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2009/1/14 Marshall Mendonza <[email protected]>:
> Augusto Pinto also made an interesting observation that most of the crowd
> came in trucks bearing number plates of AP, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala.
> Why are outsiders creating problems in Goa.
More than 'outsiders' or 'insiders' it's a question of ideology. Take
a look at the book 'Brotherhood of Saffron' if you want to know what's
involved.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shridhar_D._Damle
I do concede that in today's India (and beyond) communal games have
spread far and wide, with even non-communal parties today trying to
cash in on such polarisations -- both majoritarian and minority-based.
But politics is also connected with the economy, and as the downslide
gets worse, one can expect more of such emotive issues being made the
"major issues". What better way to distract attention from the
real-world, here and now?
Minoritarian communalism is dangerous because it gives the
(misleading) impression that communalism can work. The Kerala Congress
parties (on which the Goa Congress seems to have been an experiment)
are pointers in this direction.
But majoritarian communalism can get a grip over the State, specially
over the arms that matter -- the Police, education, media and the
wider bureaucracy. It can also be lethal, and build up a war hysteria
with neighbours.
All forms of communalism can block much-needed internal reforms within
religion, give a setback to the cause of women and other less-dominant
sections, and generally take a society backward. FN
