Left or Right
English media call BJP, as right wing nationalist party. So what is it? To answer this. One has to understand what it means to be left and right in political ideologies.
The terms left wing and right wing originated from the practice of the seating arrangements in the French National Assembly, which directly preceded the French Revolution which the ruling monarch, Louis XVI, born Louis-Auguste, was killed . France, incidently, was the first country to transition from a monarchy to republic. The basic beliefs of each side are still equivalent to those of the parties seated there.
Human civilisation has a problem that it creates stereo type symbols but with passage of time, gets confused in search of those very symbols. It happened with caste system as discussed above and with political ideologies as well. It is the same confusion with Left Wing and Right Wing.
Left wing generally refers to more "liberal" or "progressive" views (as in wanting to change things in ways that have not been tried before), based on the belief that people are basically good and the government has a responsibility to care for all of its citizens to some degree. Taken to its logical conclusion, left wing politics becomes some form of socialism. Socialism is the standard leftist ideology in most countries of the world whereas communism is a more radical leftist ideology.
Right wing initially referred to more "conservative" or "regressive" views. The right wingers were those desiring status quo or who wanted the things to stay the same or return to old ways as they used to be. It was also characterized by a belief in the natural selfish nature of humans and the view that achievement is equivalent to worth. The government should stay out of people's affairs and not force the more productive citizens to subsidize the less productive citizens. They are also called Capitalists.
Taken to its logical conclusion, Capitalists becomes either anarcho-capitalism (libertarian wing) or some form of Fascism (authoritarian wing), although many Neo-Fascists would describe themselves of taking a Third Position, between capitalism and socialism.
In politics, the left is also associated with egalitarianism and popular or state control of the major institutions of political and economic life. On the contrary in liberal democracies, the political right opposes socialism and social democracy. Right-wing parties include conservatives, Christian democrats, classical liberals, nationalists and on the far-right; racists and fascists.
What is BJP?
We know that though, BJP is in favour of privatisation, under Modi it has not taken any big bang steps for disinvestment. On his maiden visit to USA in 2014, the following were the key points for the businessmen of USA:
"1) PM Modi said it'snot the government's business to run a business. "Our job is that of a facilitator to create new opportunities," he added.
2) The new government will cut down laws and move towards a simpler system, PM Modi promised. "In the government system, the fewer the laws the less suffocated you feel. That's why I feel we should come out of the web of laws," he said.
3) Extending a red carpet to investors, PM Modi said, "I am business-minded and so I know that no businessman is a donor, he'snot here for charity. A businessman has to make profits on his investment; he must get a return for his investment. I am in favour of that."
4) PM Modi said investing in India will be a win-win proposition for both the government and corporates. "You will earn and my people will get employment, and my country's economy will grow," he said.
5) PM Modi pledged to make India's tax system simpler. He also promised better infrastructure and labour reforms.
6) India is moving ahead with great speed, PM Modi said, citing the record investment cleared by his government in nearly four months since it came to power. He, however, acknowledged that given the very short time, it has not been possible to change a lot of things.
7) USIBC Chairman Ajay Banga, who is also the CEO of MasterCard, expressed confidence that India-US trade can grow five times from the current $100 billion. M&M Chairman Anand Mahindra tweeted, "Leading U.S investor next to me said he felt this was his most powerful engagement...surpassing even the intimate breakfast with CEO's." US Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue welcomed PM Modi's commitment to replace "the red tape with the red carpet" and the government's commitment to labour and tax reforms.
8) The US-India Business Council is the business advocacy organisation representing over 300 companies, with an aim to strengthen commercial ties between the two countries.
9) On Monday, Mr Modi had spent 90 minutes with 11 top CEOs including Eric Schmidt of Google and Indira Nooyi of PepsiCo. He then met one-on-one with half a dozen CEOs. In these meetings, PM Modi stressed that the country is "open-minded" and "wants change that is not one-sided.
10) PM Modi has been wooing private business in the US to invest in his ambitious "Make in India" campaign launched last week. The "Make in India" programme aims to turn India into a global manufacturing hub over the next few years, assuring employment to the millions of Indians who join the workforce every year."cccxvSee https://www.ndtv.com/business/government-has-no-business-being-in-business-pm-modi-tells-us-investors-673411
Now change is not right wing and wooing private investors assuring them simpler laws is not left wing. The point is that like caste, these wings are obsolete and must be thrown in waste bin. But one point more.
After being elected to office in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was claimed to be the leader of "Right Wing Hindu Nationalist Party" has done what no socialist Government could do in 4 years in anywhere else in the world. From Zero balance bank accounts (which had 8 Crore (800 million) Rupee some time back) to full Social Security at a pittance for the poor, 100% electrification (up from 73%), Free Gas Stoves for poor (6 crore), Free healthcare to 50 Crore people, Sanitation (up from 38% to 98%) promise of housing for all by 2022 is some of things done. About 1.5 crore subsidised houses have already been constructed.
Is this right wing politics or left wing?
Hindutva
One of the biggest challenge of successive BJP Governments is negative perception of west (read USA) which is reflected as under:
"…..The limits of the BJP's Hindu nationalist strategy were further revealed by its losses in the November 1993 state elections. The party lost control over the state-level governments of Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh while winning power in Gujarat and the National Capital Territory of Delhi. In the aftermath of the Hindu activists' dismantling of the Babri Masjid in December 1992, the evocative symbolism of the Ramjanmabhumi controversy had apparently lost its capacity to mobilize popular support. Nevertheless, the BJP, by giving more emphasis to anticorruption and social issues, achieved unprecedented success in South India, where it won 28 percent of the vote and came in second in elections in Karnataka in November 1994. In the spring of 1995, the BJP won state elections in Gujarat and became the junior partner of a coalition with Shiv Sena (Army of Shivaji--Shivaji Bhonsle was a seventeenth-century Maratha guerrilla leader who kept Mughal armies at bay) in Maharashtra. In view of the potential demise of the Congress (I), the BJP stands poised to emerge as India's largest party in the 1990s. However, it is likely to have to play down the more divisive aspects of Hindu nationalism and find other issues to expand its support if it is to win a majority in the Lok Sabha….."cccxviSee http://countrystudies.us/india/113.htm
Vajpayee Government did change the above view during it's governance between 1998-2004 but he lost in elections as he could not show that his party was a Party with difference.
Modi too had compulsions to tread narrow line. His election campaign of 2014 as also in all assembly elections has been based on 'Development'. But the BJP is praying the price of supporting the Ram Mandir construction movement which Lal Krishna Advani had started and which resulted in demolition of an dilapidated unused Mosque in Ayodhya in 1992 and surreptitious killing of 300 people on orders of Mulayam Singh Yadav.cccxviiAs reported by Republic Bharat TV on February 2, 2019.
When Barak Obama (President of USA) visited New Delhi he openly voiced his concernscccxviiiSee https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/barack-obama-narendra-modi-india-religious-differences-secular-nation-1098203-2017-12-01 in these words:
"…. A country shouldn't be divided on sectarian lines and that is something I have told Prime Minister Modi in person as well as to people in America... People see the differences between each other much too vividly and miss the commonalities. Commonalities are always based on gender and we need to focus on that.."
So what is this Hinduphobia? It arise from the history of the world. The Church, in 15th century became too powerful in Europe. It had it'sown army. Pope used to appoint Kings and dismiss them. In this background, those who opposed this arrangement became Liberal Left and those supporting the religion became right wing. The position remained same where there is Islamic rule. Theocratic Islamic state are right wing religious societies. In these circumstances, any political party claiming to be espousing a particular religion is a right wing party.
Now here is dichotomy. According to BJP/RSS, the Hindu society was never aggressive as it never attacked or invaded any country. It is thousands of years old civilisation. The world's first Mosque was built in Kerala in 629AD, with the land provided by a Hindu King. It is called "Cheraman Juma Masjid".cccxixSee https://twitter.com/PMOIndia/status/716622077353046016 The word's oldest Church, established by St. Thomas, is in IndiacccxxThe Saint Thomas Christians, also called Syrian Christians of India, Nasrani or Malankara Nasrani or Nasrani Mappila, are an ethno-religious community of Malayali Syriac Christians from Kerala, India, who trace their origins to the evangelistic activity of Thomas the Apostle in the 1st century. In fact before that Church, the Roman Catholics were earliest protestants. Concept of secularism adopted by west is based on religious tolerance. But Indian (also Gandhian) ideology is of "Sarv Dharm Sambhav" which accepts all religions which is many notches above tolerance. Therefore according to them, they are not right wing in the sense west understands it.
Ram Mandir
The demolition at Ayodhya in 1992, seriously affected the above civilisational logic which is propounded by RSS/BJP. It is this reason that BJP is very careful not to incite any emotions this time and it will not do so around elections.
The Shia and all other sects of Muslims (except Sunni) are now in favour of building Ram Temple at Ayodhya. The Chief of Shia Muslim Board has even made gifts for its construction. It is a big achievement. The problem is from Sunni Muslim clergy which are acting on the incitement of Communists and Congress both of which have a policy to keep social fault lines warm as it is easy to seek votes on fear and emotions rather than on issues. The idea of BJP is to actually increase it's strength in the house. When they say mission 400, it is not hollow slogan. They want to finish these 'Non-Performing Assets' in politics, even though they have so many non performing unelectable 'leaders' within their own party.
Having said that, it is a very difficult task. But so was 1998, 1999 and 2014 and the party was never in better strength, either in terms of it's membership base of 12 crores or financially with its funds close to 1000 Crores last year. Funds must have swelled further as the online and app campaign for fund raising, is on.
Democracy is a game. Just like sports. Especially the British parliamentary form of democracy. One could get all the popular votes, yet one may not get to form a Government. On December 11, 2018 elections resultscccxxihttp://eciresults.nic.in/ for the Sates of M.P. and Rajasthan, inter alia, were declared and the ruling BJP lost at both the places. British Democracy as evolved in India, has developed it'sown peculiarities in the process. In the process, it has startling similarities with sports of cricket.
Democracy especially the British Parliamentary System is not very different from the game of cricket. Opposition keeps bowling criticism, allegations and dirty tricks and Government has to perform or get out by anti incumbency.
Mahagathbandhan
Mahagathbandhan means Grand Alliance. All parties, which are predominantly, regional parties claim to be forming an alliance called "Mahagathbandhan". These parties were in alliance with BJP on many occasion in the past. These parties are TDP (Naidu) in 1999 and 2014, JDS (Kumaraswamy) in 2006, BSP (Mayawati) in 1995 and 2002, TMC (Mamata) in 1999 and 2004, DMK (Stalin's dad Karunanidhi) in 1999 and 2001, JDU (Lalu Yadav with VP Singh) in 1989, NC (Farooq & Omar Abdullah) in 1999, Sharad Yadav (without party now) in 2005, 2009 and 2010.
These parties may form an alliance but why this public display? They can not help each other in any election yet they appear at common platform in Kolkatta or Delhi to abuse Modi. This proves that popularity of Narendra Modi as a pan India leader has rattled them.
As this work reaches final stages, the desperation of opposition is more visible. On February 11, leaders of AAP, Kejriwal hosted a protest at Jantar Mantar at Delhi with CMs of Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh and Ex CM of J&K, Farookh Abdulla. All hurled choicest names on Modi. All Rhetoric but no plan. The choice of venue which could just house a few hundred people, itself shows the confidence of these leaders. There was a time when every public meeting of AAP was at Ram Lila grounds which would be filled with thousands of people. I wonder that if these hundred people were also hired?
Chandra Babu Naidu's TDP repeated a Mani Shanker's 2014 jibe of Chai Wala. It stuck posters that the 'people have handed over the country to a waiter who should have been handed over the used teacup'. It was an apparent insult not only to Modi but also to working class people and all the people of India who elected him. An elitist supremacist comment. It may come back to haunt Naidu in his state where state elections are also due soon. But Naidu took immediate steps to remove offencive posters and may hope that it get lost in public memory too.
Another leader of a regional party questioned about Modi's personal life. Incidently his own leader has a concubine and a bastard offspring from that relationship with pictures circulated all over the internet.
Does this desperation by opposition parties means that there is a Modi tsunami ahead and they are pooling resources to face it?
In Uttar Pradesh, arch rivals, Samajwadi Yadav and BSP decided to come together to fight elections in 2019 on 39 seats each. Later they diluted to accommodate INLD on three seats.
Meanwhile it is rumoured that Mulayam Singh allegedly proclaimed that on 39 seats his son will contest and on other 39, his brother Shiv Pal will contest. If this happens, it will doom the alliance.
Further the ground reality of this alliance has dubious chemistry. It is an act of desperation. In the theory of caste conflict, Uttar Pradesh has unique distinction. So called upper caste of Brahmins are in service or business. Resources like ownership of land is in the control of so called backward 'Yadav' who are affluent, even more now. On the ground, in villages, the conflict is between Yadav community and SC communities. How this chemistry will work at village level?
Caste composition of Yadavs, the core voters of SP, stands at 8.50%, while Jatavs, core voter of BSP constitute 11.50%. The other casts like Kurmis is 3% and Tribals are 0.80%.
Upper caste Brahmins are 10% and Kshtriya/Thakur are 8.50%, Christians are 0.18% and the key is held by Others with 24% votes. As per 2011 census, Dalits constitute 20.5% of Uttar Pradesh population. Other Backward Classes (OBCs) constitute 50% of U.P population.
Major chunk of vote bank (14% Muslim) has now been divided. Many Muslim sects, mentioned above and were oppressed by others, have joined BJP/RSS. The parties which are thinking that by Caste politics they can garner 30% votes need tore-think. It did not work in Gujarat though they may have won a few seats more. It did not work in almost Christian majority State Manipur in North East. Any rise in voting percentage crossing 80% would make winning 30% meaning less which is the best the Grand Alliance can get by combing DYM (Dalit Muslim Yadav). The Congress left out of alliance will also adversely affect as it would be a triangular contest with Congress as vote cutter (which will help BJP).
For healthy democracy opposition parties need to criticise the schemes if need be or its implementation. The aforesaid feudal formula must be discarded. Lets hope they discard it when it ceases to be useful. But presently nobody is bothered. No opposition party is ready to mobilise volunteers to create a cadre. To listen the people otto use their feed back. Democracy needs opposition. It needs a shadow Government. This shouting and yelling accusations without basis is not good for democracy. The implementation of all the schemes is far from perfect and there is a lot of scope of criticism but nobody cares.
Mean while the development works of Modi has created new vote banks (of poor people). Would these people return favour to him in 2019 by voting for him? Indians could be any thing but ungratefulness is not one of them.
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