"The RSS and the BJP have accomplished their main goals as Opposition party. It may sound ridiculous to say BJP is opposition...They are in power for last 10 years. Socially speaking they behaved as opposition parties. Even as it has had a government in the country, it had a mindset of an opposition party opposing India's establishment....," says American scholar Salvatore Babones in University of Sydney.
Nov 10, 2019: Sadhus read a newspaper, a day after the Ayodhya verdict
".....Jan 22, 2024 is an important milestone for India's sociology not a milestone for India's politics. The real change will be sociological. The kind of complete transition of India from being a country moulded in a Nehruvian vision of democracy to a country ..let's face it moulded in RSS and the VHP vision of democracy," he said in an interview to NDTV.
He also pointed out that while some people may call one vision 'autocracy', the fact of the matter is "both are visions of democracy".
"But these are different visions of democracy...and different ways people think about what their country means to them". Importantly, he said in reply to a question, after Jan 22nd, the RSS and the BJP will have to "sit back and look at things and realise that they are the Establishment now. They have accomplished their core goals they have been working on for 100 years now....".
"Having accomplished their core goals really now they have to start thinking about moving forward. What is the next step, what's the future mean?"
Babones further said, the BJP and the RSS will now have to settle down and try to define - "what does Political Hinduism would now mean...What would the future mean for the BJP, they can no longer cast itself as opponents of the (ruling) establishment".
"Now they simply have to accept that they represent the Establishment and frankly the Congress is now anti-establishment in Indian politics".
Answering questions he said while the Congerss had their own right and wisdom to decide to stay away from Jan 22nd event, it is an "ill-advised move".
Whatever maybe the electoral outcome in last nine-ten years, it's a fact of the matter that Congress has been getting about 20 percent of votes and it has remained a 'national party'. In order to remain a 'national party' therefore, Babones says:
(Replica of the new Ram Mandir displayed at Karsewakpuram, Ayodhya)
"It has to pay respect to India's majority religion in the same way I am certain Congress will pay respect to minority religions". In the same context, he says by staying away from the Ram Mandir consecration, in terms of 'messaging' the Congress seems to be telling that it is no longer the part of the ruling Establishment in India.
"I really believe this is the Symbolic moment psychologically for both the Congress as well as the BJP".
"And (so) Congress has to be behave as a national challenger, and I suspect electorally ....(that is vital)".
ends
No comments:
Post a Comment