Skip to main content

Not part of freedom movement, BJP-RSS 'politically use' anti-colonial symbols, icons

By Prem Singh* 

Let it be clear at the outset that when the road from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate was named Rajpath, it was not a literal translation of the King's Way. In the same sense, Janpath was not the translated name for its old name, the Queen's Way. In the Rajpath nomenclature, the symbolism of independent and sovereign India's democratic statehood was fulfilled.
From 26 January 1950 onwards, a colorful display of India's military might and cultural diversity continued to be showcased on the Rajpath. In this sense, the symbolism associated with Rajpath became progressively stronger in the public mind.
If any individual or group continues to believe that Rajpath is a translation of the name of the colonial era, King’s Way, and as a result of this, indicates the colonial mindset, one must realize that for the vast public of India, Rajpath means the path of independent and sovereign India's democratic statehood. Therefore, the statement of the Prime Minister that he has liberated the nation from the colonial mindset by renaming the Rajpath as Kartavya Path is mere a rhetoric.
While unveiling the statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, which was installed under the grand canopy situated east of India Gate, the Prime Minister claimed to have given him his rightful place in history. Even this claim could be called hollow.
The politics of symbols and icons has been going on all over the world for a long time. The Congress, in India, has also done that, and regional satraps have been doing it at the regional level in different ways. However, this politics has intensified in the neo-liberal era.
The only thing that's new with the RSS/BJP in this regard is that it uses the politics of symbols and icons of anti-colonial struggle without having participated in the freedom struggle. It brings someone down, lifts someone up while doing this brand of politics.
To cover the hollowness of this exercise, it has to go beyond history and logic, and resort to political power. Neither history is made nor is history written by making loud claims with the support of power and rumbling of symbols/icons.
The RSS/BJP finds everything wrong in the historiography of ancient and medieval India and freedom struggle. The correct way is that its scholars should attempt rewriting the 'right history' but only after following the rigorous discipline of historiography. Historiography is perhaps the most difficult academic pursuit in the modern world. Like every subject, historiography is determined by rigorous examination of accepted methods and criteria.
Without learning, understanding and following them, one cannot become a historian or a scholar of any other subject. Ignoring this difficult though necessary path, the RSS/BJP try to slander the left scholars who write history, and tamper with the already prescribed textbooks.
As if, in India and in the world only sanghis and communists exist; and other than the communists, scholars of no other streams have done any work in historiography or in any other subject. Obviously, this becomes a futile debate on the part of the RSS/BJP, which blocks the path of knowledge.
Left scholars in India and in the world have contributed a lot to historiography and other subjects. This is the result of their sincerity, intellect and hard work. A scholar of any other stream cannot move forward without having gone through their work and learned from them. Exactly in the same way, a scholar of the Marxist stream cannot progress by neglecting the work of scholars of other streams.
But people of stagnant mentality become accustomed to instigating arguments and quarrels instead of pursuing the basics of academic learning. Due to this they do not develop as modern human beings, their intellectual credibility is doubtful and their social personality suffers. 
The same holds true for the RSS/BJP. One cannot claim to be modern simply by indiscriminate adoption of digital devices invented by the western world.
For that one has to adopt the philosophy of the natural sciences which nurtures a scientific and progressive outlook. It is not without reason that people with a stagnant mindset try to make themselves look modern by equipping them with various digital tools.
The question of colonial mind-set and liberation from it has been a very problematic and serious question. Not only for the countries which have been colonized, but also for the colonialists. There is a plethora of literature and debates available on colonialism, post-colonialism and neo-colonialism. Many important leaders of the world including India have also given serious thought to this subject.
People remember, in August 2019, ABVP secretly established the trinity of Savarkar-Netaji-Bhagat Singh in Delhi University campus
In the field of politics, a true statesman will not make superficial speeches on the serious question of colonial mind-set and liberation from this mind-set. For the last three decades the threat of neo-colonialism has resurfaced for the countries which got freedom from the grip of colonialism. India is also facing that threat.
But, unfortunately, the ruling-class here, instead of performing its duty towards ensuring the country's independence and sovereignty, is handing the country over to the neo-colonial clutches. While doing so, the ruling-class reduces the freedom fighters and the national flag into merely objects of political use.
The present government has been doing the same thing, first with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and now with Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. The government is neither concerned with the role played by Patel for national integration and communal harmony, nor with the socialist and secular ideas of Netaji.
It wants to keep new or corporate-India (Nigam-Bharat) as a communal state, which it calls 'Hindu-Rashtra'. Netaji’s daughter Prof. Anita Bose Pfaff, in her letter addressed to the Prime Minister, states, “… he upheld in no uncertain manner communal harmony, Indian unity as well as the emancipation of women and the downtrodden people.”
The Prime Minister, while unveiling the statue of Netaji, bypasses the fact that it is a stop gap arrangement. VD Savarkar's statue is yet to be installed with Netaji at the same place even if a statue of Bhagat Singh too needs to be installed alongside.
People will remember that in August 2019, the leaders of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) had secretly established the trinity of Savarkar-Netaji-Bhagat Singh in the main campus of Delhi University. In an article written at this time I had said that this course was not going to cease with this incident.
In fact, it is a two-pronged psychological warfare going on: diverting the attention of the masses, especially the younger generation, from the neo-colonial clutches; and the inclusion of those who fought against colonialism in the arena of neo-colonialism. This combined exercise of the ruling-class and the media is advertised as patriotism, day and night, by uninterrupted propaganda. People are drawn in by this way of preaching and applaud it.
A few generations have been born from the womb of a-politicization that went under three decades of corporate politics. They do not seem to mind the phenomenon of corporate politics selling off national assets, destroying constitutional institutions, renaming cities, roads, buildings on communal lines, and the celebrations of all this.
In conclusion, it can be said that the new beautified Kartavya Path of new India will inspire the people to imagine that their duty, like the ruling-class, is to be devoted not to the sacrifices of their anti-colonial, patriotic forefathers but to the service of neo-colonialism!
---
*Associated with the socialist movement, former teacher of Delhi University and fellow of Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla

Comments

TRENDING

'Draconian' Kerala health law follows WHO diktat: Govt readies to take harsh measures

By Dr Maya Valecha*  The Governor of Kerala has signed the Kerala Public Health Bill, which essentially reverses the people’s campaign in healthcare services in Kerala for decentralisation. The campaign had led to relinquishing of state powers in 1996, resulting in improvement of health parameters in Kerala. Instead, now, enforcement of law through the exercise of power, fines, etc., and the implementation of protocol during the pandemic, are considered of prime importance.

Reject WHO's 'draconian' amendments on pandemic: Citizens to Union Health Minister

By Our Representative  Several concerned Indian citizens have written to the Union Health Minister to reject amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) of the World Health Organization (WHO) adopted during the 75th World Health Assembly (WHA75) in May 2022, apprehending this will make the signatories surrender their autonomy to the “unelected, unaccountable and the whimsical WHO in case of any future ‘pandemics’.”

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. 

Bihar rural women entrepreneurs witness 50% surge in awareness about renewal energy

By Mignonne Dsouza*  An endline survey conducted under the Bolega Bihar initiative revealed a significant increase in awareness of renewable energy among women, rising from 25% to 76% in Nalanda and Gaya. Renu Kumari, a 34-year-old entrepreneur from Nalanda, Bihar, operates a village eatery that serves as the primary source of income for her family, including her husband and five children. However, a significant portion of her profits was being directed toward covering monthly electricity expenses that usually reach Rs 2,000. 

Work with Rajasthan's camel herders: German scientist wins World Cookbook Award 2023

By Rosamma Thomas*  Gourmand World Cookbook Awards are the only awards for international food culture. This year, German scientist  Ilse Kohler Rollefson , founder of Camel Charisma, the first of India’s camel dairies, in Pali district of Rajasthan, won the award for her work with camel herders in Rajasthan, and for preparing for the UN International Year of Camelids, 2024. 

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.

Why is electricity tariff going up in India? Who is the beneficiary? A random reflection

By Thomas Franco*  Union Ministry of Power has used its power under Section 11 of the Electricity Act, 2003 to force States to import coal which has led to an increase in the cost of electricity production and every consumer is paying a higher tariff. In India, almost everybody from farmers to MSMEs are consumers of electricity.

'Pro-corporate agenda': Odisha crackdown on tribal slum dwellers fighting for land rights

By Our Representative  The civil rights network Campaign Against State Repression (CASR), even as condemning what it calls “brutal repression” on the Adivasi slum dwellers of Salia Sahi in Bhubaneshwar by the Odisha police, has said that the crackdown was against the tribals struggling for land rights in order to “stop the attempts at land-grab by the government.”

Deplorable, influential sections 'still believe' burning coal is essential indefinitely

By Shankar Sharma*  Some of the recent developments in the power sector, as some  recent news items show, should be of massive relevance/ interest to our policy makers in India. Assuming that our authorities are officially mandated/ committed to maintain a holistic approach to the overall welfare of all sections of our society, including the flora, fauna and general environment, these developments/ experiences from different parts of the globe should be clear pointers to the sustainable energy pathways for our people.

Hazrat Aisha’s age was 16, not 6: 'Weak' Hadith responsible for controversy

Sacred chamber where Prophet and Aisha used to live By Dr Mike Ghouse* Muslims must take the responsibility to end the age-old controversy about Hazrat Aisha’s age at the time of her marriage to the Prophet (pbuh) – it was 16, not 6 (minimum was 16, Max 23 per different calculations). The Hadiths published were in good faith, but no one ever checked their authenticity, and they kept passing on from scholar to scholar and book to book.  Thanks to 9/11, Muslims have started questioning and correcting the Hadiths, Seerah, and mistranslations of the Quran. Now, the Ulema have to issue an opinion, also known as Fatwa, to end it and remove those Hadith entries. Mustafa Akyol, a scholar of Islam, implores Muslims to stop deifying “the received traditions” and critically study their religious past, shedding rigid legalism and close-mindedness. Someone else used the phrase “copycat Muslims” to identify scholars who copied what was given to them and passed it on without researching or questioni