At the outset let me be clear – I am not claiming to be a political pundit, or the first or the only one that argues BJP should build bridges with the minorities. However, I had written an article earlier about this topic (OpIndia, 11 Jan 2022) and I think I am entitled to some bragging rights given recent events.
What I said was this: “Now it’s time for the next big project – bringing on board large sections of secular, nationalistic Muslims into the mainstream and into its vision. This is not just a favour to themselves – they will become undefeatable – it is the biggest gift they can offer to India”
That is exactly what is happening as a few recent events have shown clearly. In fact, some of the more intelligent among the dynastic serfs have woken up to this existential threat and are ratcheting up the propaganda assault, again exactly as I had predicted.
Of course, the route adopted by BJP and PM Modi is not what I had mentioned – instead of going after the intelligentsia as I had written, they are doing the opposite. I hate to be wrong like anyone else but must agree with Modi’s choice. Intelligentsia is invariably elitist and therefore wedded to the status quo. It is also easily corruptible and has no real stakes in peace, progress or prosperity. In fact, quite the reverse. They have a vested interest in continued conflict, chaos and poverty to keep their business running. Reason – their reward systems, mostly external in source, work that way.
BJP’s choice of going for the “deprived” is wise. Be that as it may, the result is what matters.
What are the recent events that prompted this article?
- March: Danish Ansari’s appointment as a minister in the Yogi 2.0 cabinet. He is from the so-called Pasmanda section of the (aka marginalised) Muslim community.
- June: BJP winning minority-dominated SP strongholds in the recent LS by-polls for Azamgarh and Rampur. Whether or not this is due to more Muslims voting for the saffron party, or other factors, the optics are significant enough.
- July: PM Modi reportedly asking BJP cadre to reach out to “deprived sections” of minorities.
- July: BJP fielding almost eight times as many Muslims as it did in 2014 (380) in the recent MP local body polls – and managing to get 92 elected.
If you think all this is just random events, you have a cushy post in Congress party waiting for you. Try applying.
This development has rattled the ancient regime and its ecosystem. Shekhar Gupta warns them “If you are the Modi-Shah BJP’s rivals, victims, or prospective challengers, you can ignore these points at your own cost”
You don’t have to be a political genius to anticipate the propaganda onslaught that will follow. This is what I said back in January:
“They will face vehement opposition, visceral hate and sustained, relentless, venomous, vicious attacks by the left-dynasty continuum. And they will be playing in a pitch dug up and turned into a minefield by left’s ecosystem and its international partners”
Just sit back, stock yourself with sufficient popcorn and watch the fun. CONLEFT ecosystem and its brown-nosed coolies in academia and media as well as professional outrage experts and Stalinist propaganda warriors will twist themselves into pretzels trying to derail the Modi/BJP juggernaut as it chugs down this track.
They might as well bark at the moon. BJP is not trying to sell them anything. If you are going to wait for the day when Wire, Chindu or Wagle have good things to say about BJP that day will never come. While their antics and tactics need careful watch, they don’t matter as much.
What matters is this:
- Will the target audience bite?
- Will it take away Hindu votes? In other words, will NaMo end up like UT?
The answer to these questions will decide what happens in 2024 and beyond, actually far beyond. Let us examine them briefly.
The answer to the first question is clear to me – but before that – some things need to be spoken about. Firstly, with everything that happened historically and everything that continues to happen to this day, the ire that BJP faced for reaching out to the Pasmanda community is understandable. However, this article is simply to understand the political ramifications of this decision. Politically, reaching out to the marginalised is a far better strategy than trying to convince the elite. There is a section of the Muslim society that is looking for economic and social security and a fair chance in the action. Demands that are perfectly legitimate and easy for BJP to concede. They are also lurching from one pseudo-secular party to the other and have come to realise they are simply enabling dynastic dacoity and palatial lifestyles for the looter dynasts and select corrupt elites amongst them but nothing for themselves.
The recent discovery of crores of scam-tainted cash in Kolkata that shocked the conscience of most Indians would have also shaken the Muslims. After all, as one Maulvi claimed, this government (he meant the TMC regime) is theirs and came to power riding on their shoulders. This makes them ripe for a takeover, to use a business term.
It should not surprise anyone that a section of them think it is (as the old Tamil saying goes) better to strike a deal with the litigant than endlessly bribing the witness that is supposed to testify for you and is blackmailing you. Nobody is saying that the entire 85% Pasmanda population would favour BJP. It might not even be a widely significant percentage or that there are no “sar tan se juda” elements that are committed to irrevocable hostility and wet dreams of reviving the glory of the Mughal era. But the inroads that BJP could make into the marginalised Pasmanda community could be just about politically sufficient to dent the opposition trying to capitalise on the Muslim vote bank.
That brings us to the next question – what will Hindu voters do?
Many Hindus will legitimately feel abandoned. After all, facing murderous attacks and venomous propaganda daily, on top of being accused as aggressors and denied a platform to speak about their plight, it is easy to see some of them abandoning BJP in frustration. We have already seen some glimpses of this in Karnataka.
Even the much larger middle ground may slip under the BJP’s feet if they are seen as going back on their “no appeasement” policy. In fact, most of the “liberal” attacks will be mocking BJP for going back on its “ideology”, to wean away Hindu support. You can be assured no leftist or pseudo-liberal, who attacks BJP for “othering” minorities, will applaud if it tries to mainstream them. As I said before, it affects their entire business model.
The UT trap is real. BJP cannot ignore it.
This is where PM Modi has a BIG role to play. One naturally assumes he thought through this issue before he spoke in Hyderabad. He must convince the core voter base that representing genuine Hindu interests is not a zero-sum game. There is absolutely no need to dilute one for the other. One can robustly take on Isalmo-fascists, who are mostly of the elite class, even as the deprived are wooed. One can question and challenge leftist fake history that paints murderous fanatics like Aurangzeb as heroes and at the same time, reach out to the section of Muslims who have been marginalised by their own upper-caste Ashrafs.
This broad narrative has been clear from RSS chief’s recent remarks too, when he spoke about not looking for Shivling in every mosque.
By not lying about or burying historical grievances but encouraging genuine dialogue and acceptable solutions much can be done to keep the core voters happy without needless conflicts.
Frankly Modi, BJP and therefore India has a once in a century sort of opportunity to do this. No one else can do it or could have done it in recent history.
And the left cabal knows this. That is why they will get more venomous in the days ahead. But we must wish the PM well in his efforts. There is just too much at stake.