The
ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has two sharply contrasting faces. One looks westward, to the capitalist economy
and technological advance. The other
looks backward into history and clings to ossified fossils that will stand out
like monstrous gargoyles on the edifice of any modern thinking.
Thus
the party has a leader who hops on and off airplanes that take him places which
have absolutely no affinity for his or his party’s ideologies and long term
objectives. Back home in the country,
his colleagues go on harping on one and the same string of ancient – very
ancient – history producing a tedious monotony ad nauseam.
The
latest pronouncement is from the urban development minister, Mr Venkaiah Naidu,
who wants to rename Delhi as Indraprastha or Hastinapur. How far back does the BJP want to take
India? How forward, on the other
hand? Is the party suffering from a
split personality disorder? Some kind of
political schizophrenia?
I
wonder if Mr Naidu has some basic knowledge of human history. Or is he mixing myth with history with some
heinous ulterior motive? “The question
to ask here is whether Mahabharata is a myth or reality. If it is a reality
then when did it exist. Some say it was lakhs of years ago. ... Evidence of the
oldest settlement in Delhi dates to the 3rd century BC inside Purana Qila,
which means just 2,300 years ago,” remarked
Sohail Hashmi, historian and film-maker.
Every
day one or another leader of the BJP comes out with some suggestion which
can only take India backward by centuries and reinforce certain superstitions
and ignorance. Why is the party doing
this? Does it want India move ahead
toward a greater civilisation founded on scientific temper or push us deeper
into the world of myths, mantras and old wives’ tales?
This is the tragedy of our country. We either look towards the west or way back into the past.
ReplyDeleteI don't think capitaism of the west would suit India, nor would taking it back to history. It doesn't matter if the past was glorious or not, the thing is it's already gone. I had a happy childhood, but would it be smart if I try to re-create it at my age?
I wish we would look at our country try understanding the people, and help them. Only then, there is hope!
I have wondered time and again why bjp has to play this nationalist drama when it enjoys so much popularity and is sure to have power for a while now
DeleteWe have made it to Mars.
ReplyDeleteReally hope we conquer our mind too.
No renaming please...
Yes Anita, we should now look ahead into the out there rather than look backward.
Deletewell written article about Janus-faced BJP
ReplyDeleteThanks,
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