By Dr. Gyan Pathak
The ‘Sanatan Dharm’ controversy is the latest example of a leader of opposition unwittingly walking into RSS-BJP’s political turf made for PM Narendra Modi to play on with advantage over the opposition INDIA alliance, which they are projecting as anti-Hindu. PM Modi and his associates have been trying to drive the entire opposition leaders into their own turf, since they believe they are invincible on their own turf. INDIA alliance has already noted this and has decided to steer clear of the trap, while trying to make its own political turf for the Lok Sabha Election 2024, the result of which would much depend on whose turf the electoral battle would be fought – PM Modi’s or INDIA alliance’s.
PM Modi and the RSS-BJP clan have been trying their best to play their majoritarian Hindutva card, the communal slant of their campaign that has nothing to do either with Hinduism or Sanatan Dharm, but with attaining the power to ruthlessly rule the entire population including the Hindus that too in the name of Hindutva. If not, how come that the friends of the ruling establishments are minting money in the name of Hindus, but forget Hinduism when it comes to – Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah (Let there be happiness for all). They are hell bent on creating socio-politico-religious tensions across the country, which they call Hindutva. It is being in full play in Manipur since May 2023, which is too obvious to need any proof.
The latest decision of the INDIA alliance Coordination Committee in its first meeting on September 13 has clearly indicated this fact, and decided to avoid the hounds of RSS-BJP clan, and the ‘Godi Media’ (the section of media that is nurtured by the ruling establishment) and the journalists working with them who act as agents of the present government led by PM Narendra Modi. INDIA alliance has decided to identify such journalists and media organisations and then boycott them en block. It is a significant development, first of its kind in India, when the entire opposition block has taken this hard decision – wisdom of which is still questionable.
Decision to stop sending INDIA alliance leaders and spokespersons to participate in TV debates of the “hounds” of the RSS-BJP has both the pros and cons. Boycotting the hostile journalists and media organization may save the leaders of opposition from many inconveniences in answering the difficult questions, but then the entire opposition would also lose the opportunity to drive home their point to the electorate why they are opposing the present ruling establishment led by PM Narendra Modi, who will be seeking third term in Lok Sabha Election 2024. Rather the opposition leaders need not to lose their temper on inconvenient issues brought forward by the RSS-BJP clan and the agents of power. They simply need not to allow themselves driven by them into their turf, but go on emphasizing their own point.
One must tell what is right and what is wrong, with great patience, to everyone, everywhere, and to all sorts of audience, the hostile and the favourable. Enabling the people to understand the issues with more information would be key to defend the Secular-Socialist-Democratic Republic of India that dreams justice for all. Why should the INDIA alliance not clarify that “Hindutva” is a communal concept, while “Hinduism” is religious? And “communalism” and “religiosity” are distinct things, and the RSS-BJP stand for communalism? RSS-BJP clan is trying to label INDIA alliance as conglomeration of anti-Hindu forces which INDIA alliance need to fight back, but without falling into the communal trap led by them.
However, it is easier said than done. It would be challenging for opposition leaders to restrain themselves to their own issues whatever they are trying to focus on, while telling on their face that the issues they are raising smacks pursuance of RSS-BJP or PM Modi’s agenda of communalizing the country for political purposes.
Opposition leaders also need to counter the vilification campaign against them run by the agents of power outside the government and the Central government investigating agencies that have been allegedly unleashed by the ruling establishment. They not only need to defend themselves, individually and as a party or alliance, but also need to expose the corruption within the Central government led by PM Modi, and the state governments led by the BJP. There are numerous records of documentary evidences against them in the including of CAG and other investigating national and international institutions, both government and private, on which actions have been deferred or not taken at all.
Media may not give proper coverage to the INDIA alliance or the issues they want to focus, a prospect that haunts the opposition leaders. It is here, the INDIA alliance needs a reliable strategy to reach the electorate across the country. Though the path will be challenging, the ground level situation is not at all against them. Despite all the blitzkrieg of PM Modi’s campaign in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka, BJP had to face humiliating defeat, while in the recently held byelection on 7 seats INDIA alliance won by 4:3. BJP’s loss in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand shows that people believed on the INDIA alliance’s words compared to the RSS-BJP’s.
Political narrative of INDIA alliance so far is being taken seriously by the electorate in the country is perceivable, not only in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, but we also see it in poll bound Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. Infighting has made the state BJP units divided houses, which necessitated PM Modi to campaign everywhere as if he only is contesting the elections and not the other BJP leaders. Such a situation is advantage INDIA alliance.
INDIA alliance is firmly footed in the Southern Indiana states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka. They would be contesting with YSRCP in Andhra Pradesh and BRS in Telangana, where BJP has little presence. There would be triangular fight in Odisha among BJD, BJP, and INDIA alliance, and there is little scope for BJP to enhance their political prospects of winning more seats, despite their focus on Hindutva. INDIA alliance in Bihar has become unbeatable in the hands of BJP. There are indications of closer contests in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra between the INDIA alliance and NDA, where electorates are ready to listen to leaders of both.
INDIA alliance seems to be in need of sticking to their own political turf rather than falling prey to PM Modi’s or RSS-BJP’s provocations aiming at driving the opposition leaders to the clan’s own turf. Special Session of the Parliament of India might be used by PM Modi for this purpose. INDIA alliance is evolving an appropriate strategy as a counter move.
Campaign strategy of INDIA alliance is still in making, and the first joint campaign will be kicked off from Bhopal in poll bound Madhya Pradesh in the first week of October next month. Going by the recent utterings of the opposition leaders, corruption under PM Modi, favouring certain Corporate friends against the common people, unprecedented level of unemployment, cost of living crisis, misuse of power to against opposition leaders and all who happen to be critic of the government, destruction of democracy and federalism to make Prime Minister all powerful for authoritarian rule etc are likely to be the focal points of INDIA alliance campaign. (IPA Service)
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