I have just about started to read ‘The Argumentative Indian’ by the only one Dr. Amartya Sen. The book is making incredibly sense. Written very objectively. It has already helped me (and promises to help me more as I read further) broaden my horizons and erase a few blind nooks of . As if every word has a meaning – and was meant to be there.
But still there is this disconnect – the Hinduvta digs – which I have already encountered few times in the first 50 pages. Enough, to want get a little ‘argumentative’ about.
Hinduvta bashing, at best with anecdotal evidence but normally with inconsistent analysis based upon inadequate or contrived research, by the pseudo intellectuals ruling and influencing Indian media is a fashionable pastime. But I was a bit surprised by the same tone and [according to me] the same one-sided logic coming from the rarest of gems who is apparently extremely objective while treating almost every other theme.
I am not abashed to say that I have a soft corner for the BJP and the allied organizations. Not because of their fundamentalist aberrations, but because of no other rational and credible developmental alternative at the national level. I assume there are many more sympathizers of similar right of centre prescriptions In that sense, it is an ‘argumentative’ democratic voice. The very fact that we have an audible voice of people of a particular religion, speaks of the perception of cross-subsidization of resources by one group.
But that is no good reason to brand this voice as innately fundamentalist. This is not scientific at all. No objective research will support this claim. Yes, the acts of violence and exclusivity that promoters of this voice sometimes resort to is barbarous and retrograde. But that does not destroy the sanctity of the voice. Ironically, these retrograde steps [which are well publicized by their detractors] take away the edge of the right of centre developmental voice. [popularly referred to as ‘Hinduvta’ – a term which is total misnomer. But I am still using it in this blog to refer to an identified group].
The other point of note is that the acts of insularity and violence that are associated with the Hinduvta brigade e.g. Godhra, Valentine’s day, and other such undemocratic acts/views are more a reflection of the insularity of the Indian milieu and polity in general. But undemocratic violence and moral policing have been a way of life in India for the past 50 years or so – since the emergency days. Especially Indira Gandhi’s Congress, the JP movement and its products, Communists among others have demonstrated this time and again. Riots, looting, different forms of caste wars and moral policing have been instigated by these secular parties many a time.
This does not justify moral policing by Hinduvta brigade. But please do not single them out for this. Let us be consistent in pulling up wrong deeds and appreciating progressive acts. There is a greater proportion of BJP led/supported tenures with acceptable governance than that by congress or other ‘secular parties’ since Independence at the centre and the states. Not to talk of institutionalization of corruption, the engineered decadence of government institutions, and the blatant disrespect of minority communities by seeking their votes in lieu of a few crumbs. [the economic growth of Muslims has lagged the national averages since Independence all over the country. In Gujarat however the Muslim community has seen respectable growth in the past decade].
Lets us talk of development instead – i.e. education [not literacy], health, prosperity [not above BPL arithmetic] and law & order. Period. This even the ardent supporters of Hinduvta know and follow. They know without this, thanks to the beauty of the Indian race, no one can ever come to power in India and stay there. The aberrations need not be projected as the key philosophy to eject a significant voice.
Let us be democratic argumentative Indians. Lets make our own point but also give a fair chance to others. Let us not use rhetoric to stifle uncomfortable voices.
To finish the post with a question – can the 'Hinduvta' bashers define the term Hinduvta and compare the same with what the supposed promoters of Hinduvta understand by that? [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindutva]. Worth noting, that this definition itself is open to on-going fine-tuning in the context of continuously morphing socio-cultural-economic-political context of the nation. But the pillars of the thought are material and spiritual development and the acceptance of Indian pluralism.
Bhubaneshwar
Apr 14-15, 2012
But still there is this disconnect – the Hinduvta digs – which I have already encountered few times in the first 50 pages. Enough, to want get a little ‘argumentative’ about.
Hinduvta bashing, at best with anecdotal evidence but normally with inconsistent analysis based upon inadequate or contrived research, by the pseudo intellectuals ruling and influencing Indian media is a fashionable pastime. But I was a bit surprised by the same tone and [according to me] the same one-sided logic coming from the rarest of gems who is apparently extremely objective while treating almost every other theme.
I am not abashed to say that I have a soft corner for the BJP and the allied organizations. Not because of their fundamentalist aberrations, but because of no other rational and credible developmental alternative at the national level. I assume there are many more sympathizers of similar right of centre prescriptions In that sense, it is an ‘argumentative’ democratic voice. The very fact that we have an audible voice of people of a particular religion, speaks of the perception of cross-subsidization of resources by one group.
But that is no good reason to brand this voice as innately fundamentalist. This is not scientific at all. No objective research will support this claim. Yes, the acts of violence and exclusivity that promoters of this voice sometimes resort to is barbarous and retrograde. But that does not destroy the sanctity of the voice. Ironically, these retrograde steps [which are well publicized by their detractors] take away the edge of the right of centre developmental voice. [popularly referred to as ‘Hinduvta’ – a term which is total misnomer. But I am still using it in this blog to refer to an identified group].
The other point of note is that the acts of insularity and violence that are associated with the Hinduvta brigade e.g. Godhra, Valentine’s day, and other such undemocratic acts/views are more a reflection of the insularity of the Indian milieu and polity in general. But undemocratic violence and moral policing have been a way of life in India for the past 50 years or so – since the emergency days. Especially Indira Gandhi’s Congress, the JP movement and its products, Communists among others have demonstrated this time and again. Riots, looting, different forms of caste wars and moral policing have been instigated by these secular parties many a time.
This does not justify moral policing by Hinduvta brigade. But please do not single them out for this. Let us be consistent in pulling up wrong deeds and appreciating progressive acts. There is a greater proportion of BJP led/supported tenures with acceptable governance than that by congress or other ‘secular parties’ since Independence at the centre and the states. Not to talk of institutionalization of corruption, the engineered decadence of government institutions, and the blatant disrespect of minority communities by seeking their votes in lieu of a few crumbs. [the economic growth of Muslims has lagged the national averages since Independence all over the country. In Gujarat however the Muslim community has seen respectable growth in the past decade].
Lets us talk of development instead – i.e. education [not literacy], health, prosperity [not above BPL arithmetic] and law & order. Period. This even the ardent supporters of Hinduvta know and follow. They know without this, thanks to the beauty of the Indian race, no one can ever come to power in India and stay there. The aberrations need not be projected as the key philosophy to eject a significant voice.
Let us be democratic argumentative Indians. Lets make our own point but also give a fair chance to others. Let us not use rhetoric to stifle uncomfortable voices.
To finish the post with a question – can the 'Hinduvta' bashers define the term Hinduvta and compare the same with what the supposed promoters of Hinduvta understand by that? [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindutva]. Worth noting, that this definition itself is open to on-going fine-tuning in the context of continuously morphing socio-cultural-economic-political context of the nation. But the pillars of the thought are material and spiritual development and the acceptance of Indian pluralism.
Bhubaneshwar
Apr 14-15, 2012
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