Weak communists open the door to Hindu nationalism
Leftists are the most worried lot. The BJP, which is known for 'pushing' to make India a nation of Hindu hegemony, came to power in Tripura by ousting its communist government in 2018. The BJP also gained immense political support in West Bengal -- where Left is now zero MP and zero-MLA strong party.
In Kerala, another communist stronghold province too, the BJP is working hard to get a deeper penetration and win seats.
But perhaps the worst for the communists have come in the form of Congress as a party and Rahul Gandhi as a leader.
The grand old party is turning so much Left over the years now that we get to hear from the likes of Narendra Modi that 'urban Naxals' have hijacked the Congress.
The Left is being squeezed out of Indian polity !!
The contest against Rahul Gandhi by CPI thus may not be all symbolic. The Communists are worried today. Therefore, we saw Kerala Chief Minister Pinyari Vijayan making some angry statements against Rahul Gandhi and more particularly his decision to contest in Wayanad for the second time. Probably when Rahul through his Man Friday, K C Venugopal, requested for Left cooperation, the communists might have thought that would be one-time special case.
But after Rahul decided to try his luck again from Wayanad in 2024 -- several communist leaders including the Chief Minister Vijayan and even senior leader Brinda Karat depreciated the Congress decision.
The real grudge of the communists could be they did not gain anything from the Congress outside Kerala and West Bengal. This is chiefly because the Congress gets benefits from its alliance partners and associates like Samajwadi Party. but its votes never get transferred.
The communists desperation vis-a-vis the Congress -- that has now hijacked the leftists agenda - is thus understandable.
There has been another area of concern. The downward slippery journey of Indian communists, electorally and in exerting influence on the sociopolitical mindset, has been phenomenal in the last decade.
In the regions where they are losing their grip, the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is gaining. The religious minorities -- Muslims and Christians - who should be happy about atheism losing ground are now more worried about an even 'worse' form of political ideology -- the radical Hinduism is gaining power.
The BJP’s growing support base naturally means dwindling popularity for Kerala’s two traditional political alliances — one led by the Congress party and the other led by leftist parties.
The leftist parties’ ouster from power in Kerala, the only state where they now run the government, will perhaps wipe out communism from Indian politics.
As Kerala gets ready for voting on April 25, all eyes will be on some parliamentary segments and key BJP leaders.
It is a fact the BJP’s political meetings, rallies and roadshows by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leader attracted 'more people' than ever before for BJP extravaganzas.
That should worry both Christians and Muslims in the state who have traditionally opposed the BJP’s pro-Hindutva politics.
None other than Kerala Chief Minister Pinyari Vijayan understands the gravity of the challenges.
Therefore, Vijayan has in the recent years tinted the 'red flag' of the communists with the hues of saffron, the color associated with Hindus and the BJP. In other words, he has taken care not to offend Hindus with his so-called reformist and progressive communist ideas.
One example is the state government dropping the idea of pressing for the entry of women of reproductive age into a popular temple against its tradition. Vijayan’s government pushed for the entry of all women to the temple following a Supreme Court order favoring it two years ago. Massive rallies, supported by the BJP, followed, forcing Vijayan to leave the issue silently.
Vijayan is also trying to gain the support of Hindus and Christians, notwithstanding their ideological indifference to the politics of religion. The reported growth in influence of radical Islamic forces in Kerala and the government action to check it should gain some support from Hindus and Christians.
The Leftists may describe this appeasing of religion as pragmatism. But pragmatism, as they say, is often a good political substitute for sheer naked opportunism.
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