Women’s reservation was originally a Congress idea. It was first introduced in 1989 by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in the 64th Constitutional Amendment Bill. It contained a provision for reservation of women in rural and urban local bodies. It was passed in the Lok Sabha but failed in the Rajya Sabha. Subsequently, another Congress Prime Minister, PV Narasimha Rao, reserved one-third of seats for women in Panchayats and urban local bodies through the 73rd & 74th Constitutional Amendments in 1992–93. That was the first implementation of women’s reservation in India.
Congress has been clear in its push for women’s reservation. It’s the BJP that entangled it twice with other issues, resulting in yet to be implemented in parliamentary bodies. Adding delimitation to it only ensured that it will not be passed in Parliament. It would be naive to think that the BJP bosses thought otherwise.
In any case, expanding reservation politics everywhere shows the BJP is bereft of ideas. It has mostly imitated the Congress. The ‘Hindutva’ of yore has only been a propaganda prop. But in concrete policies, its record has largely followed the Congress.
Socialism, Gandhism, secularism, or reservation—these have been the ideas and actions of the BJP. The party’s declared principle is ‘Gandhian socialism.’ Its leaders professed ‘real secularism’. Now, their current leaders have expanded what they called Congress’ ‘tushtikaran’ (appeasement) into their ‘triptikaran’ (gratification).
They pronounce it with pride, saying that the Congress only deceived Muslims, whereas we are really giving them progress. Special coaching, special scholarships, special universities, special schemes for minorities, increased recruitment in central services—such achievements are listed by responsible BJP leaders.
Finally, this obsession with reservations, over which BJP leaders are now congratulating themselves. In all these measures, where is ‘Hindutva’? Where is the interest of Hindus?
The past 50 years show that upon gaining office, BJP leaders mostly followed Congress policies. These include not only governmental schemes but also day-to-day political tactics. For instance, breaking Opposition parties; inducing defections; promoting the party through state funded advertisements; keeping party donations opaque; intimidating opponents through state agencies; affixing their leaders’ names on state institutions, schemes, public roads, and buildings; installing statues of their leaders everywhere, etc. How is this not following the Congress way?
In fact, when their actions waver from the Congress blueprint, BJP leaders have been rather awkward. Is it because they lack originality? For example: No Congress top gun ever advised citizens to follow the path of Prophet Mohammad. No Congress high-command punished their own party spokesperson due to the displeasure of a Muslim country. No Congress ruler praised the teachings of Sufis,etc. These specimens go to the credit of BJP leaders original thoughts and deeds. All clumsy and inapt, both in itself and for political efficacy. The same points apply even in innovating the ‘triptikaran’ —a lack of judgement about how far something may be taken.
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Hindu interests abandoned
There is no leader or party in India that consciously cares for Hindu interests. Otherwise, it could have shown that the RSS-BJP has been more harmful than beneficial to Hindu interests. Even the declarations of BJP leaders indicate this. If its central ministers and office-bearers say with pride that “Congress gave nothing to Muslims, whereas we have given so many benefits,” then at whose cost was this done?
If that claim is true, then Congress would ipso facto appear more favorable to Hindus! It has always maintained a policy of balancing Muslim and Hindu interests. If at times it accepted a specific Muslim demand, such as in the Shah Bano case, it also gave something to Hindus. For example, the same Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, got the decades-old lock at the Ram Janmabhoomi opened. He also had the ‘bhoomi-pujan’ of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple at Ayodhya performed, and initiated Hindu worship there. These were historic acts that took place during Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure. Then next Congress Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao also supported Hindu claims over the Ram Janmabhoomi, including in court. Thus, in terms of concrete action, Congress’s record for Hindu interests appears much better.
In comparison, over thirty years—holding power in several states and eighteen years at the Centre—what have BJP leaders done for Hindu interests? Their top leaders themselves, twenty years ago, called the Ayodhya issue an ‘encashed cheque’, implying they had already reaped its benefits and washed their hands of it. Whatever happened later on that issue occurred independently through the courts and the efforts of some Hindu scholars. The RSS-BJP just used and left it hanging, after politicising & aggravating a non-political movement initiated by some retired Congressmen and Hindu saints.
The same opportunistic approach has been displayed by later BJP leaders. They observe ostentatious religious rituals at Hindu holy places frequently, and make publicised spectacles out of it. That, again, does nothing to serve a Hindu interest. It only exploits Hindu sentiments for narrow party gains.
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A lack of ideas
Of late, adopting an aggressive casteist posture is also a piece of the same strategy. They are using and promoting jealousy and resentment among various castes. Reversing a Supreme Court judgment on the The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill in 2018, and the recent UGC directives, are major examples of this new tone. In addition, from the Parliament to the common voters, there is a continuous pouring of venom on Opposition parties. The overall result is nothing but increased division and bitterness among people. This is not strengthening a ‘Hindu’ or even a national unity. For all practical purposes, it serves only a narrow party interest—a desire for permanent hold on the state offices. Nothing more or less.
Therefore, it is no coincidence that RSS-BJP leaders avoid press conferences. They lack justification for their erratic actions, and statements. Their training has been to work quietly, evasively, and unobserved—with a habitual gap between words and deeds. Plus they have a penchant for trying to grab credit for others’ work. The Ram Janmabhoomi temple or women’s reservation are major examples. In both, the credit for initiation and concrete action goes to Congress leaders—Rajiv Gandhi and PV Narasimha Rao—who advanced them in a consistent and principled manner.
The BJP’s slogan of ‘Congress-mukt Bharat’ reveals a complete lack of ideas. Apart from thinking of electoral plans and trying to divide people for it, they hardly reveal any creativity. The limits of theatrics, artificial sloganeering, and bluster eventually comes to the fore—and RSS-BJP leaders now demonstrate this repeatedly. Their sermons or claims don’t inspire even their faithful followers anymore.
In the past twelve years, they’ve gone from the slogan of ‘Congress-mukt Bharat’ to ‘triptikaran’ of a community. It all indicates their ideological waywardness. It also shows a lack of coherency in their political thought all along.
Perhaps no other party in India has reversed itself so drastically from its original slogans and stances as the BJP. They have even removed RSS founder B Hedgewar’s writings and speeches from the public domain. Why say things such as declaring the Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee as their ‘guide’? Whatever be the reason, even by their own admission they are Congress followers.
Shankar Sharan is a columnist and professor of political science. Views are personal.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)