Shock And Awe

There has been a lot of discussion going on for the last 12 hours or more inthe pro-Hindutva web sites in India and abroad about the stunning failure of theBharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to do well in the just-concluded elections to theLok Sabha, and the dramatic success of the Congress (I). 

The pro-Hindutva elements, which regularly visit these web sites and maketheir postings, are in an astonishing state of shock. There is moreintrospection already going on in these web sites than in New Delhi and statecapitals and there is more loud-thinking than in the endless debates in our TVchannels. 

It is more interesting and educative to read these postings in the web sites than to listen to the blah, blah, blah of the spokesmen of different parties andthe so-called analysts who have congregated in New Delhi.

As one goes through these web sites, one is struck by the admiration of manypro-Hindutva elements over the way the Congress (I) has managed to give ayouthful image to the party and over the quality of the intellect and powers ofarticulation of the youth brigade of the Congress (I). There is a grudgingadmiration even for Rahul Gandhi. Some admit that he has made an impact on thenation as a whole. Others insist that his impact is confined to Uttar Pradesh.

Many have compared the youthful image of the  Congress (I) to the tiredand aging image of the Hindutva leaders. Where are the young people in the BJP,the posters have been asking. The majority are agreed that L.K.Advani was a badchoice to lead the election campaign. They allege  that instead ofsurrounding himself with youthful faces and intellects, he surrounded himselfwith old pensioners from different government services and the armed forces whowere unable to read  the mind of the Indian youth.

A perusal of many of these postings shows that the angry pro-Hindutvaelements do not look upon younger BJP leaders such as Arun Jetley, Sushma Swaraj,Arun Shourie etc as representing the newly rising Indian youth. They dismissthem as middle-aged backroom manipulators and not genuine representatives ofyoung India.

Many of the postings say that Advani made the election campaign apersonality-based one and not an issue-based one, which was a serious mistake.Interestingly and significantly, many admit that the just-concluded election hasshown that Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister of Gujarat, has no nationalstature. The fact that he has been able to galvanise the Gujaratis in Gujaratand outside does not mean that he will be able to galvanise the rest of India.They feel that one of the biggest problems of the BJP is that it has not beenable to produce a leader  of national stature after Atal Behari Vajpayee,the former Prime Minister. It has produced a number of good regional leaders,but they are not in a position to expand their appeal  beyond their regionand beyond their respective communities.

I am reproducing below some examples of the kind of  comments I pickedup from my browsing:

a. "I think BJP should dismantle, and regroup under a new name, newleadership, with a bit more conviction (I mean the mental kind, not legal) andspine. Bottom line: The BJP does not impress Hindus any more, and it manages tofrighten non-Hindus. Not a combination to win India."

"What worked in the 80s will not work with the voters today many of whomwere not born then or were small children. The electorate is not static. As yougoing to take them back to the 80s?  Also, the BJP is being ill-served bysome of its 'intellectuals', who talk smoothly on TV and score debating points,but have no clue about the electorate. This is soothsaying, not problem solving.    A defeat of this magnitude is due to a fundamental shift, not minor issues likewhether Modi or Vajpayee would have made a better speaker. I already see futiletalk that BJP made a tactical error by bringing in Narendra Modi as speaker andso forth. This is like a drowning man clutching at straws. This shows that theBJP doesn't know what hit them-- the youth brigade.  

"Where is a BJP youth brigade that can engage Rahul, Sachin Pilot,Jyotirmayi Scindia and so forth? Why did the BJP fail to cultivate them evenwith its vast cadre? It has five years to focus on this issue. Bringing up acadre of young leaders should be the first priority of BJP-RSS. It should allowthem some freedom and not put them in an ideological straitjacket. That will niptalent in the bud. My concern is more for future generations than the fortunesof any political party. Where are the future leaders? I hope people arelistening. I will bring this up with some people I know and also mention it in acouple of presentations."

c. " The BJP has to be a party for all communities if it has to be atruly national party. A party that has India's interests as its priority anddelivers on development will have no problems getting the support of a largesection of Christians and Muslims. All that the BJP  has to do is removethe institutional bias against Hindus that exists in govt circles. That's allHindus ask of them."

d. "I am not a Hindu though I have Hindu heritage. I was looking forwardto INC's defeat mostly because I vehemently am opposed to the idea of dynasty.India is a republic not a monarchy. I am seriously disappointed by thedisastrous performance of BJP.

"Remember how GWB disowned Trent Lott? That is what leadership is. Doesnot matter how charismatic a person is and how popular he/she might be but themoment he/she steps out of line.....he/she however capable must be gone. In 1991the Deputy Commander of all US forces arrayed against Iraq made a statement tothe press about how the war would be waged. Norman Swarzkoff fired him eventhough he was said to be a brilliant war planner because he went to the presswithout approval. Despite being friendly with the Bush family he was firednevertheless.

"BJP officials did not show leadership when it was needed. India has theworld's largest twenty something population. Many of these are urbanized ordream of being urbanized. Many move to urban areas in search for that extrarupee. Many of these even in the country are fascinated by Bollywood and itsregional cousins. Admit it. Materialism, westernization and its associatedfashions/influence is ever expanding. In light of these developments, it wouldhave been prudent for BJP to endear itself among this demographic.

"Beating up couples on Valentine dates or trashing pubs/nightclubs willalienate these folks. The Hindu forces should be geared to fight Talibanizationand not become like the Taliban. Believe it or not, of all the good things youdo one small infraction is all that is  needed for the media to show youlike a demon. The zealots played into the hands of the media like fools. For ayoungster in Madras who has heard of BJP and other Hindu right movements, hewould know little of what great work these movements are doing in Gujarat orHaryana. But he would hear from the media when a couple on a Valentine date getbeaten up. That would be his impression of the HIndutva movement.

"Like the the old saying....a drop of ink is enough to spoil a bucket ofmilk. Also, in light of this twenty something demographics, where are the youngblood faces in the BJP? This is the largest 20-something population in the worldand largest voting block in the country. Eighty-something year old Mr. Advani,no disrespect to him and his huge contribution to the country, but there is adisconnect and I don't think he instils much confidence among the young crowd.

"All this time Rahul Gandhi and his sister went around charming whoeverthat could be charmed. Let's admit it. We humans are visual animals. It isnature and no matter how indoctrinated we are otherwise this will forever bedominant. In 2009, the India voter wants to see someone like him/her. Regardlessof MMS, Rahul was the featured face of the INC in this election. Then theallienation and division among Hindus. Given that Hindus are intrinsicallysecular, stealth must have been the operative word. You cannot charge aroundlike a bull. People however worried about their Hindu religion will be seriouslyrepulsed. You should win the heart and mind of people via stealth instead ofrepulsing them.

"Does the BJP stand for all Hindus or some Hindus only? If a man doesnot do his husbandly duties, his wife will not sit and wait around. She is boundto seek the arms of another willing man. And there are no shortage of men whowill not think twice of doing the deed when a vulnerable or willing housewifearrives on the scene. This is the same with the controversy surroundingconversion. Why do people convert to another religion? Can we all agree that thereason they convert is because the new religion offered them hope and otherrelated benefits that the original religion did not offer? You can cry till yourlungs burst about the activities of the evangelists but as long as you have avulnerable population that you hardly care except that they convert to anotherreligion....the ants will keep moving to where the sugar is. It's the law ofnature that you cannot change. Until Hindus themselves take the initiative toempower and help the downtrodden and vulnerable among them....these samevulnerable and downtrodden will be played for their votebanks by the cunningfoxes."

"For a party that desires to change the nation, the party must firstinstil change in the party. Does not matter how INC does business or XYZ partydoes business....its about time the BJP does business differently and stand outas a force of positivity. Have a national referendum to select a party candidatejust like the US primary. This will galvanize the rank and file and alloweveryone a chance to vote their leader and give every party member a voice. Bethe agent of change instead of giving lip service to it.

"On the whole all these news about goondas beating up people, colour TVor sack of rice or money in exchange for vote stinks bigtime. What happened tothe spiritual Indian? Does this prove that Hindu influence is depleting? Nowonder Hindutva lost its appeal? Lastly, you cannot fight corruption by beingless corrupt. You are either incorruptible or corruptible. BJP needs to stand asan incorruptible party that is for good governance."

A caveat: Not all these people who  post in these web sites arenecessarily Hindutva cadres or sympathisers. There are some who feel morecomfortable with the strategic thinking of the BJP on national issues than withthat of the Congress I(I), but they cannot be characterised as pro-Hindutva.

B. Raman is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. ofIndia, New Delhi, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies,Chennai.