Skip to main content

Majoritarian silence helping Hindutva forces 'handover' national resources to corporates

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak* 
The majority of Indian citizens are witnessing the persecution and everyday violence against their fellow citizens who are Muslims and religious minorities. The growing assaults on reason, science, secularism, Indian democracy and constitution are going to be landmarks in Indian history of diminishing democracy and citizenship rights.
It is clear that Hindutva ideology is directly promoting sectarian politics of hate which is dangerous for the unity and integrity of India, peace and prosperity of Indians. The majoritarian silence helps in empowering Hindutva and their electoral dividends. From witnessing the persecution in the sidelines to the active participation and cheering loud or silence accelerates violence against our neighbours and our fellow citizens.
How and why do majority of Indians stay silent and contribute to the persecution of their fellow citizens who are Muslims and religious minorities? The question baffles me as an Indian because I have grown up in a truly beautiful secular India where intercultural and religious harmony was its hallmark. In spite of all forms of existing inequality and exploitation, hate was not celebrated in Indian mainstream society. Majority of people used to oppose and condemn public violence in all forms.
The propaganda, media manipulation, anti-lower caste and class, anti-Muslim and anti-Christian prejudice and Hindutva symbolism in the name of Indian nationalism and Hindu religion socialises the masses and normalises violent persecution of innocent citizens of India. The conformation with power, prejudice, innocence, ignorance, and fear of power and caste-class opportunism are reasons behind this silence acceptance of injustice.
Perhaps, more than one century of Hindutva propaganda has managed to achieve its objective of normalisation of violence against religious minorities in India. The Hindutva government patronises its own ideology and moving India in a direction of visible destruction.
Amoral Hindutva despotism is a product of century long initiatives in different spheres of social, cultural, religious, political and economic life of the country and its citizens. The common, innocent and gullible Indians assisted the expansion of Hindutva forces and their organisations without knowing their toxic ideology of hate.
Hindutva forces have entered every sphere of Indian national life to control society, culture and religion
Many Indians still share the belief that Hindutva is a nationalist force and working for a developed India. In reality. Hindutva is a fascist force and working for the growth of crony capitalism in India where few corporations will control the economic and political life of India.
The Hindutva forces have entered into every sphere of Indian national life to control the society, culture and religion in India within the narrow vision of Hindutva. The Hindutva ideology and its organisations are powerful enough today to follow the intimidation tactics to enforce the politics of persecution through electoral means.
The next stage is going to be open and mass violence against religious minorities and anyone who opposes such a medieval force called Hindutva. The European fascism in the form of Hindutva awaits India and Indians if there is no mass movement against it.
Majoritarian silence does not help the cause of India and Indians. The peace, prosperity, economic growth and development depends on social harmony. The silence does not protect citizenship rights, dignity, jobs and career. The majoritarian silence surrenders all achievements of Indians to a reactionary Hindutva force that is working to hand over all national resources to capitalist corporations.
Muslims, Christians, indigenous communities, human rights activists, journalists and intellectuals are persecuted today, and majority of Indian will be persecuted tomorrow. It is a matter of time before Hindutva hell fire engulfs us all. Our survival, rights and dignity depends on our collective resistance against a small group of Hindutva fascists who are on streets today to destroy the India we love.
Hindutva is still a small minority of individuals, organisations and networks if we compare India’s total population. Our silence is their strength. It is time to free ourselves from the prison of fear and silence for the sake of Indian Muslim and for ourselves. Any persecution of Muslim population by Hindutva is a persecution of all Indians.
Hindutva can be defeated for the survival of India and Indians. Hindutva is now looking for ways to further expand its base and ideology. Our peace, prosperity and dignity as a nation depends on the defeat of Hindutva from every sphere of life in India.
---
*University of Glasgow, UK

Comments

TRENDING

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah*   The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

'Anti-poor stand': Even British wouldn't reduce Railways' sleeper and general coaches

By Anandi Pandey, Sandeep Pandey*  Probably even the British, who introduced railways in India, would not have done what the Bhartiya Janata Party government is doing. The number of Sleeper and General class coaches in various trains are surreptitiously and ominously disappearing accompanied by a simultaneous increase in Air Conditioned coaches. In the characteristic style of BJP government there was no discussion or debate on this move by the Indian Railways either in the Parliament or outside of it. 

Why convert growing badminton popularity into an 'inclusive sports opportunity'

By Sudhansu R Das  Over the years badminton has become the second most popular game in the world after soccer.  Today, nearly 220 million people across the world play badminton.  The game has become very popular in urban India after India won medals in various international badminton tournaments.  One will come across a badminton court in every one kilometer radius of Hyderabad.  

Faith leaders agree: All religious places should display ‘anti-child marriage’ messages

By Jitendra Parmar*  As many as 17 faith leaders, together for an interfaith dialogue on child marriage in New Delhi, unanimously have agreed that no faith allows or endorses child marriage. The faith leaders advocated that all religious places should display information on child marriage.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Ayurveda, Sidda, and knowledge: Three-day workshop begins in Pala town

By Rosamma Thomas*  Pala town in Kottayam district of Kerala is about 25 km from the district headquarters. St Thomas College in Pala is currently hosting a three-day workshop on knowledge systems, and gathered together are philosophers, sociologists, medical practitioners in homeopathy and Ayurveda, one of them from Nepal, and a few guests from Europe. The discussions on the first day focused on knowledge systems, power structures, and epistemic diversity. French researcher Jacquiline Descarpentries, who represents a unique cooperative of researchers, some of whom have no formal institutional affiliation, laid the ground, addressing the audience over the Internet.

Article 21 'overturned' by new criminal laws: Lawyers, activists remember Stan Swamy

By Gova Rathod*  The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Gujarat, organised an event in Ahmedabad entitled “Remembering Fr. Stan Swamy in Today’s Challenging Reality” in the memory of Fr. Stan Swamy on his third death anniversary.  The event included a discussion of the new criminal laws enforced since July 1, 2024.

Hindutva economics? 12% decline in manufacturing enterprises, 22.5% fall in employment

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  The messiah of Hindutva politics, Narendra Modi, assumed office as the Prime Minister of India on May 26, 2014. He pledged to transform the Indian economy and deliver a developed nation with prosperous citizens. However, despite Modi's continued tenure as the Prime Minister, his ambitious electoral promises seem increasingly elusive. 

Union budget 'outrageously scraps' scheme meant for rehabilitating manual scavengers

By Bezwada Wilson*  The Union Budget for the year 2024-2025, placed by the Finance Minister in Parliament has completely deceived the Safai Karmachari community. There is no mention of persons engaged in manual scavenging in the entire Budget. Even the scheme meant for the rehabilitation of manual scavengers (SRMS) has been outrageously scrapped.