(Kashmir Times
June 17, 2006)
Editorial
Shades of Hindutva
Congress and BJP are two sides of same coin
The tone and tenor of their utterances may appear different and their actions may vary but both the ruling Congress, professing to be the champion of secularism and opposition BJP, wearing a secular mask, speak the same language and act in a similar manner. There is a thin dividing line between the two parties with one symbolising soft Hindutva and the other presenting aggressive saffron face. This was evident in Gujarat during the post Godhra carnage and subsequently during the assembly elections there where the Congress while attacking BJP was apologetic about the anti-Muslim mayhem organised and perpetrated by the Modi-led BJP government. During that period the Congress leaders and rank and file failed to come out openly against the acts and designs of the saffron brigade. This very face of the Congress is also visible in Jammu and Kashmir where the leaders and workers of the two parties speak the same language in different tones. The two parties may be opposing each other for political power but on the ideological front they differ only in the shade. Take the latest case of the murderous utterances of the BJP leaders during their sinister "Save Doda" a euphemism for "Save BJP", agitation launched in Jammu for the past few days. When lunatic fanatics of the parivar offered a cash award for any one killing a militant, an open call for a civil war on communal lines, the Congress leaders failed to rise to the occasion and come out openly to mobilise the public opinion against the saffron brigade and expose their nefarious designs. Only two days after such treacherous utterances by the BJP leaders the chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad came out with a mild denunciation with the State government willy nilly registering an FIR against them and a down-graded Congress minister raising his feeble voice against such utterances. Since then not a single Congress leader has come out openly to condemn the BJP game plan and fight out their pernicious ideology and programme. There are instances where the Congress leaders have exposed their Hindutva character by speaking the parivar's language even in more aggressive manner. How would one term the speeches of the Congress member of Lok Sabha from Udhampur-Doda constituency in Parliament, at the roundtable conference and in public rallies when he tried to outdo the saffron brigade.
The latest case in point is the utterances of none other than the Union minister of state for home Jaiprakash Jaiswal during his visit to Jammu on Thursday. Instead of coming out vehemently against the BJP demand for arming the civilians (nee Hindus) in Doda to fight out the militants (nee Muslims) he appeared apologetic about the sinister suggestion. In a way he did not disapprove the demand for arming civilians but only pointed out that such arms would not be provided to the civilians at " the behest of BJP " adding that this would be done if the people and the State government so demanded. Jaiswal was not opposed to the arming of civilians in principle but only said that " it is the prerogative of the district administration and not of the BJP, if we feel the need and district administration in concurrence with the State government puts up a demand then we will certainly oblige". It is not the absurd demand of arming one section against the other that is objectionable but a matter of who gets the credit. What a perverted logic?
It is not only on the question of dealing with the situation in Doda or elsewhere in Jammu and Kashmir but on all major policy matters that the Congress has either overtly and covertly endorsed the BJP stance or it failed to come out openly to condemn their ideology and programme and mobilise their rank and file to ideologically oppose the saffron brigade. Even on the question of defending Article 370 the Congress attitude is quite lukewarm. Not a single Congress leader has come out publicly to condemn the demand for abrogation of Article 370, being raised loudly by the leaders of BJP and other parivar outfits for the past few days. Intriguingly none has so far reacted even to the pernicious suggestion of the BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi for changing the demographic character of the State by allowing people from outside the State settling in Jammu and Kashmir. That the Congress is not prepared to displease upper caste Hindu communal and casteist sentiments was also evident during the recent anti-reservation agitation launched by these sections. With a few exceptions like the Union HRD minister Arjun Singh the Congress leaders and activists failed to raise their voice against the agitators and come out openly in defence of the quota for OBCs, dalits and scheduled tribes. The Congress may try to beat the BJP in the power game but it is not prepared to fight out the saffron brigade ideologically.
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