By Syed Ali Masud
The Modi government is now a thing of the past; the NDA is present. Prime Minister Modi has spoken about running the government alongside allies and opposition parties. After ten years, his call for ‘collective governance’ sounds different to many ears. Modi is a skilled and strategic politician who can adapt to the demands of time. He cannot simply shift all responsibility onto himself. The opposition must take on a responsible role in governance. If they harbor the arrogance of Hindu supremacy, they must abandon it. We must stop treating animosity as nationalism; otherwise, while the ruling party may change, the country will not.
In recent decades, Modi successfully conveyed the message to countless ‘devotees’ and hate-mongers: Modi is the ultimate truth; there is none above him. He constructed a new identity based on Hindutva. However, this fragile structure has shattered in this Lok Sabha election. Yet, those who think that this will lead to the end of Hindutva are mistaken; it is not Modi who created this Hindutva. Modi’s scriptwriters crafted the narrative that he delivered with exceptional skill, and at times, Modi’s own acting talent has overshadowed the leader himself. This theatrical ability has earned him applause from his followers. While the script may see changes, Hindutva will remain firmly in place. The blatant ‘Hindu supremacy’ may only go underground. The intolerance and rudeness that emerged among the newly educated generation under Modi’s direct patronage may see a temporary decline. However, the RSS’s vision for India will not change, as even within the so-called secular multi-party system, seeds of the Sangh remain. Many believe that nationalism equates to ‘Hindu supremacy’ and boastfully chant ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai.’
One might ask, what has this election given us? The answer is simple: this election did not yield space for the ‘electoral dictator.’ It has provided a temporary respite from the ‘fear psychosis’ experienced by Muslims. Many Muslims in the country suddenly feel as if the oxygen level in the air has significantly increased. This election posed a challenge to the conscious and hate-driven majority. The question posed by Muslims, regarded as neighbors and kin by Hindus, was: “Do you truly enjoy inflicting such violence and persecution upon us?” In response, countless members of the majority provided their answers at the ballot box, demonstrating that they could not stand alongside such extreme hatred. A significant portion of these individuals resides in rural India. Urban white-collar workers again voted disguised as devotees. The common people dismantled the construction of Modi’s dominance. They stood against the boast of victory by Modi, based solely on the names of Ram and hatred. While the opium of hate-laden Hindutva was dangled before them, they did not consume it—something Modi’s faction failed to notice.
Throughout history, so-called uneducated and semi-educated individuals have saved the country from peril. Praise reports from the media or from NRIs could not sway the hardworking, impoverished masses. The rhetoric of “We will eradicate corruption” has not influenced these laborers completely. However, Modi’s regime has successfully stirred the majority of young people across the country. This can be described as a remix of Hindutva. Those old Sangh members are feeling exhausted trying to keep pace with this new Hindutva of a developed India. Some are even mildly irritated. Nevertheless, emotions continue to haunt them. Hearing the news that India has become a Hindu nation has instilled a desire to abandon this world in them. Until 2014, they believed that if the BJP came to power with a massive majority, the younger generation would find jobs, prices would drop, and cooking gas and petrol would become affordable. But none of this has materialized. Prices have skyrocketed, making it difficult for everyone to manage their households. Yet, old Hindutva adherents find it hard to voice these concerns. They have not demanded these things from the government until now. They assumed that a government propagating the dream of Hindutva would surely establish ‘Ram Rajya.’ Thus, in any hardship, they would chant “Jai Shri Ram” as a remedy. The BJP-led NDA has ruled with a significant majority twice, yet they have not even made an effort to fulfill the simplest of requests, like “may my children have enough to eat.” Many senior RSS members, crushed under the weight of domestic responsibilities, seek honest sustenance. They may be pleased with the construction of the Ram Temple, but they resent how Modi has taken all the credit without acknowledging their contributions.
The BJP’s acquisitions of corrupt leaders from other parties have also disheartened them. However, if they had spoken out earlier, Modi’s BJP would not have remained ‘derailed.’ So why did the RSS remain silent? In response, some older members of the RSS have stated that their concerns were communicated to Modi’s party. However, during Modi’s era, the BJP has become the owner of vast wealth. With the help of Gujarati industrialists who gained prominence during his rule, a different political ecosystem has emerged that never existed before. The BJP, which once demanded financial transparency, has created discomfort among senior RSS members with the issue of electoral bonds. Yet, the new recruits show no concern for such issues. Energized by the steroids of hatred, they find exhilaration in aggression. News of attacks in neighboring countries raises their adrenaline levels. They justify corruption and perceive hatred as nationalism. For them, oppression of Muslims equates to patriotism. They seek narrow interpretations within religious texts instead of embracing their underlying messages of compassion. Their most reliable sources of information are WhatsApp universities and the saffron IT cell. The surge of new hatemongers across the country due to Modi’s rule cannot be denied by the senior RSS members. Had they not equated patriotism with Hindu hegemony, Modi could not have crafted such a self-aggrandizing image. Consequently, they too would not have been able to hold such contempt for BJP.
If we want to advance the country free from hatred, the responsibility lies heavily with the opposition parties. It must be remembered that there are RSS members within their ranks as well. These individuals believe that this country belongs to Hindus and that others are merely dependents. They must recognize that such a mindset births Modi’s dominance. Who won or lost the election is not the main issue; what matters is which ideology triumphed and which ones were defeated. If hatred is genuinely to be vanquished, the country will progress; if not, the number of people living below the poverty line will increase in parallel with the rise of billionaires. Both the government and the opposition must keep this in mind. Otherwise, in the guise of new forms of Hindutva, another Modi may return to stifle the voice of democracy. Therefore, everyone must be vigilante.