Skip to main content

Naveen's 'surrender to Hindutva' result of following BJP-type policies

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak* 

“Here richly, with ridiculous display,
The Politician's corpse was laid away.
While all of his acquaintance sneered and slanged
I wept: for I had longed to see him hanged.
Another on the Same”
― Hilaire Belloc

The 20th-century conservative French and English poet Hilaire Belloc did not write this poem, 'Epitaph on the Politician Himself', to pen the political obituary for the long-serving outgoing Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik. 
However, each word of the poem aptly resonates with the political and electoral transformation in Odisha. Ordinary people push all-powerful to the dustbin of history and make them irrelevant in public life while exercising their democratic dissent in the form of voting during elections.
No one is studying Odisha politics immediately after the recent electoral defeat of Naveen Patnaik led Biju Janata Dal (BJD) which has governed the state for more than two decades. 
The 4th of June election result has already written the political epitaph of many BJD leaders, including its founder Patnaik. It is an ignominious end of long-standing political dominance of BJD and its future in the state. It has effectively become irrelevant in national politics with no seats in the Lok Sabha.
This electoral defeat and dissatisfaction of Odia people and their discontent was directed not just at the party, but personally at Patnaik, who had been a central figure in Odisha politics for decades. He was defeated in the Kantabanji assembly seat and his vote share has declined in Hinjili where he won with a smaller margin of votes than the previous state election. 
Patnaik has squandered the political goodwill of the working masses in the state. His political demise is a product of his own making. Patnaik's political demise and his precarious political future can be attributed to several factors.
Patnaik’s resigned state of leadership with the withdrawn mindset, over-dependence on ignorant and arrogant bureaucrats, technocratic political interventions, over engagement with religion, imposition of unpopular leadership on the party and the state, and disengagement with working masses, failure to deliver development, employment, livelihoods, and empowered citizenship to people etc. have alienated many within his party and among Odia voters as well. 
Additionally, there were growing concerns over corruption, lack of development in key areas of health, education, agriculture, and a failure to address the needs and aspirations of the younger generation. 
These issues cumulatively eroded the trust and support that the BJD once enjoyed. Furthermore, the opposition parties like BJP capitalised on these weaknesses, mounting a more effective campaign that resonated with the public's desire for change.
The defeat of the BJD, therefore, is not merely a reflection of  Patnaik’s political missteps but also a testament to the evolving political sentiments in Odisha, where people have rejected imposed leadership of an unelected bureaucrat. 
Voters in the state are increasingly demanding accountability and progressive governance -- qualities that the Hindutva politics is unlikely to provide. This shift in voter sentiment highlights a broader trend where citizens are prioritising effective leadership and tangible improvements in their quality of life over the ideological agendas pursued by Hindutva politics.
Patnaik has played a significant role in the rejuvenation of Hindutva politics in the state. His alliance government with the BJP marked the initial step in Hindutva politics' quest to capture state power in Odisha. 
The BJP, acting as a secondary partner to Patnaik's BJD, failed to deliver meaningful results for the people of the state while serving in the opposition. Moreover, under Patnaik's leadership, the BJD has consistently supported BJP policies and bills in the Indian parliament, blurring the lines between the two parties in terms of governance. 
Both BJD and BJP pander to primitive crony capitalists who plunder natural resources in the state
As a result, there has been very little distinction between the BJD and the BJP in their approach to governing Odisha in terms of economic policies for development. Both pander to primitive crony capitalists who plunder natural resources in the state.
In the coming months, it will be crucial to monitor how the BJD attempts to regroup and rebuild itself as a political entity, and whether Patnaik will play any role in this process. Equally important will be the actions and policies of the new government led by the BJP, as they will set the course for Odisha's future development and political stability as per the Hindutva requirements.
Interreligious and intercultural harmony is the hallmark of Odisha. It is the duty of all to protect it from Hindutva onslaught.  There is no place for the Hindutva culture of religious violence in the state. The people of Odisha must remain vigilant about the divisive policies and politics of Hindutva forces, ensuring that the state and its government work for the peace and prosperity of all its residents without any form of discrimination.
As Odisha moves forward, political parties will need to adapt to these changing expectations. They must focus on addressing the real issues facing the populace, such as economic development, education, employment, healthcare, and infrastructure, rather than relying on divisive or outdated rhetoric of Hindutva politics. The recent electoral outcomes suggest that only those who can genuinely respond to the needs and aspirations of the people will find lasting success.
The fall of BJD and the rise of Hindutva politics led by BJP also offers alternative experiments in Odisha, where all progressive, left, democratic, liberal and secular forces can consolidate to create a political movement for the progressive, peaceful and prosperous future of Odia people and their planet.
---
*University of Glasgow, UK

Comments

TRENDING

How Hindutva and the Taliban mirror each other in power and ideology

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  The recent visit of Taliban-appointed Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to India and the warm reception extended to him by the Modi government have raised questions about India’s foreign policy direction. The decision appears to lend legitimacy to the Taliban regime, which continues to suppress democratic aspirations in Afghanistan. 

History, culture and literature of Fatehpur, UP, from where Maulana Hasrat Mohani hailed

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  Maulana Hasrat Mohani was a member of the Constituent Assembly and an extremely important leader of our freedom movement. Born in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, Hasrat Mohani's relationship with nearby district of Fatehpur is interesting and not explored much by biographers and historians. Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri has written a book on Maulana Hasrat Mohani and Fatehpur. The book is in Urdu.  He has just come out with another important book, 'Hindi kee Pratham Rachna: Chandayan' authored by Mulla Daud Dalmai.' During my recent visit to Fatehpur town, I had an opportunity to meet Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri and recorded a conversation with him on issues of history, culture and literature of Fatehpur. Sharing this conversation here with you. Kindly click this link. --- *Human rights defender. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/vbrawat , X @freetohumanity, Skype @vbrawat

Celebrating 125 yr old legacy of healthcare work of missionaries

Vilas Shende, director, Mure Memorial Hospital By Moin Qazi* Central India has been one of the most fertile belts for several unique experiments undertaken by missionaries in the field of education and healthcare. The result is a network of several well-known schools, colleges and hospitals that have woven themselves into the social landscape of the region. They have also become a byword for quality and affordable services delivered to all sections of the society. These institutions are characterised by committed and compassionate staff driven by the selfless pursuit of improving the well-being of society. This is the reason why the region has nursed and nurtured so many eminent people who occupy high positions in varied fields across the country as well as beyond. One of the fruits of this legacy is a more than century old iconic hospital that nestles in the heart of Nagpur city. Named as Mure Memorial Hospital after a British warrior who lost his life in a war while defending his cou...

N-power plant at Mithi Virdi: CRZ nod is arbitrary, without jurisdiction

By Krishnakant* A case-appeal has been filed against the order of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and others granting CRZ clearance for establishment of intake and outfall facility for proposed 6000 MWe Nuclear Power Plant at Mithi Virdi, District Bhavnagar, Gujarat by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) vide order in F 11-23 /2014-IA- III dated March 3, 2015. The case-appeal in the National Green Tribunal at Western Bench at Pune is filed by Shaktisinh Gohil, Sarpanch of Jasapara; Hajabhai Dihora of Mithi Virdi; Jagrutiben Gohil of Jasapara; Krishnakant and Rohit Prajapati activist of the Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the MoEF&CC, Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gujarat Coastal Zone Management Authority, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and case is kept for hearing on August 20, 2015. Appeal No. 23 of 2015 (WZ) is filed, a...

Urgent need to study cause of large number of natural deaths in Gulf countries

By Venkatesh Nayak* According to data tabled in Parliament in April 2018, there are 87.76 lakh (8.77 million) Indians in six Gulf countries, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While replying to an Unstarred Question (#6091) raised in the Lok Sabha, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs said, during the first half of this financial year alone (between April-September 2018), blue-collared Indian workers in these countries had remitted USD 33.47 Billion back home. Not much is known about the human cost of such earnings which swell up the country’s forex reserves quietly. My recent RTI intervention and research of proceedings in Parliament has revealed that between 2012 and mid-2018 more than 24,570 Indian Workers died in these Gulf countries. This works out to an average of more than 10 deaths per day. For every US$ 1 Billion they remitted to India during the same period there were at least 117 deaths of Indian Workers in Gulf ...

New RTI draft rules inspired by citizen-unfriendly, overtly bureaucratic approach

By Venkatesh Nayak* The Department of Personnel and Training , Government of India has invited comments on a new set of Draft Rules (available in English only) to implement The Right to Information Act, 2005 . The RTI Rules were last amended in 2012 after a long period of consultation with various stakeholders. The Government’s move to put the draft RTI Rules out for people’s comments and suggestions for change is a welcome continuation of the tradition of public consultation. Positive aspects of the Draft RTI Rules While 60-65% of the Draft RTI Rules repeat the content of the 2012 RTI Rules, some new aspects deserve appreciation as they clarify the manner of implementation of key provisions of the RTI Act. These are: Provisions for dealing with non-compliance of the orders and directives of the Central Information Commission (CIC) by public authorities- this was missing in the 2012 RTI Rules. Non-compliance is increasingly becoming a major problem- two of my non-compliance cases are...

Epic war against caste system is constitutional responsibility of elected government

Edited by well-known Gujarat Dalit rights leader Martin Macwan, the book, “Bhed-Bharat: An Account of Injustice and Atrocities on Dalits and Adivasis (2014-18)” (available in English and Gujarati*) is a selection of news articles on Dalits and Adivasis (2014-2018) published by Dalit Shakti Prakashan, Ahmedabad. Preface to the book, in which Macwan seeks to answer key questions on why the book is needed today: *** The thought of compiling a book on atrocities on Dalits and thus present an overall Indian picture had occurred to me a long time ago. Absence of such a comprehensive picture is a major reason for a weak social and political consciousness among Dalits as well as non-Dalits. But gradually the idea took a different form. I found that lay readers don’t understand numbers and don’t like to read well-researched articles. The best way to reach out to them was storytelling. As I started writing in Gujarati and sharing the idea of the book with my friends, it occurred to me that while...

Creative destruction? The myth of ‘better capitalism’ behind the 2025 Economics Nobel

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak *  The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has awarded the 2025 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel to Joel Mokyr , Philippe Aghion , and Peter Howitt “for having explained innovation-driven economic growth .” According to the Nobel announcement on October 13 , one half of the prize goes to Professor Joel Mokyr “for having identified the prerequisites for sustained growth through technological progress ,” while the other half is shared by Professors Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt “for the theory of sustained growth through creative destruction .”

Justice for Zubeen Garg: Fans persist as investigations continue in India and Singapore

By Nava Thakuria*  Even a month after the death of Assam’s cultural icon Zubeen Garg in Singapore under mysterious circumstances, thousands of his fans and admirers across eastern India continue their campaign for “ JusticeForZubeenGarg .” A large digital campaign has gained momentum, with over two million social media users from around the world demanding legal action against those allegedly responsible. Although the Assam government has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT), which has arrested seven people, and a judicial commission headed by Justice Soumitra Saikia of the Gauhati High Court to oversee the probe, public pressure for justice remains strong.