Let regenerative politics have a chance!

The recent triumph of BJP in three states should not surprise the opposition parties, which had been expecting a miracle to happen. Despite Manipur communal shame, India’s heartland has experienced peace and development sturdily.

Kashmir has remained peaceful by and large, barring infrequent militant killings; people have accepted the new mode of life. The middle-class educated intellectuals might perceive it not as a happy trend that the national opposition parties have lost its tongue to taste power.

They make out it, as the leadership crisis in the opposition ranks, but the fact is that the social landscape of the country has changed. Digital world and informational technology in many ways have caused dent to organized regimental patriarchy. It is youth and women, who are out from the mystified caging of ideologies and religiosities. PM Modi, before coming to power at centre was painted somebody very exclusive piecemeal Hindutva patriarchal leader, who would exclude people from the core of majority. His governance for the last many years has changed lots of perceptions about governance and politics.

To be a nationalist means to own the nation, to fulfill the basics for a citizen; that is security, dignity and livelihood.

The role of middle-class intellectuals, from mosques to temples and from schools to homes have drastically changed in shaping opinions of the masses. Their role was invincible with invisibility of transparent governance. They would resort to conspiracy theories, link it with faith and prejudice and sell it through institutions, be it formal or informal. This would suit the powerful exclusive elite to retain power and make fortunes.

It has been replaced by the fluidity of relationships and with visualizing better life chances in peace and development. Politics has become secondary. The organized regimental patriarchy is breaking and gives spaces for individual radicalization about choices and chances. Manoj Sinha, in Kashmir, and PM Modi, at the centre have made drastic changes in the perceptions that intellectual debates on nationalism need new understanding of, in a world marked by the nation-state boundaries and in real politics, which is multicultural, global and digital.

These men at the helm of affairs have proven peace, security and stability as priorities, that people cutting across religion and class distinctions have endorsed it to trust them. To an ordinary citizen, like me, some years ago, they were painted an exclusive lot for exclusive people for exclusive thought? The perceptions have changed since then. People thrive in peace and prosperity. The state has to ensure it. What has changed? It seems understanding about fundamentals regarding nation-building process needs clarity. It should not be majoritarianism or an appeasement of minorities.

It has to be a relationship of respect, dignity and security, for one another. The state governance has to ensure it. In the past we have seen the governments at the centre professing to be centrist secular or in Jammu and Kashmir were not clear about what really should be the trajectory of state formation and nation building process.

They have created myths and distant dreams in the name of nation building that marginalized peripheries and weakened the centre. It resulted in the suffering of the people, lawlessness and displacements. India was presumed to be castes and communities without any organic link. It allowed space for antinational forces and capacity for political maneuvering for destabilization. This has changed with governance that holds bureaucracy responsible and accountable for peace and security.

This country values selfless service? With addition to that they want their leaders to take sole ownership of their lot. That ownership is for peace, development and generating hope for livelihood for their children with pride and dignity. In first place, Opposition leaders might be qualifying for their selfless services score. But what they do not command is the trust of the people that he can take the ownership of this country for ensuring its stability, security and proud Indian identity.

The opposition is unable to define the nationalism in clear-cut terms that would convince majority and also not distance minorities. India is a country of enormous diversities. Its forceful assimilation never has been accepted. The reform movements from the ordinary people have led to its inner order. It has woven the threads of interfaith and inter-regional accommodations accepting core cultural contents in give and take process.

The state has allowed internal reformations, whenever it has occurred in historical transitions. It has happened in 14th century during Bhakti Movement and then again in 18th, 19th centuries in Early Reform Movements. Even after independence, we have experienced its de-centering and assertion of the regional parties articulating national politics in the post-emergency era. We still need social as well as political reformation to check political corruption and save the nation from divisive electing process.

Despite all the criticism and intellectual skepticism, peace has come to the valley. Goods are available in the market, purchasing power has increased, institutions are functioning, constructions are occurring and lawlessness has relatively diminished. Common people are not interested in financial deficits and economic curves to tell us what is in store for us after twenty years. They want the current to be manageable in peace, without any humiliations.

The crisis in the capitalistic system is not that world order has become too fluid, but the crisis is that leaders have refused to take the ownerships of their people. PM Modi has been able to generate that trust; what his opposition leaders have failed to do. Who denies that India’s strength lies in its historical journeying and in its organic civilization strength? The opposition leaders would say it, while PM Modi means it.

Hindu as such is not a monolithic whole, so are Muslims diversified, but Indian identity and its security without mincing words in truth has to be owned. Those toxic conspiratorial theories that would allow troubles from across the borders and refuse peace from inside, in the name of region and religion, have to be shut in no uncertain terms. Who is in danger, if financial transparency and professional accountability become routine and visible? It is that social elite who exclusively benefits from this double-edged politics, of mixing religion with power.

The moment our middle class intellectual clears its mind that Indian identity has pride, dignity and promise, the divisive politics will disappear instantly. We need positive politics to generate. Politics is for capacity-building to power, and power for problem-solving. This technological world and artificial intelligence have created spaces for human building moral projects as well. We need moral persons, who are selfless for the service of humanity. They will have recognition, if they have gived capacities and human compassion. We need moral contents to market mechanisms. Nothing is sacrosanct.

The informational technology and international exposure through digital media and artificial intelligence are exposing and defeating the mundane blind regimental notions about faith and prejudices. Neither countless performing political Nimaz for Pakistan cricket team could give Pakistan a berth in semifinals nor did the religious Havans by known cult Sadhus make India to win the finals against Australia. This should be warning bells for such noise makers and nuisance creators, who devalue aesthetics from literature and sports. Those who play these religious gimmicks deserve shame. God is for aesthetics and not for hateful divisive politics.

We are in turbulent times. Conflicts in 2023 have increased, millions having been displaced due to Ukraine and Gaza conflicts. The relief to the victims is far from the happening. They question their leaders for these befallen man-made catastrophes that they have been undergoing. We have seen what militancy has caused to us in Kashmir. In hindsight, it has lifted the curtain to the ‘drama of absurdity of Kashmir’ being played since 1953.

The credit should go to the suicidal Hurriyat honesty of its antinational stance that not only exposed the befuddled liberal politics of Kashmir, but also disillusioned the masses from its mystified frozen mindset. With check on financial transparency, emphasis on professionalism and the state’s writ to mean governance, common people have heaved a sigh of relief that their children are not lost and people are engaged in day to day carefree engagements.

This has also paved way for the new thinking among the youth for better life chances. The soothing sites of business and entertainment, late evenings at Lal Chowk and materialization of startups, flourishing of tourism have generated new hope. If peace prevails, livelihood thrives, engagement and entertainment take in then generative politics will have a space.

It is always good to have immediate agendas than to live on distant dreams, which have no content and form. Kashmir has suffered for its trusted leadership would mince words about real politics in public and private realms.

They were myopic in a sense that they thought they would ever go unaccounted, while playing the game of running with the hare and ‘hunt with the hounds’. Let youth have a chance to live with dignity and pride.

Market progressive and competitive strive will lead to regenerative politics that is needed now.

Prof. Ashok Kaul, Retired Emeritus Professor of Sociology at Banaras Hindu University