Intro: Leftists use the ‘politics of victim-hood’ to influence the rational and liberal majority. They use different methods and tricks to project themselves as victims. They have mastered the ‘act of provocation’.
I often get amused at the fact that although Leftists have always remained in hopeless minority in India but still they manage to influence and occupy the decision making instruments of this country. Fortunately for them, the overwhelming majority in this country is rational, liberal and have always remained against all kinds of victimisation. Leftists use the ‘politics of victim-hood’ to influence this rational and liberal majority. They use different methods and tricks to project themselves as victims. They have mastered the ‘act of provocation’ and have evolved it into an effective weapon in this regard.
Using apparently-patient and cunningly-academic techniques, they provoke nationalists and force them in breaking the fine line of socially acceptable behavioral norms. Then they use those incidences to paint the nationalists as hooligans and goons. They efficiently abuse the ‘freedom of expression’ and stretch the limits of ‘human rights’ to provoke nationalists to force them in committing legal-lapses. To succeed in their evil designs, they go to any extent to provoke the nationalist forces. They would not hesitate in calling a social and peaceful organisation producing nationalists for the country as a terrorists’ organisation and would also go to the extent of not only blaming an arguably progressive community as repressive and conservative but instead would also project the other community, that needs reforms urgently, as better. To provoke the nationalists, they not only never hesitated in creating a hero out of Aurangzeb but also painted the greats like Sikh gurus, Rana Pratap and Shivaji in poor light in the same breath. They would not only ignore an entire carnage incident altogether but keep on reminding us the incidents that took place after that. They would not only ignore the exodus of a particular ‘Pundit’ community from a State but would also not stop from asking the Army to leave the State. Even though they do not believe in God they would happily organise a function to worship ‘Mahishasura’ only to provoke the nationalist believers. They would resort to support a terrorists waiting to be hanged and they can even show that community as communal who is the primary reason for secularism in this country.
The list is huge and they have built this up in the last century with the help of British before the Independence and the Congress thereafter. The only factor that has favoured the nationalists till now and was completely underestimated by the Leftists is the fact that Indians have always felt a positive influence of religion and our indigenous faiths have an overwhelmingly progressive outlook towards our thoughts and beliefs. This striking feature of our religious and spiritual behavior, irrespective of our worshiping styles, did not allow Leftists to spread its influence horizontally but with the help of the rulers they have been able to spread their roots deep in our soul wherever they could.
Nationalists however, need to realise now that they are in a position to spread their influence in this country after a long hostile era. They must now counter this age-old Left strategy by refraining from falling into their trap again and again. Instead the nationalists’ forces now have an opportunity, to construct a trap for the Left groups that are inspired by individuals from outside India so that the anti-national mindset of these ‘Left-leaning intellectuals’ get exposed.
Dr Rakesh Kumar Pandey (The writer is Associate Professor, Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi)
