Modi Government’s Offensive On Dissenting Voices
The past month has been witness to an unstoppable tide of dissent against intolerance and bigotry patronized by the Modi Government in India. Hundreds of writers, followed by artists, scientists, filmmakers, sociologists, historians and actors have returned awards or otherwise expressed concern at the growing climate of intolerance and violence in the country. In addition, even members of the ruling establishment, including the President of India and the RBI Governor have also expressed similar concerns. The global investment ratings company, Moody’s Analytics, also warned Prime Minister Narendra Modi that his failure to “rein in” the intolerance and sectarian violence promoted by members of his party would harm India “domestic and global credibility.”
In the face of this all-out loss of credibility for the Modi Government, the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has responded by accusing all the dissenting voices of being “Congress and Left thinkers and activists” who are displaying “ideological intolerance” towards Modi. The Prime Minister, he said, was in fact the biggest victim of this “intolerance.” Some days later, the Jharkhand CM from the BJP added that writers returning awards were in fact guilty of “ideological terrorism.”
Such a response to dissent, only confirms the accusations of authoritarian arrogance that the Modi Government is facing. Dissent and criticism are crucial for any democracy – and dissent by definition “speaks truth to power.” For the party wielding power to claim to be a victim of “intolerance” is laughable. It implies that only possible place the Modi Government envisages for citizens is of cheerleaders. Anyone who does not join the cheering chorus but speaks up in dissent is accused of “intolerance.”
Worse, dissenters are accused of being “terrorists” and “Pakistanis.” Those who stand up for the right to eat beef or question the killing of Muslims or writers, or criticize Modi in any way are advised by BJP Ministers like Giriraj Singh to “go to Pakistan.” The BJP President Amit Shah, in speeches in the Bihar elections, claims that BJP’s defeat will be greeted by firecrackers and celebrations in “Pakistan.” Such statements slyly use “Pakistan” and “terrorist” as shorthand for Indian Muslims and those who speak up for the rights of Indian Muslims. Citizenship and patriotism are redefined as approval of the BJP and RSS agenda of Hindu Rashtra and corporate appeasement, and every citizen who votes against the BJP, or any activist who agitate against land grab laws or other pro-corporate policies, or stand up for civil liberties, freedom of expression and dignity of minorities can be branded as a “terrorist.”
These allegations of “intolerance” and “terrorism” are of course an admission of failure by the BJP: failure to turn the tide of public opinion in their favour in spite of holding all the power. But they are also dangerous – because branding dissenters as terrorists is a ploy to justify cracking down on them.
Jaitley’s claim that the “national situation is absolutely peaceful…The country is not intolerant,” and wave away incidents like the Dadri lynching as an aberration are belied by facts. Dadri-style lynchings of Muslims on the pretext of ‘cow slaughter’ happening thick and fast, accompanied by open threats of violence and murder by BJP MPs, Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled states and Sangh Parivar leaders against “those who promote beef or eat beef.” One BJP leader in Karnataka has threatened to behead the Chief Minister if he dares to keep his word and eat beef.
The very statements of no less than the Prime Minister in the Bihar elections confirm rather than allay the apprehensions of growing intolerance and Hindu-Muslim polarization. Modi has tried to inject communalism into caste-based reservations, by claiming that he will “stake his life” before he allowed Muslims to benefit from such reservations.
It would befit a Prime Minister to say that he would “stake his life” to make sure that no Muslim man is lynched for his supposed diet, and no Professor or a rationalist is murdered in his home for his views, or Dalit children burned alive. Instead the Prime Minister has staked the life of peace, tolerance and democracy in India, to seek votes in the Bihar elections and to allow the Sangh Parivar to push India towards the goal of a Hindu Nation.
But no matter how much the BJP and Modi may issue threats and abuse dissenters, the growing sense of anger, disillusionment and dissent against the Modi Government is unmistakable. The writers, scientists, and other intellectuals have shown the way – and this wave of protest in defence of democratic values is fast growing stronger.
