India: Mahant Yogi Adityanath represents the most aggressive strand of Hindutva politics - What his appointment as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh signals? (Shamsul Islam)

countercurrents.org - 19 March 2017

Mahant Yogi Adityanath As Chief Minister Of Uttar Pradesh - Why Hindutva Juggernaut Rolls On? 

by Shamsul Islam

Few well-meaning friends with genuine concern about the future of our democratic-secular polity are shocked by the decision of the 315 MLAs of BJP and its allies unanimously choosing Adityanath (original name, Ajay Singh Bisht, Mahant of Gorakhnath Temple, one of the richest in India) as CM of largest State of India. They feel it has happened out of blue and BJP top brass, specially PM Modi, should not have allowed it as Aditya’s nomination for CM’s office goes against former’s ruling mantra ‘sab kaa saath-sab kaa vikaas’. Some of the friends have even suggested that Muslims of UP and rest of India should forsake election politics so that Hindutva organizations led by RSS have no opportunity to demonize Muslims which they do in the course of elections as they did in the recently concluded UP elections. Interestingly, the demand that Muslims should be disfranchised is often raised by the RSS leaders.
Such responses belittle the seriousness of the Hindutva danger and strengthen the stereotype propagated by many ‘secular’ organizations and individuals that everything is fine with RSS except that it is antithetical to Muslims and Christians.  If the former changes its attitude towards these two minorities of India there is no problem with the RSS vision of India.
The fact is that RSS is not just antithetical to Muslims and Christians but hates democratic-secular India as well. It remains committed to turn India into a Brahmanical Hindu State. Anti-minority rhetoric by RSS/BJP leaders in recently concluded UP elections was an alibi for diverting attention from issues of poverty, unemployment, violence against women, absence of educational and health services. The hate propaganda was aimed at conveying to the Hindu electorate that Muslims (and Christians) posed greater internal threat than the social and political deprivations of the former.
To rationalize Aditynath’s ascendancy to power to his being a crudest and most poisonous anti-Muslim leader is a small part of the story. It is to be noted that despite all kinds of Muslim bashing in UP elections the winners could secure only 39.7% of the polled votes. BSP, SP and Congress together secured more than 50% of the polled votes and at the macro level 60.3% voters of UP voted against the Hindutva dispensation. The whole truth is that RSS/BJP knows it well that they cannot fulfil all those promises which it made to its new amalgamation of Hindu Castes which voted the former to power.Any sense of betrayal of its ‘vote-bank’ can only be camouflaged by a higher doze of Hindutva politics.
Only Mahant Adityanath with his impeccable zeal and commitment for Hindutva could be the best bet for accomplishing this task. Adityanath combines two most aggressive streams of Hindutva politics, Hindu Mahasabha and RSS. He combines in him Savarkarite and Golwalkarite hatred for democracy, secularism and an all-inclusive India. He is a born dictator and relishes slogans like ‘poorvanchal maen rehna hae tau Yogi-Yogi kehnaa hogaa’in tune with the RSS preference for ‘one leader’ as ruler. He personifies opposition to all symbols of all-inclusive India and it was natural that after declaration of his nomination as CM of UP by the MLA’s in Lucknow, these were only saffron flags which were waved.
Adityanath’s saffron attire helps RSS in propagating its Casteism laden Hindutva. The role model is BJP winner from Iglas Reserved constituency in UP. Diler a Dalit with family links to RSS while canvassing for the seat,not only used to sit on the floor but carry his own steel glass for drinking water/tea when he visited homes of upper-caste voters. Diler, a Valmiki,justified his desire to remain shackled in Casteism by saying ‘Main apni maan maryada khatm nahin kar sakta. Zama na chahe badalta rahe.’ (I cannot break away from tradition. Let the world change, I won’t). With Mahant Adityanath as political ruler, Dalits are expected to follow Manusmriti norms and Diler will not be an exception but rule.
Adityanath’s persistent aggressive calls for India free of Muslims, ban on cow-slaughter (nobody asks him why it continues in many States ruled by RSS/BJP), conversion of Muslims/Christians to Hinduism and demand that Muslims should show their loyalty by chanting ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ (which Hindutva leaders/cadres never chanted against the British rulers) only adds to his aura of Hindutva zealot. This politics of dangerous ‘other’ will help in reining in the disgruntled Hindus.
Aditya heading the UP State, sharing long border with Nepal sends a favourable signal to pro-king elements there. Aditya and his math historically have rendered great support to Hindu kings of Nepal. According to them Nepal king is the king of Hindus of the world. Hindu Mahasabha and RSS both have been demanding restoration of kingship in Nepal and its return as a Hindu State. Thus,Aditya’s rule in UP will have international consequences also.
Those who suffered shock by the chief ministership of Gorakhnath Temple’s Mahant only manifest their semi-illiteracy about the Hindutva game-plan about India. This juggernaut is on since the times of 1967-68 when parties upholding democratic-secular polity joined hands with RSS in running governments in provinces and at the Centre. It got further impetus in 1997-8 when Gujarat was turned into ‘laboratory for Hindutva.’ With Modi’s ascendancy and his declaration that he was a ‘Hindu nationalist’ in 2013 completed the circle. The problem with most of the ‘shocked’ friends is that they believe that Aditya’s crowning is an aberration and not continuation of Hindutva politics which wants to undo present India. Unless we rise up to challenge in totality the RSS idea of ‘Bharat Mata’ which has nothing to do with the present democratic-secular polity but a replica of degenerated Peshwa State the Hindutva juggernaut will continue rolling on. We should understand that with this process on, no foreign enemy is required to destroy India, the Hindutva gang from within is capable of doing it.
We should rejoice the fact that whether these were elections of 2014 or 2017, the Hindutva camp has been able to secure around 30% of the total votes. Even in UP elections where according to pro-RSS commentators ‘Hindutva aandhi (storm)’ demolished all opposition, as per the polled voted it was catch of less than 40%. Hindutva aggression shows that Hindus are not falling in the Hindutva trap. Unfortunately, those opposed to Hindutva fail in challenging the anti-national philosophy and deeds of RSSdue to sheer ignorance. Since RSS/BJP victory in Maharashtra RSS has abandoned its façade of being a non-political body. Now RSS pracharaks are appointed as chief ministers and India’s fight against Hindutva and RSS nefarious ideology cannot be delayed any more. 70% of Indians are our security against Hindutva juggernaut.
Shamsul Islam  is a retired Professor of University of Delhi.Email: notoinjustice@gmail.com
For some of S. Islam’s writings in English, Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali, Telugu, Punjabi, Urdu & Gujarati see the following link:
http://du-in.academia.edu/ShamsulIslam
Facebook: shams shamsul
Twitter: @shamsforjustice