THE COMMUNAL RIOTS BILL

The last few weeks saw high voltage drama surrounding the controversial women’s quota bill. Though the bill has been passed in the Rajya Sabha, it still has to pass the acid test in the Lok Sabha. But there is one other bill that is bound to create a huge debate if not less when it is introduced in the parliament. The much delayed bill which should have become a legislation much earlier- the ‘communal riots’ bill.

One of the basic foundations of the strong Indian republic has been its emphasis on secularism. But a country that is home to more than half a dozen religions of this world

has been battered by bloody communal riots after periodic intervals. Communal riots have been part of Indian history for centuries but even independent India has seen thousands of lives lost in communal riots between communities. Among the many the more impactful ones include the hindu-muslim riots post partition in 1947, hindu-sikh riots in 1984 post Indira Gandhi’s assassination, hindu-muslim riots in 1992-93 post the Babri mosque demolition, the Gujarat riots of 2002 & the Orissa riots in 2008-09.

Right wing groups like the RSS, Bajrang dal have described the latest move as a ‘minority appeasement’ policy of the Congress. But human right groups && NGOs are blaming the bill’s current content as anti- minority. The current bill does not hold the police machinery or politicians accountable for the riots between two communities. It is this contentious issue against which human right groups are voicing their concerns. The current bill could become a weapon in the hands of the state machinery to use it against the minorities.

They have a valid point as the bill does not hold the police & people in power accountable. The Ehsan Jaffri case during the 2002 Gujarat riots is a good example to illustrate this point. According to Jaffri’s widow they made innumerable telephone calls to the city police commissioner when a huge mob started gathering outside Jaffri’s house. But the police refused to help them. Eventually Jaffri and dozens were pulled out from the house and hacked to death. Similarly, the sexual crimes committed against the victims is also been treated as ‘rape’. It is imperative to realize that sexual violence is a lethal weapon used by rioters to terrorize the victims.

It is vital for the bill to hold the state administration, police & above all the state government accountable for the riots. It has been proved in all the riot cases that section of the police and the state government encourage rioting between communities. Technically they are bigger culprits as compared to the actual rioters. The bill should be brought in for public debates so that changes can be made intune with the ground reality.

This bill is not only crucial to preserve riot victims but also highly critical to keep the secular fabric of India intact. If the government does not make the necessary changes as voiced by various groups then the bill would be complete eyewash. And the likes of Tytlers, Sajjans & Modis would continue to haunt & rape the secular credentials of this nation for years to come.

WHAT IS THE NEW BJP?

Sushma Swaraj has taken over from LK Advani as the leader of the opposition, putting curtains on an exciting political journey stretching over 5 decades. Advani will be heading the BJP parliamentary board (a newly created post) & the NDA, none of them will have any significant bearing on the BJP political strategy. No matter how much the BJP shouts that Advani is still very much the main driver of the party, the reality remains that the Vajpayee-Advani era has finally come to an end.

But the big question remains- Is the new BJP leadership competent enough to resurrect the fortunes of the party that has been hammered comprehensively in the last 6 years. There are multiple challenges that the party still faces.


Who is the real leader?- Even though Sushma Swaraj is going to lead the party in the Lok Sabha & Arun Jaitley in the Rajya Sabha, there is still confusion as to who is the undisputed leader of the BJP. With the low profile Nitin Gadkari taking over as the BJP president; party workers are a bit disillusioned about the real leadership. The RSS handpicked Gadkari faces even more difficulties. He has been handpicked to implement the RSS agenda within the party, but with the Swaraj- Jaitley combine trying to adopt the moderate line of thought, infighting is bound to continue. The past 6 years have clearly shown that BJP has failed to work as a collective unit. The success they tasted in the 90’s was because they were led by a strong and commanding leader- A.B.Vajpayee. Vajpayee was the undisputed leader of the party. Of course he was never authoritative in his conduct and always took decisions after consulting Advani and other senior leaders. But the hierarchy was very clearly laid out, eliminating any sort of differences within the party. But with the current crop, there are no signs of any unity or cohesiveness.

The ideology issue- After suffering two back to back defeats in Lok Sabha elections, the very basic dilemma the party faces is the ideology issue. The party rode to power in the 90’s on the back of right wing Hindutva issue. But due to a huge coalition, the party was never able to deliver on that agenda. The Hindutva story was embraced to an extent in the 90’s. But the new millennium had changed the mind set of the Indian citizen. The staunch urban voter that supported the party in the 90’s now wanted development & infrastructure instead of Mandir & uniform civil code. The party failed to understand the pulse of the middle class voters which had transformed over the years. The new Indian voter was more secular & moderate in its thinking. And even now the party is confused which route to adopt-the more inclusive approach, one based on the development plank cutting across religious lines or to go back to the 90’s hindutva plank, which the voter has already rejected. They cannot afford to hang in between. They will have to choose a more forward looking ideology which is more inclusive in nature.

RSS: Liability or the Guiding force- The party will have to emphatically decide the role of the RSS in the new BJP. Will the RSS continue to set the agenda and have a say on all the major issues or is the party now ready to break those shackles and act on its own given that the party now has firm roots. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has made his intention clears that he wants the RSS to be the guiding force of the party. He wants the party to go back to the hard core Hindutva ideology to make a come back.

The new leadership’s immediate task is to come out with a clear ideology. The top leadership will have to be on the same page if they are serious about reviving the party. The party needs a complete revamp both on the organizational & ideological front. A clear hierarchy should be formed and it should be made sure that it is followed by all. The RSS has to be told that the party wants to work as an autonomous unit. If it fails to distance itself from the RSS at least on the political front, it would be really difficult for them to bounce back. BJP will have to clearly spell out the role of the RSS in the new BJP. These are some tough questions that the leaders will have to answer; otherwise the party will fade away in the same fashion as the Janta Dal party did in the 90’s. Time for the new BJP to take some tough decision… It’s now or never…

ADVANI- FALL OF THE GIANT

In the beginning of 1990’s when the Ram Mandir movement was at its peak, Advani symbolized ‘Hindutva’, which many thought would change the future course of this country. From being the poster boy of Hindutva to the controversial ‘home minister’ during the NDA regime to being the prime minister in the waiting, Advani has gone through plethora of highs & lows.

But unfortunately for Advani who once described himself as the prime minister in the waiting, that wait has ended on an eternal note. His 60 years political career is almost over on an all time low. The rising star of the BJP in the 90’s has been reduced to a leader minus authority of a directionless party. Advani build the BJP from the scratch to one of the biggest political party that is now struggling to keep afloat.



Over Shadowed by Vajpayee-The BJP from the time of its birth has relied completely on Vajpayee & Advani. Their personalities were quite contrasting from each other but they managed to build the party into a strong political entity. If Advani was the mass leader who created ripples by taking out the Rath yatra in 1990 that bolstered BJP’s electoral prospects, Vajpayee emerged as the liberal face of the right wing party and managed to lead a complex coalition for 6 years that helped BJP taste power for the first time. But there was a major difference between the 2 leaders…

Credibility Factor- What is it that made Vajpayee a more acceptable face even though Advani was considered a more natural leader due to his mass appeal? Vajpayee was a ‘consensus builder’ who had the charisma to not only unify his party but also various political outfits cutting across ideologies & regions. Even though BJP was a rightist, pro- hindutva party, it was Vajpayee’s credibility that brought various centrist & left inclined parties under the NDA government for 6 years. Advani was a respectful leader but not a credible one. And that is what went against him. It was his inconsistencies that led to his downfall rather then factionalism as many would believe.

The Ayodhya failure- During the ‘Ram Rath Yathra’ in the 1990's, Advani kept emphasizing that the Ram temple would be build only at the ‘exact site’ in Ayodhya and no where else. The Babri mosque was demolished in 1992 which he described as a tragic event but that did make him the darling of the hardliners. When the NDA did come to power, many within the BJP wanted him to be the PM to fulfill the Hindutva vision which he had campaigned for all this while. But he was not acceptable to other allies within the NDA due to his hardliner’s image. And when in power, he failed to push any of the promises he made which thrashed the aspirations of many hardliners. He lost their support from that time.

Controversial Administrator- His stint as the Home minister & Deputy PM were marked by controversies. He failed to act during the Gujarat riots when thousands were killed during the communal riots. The state was burning but Advani as the 'home minister' failed to control the situation. This did not go down well with his allies. The Kandahar hijacking was another question mark on his ability to deliver during crunch situations. His inability to act during tough time’s projected his image of a ’weak’ administrator who lacked the potential to lead this country.



The Jinnah Controversy- His Jinnah remarks were yet again another sign of inconsistency. A man who through out lived on the idea of ‘Akhand Bharat’ (Undivided India) suddenly called Jinnah, (the hate symbol for the BJP) a secular person is something that even the most liberal intellectuals couldn’t digest. He had to pay a price by stepping down from the post of BJP president. But this was a big gamble that Advani played in order to change his image among the masses. He knew in order to become PM he had to be a more liberal face like Vajpayee. That gamble failed with the 2009 election defeat. The biggest blow for him was the loss of RSS support, his backbone, which all this while projected him as the 'Mascot' of Hindutva

2009 Election Debacle- He gave his best during the 2009 elections. He raised the political temperature by hitting out directly on Manmohan Singh, who all this while discharged his duties silently. The idea of attacking Manmohan Singh on the personality issue rather than governance also went against him. In the personality clash, Dr Singh emerged as the winner thanks to Congress's thumping victory

The Rise of the Rebels- Advani’s decision to stick around for some more time made his position even more vulnerable. His decision to reward the likes of Jaitleys, Swarajs gave way for rebellion & indiscipline within the party. The rebels questioned his authority which had emaciated within the party.

The Jaswant Fiasco- The final nail in the coffin was the sacking of his old friend & loyalist, Jaswant Singh. Ironically Jaswant Singh was the only one to back him staunchly in 2005 for his Jinnah comments. In all fairness to Advani even if he wanted to defend Jaswant Singh, it was not possible because hardliners like Modi & Katiyar wanted some tough action. And Advani needed their support for survival at least till he makes a gracious exit.

Advani will no doubt be remembered as one of the strongest leaders who changed the face of Indian polity in the 1990's His political career was scripted by the RSS, which made him a hero. While Vajpayee made a gracious exit on his own terms, Advani had to be shown the door in a polite manner by the same RSS. Leaving a stable BJP behind would be the best way to say goodbye to his long & adventurous political career. He is known to be a fighter, but winning this final battle of his political career would be a task…