Subj: India: BJP – Reviving Hindutva

India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has recently revived Hindutva (Hindu nationalism) for political gain. The BJP has made several moves aimed at drag-netting Hindu votes without regard for the consequences for non-Hindu minorities. In the weeks leading up to the four 26 February 2003 state elections, several proposals and promises were made. The BJP will: 1) realign with the RSS 2) build the Ram temple at Ayodhya 3) legislate a national ban on cow slaughter 4) legislate a national ban on conversions

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REVIVING HINDUTVA

On Wednesday 26 February 2003, state elections were held in four Indian states – Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura. The results will become available in the next few days and will be a further litmus test for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) strategy of reviving Hindutva for political gain.

The BJP clinched a spectacular state election win with Hindu hardliner Narendra Modi in Gujarat in mid December 2002 after campaigning on a platform of unapologetic hardline Hindutva. Modi played the “religion card” hard, whipped up fear and promised to “protect Hindus” and serve their interests.

Modi described his victory in Gujarat as “a slap in the face for pseudo-secularists”, while the respected Indian daily The Hindu, described his victory as a “harvest of hatred.”

After the BJP’s Gujarat victory, the South China Morning Post quoted political analyst Narasimha Rao as predicting, “Mr Vajpayee will now be forced to emulate the likes of Narendra Modi to retain his following in the BJP. The BJP will now shed moderation and pursue a strong Hindu nationalist agenda.” (SCMP “Ruling Hindu party wins Gujarat poll” by Maseeh Rahman in New Delhi, 16 Dec 2002)

Rao’s prediction has proved correct. Since the Gujarat poll the BJP has moved to embrace an aggressive Hindutva. In recent years the BJP has been forced to reign in its Hindutva agenda for fear of loosing coalition partners. However, the BJP lost crucial and strategic state elections in 2001 on a moderate platform and much of the vote against the BJP was a protest vote by Hindu hardliners.

PROPOSAL – REALIGN WITH RSS

The BJP has struck a controversial deal with its parent organisation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), whereby the RSS agrees to support the BJP in exchange for the BJP’s acceptance of RSS cadres into the party ranks for the first time in a decade. (more details – Link 1)

PROPOSAL – BUILD THE RAM TEMPLE AT AYODHYA

Regarding the Ram temple at Ayodhya, the Hindustan Times reported (25 Feb) – “Asserting that the party was ‘committed’ to construction of a temple at the ‘actual’ place of Lord Rama’s birth place in Ayodhya, BJP wants Muslims to ‘gift’ the disputed piece of land in the interest of national integration and brotherhood.”

The Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, has signalled that the BJP was “ready to bring in legislation” to enable the handing over of the entire 67 acres of land acquired in Ayodhya, including the disputed plot, to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad-controlled trust. (The Hindu 26 Feb)

(note – the site for the proposed Ram temple is the disputed site where the 16th Century Babri Mosque stood, until it was destroyed by RSS militants in 1992. The destruction of the Mosque was the combination of a 1991 political campaign by the BJP and the militant action of the RSS. It established the strategy of the BJP rise to power on Hindutva policies.)

PROPOSAL – NATIONAL BAN ON COW SLAUGHTER

According to the SCMP, “It was a Hindu priest’s threat to go on a hunger strike in 2001 unless cow slaughter was banned nationwide that forced the BJP to set up a National Commission on Cattle. The acting chairman, Guman Lal Lodha, is a BJP politician. The commission has submitted its final report recommending a total ban. Such a move is part of the BJP’s Hindu nationalist agenda, with a ban likely to win Hindu votes.” (SCMP “Ruling Hindu party campaigns for nationwide ban on killing of cows” by Amrit Dhillon in New Delhi, 22 Feb 2003)

Hindutva groups support the proposed ban saying it demonstrates respect for Hindu sensitivities. (“Cow slaughter ban necessary to protect Hindu sentiments” Press Trust of India, Hyderabad, 23 Feb 2003)

Muslims and Christians eat beef, and so do many low-caste Hindus who can’t afford other alternatives. The Congress party has maintained a silence on the bill knowing any criticism of the bill will open the door for the BJP to label them anti-Hindu or pro-Muslim.

PROPOSAL – NATIONAL BAN ON CONVERSIONS

Gujarat has now followed Tamil Nadu and proposed that all religious conversions be banned. Gujarat’s anti-conversion law is known as Dharam Swatantrata Vidheya, or the Freedom of Religion Bill. It is before the state assembly now. Any move to legislate for a national ban on conversions will be supported by the RSS and the VHP (Hindu nationalist religious / cultural body)

CABINET ADDITIONS AND PROMOTIONS – to secure “re-conversions”, ban conversions, and “fight the churches”.

The BJP has imported some significant active and vocal anti-Christian, “anti-missionary” Hindutva activists into its cabinet through the 28 January cabinet reshuffle.

Most significant is the elevation of Hindu-hardliner Dilip Singh Judev, who is “wedded to the cause of bringing people back into the Hindu fold.”

The Hindustan Times 29 Jan 2003 reports: (excerpts) “He (Judev) is famed for leading the Ghar Vaapasi (return home) movement against religious conversions in the tribal areas of the country, aimed at re-converting original Hindus who adopted other religions.

“Known to set targets for his mission to bring back people into Hinduism, Judev has vowed to ‘re-convert’ some 300,000 Christians this year. And with the BJP announcing anti-conversion as a major plank for elections in states, his movement has assumed great importance for the party.

“Judev stunned many when he sponsored the legal defence of Dara Singh, the prime accused in the gruesome killings in 1999 of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two young sons in Orissa.

“Rising to Singh’s defence, Judev announced that he believed he was innocent, and instead accused Christian missionaries of converting people using all kinds of illegal and unethical means.

“Unlike many others in his party, the 53-year-old MP has flaunted his loyalty to the BJP’s mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).

“Religious re-conversions are the main agenda of Judev’s ‘Vanvasi Kalyan Samiti (tribal welfare committee)’ and the campaigns set yearly targets for converting Christians back into Hinduism. His latest campaign was held last month for 250 Christian families in the Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh,

“‘Everybody knows what has been happening in Chhattisgarh in the past two years,’ Judev told villagers at a meeting. ‘Unless the Hindus unite and fight the churches’ game plan to convert the underprivileged Dalits, the onslaught will continue. A Hindu can build a temple but a temple can’t make a Hindu. Had de-conversions been organised by our forefathers, there would have been no Pakistan, Bangladesh or Kashmir today,’ he reasoned.” (full article – Link 2)

Although Judev takes on the ministry for Environments and Forests, he has vowed to continue his campaign of reconverting Christians to Hinduism.

Arun Jaitley, Narendra Modi’s strategist for the Gujarat election has also been promoted to the BJP’s cabinet.

Arun Shourie will take the high profile IT and Communications Ministry. According to Zenit news service, “Arun Shourie, is one of the most outspoken critics of Christianity in general and the activities of the Catholic Church in particular”. In his 1994 book, “Missionaries in India: Continuities, Changes, Dilemmas,” Zenit reports that he “accused missionaries of stirring up agitators and fomenting secession.” Zenit also reports that Shourie’s 2000 book “Harvesting Our Souls,” is aggressively anti-missionary.

– Elizabeth Kendal

Links

1) “BJP seeks peace with Hindu right” 14 Feb 2003 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/2760713.stm

2) “BJP’s ‘re-conversion’ man wins place in Vajpayee ministry” Indo-Asian News Service, New Delhi, 29 Jan 2003 http://www.hindustantimes.com/2003/Jan/29/181_150519,0008.htm

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