By Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer
The recent defeat of BJP in U.P. elections has given it not only a great shock but also has made its leaders review its policies. The BJP in U.P. was deserted even by the Brahmins, its traditional vote bank. Generally up to mid-eighties the Brahmins were voting for the Congress. The Congress used to win elections by getting votes of Brahmins, Muslims and Dalits. However, when the Muslims deserted the Congress in late eighties on the question of laying foundation stone of Ramjanambhoomi Temple, the Congress lost power and so Brahmins also deserted the Congress as there was no chance of its coming to power.
The Brahmins switched their loyalty to the BJP as it was raising the issue of Ramjanambhoomi and had much better chances of coming to power. The Brahmins continued to vote for BJP as long as it had potential to capture power either by itself or through suitable alliances. However, during the 2007 assembly elections in U.P. Ms. Mayawati was the rising star for number of reasons, one was her alliance with both Brahmins and Muslims.
Ms. Mayawati was following the well-tested Congress formula of Brahmin-Muslim-Dalit alliance to win the elections. She had solid Dalit base and had also convinced the Brahmins to vote for her. Not only this she had wooed the Thakurs also and was sure to get votes of a section of Thakurs too. The Brahmins weighed all this and deserted the BJP who had any way never fulfilled its promise to build Ram Temple. The BJP was, however, hoping against hope that Brahmins might vote for it but drew blank.
The BJP also tried to woo Hindus by not only its Ramjanambhoomi rhetoric but also by circulating anti-Muslim CD. It could not of course get away with anti-Muslim C.D. as the Election Commission took notice of it and stopped it from using it. This was also a moral as well as a legal blow to the BJP. Having lost elections in its own den is serious set back to its senior leaders.
However, there is no easy way out for them. To revive itself in U.P. in the absence of any wave in its favour is an Herculean task. With 20 per cent Muslims of U.P. hostile to it and Brahmins also having deserted it is under pressure to change its virulent anti-Muslim course. But that is also not an easy task. The BJP senior leaders in Delhi, nevertheless are thinking on these lines. A Mushaira (poetic gathering) at the home of BJP leader Shahnawaz was organized and many BJP leaders participated in it. Many moderate BJP leaders also feel we have offered Muslim votes to Congress and other parties on a platter by alienating them. We should woo them even at this stage.
Of course this will not be easy both from Sangh Parivar’s as well as Muslim viewpoint. Sangh organizations like VHP and Bajrang Dal who even otherwise are accusing BJP leaders of soft pedaling Hindutva agenda will vehemently oppose this change of course. Their very existence will be in danger. On the other hand, after years of anti-Muslim propaganda, it would not be easy to carry conviction with Muslims, let alone aspire for the sizeable Muslim vote. They want to, however, convince Muslims that it was Vajpayee who initiated the Indo-Pak friendship process and also took initiative for solving the Kashmir problem. How far it will convince Muslims is anybody’s guess. The Congress could not win Muslims back in U.P. despite all efforts.
It is very interesting to note that Mayawati, encouraged by her success in U.P. in getting Brahmin votes, is trying to woo Brahmins in other states too. The Brahmins are also elated by the U.P. experiment in as much as it has opened new doors for increasing their political influence by supporting the BSP. Recently the All India Brahmin Federation (AIBF) has decided to support the BSP in all future elections in its convention in Tirupati. It also wants to embark on a special mission to improve Brahmin-Dalit harmony. The Shankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peeth Swami Jayendra Saraswati is also scheduled to attend the convention.
Kotashankar Sharma, a Brahmin leader even commented that most of the communal tensions between Hindus and Muslims were due to the ignorance of and inability of the common man to see through the intrigues of vested interests. The AIBF conference is seen as an important event for Brahmins to become politically active again.
Thus the coming together of Brahmins from entire country to support Dalit leadership is a matter for great worry for the BJP. If this patterns of Brahmin-Dalit-Muslim alliance emerges on all India basis BJP will loose ground in other places too. After U.P. the BJP lost election in Goa also.
Surendra Kulkarni, media advisor to the then Prime Minister Shri.Vajpayee has been writing a series of articles in Indian Express suggesting that the BJP should woo Muslims to the mutual benefit of both. Mr. Kulkarni is even trying to prove that RSS has never been anti-Muslim and has been quoting from writings of Shri M.S.Golwalkar. In his column in Indian Express on 10th June 2007 he quotes Golwalkar from his interview given to Dr.Saifuddin Jeelani, an Arabic Scholar (Bunch of Thoughts, p-639) Golwalkar said, “According to our religious belief and philosophy, a Muslim is as good as a Hindu, it is not the Hindu alone who will reach the ultimate Godhead. Everyone has right to his path according to his own persuasion.�
Kulkarni further informs us that specifically refuting the charge that the Sangh’s concept of Indianisation meant Hinduisation of Muslims, Golwalkar observed, “Follow your own religion. The God of Islam, Christianity and Hinduism is the same and we are all His devotees. Give the people true knowledge of Islam. Give people true knowledge of Hinduism. Educate them to know that all religions teach men to be selfless, holy and pious…�
Kulkarni also quotes from Golwalkar to prove that Golwalkar did not support Uniform Civil Code; and was in favour of allowing Muslims to follow their Shari’ah law. He (Golwalkar) also maintained that “it is better that Muslims themselves reform their outdated laws and customs. I will be pleased if they come to the conclusion that polygamy is not good for them. But I would not like to impose my views on them.�
Significantly Mr.Kulkarni says, in the same interview, Golwalkar warns: “Uniformity is a pointer to the downfall of nations. I am in favour of preservation of diverse ways of life. At the same time, we should pay attention to ensure that these diversities nurture unity of the nation.�
Mr. Kulkarni therefore, is attempting to explore ways in which a fruitful BJP-Muslim and RSS-Muslim dialogue might start. One wishes Mr.Kulkarni all success. But he himself has been in journalism and a political analyst. Politics is not all about piety and noble sentiments, even if what Golwalkar said is true. Otherwise the RSS and BJP would not have been doing in their political propaganda that they have been doing.
I would like to ask Mr. Kulkarni that if M.S.Golwalkar was against Uniform Civil Code in early seventies why the BJP adopted it as its Hindutva agenda and still today it is on their agenda? Did Mr. Advani not preach Hindutva agenda at his aggressive best throughout late eighties and nineties? Were RSS leaders not aware of this? Or was Hindutva agenda formulated without RSS consent?
How about the textbooks taught in RSS run schools? Do they not spit venom against Muslims and grossly distort medieval history? If Golwalkar wanted people to be good Muslim and good Hindu, why Babri masjid was demolished and event celebrated? Was it being a good Hindu? Did RSS approve of it or not? Does RSS insist on Hindutva agenda or not? It often chides the BJP for not doing enough for fulfilling the Hindutva agenda.
How can one then have constructive dialogue between RSS and Muslims or BJP and Muslims. Did RSS leadership say a word in condemnation of what happened in Gujarat in 2002? A word opposing the Gujarat carnage from RSS leadership would have won over the hearts of millions of Muslims. On the contrary Narendra Modi became an apple of RSS eye. He has always been considered as an RSS man.
This is not to suggest that there should be no dialogue between Muslims and BJP or with RSS for that matter. But if Shri Kulkarni is suggesting dialogue at the BJP leadership’s instance in the changed circumstances, let him suggest where and how to begin. He must know that there is deep distrust between Muslims and Sangh Parivar and in the best of conditions it will take great deal of efforts to create even a semblance of trust. In any case even if there is possibility of any dialogue it is for the Sangh Parivar to take initiative and convince Muslims for a need for a dialogue. Writing such articles might be an exploratory process but much more substantial would have to be done.
A good beginning could be an apology for demolition of Babri Masjid and then an appeal to Muslims to come forward for a reasonable solution of the problem without hurting religious sentiments on either side. Such an eventuality seems nothing more than a distant dream for the present.