Skip to main content

The politics of Bharat Ratna

Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Madan Mohan Malviya, both deserve the Bharat Ratna.  One is an eminent statesman and the other is a reputed freedom fighter.  Nevertheless there is something sinister about the motive.

Ever since the Modi government took charge there has been a concerted effort to distort history and manufacture a monolithic culture.  Sanskrit being forced upon certain students midway through an academic session and making the Christmas day a working day indirectly are just two examples.

The motive is clear: make India a nation of people believing in a single religion and possessing a single culture. It is neither possible nor desirable an objective. Majoritarianism is just another version of fascism.

At any rate, when pluralism has become a necessity in a globalized world why would India seek to eliminate diversity? Even more significantly, can all Indians really be Hindus? Should they?  Why?

The BJP already has much to answer.  It will soon have too much to answer, it seems.

Labels:

Comments

  1. AnonymousDecember 26, 2014 at 11:50 PM

    Ever since the Modi government took charge there has been a concerted effort to distort history..? Can you make it clear because most of us who believed in modi is thinking that he is saving our heritage, cultures and working for a development with spiritual values.
    I had voted first time and i am happy with, i know and i would be happy if Atalji refused to take this bharat ratna which became like filmfare during UPA, Nehru, Indira, Rajiv, VV Giri, MGR who not got? but you find it sinister because modi has announced two deserving personalities one from his pary other from his constituency, dear people like you might be leftist or pessimist for me and all who voted for bjp is feeling honored.
    I don't know whats wrong with seculars, please write a different post on religion then i will put my idiotic logics, now all i want to say is please dont find it sinister and feel the proud being Indian.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalDecember 27, 2014 at 8:40 AM

      Leftist, yes. When the pessimist says, "It can't get any worse," I say, "Cheer up, it sure can." So I am an optimist :) Cheers

      Delete
  2. UnknownDecember 27, 2014 at 6:59 AM

    The title of this post is so misleading. Bharath Ratna has not been politicised...
    You could have instead highlighted the fact that December 25 2014 has been declared as Good Governance day despite the same being Christmas! This will arouse suspicion among the minority of the country. Imagine Indians who are christians instead of going for "mass" and decorating christmas trees,going to school (especially Christian Missionary Schools) and asking students to submit essays on Good Governance and working on other themes related to it..... That would be unwarranted.....Announcing good initiatives on declared public holidays are a no no!!
    Bharath Ratna has not been politicised........ It is sacred ........... Atalji and Malavya ji deserve it coz they were true patriots and great leaders........

    Try to Change your title pls........... Nothing political about Bharath Ratna.....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalDecember 27, 2014 at 9:02 AM

      Everything is grist to political mills. Mr Modi is no saint...

      Delete
  3. UnknownDecember 30, 2014 at 3:13 PM

    It seems that you haved edited your post... lol..... you inserted this later "making the Christmas day a working day indirectly are just two examples" . Else why would i comment on something which you have referred to alreadyin your post....

    Everything is grist to political mills : is not what i expect from you as a defence. My contention is this: the title of the post. Bharath ratna has nothing to do with conversion or christianity etc. Bharath Ratna is a recognition given by the state........ state is permanent and governments are not......
    In this case its the gov which decided to impose good governance day on december 25 and they are in the wrong...... instead of constructively critisizing the gov. you are barking up the wrong tree by dragging bharath ratna into this... atrocious.

    Bharath ratna is given away not to assert hindutva sir... it has no hidden motives. Atal s name was suggested to previous govs... they just ignored him. since cong had monopolized nehru - gandhi names to themselves they had ignored other leaders of freedom movement..... malavya is one among them...
    Bharath Ratna is given away for a reason... All political parties welcomed the decision and never told anything derogatory about the choices.. then why are you comparing this move to majoritarianism...... try to edit your posts with these things tooo mr:
    sadhvi rithambharas comments, godse statues, plastic surgeries, nuke, stem cell reasearches during vedic period etc... these are outright stupid things and try to overshadow secular fabric.... atal and mmm were true patriots,,, they fought for the country and it doesnt matter whethere they were hindus , christians or muslims....... they loved their country. dont forget atal never gave free hand to sangh during his regime...........

    Please post constructive criticims alone............And try to admit mistakes. it will never belittle you ...... it will only enhance your stature...........

    ReplyDelete
  4. Brendan DabhiJanuary 3, 2015 at 4:36 PM

    Very well said sir. The same question has been going around in my head for quite some time now. And even though these two eminent men deserve the honour, it comes at a time that is unfortunate and misleading. But, th political rhetoric is clear. It is something to be feared and I don't think the people of India are going to be too happy about it.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Adventures of Toto as a comic strip

  'The Adventures of Toto' is an amusing story by Ruskin Bond. It is prescribed as a lesson in CBSE's English course for class 9. Maggie asked her students to do a project on some of the lessons and Femi George's work is what I would like to present here. Femi converted the story into a beautiful comic strip. Her work will speak for itself and let me present it below.  Femi George Student of Carmel Public School, Vazhakulam, Kerala Similar post: The Little Girl
47 comments
Read more

Break Your Barriers

  Guest Post Break Your Barriers : 10 Strategic Career Essentials to Grow in Value by Anu Sunil  A Review by Jose D. Maliekal SDB Anu Sunil’s Break Your Barriers is a refreshing guide for anyone seeking growth in life and work. It blends career strategy, personal philosophy, and practical management insights into a resource that speaks to educators, HR professionals, and leaders across both faith-based and secular settings. Having spent nearly four decades teaching philosophy and shaping human resources in Catholic seminaries, I found the book deeply enriching. Its central message is clear: most limitations are self-imposed, and imagination is the key to breaking through them. As the author reminds us, “The only limit to your success is your imagination.” The book’s strength lies in its transdisciplinary approach. It treats careers not just as jobs but as vocations, rooted in the dignity of labour and human development. Themes such as empathy, self-mastery, ethical le...
3 comments
Read more

The Art of Subjugation: A Case Study

Two Pulaya women, 1926 [Courtesy Mathrubhumi ] The Pulaya and Paraya communities were the original landowners in Kerala until the Brahmins arrived from the North with their religion and gods. They did not own the land individually; the lands belonged to the tribes. Then in the 8 th – 10 th centuries CE, the Brahmins known as Namboothiris in Kerala arrived and deceived the Pulayas and Parayas lock, stock, and barrel. With the help of religion. The Namboothiris proclaimed themselves the custodians of all wealth by divine mandate. They possessed the Vedic and Sanskrit mantras and tantras to prove their claims. The aboriginal people of Kerala couldn’t make head or tail of concepts such as Brahmadeya (land donated to Brahmins becoming sacred land) or Manu’s injunctions such as: “Land given to a Brahmin should never be taken back” [8.410] or “A king who confiscates land from Brahmins incurs sin” [8.394]. The Brahmins came, claimed certain powers given by the gods, and started exploi...
15 comments
Read more

The music of an ageing man

Having entered the latter half of my sixties, I view each day as a bonus. People much younger become obituaries these days around me. That awareness helps me to sober down in spite of the youthful rush of blood in my indignant veins. Age hasn’t withered my indignation against injustice, fraudulence, and blatant human folly, much as I would like to withdraw from the ringside and watch the pugilism from a balcony seat with mellowed amusement. But my genes rage against my will. The one who warned me in my folly-ridden youth to be wary of my (anyone’s, for that matter) destiny-shaping character was farsighted. I failed to subdue the rages of my veins. I still fail. That’s how some people are, I console myself. So, at the crossroads of my sixties, I confess to a dismal lack of emotional maturity that should rightfully belong to my age. The problem is that the sociopolitical reality around me doesn’t help anyway to soothe my nerves. On the contrary, that reality is almost entirely re...
14 comments
Read more

Mahatma Ayyankali’s Relevance Today

About a year before he left for Chicago (1893), Swami Vivekananda visited Kerala and described the state (then Travancore-Cochin-Malabar princely states) as a “lunatic asylum.” The spiritual philosopher was shocked by the brutality of the caste system that was in practice in the region. The peasant caste of Pulayas , for example, had to keep a distance of 90 feet from Brahmins and 64 feet from Nairs. The low caste people were denied most human rights. They could not access education, enter temple premises, or buy essentials from markets. They were not even considered as humans. Ayyankali (1863-1941) was a Pulaya leader who emerged to confront the situation. I just finished reading a biography of his in Malayalam and was highly impressed by the contributions of the great man who came to be known in Kerala as the Mahatma of the Dalits . What prompted me to order a copy of the biography was an article I read in a Malayalam periodical last week. The article described how Ayyankali...
14 comments
Read more