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Modi campaigning for a fascist agenda
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By
IOL South Asia correspondent
NEW
DELHI, December 3 (IslamOnline) – India’s Congress Party has slammed
the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP)’s election manifesto
in Gujarat, with the State Congress party president Shankarsinh Vaghela
accusing the party of lying to the people.
Addressing
a press conference in the Gujarati capital Monday, December 2, Vaghela
accused the BJP of befooling the people in the name of nationalism. He
said that while on the one hand BJP talked of encouraging the domestic
industries, on the other the party had published its manifesto on paper
imported from foreign countries, and that too the glossy manifesto was
costly.
“Promises
can be published on less expensive and domestically-produced paper,”
he sarcastically remarked.
Vaghela
said, “I challenge Modi to produce data and solid evidence regarding
the development work which had been undertaken during his tenure.”
“The
BJP manifesto is hollow and lacks concern for Gujaratis who have
suffered extensively in the BJP-sponsored riots,” Vaghela charged.
Regarding
a promise of providing arms training if the BJP returned to power,
Vaghela said, “With this promise of arms training and license, the BJP
wants to regularize militant Hindutva fundamentalism.”
The
Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP)’s election manifesto
released in Ahmedabad, the commercial capital of the western Indian
state of Gujarat envisions a “unified” India where Hindus would
rule.
The
BJP released its election manifesto Sunday, December 1, in which it
projected the BJP’s grandiose Hindutva (“Hinduization”)
agenda, and has clearly drawn the contours of the projected “Akhand
Bharat”, a unified India where Hindu fanatics would reign supreme.
Election
for the state assembly is slated to begin Wednesday, December 12, and
will be completed in phases.
The
party manifesto which was released by the Gujarat caretaker chief
minister Narendra Modi, former chief minister Keshubhai Patel and the
party’s state president Rajendrasinh Rana, has clearly demonstrated
the fact that BJP had no regrets at all about the violence which
followed the Godhra train car burning incident of February 27 this year.
The
violence, unleashed under state patronage, witnessed thousands of
Muslims butchered and burnt alive, and their homes and business
establishments completely destroyed.
The
anti-Muslim stance of the Modi administration can be gauged from the
colorful and glossy 15-page manifesto, which neither speaks of the
Godhra incident (the lies of “setting afire of karsewaks”
[temple volunteers] which were finally exposed by various state agencies
after a probe) nor of the communal riots and the brutalities which
ensued.
At
best, the manifesto concentrates on the implementation of the party’s
well-articulated and much adored Hindutva agenda.
The
party has made the issue of “terrorism” as one its main election
planks. Outlining its plans to raise a “Hind youth commando force”,
the BJP has promised to provide arms training and weapon licenses to all
Hindu youths who are interested in “countering terrorism” and
fighting “Pakistan and its evil designs”.
Spelling
out his plans before a crowded press conference, Modi said the raising
of the force would be done in coordination with the federal defense
ministry. He announced the raising of the “Gujarat regiment” at the
state government’s cost.
Modi
said, “If the party is returned to power arms training for residents
of border areas would be provided. Besides, formation of shakti gram
[village force] in coordination with defense ministry would take place,
and there would be a creation of second line of defense involving gram
raksha dal (village security volunteers), home guards and National
Cadet Corps.”
A
political analyst, however, described this as “Nazi Narendra’s idea
of having a government-sponsored regiment of Hindu fundamentalists,”
and asserted that “this regiment can thereafter be used whenever Modi
thinks of eliminating any of his adversaries whom he deems as being
anti-national.”
The
BJP manifesto offers much more to the Hindus. Besides special training
of Hindu youth, one-way railway second class fare for Amarnath and Kumbh
Mela (Hindu pilgrim centers) pilgrims, protection of cows, new
slaughterhouses not to be permitted, slaughterhouses within a 10
kilometer radius of any pilgrimage site to be closed down, formulation
of Dharma Swantantraya Kaydo (law for religious independence),
establishment of a Sanskrit University, Yoga University and an Ahimsa
(non-violence) University, special only-women bhajan and satsang
(Hindu religious hymn and congregation) groups in every village, and a
check on anything that is “anti-cultural nationalism” have been
promised in the manifesto.
“We
will study the law already in force in Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and
Andhra Pradesh and bring the anti-conversion law to stop forcible
conversion for fear, lust and greed. It is because of these factors that
people are forced to change their religion,” Modi said while
addressing the press conference.
Pronouncing
its elaborate plans for minorities, the manifesto declares, “In order
to ensure that the development of children who study in madrasas (which
is increasing by leaps and bounds) is consistent with Gujarat’s
development in the 21st century, a detailed study will be
taken to conduct effective steps in modernizing these madrasas. Their
syllabus would also be scrutinized.”
Among
other things, the manifesto has promised to increase self-employment
opportunities to minorities by strengthening the Minority Finance and
Development Corporation, movement to increase education among
minorities, opportunities for peace and safety of minorities,
opportunities for development and progress for religious and linguistic
minorities, and special technical education opportunities for
minorities.
When
IslamOnline sought to know the reaction about the promises made to
minorities, a Muslim intellectual quipped, “This is nothing but a
sham. Can the Muslims in the state ever forget what they (anti-Muslim
pogrom) had been given in the name of peace and safety? Can the Muslim
students ever forget how they had to appear for the high school
examinations (in fact, most of the Muslim students in Gujarat boycotted
the examinations for want of security arrangements) in the name of
getting education?
“How
come this government can think about the welfare of minorities when they
are totally insecure and under constant threat of being driven out of
their native places?” he angrily asked.
Strikingly
enough, the manifestoes of the Gujarat BJP government are in quite
contrast with earlier manifestos insofar as minorities are concerned.
BJP’s election manifesto of 1998 said “The BJP will take minorities
to a Gujarat that will be free from riots, free from discrimination,
where justice will be done and they will be free to pursue their
religious activities.”
But,
now that the anti-Muslim pogrom had taken place in the state in the
aftermath of the Godhra tragedy, the election manifesto of 2002 says,
“The BJP will provide opportunities for peace as well as development
and progress to religious and linguistic minorities.”
