAHMINICAL agenda is not gelling with the masses.
BJP would be well advised to stay away from the Ayodhya and Mandir issue ! There are several reasons for that :-
1. It provides RSS/Sangh Parivar just the plank to come back and drive the agenda for BJP once again – some thing that the BJP can ill afford having got the RSS to withdraw from its day to day affairs.
2. It will isolate the BJP both from the dalits and muslims, two very deprived sections of our society. Hindutva of RSS combine and Ram temple movement are not just religious phenomenon but are also guided by the political agenda aiming at crushing the self respect, and social & political rights of dalits. Ambedkar’s ideas about Brahiminic Hinduism were very clear, and he regarded it as a curse for dalits. It is no coincidence that the Sangh Parivar selected 6th December – the anniversary day of Dr. Ambedkar – for demolishing the mosque, and getting a dalit boy to do the shila pujan for Ram temple!
3. The only way BJP can insulate itself from the RSS in the short-to-medium term is by forming a coalition of political parties under NDA – and drive politics on issues of national interest only. RSS will not view the NDA as its 100% owned corporation, and would find it difficult to drive its agenda. This will not be easy, but Advani can possibly do it if he sets his mind to it !
The longer-term challenge lies in reforming the RSS itself. The biggest problem is that it does not even consolidate the Hindus under it fold since its ideology is based on the laws of Manu. Hindutva forces wanted the Indian constitution based on this book, Manusmriti, which was shunned by Dr. Ambedkar. More than 165 million Dalits in India are condemned to a lifetime of abuse simply because of their caste and RSS’s hold of theory of Karma will continue to keep the dalit community in the throes of backwardness. Besides this, it also has to work on tempering its intolerance towards other religious minorities.
For the BJP, this reforming of the RSS Combine is important. Having tasted the benefits of political power, RSS can not stay away from it too long, and BJP will be its soft target again.
[...] control Offstumped had in two earlier posts first on the Sabarimala Tantri issue and then on the Babri Masjid issue had called for freeing religious institutions from state control. There is a very good rationale [...]
[...] had made one such proposal in the past on resolving the Ram Janmabhoomi issue. Fellows at the INI have been working on proposals for “National Reconciliation” and [...]
[...] had in two earlier posts first on the Sabarimala Tantri issue and then on the Babri Masjid issue had called for freeing religious institutions from state [...]
[...] had in two earlier posts first on the Sabarimala Tantri issue and then on the Babri Masjid issue had called for freeing religious institutions from state [...]
@Offstumped
Another interesting piece. The question, as some of the commentators have already raised, is which religion does that site belong to?
I think building schools or hospitals and so on is a very poor idea. On the other hand, millions of people have died in religious violence in India and all over the world. Ayodhya, much as Jerusalem, stands as the icon of religious violence. I think a fitting solution of Ayodhya could be a monument dedicated to religious tolerance and human spirit.
India boasts the kind of religious diversity that is envy of the world. And if we are to take the lead in the 21st century, I can’t imagine a better place for such a monument!