Book Review
Title: Foot
Soldier of the Constitution: A Memoir
Author: Teesta Setalvad
Publisher: LeftWord
Books, New Delhi, 2017
Pages: 221 Price: ₹295
Hatred is a powerful
political tool. Its power increases in
direct proportion to the symbols associated with it, especially religious or
nationalistic. Many leaders in present
Indian politics rose to occupy high positions wielding this weapon
effectively. However, as it turned out,
power was not their ultimate motive. If
it were the socio-political atmosphere in the country would not have been so
thoroughly vitiated.
The real motive was a
“Goebbelsian desire to change the narrative” of the nation, says Teesta
Setalvad in her memoir. The narrative is
being altered so much that erstwhile heroes are becoming villains while people
with little heroism are being elevated to heroic stature. The alteration is not confined to historical
figures alone; anyone who questions the BJP and its allies runs the risk of
being projected as an enemy of the nation while those who perpetrate heinous
crimes in the name of certain nationalist or religious symbols enjoy heroic
status.
Teesta’s political memoir
narrates the story of certain transmogrifications in the national narrative
with a particular focus on the Gujarat riots of 2002. The book reads like a creepy story that
shakes the very foundations of our sensibility.
In the very first chapter
(there are only four chapters), we are told that Narendra Modi who was the
Chief Minister of Gujarat was happy to hear about the Godhra train burning
incident. When he received the details
from the District Collector, what Modi did first of all was to call the VHP
leader Jaideep Patel, not the police or other administrators. “A senior minister in Modi’s cabinet, Suresh
Mehta (who has been the chief minister of Gujarat for a year) testified to the
fact that Modi, seated next to him in the Gujarat state assembly when the
Godhra train burning was discussed, had a look of satisfaction on his face.
‘Now the Hindus will awake,’ was the remark made by him.” [p. 47]
Teesta says that Modi was
brought into Gujarat politics just a year back because the BJP had lost a
series of by-elections and Modi was expected to resuscitate the party. He ordered that the charred unidentifiable
bodies of the kar sevaks be taken
from Godhra to Allahabad in a motor cavalcade so that religious sentiments
could be aroused far and wide. The strategy worked and the terrible riots broke
out. Teesta shows with evidence that the
police officers were told not to do anything so that the riots would continue
for a few days. The honest police
officers who resisted Modi were penalised eventually.
Teesta quotes the report
of the Concerned Citizens Tribunal, Crime
Against Humanity, vol II, “Shri Modi played an active role, along with at
least three cabinet colleagues, in instructing senior police personnel and
civil administrators that a ‘Hindu reaction was to be expected and this must
not be curtailed or controlled.’”
The history of the Gujarat
riots is closely linked with Teesta’s life since she championed the cause of
justice on behalf of the victims. Her
Memoir tells vividly how she was persecuted for what she did. Many charges were fabricated against her. She
continued to be persecuted all the more after Modi became the Prime Minister.
The book has been
published in a time when Modi has become one of the most powerful rulers in the
world. His power within the country is
ominous. Even the mass media is scared to
report against him and his party. One
must admire Teesta’s courage in publishing the Memoir at this time.
Those who are familiar
with what happened during and after the 2002 riots may not find anything new in
the book. Quite a lot of Indians will
hate Teesta for writing the truths so openly.
Very many will not even accept the truths. At least a few will admire the grit of this
woman called Teesta Setalvad, great granddaughter of Chamanlal Setalvad who
cross-questioned General Dyer after the Jallianwallah Bagh massacre.
The policy of divide and rule, still, seems to be an effective tool in hands of politicians to control the masses. :(
ReplyDeleteIndeed. Bring along a little nationalism and add spices of religion and the concoction is very heady.
DeleteNow the Hindus will awake" means the Hindus were oppressed earlier or were not active in political forums ? Even I would also like to know the events from that period.
ReplyDeletehttps://matheikal.blogspot.in/2014/09/the-modi-fiction.html
DeleteThat's my review of another book on the riots. Teesta's is a more personal narrative.
Very informative and an excellent review. More interestingly, I also loved reading the comments. Has anything changed drastically in these three years that the blogs do not hold any longer as a medium for discussions?
DeleteMy optimism in those comments were proved wrong. India has become a worse place under Modi. Criminal elements are allowed to take law into their hands in the form of gau rakshaks and anti Romeos. There is much more hatred in India today. India has become another Gujarat as the state was under Modi.
DeleteForgot to mention blogs as a medium for discussion. Blogs today have been degenerated into another means of earning some income by writing things which others want to read! The same thing has happened to the publication industry too. Look at the kind of books being published now. Good writers have been pushed back by the bad ones.
DeleteIt seems discussion is a thing of the past. People are so much polarized by hatred and blind faith that they love to impose opinions rather.
DeleteAnd when books like I dumped her after the last night comes, it becomes a hot cake cause who would have the patience to read good literature when they have their opinions to shove in.
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ReplyDeleteToday only the verdict has come for the case of Bilkis Bano. And what's Ms. Teesta has narrated in her book (and you've quoted in this article) was portrayed very courageously by Govind Nihalani in his Hindi movie - Dev (2005) in which Amitabh Bachchan had played the title role of a dutiful cop posted in Gujarat and Amrish Puri had played the role of the Gujarat CM during the time of those so-called spontaneously broken out (as Modi-Bhaktas term them) riots. If you have not seen that movie, please do watch it.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't aware of that movie. But I'll look out for it now. I'm no movie fan, that's the only problem.
Delete