To me cow-worship is a great idea which is capable of expansion. The freedom of Hinduism from the modern proselytisation is also to me a precious thing. It needs no preaching. It says, ‘Live the life.’ It is my business, it is your business to live the life, and then we shall leave its influence on ages. Then take its contribution in men: Ramanuja, Chaitanya, Ramakrishna, not to speak of the more modern names, have left their impress on Hinduism”.
— Mahatma Gandhi, What I value in Hinduism, Young India, November 24, 1927
Generally, people do not take election manifestos seriously. They certainly indicate the ideological orientation of political parties in the electoral fray. However, due to the evolving political culture in Bharat, this manifesto-making craft has been reduced to a meaningless exercise. It is more true with the dynastic parties like Congress, where the mood and the interests of the individuals and families are paramount. But if you corroborate the actions of the leaders of a particular political party with the manifesto and ideological position indicated by the same, it gives a clearer picture of the politics of that party. Here the case of Congress manifesto released for the Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh and the conduct of party’s top leadership both at the national and State level, the message is loud and clear – ‘Confusion and Hypocrisy’.
The point here is of sheer electoral politics and ideological messaging to the electorates. Rahul Gandhi began his campaign from the Mahakal of Ujjain; nowadays, he does not miss a single opportunity to showcase his Hindu credentials; and now with a manifesto talking about the ‘Spiritual Department’, various Government Agencies for Narmada and Kshipra Rivers and above all a tourism corridor of Ram Gaman Path (the route through which Prabhu Sri Ram did pass through while being in exile). Just a point of reminder, the same Congress Party-led Government at the Centre had given an affidavit in the Court denying the very existence of Sri Ram and Ram Setu. Ironically, all these issues have been raised by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as the issues of decolonisation and nationalisation of cultural discourse, the organisation which Congress wants to finish.
Ideally, this should be seen as a welcome change of heart and thinking, but when we corroborate the same with the other parts of the manifesto which is imitatively called as the ‘Vanchan Patra’ along with the actions of leaders on the ground, the hypocrisy is wide open.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is not fighting the elections. The Congress party, continuing with the old trick, has deliberately brought the nationalist organisation in the picture, stating that if Congress comes to power in the State, ‘RSS Shakhas will be banned in the Government premises’ and ‘revoke the imposition of restriction on the Government employees from attending RSS programmes’. The RSS Shakhas generally takes place in public places, mostly gardens or temple premises. The restrictions on the Government employees or any other individual, from joining the self-disciplinary activities for the national cause, did not work even during the draconian Emergency and nobody knows this better than the Congress. There is a clear ideological defeat of the Nehruvian Congress that wants to implement the RSS agenda but without RSS.
The video of the Madhya Pradesh State President of the Congress, Shri Kamal Nath interacting with a group of Muslims, is all the more dangerous. He is advising them to be careful till the elections and assuring them that his party will take care of the RSS after the election results. In other words, Congress is trying to fool Hindus by peddling so-called ‘Soft-Hindutva’ and assuring Muslims that this is just an election gimmick.
The Congress party itself has buried the Socialism long-back; the flawed imposition of ‘Secularism’ is dying its own death as obvious from elections after elections. What remains after that is invoking of these garbs of anti-Bharat ethos either in the manifesto or on the birth anniversary of Pandit Nehru. If at all, Rahul Gandhi wants to give an ideological substance to the grand old party, then going back to the Gandhian ideas on Hindu and Hinduism is the only option. For that Congress will have to dare to get rid of Nehruvian Western ‘Idea of India’ and get the real ‘Bharat Bodh’. Perhaps for that also Gandhi-scion will have to attend the RSS shakha which he seeks to restrict. In short, the Congress Confusion prevails.
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