The Nupur Sharma episode reveals an uncharacteristic and rare weakness of Modi — notwithstanding the feverishly artful and disingenuous persuasions of Modi supporters,
On the other hand, it is tough to deny that the swirling events in the aftermath of Nupur Sharma underline one thing that is virtually non-negotiable in Indian politics: Vote-bank politics.
While what NS said is breaking news, few are showing the nerve and the willingness to ask why she said what she said. And this brings to light, the extraordinary squeamishness of the majority community to unite even when their religious symbols are mocked, defamed, demeaned, denied, ridiculed, shamed — in the name of freedom of expression! And when all this happens, a majority of those who rush to support this obnoxious behaviour from the other side, are from the majority community — in the name of our very own culture & ethos!
But when the same scenario plays out with the majority community replaced with the minority community, all hell breaks loose. Even when the original source of what is said — which has sparked off a potential riot like situation in quite a few parts of the country — is apparently attributed to the scriptures.
Bad is bad. Even if it is cast in stone in the scriptures. Does bad become good because you are hurt by someone calling it out?
The case for reform ought to be to call out the bad in the scriptures for what it is, accept it, and move on. That’s the only way out to live and let live a civilized society. Scriptures should become a commandment to live and let live, and not a command to kill and get killed.
But evidently, this law does not apply to all communities, to put it in the nicest way possible!
Note that when our text books inform us that child marriage was rampant in earlier Hindu society, there were no calls for burning the text books and whatnot. And that is how it should be. That the society reformed to ban this perverse practice is to its credit.
Funnily enough, the idea of accepting Bad as bad, irrespective of whether it hurts you or not, applies only to the Hindu majority. That’s not bad at all, but apparently we broad-minded folks are not satisfied with just that. So we decided to accept that, ok, bad is NOT SO BAD, even if it hurts. Example: Glorifying the invading Mughals in our history books and downsizing our own kings, culture and ethos.
All this soon became a template. Like the more it hurt the Hindu, the more, bad is not bad at all (Eg: MF Hussain’s painting of naked Hindu gods). Then we became even more broad-minded to accept, that, hey, bad is good too (Eg: Aamir Khan’s PK, one of the biggest blockbuster of our times, openly mocking and poking fun at our gods).
But if you ever dare to hurt the minority community — even if you are quoting their scriptures, the Damocles’ Sword is on your head.
The tragedy is, the Modi government has in a way endorsed that the minority community has reason to feel hurt, not just in India, but across the globe, through its swift response. Of course, various theories are being speculated for this climb-down over Nupur Sharma, from economic interests, geo politics, to gaining strategic depth and the need to be politically correct for the ruing BJP, which is always seen as an opposite pole to the secular forces in the country. And it may also be true.
But this can be acceptable, only if the Government is equally swift in acting against those hurting the majority community. And here, we are talking of not any imaginary, but real hurt.
American writer, Ayn Rand, famously said that “any compromise between the right and the wrong benefits only the wrong”.
Sure, you cannot always do the right thing in politics for it is far more complex, but Rands’s statement serves the purpose of being a talisman, a guide, to see that in your effort to please all, you don’t end up losing your own calling.
The larger issue we need to sort out once and for all is: Why is Hindu hurt, “negotiable”, but XYZ hurt of other religions non-negotiable?
When something concerns the majority community, we have to plead for righting a wrong, beg before the law on an issue of our collective faith, put together the minutest evidence and the most meticulous arguments, over an issue that is actually staring all of us in the face, literally like the elephant in the room! Example: the Gyanvapi. And before that, Ayodhya. And Mathura too. Anyone who has visited the temples in Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura know there is hardly any need for great Perry Mason style legal investigations.
All this fake paraphernalia and hullabulla, is packaged as intellectual highbrow analysis and cleverly captioned as the changing idea of India for a captive audience.
And then this serves as a dog whistle for the usual secular satraps in the media like Swaminathan Aiyar who are ever eager to peddle anything concerning Hindu hurt as a juvenile buffoonery.
But when something concerns the minority community, bingo. Off with the head, fatwas, death threats and worse. Almost as a matter of routine.
Note how the very same secular satraps who fly off the handle at the first whistle, mute their voice when it involves the minority community. Or at best come up with wrong, but.
Another possible twist to the evolving political narrative is that the escalation of Nupur Sharma to the global level, could well be another attempt (conspiracy?) to defeat Modi in 2024. This is eerily similar to the farmers protest, which too, went global and post-elections, ended up as a damp squib.
Let us hope that the Nupur Sharma episode will be more short-lived and NS and co can go ahead to lead a normal life.
But here’s the thing. Even if Modi wins — and he will — despite all this mobilising — Hindu hurt will continue to be received with indifference, and will continue to be “negotiated” on the table, as an electoral strategy, while any perceived hurt to the minority community, on an issue that may even resonate with their own scriptures, will be as always, non-negotiable.
It’s a law above all laws. And Modi, for whatever reason — the need to be politically correct, tactical shrewdness, or protection of economic interests — is conceding this space to them.
But don’t down the curtain yet. Maybe deliverance for the Hindu hurt is datelined for after 2024….