[One can only hope that it's still not too late. Only hope. Not that today's predicament was not foreseen by any before the 2014 General Election. Quite the contrary.
<<While there is no promise on the horizon for a better, more democratic, and more egalitarian India post-election; there is a distinct possibility of the secular-democratic edifice of the Indian nation-state which had come up as an outcome of India's epic freedom struggle to rid itself of the yoke of the British colonial rule may come under unprecedented severe attack if the predictions of the "professional" psephologists really come true and thereby seriously endanger the lives and limbs of large sections of Indian people - the "minorities", the dissenters, the conscientious.>> That's from an appeal, 'Sixteenth Lok Sabha Election: A Very Personal Appeal', this commentator had issued. And, the appeal by a number of leading Left intellectuals: <<A group of noted academics, artists and concerned citizens have issued an appeal, in the context of Elections 2014, to defend India’s secular democracy. The statement, the lead signatories to which are Zoya Hasan, Rooprekha Verma, Sashi Kumar, Vivan Sundaram, Achin Vanaik, Jayati Ghosh and Prabhat Patnaik, said: “Never before in post-independence India have political forces, which are a front for an organisation committed to creating a Hindu Rashtra, made as strong a bid for power as in the coming elections. These forces are led by a person who presided over a pogrom against Muslims in Gujarat in 2002 and has never expressed any contrition over his role in that ghastly incident. And they enjoy the backing of the most powerful corporate houses in the country. The prospect of this alliance of corporate capital and communal forces coming to power constitutes a palpable threat to the future of our secular democracy. “We urge all responsible individuals and political formations to ponder over the situation and urgently take whatever steps are necessary for defending our secular democracy. We appeal to the electorate to foil this corporate-communal alliance’s bid for power by voting against the BJP-led NDA.”>> (Both the above quotes are available at: <https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/GreenLeft_discussion/conversations/topics/85035>, as a part of an exchange.) Yet, things have come to the current pass.] http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/toi-edit-page/if-bjp-wins-2019-will-there-be-a-2024-election-dont-underestimate-rss-opposition-to-the-idea-of-india/ If BJP wins 2019, will there be a 2024 election? Don’t underestimate RSS opposition to the idea of India June 24, 2017, 2:00 AM IST Salman Anees Soz in TOI Edit Page | Edit Page, India | TOI With Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP completing three years in office, there is growing chatter about 2019 Lok Sabha elections. After scoring an impressive victory in UP and forming governments in three other states, Modi and BJP have the wind at their backs. Try your luck in 2024, some say to India’s opposition. But, will there be an election in 2024? I believe RSS and BJP view the 2019 election as an important milestone in their desire to realise their long-standing dream of establishing a Hindu rashtra. To circumvent the hurdle that our Constitution poses, a key step is to establish a de facto single-party government, followed by changes to the constitutional scheme. Should RSS and BJP prevail with the same or enhanced mandate as was the case in 2014, an alternative ‘idea of India’ will become the new norm. The 2019 election will be the last opportunity for the political opposition as well as the citizen to stop this from happening. While many have written about creeping authoritarianism and rise of Hindutva in India, much of it sounds like a complaint, a warning or a cry for help. An underlying theme is that of disbelief about the erosion of “the” idea of India, most often associated with Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Nehru. Two issues are of particular concern. First, there is very little acknowledgement of the possibility that there was always an alternative Hindutva idea of India and that it had significant support. Second, those of us opposed to Hindutva often do not look at the world from the perspective of its proponents. The game, however, has changed. RSS is resolute in its “idea of India” as a quintessentially Hindu country. It has toiled hard for decades in pursuit of this vision. The Sangh Parivar has always had a core base of support. This leads me to believe that there was a section of Hindu society that felt aggrieved that after the creation of a country for Muslims, Hindus were denied their own country. This grievance has simmered for decades as the Gandhi-Nehru vision prevailed and the first past the post system kept Hindutva forces from gaining power at the national level until 1998. The defeats of 2004 and 2009 delayed the project but the 2014 election finally provided a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Hindutva proponents. BJP had an aspirational narrative, an astute strategic approach, a compelling leader in Modi, boots on the ground and a real hunger for power. Modi has used populism, nationalism and anti-secularism to great effect and fired up the imagination of millions looking for instant progress and national greatness. Hindutva is now undeniably a mainstream alternative to the idea of India that most Indians grew up with. Where do we go from here? It is here that we must see the world from the RSS’s perspective. They are not in politics for the usual business of governance and economic development. Those are means towards the ultimate goal, a higher aspiration, which is to build a Hindu rashtra. Clearly, a Hindu rashtra is incompatible with India’s Constitution and its democratic norms. I believe the likelihood of India’s conversion to a Hindu rashtra has never been greater. Most government institutions are brittle. Indian democracy as we know it, stands at the precipice. But there is still one hope. Paradoxically, it is the same Indian voters who are supposedly going to deliver a decisive victory to Modi in 2019 who are also in the best position to rein the Sangh Parivar in. What does that mean for 2019? The opposition must build its own strategy, complete with an ideological narrative that can resonate with most Indians. Mobilising public opinion and public participation at a mass scale will be imperative. For all of BJP’s strengths and successes, the majority of Indians have still not voted for them. India’s diversity offers opportunities for opposition forces. As the Sangh Parivar pursues pan-India uniformity, the opposition must relearn the power of unity in diversity. After 2019, all bets are off. Oh, by the way, what if it isn’t 2019? What if it is 2018? Be ready for anything and everything. India is calling you to duty. -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
