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India faces a seminal moment in its ideological trajectory as it appears that the worm has finally and decisively turned.
Apparently, the Hindu in its political form of ‘Hindutva’ has unequivocally and beyond obfuscation declared India, as Bharat, a Hindu State.
What started with much trepidation but with the audacious Babri Masjid Demolition is now in full flow. The Vastu compliant, Hindu culture imprinted New Parliament Building got inaugurated with a Sengol (rod/sceptre of ethical governance) thrown in for good measure.
As the old British made Parliament Building is subsumed, the New Parliament Building symbolises (in very concrete terms), a rallying cry against the White Man’s evangelism rooted in ancient Roman beliefs and later Christian proselytising zeal for – ‘colonising and civilising the barbarians’. The new architecture tries to emphasise that the sui generis Indian (Hindu) Civilisation is superior with its diversity, inclusiveness, vision of Humanity and relationship with the Divinity away from Nehru’s supposedly colonial mindset.
The inauguration ceremony was awash with Hindu rituals, as the guardians of faith and tradition, the priests and pontiffs clad in their saffrons, holding tridents and kamandalam strode about in a self important manner while the surrounding laity bowed to them reverentially. Multi faith prayers, as a bow to inclusiveness and to silence those quick to point fingers, too were prominently visible.
Will the New Parliament respond to cries of Justice from the likes of those victimised by the twin evils of Hindu(ism/tva) viz. Paternalism and Casteism? Or how and what it does (or not do) to wipe the tears of the poor and riot afflicted, the tribals and the minorities will do much more to prove the democratic credentials of Bharatmata than anything else in the days to come.
Like the New Parliament, other accompanying instruments of this Declaration of Identity and Coming of Age are also directed both inwards and outwards.
Those directed inwards include massive rewriting of History, revamping of school syllabi, focus on Vedic Science and Technology, shrill denunciation of all things having Islamic/ Islamist connotations and bristling at anything sounding like preaching by the West.
An assertive diplomacy and an outreach to the world as a self proclaimed repository of wisdom, support and guidance as well as The Voice of The Third World under the title of ‘Vishvaguru’ are the outwardly directed tools.
As the push for Hindu India comes to shove, there even are (though still muted), calls for Hinduising Pakistan and Bangladesh too. In some time, without being too evident, the goal posts will get shifted as the long dormant fire kindles visions of a Superpower Akhand Bharat spread over South and South East Asia as Bharatmata.
As portrayed, the modern-day Superpower Bharatmata (Mother India) will not be hectoring like the West or fundamentalist like the Islamists but understanding and tolerant , like – A Mother. She will feed, care for, teach BUT ( gently?) admonish her ‘children’ for turning to any gospel other than the hallowed Hindutva (avowedly, only cultural, not political). India’s neighbours eye this assertion with raised eyebrows, as Nepal resents the boundaries of Akhand Bharat, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh keep their counsel and Pakistan spews venom.
Bharat, however, under Modi’s tutelage and the beseeching Western voices for joining forces with it in its decoupling war against China is busy playing Chanakyan realpolitik, on the global stage. The Elephant walks sometimes daintily mindful of minefields and sentiments of all and at other times, ignoring what comes under its tread, especially if from the Islamist world.
As the host and President of the 2023 G20 meetings happening around the same time, Bharat (read Modi) utilised the golden opportunity to its hilt. Sparing no effort and wasting no occasion it has boldly included the meetings in its Coming of Age ceremonies.
The meetings at Srinagar (read J&K and Ladakh) and Itanagar (read Arunachal Pradesh) poked a very blunt finger in the combined eyes of China and Pakistan. Deftly but firmly they displayed to the entire world, including the champions of West in its own corner, that Bharat considers the issues ‘settled’. Whether this closes the never ending saga of wars between India and Pakistan on J&K or ominously includes China too standing in Pakistan’s corner or even more seriously leads to Indo China wars, is of course not permitted to spoil the parade, at least for the moment.
Juxtaposed against a Irredentist and bullying China calling for ‘One China’, a West, coming together to battle an existential threat to its Racially and Colonially earned privileges and position and an Islamic world quietly but determinedly digging in its heels, where this is going to land us, is still hidden in future’s fog.
Whatever may it be, the next few years and our coming generations have a fraught world to contend with. History beckons.
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