From Modi to Yogi

After Narendra Modi’s effortless leap from Gujarat to Delhi in 2014, one thought that nothing would surprise us pseudo-seculars anymore. But how woefully wrong we were. And how little we Indians know about India!

Despite the overwhelming victory of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, no one in their wildest dreams ever imagined that it would pick its most rabid face to head the government in the country’s largest state. Liberal sections of the Indian media – who still swear by Modi’s carefully-cultivated image of the ‘development man’ and the all-conquering mantra of ‘sabka saath sabka vikas’ (Development for All) – are bending over backwards to justify the choice of the militant monk of Gorakhnath Temple, blaming it on the ‘political compulsions’ and ‘arm-twisting’ by the hard-line elements in the RSS and the BJP. Others have assured – by quoting sources in the BJP and the Prime Minister’s Office – that Modi himself will be closely monitoring the new UP chief minister and his government.

This is such a relief. We can all now go back to sleep while the Yogi (Adityanath) rules over a land fabled for its rich, syncretic culture and tolerance and pushes ahead with his agenda promising hell and high water to Muslims and other dispossessed communities. In a way, it is just as well that the BJP has let the mask slip to reveal its true face and character. At least we know who and what we are dealing with. The fringe is the mainstream.

Whatever the BJP apologists and spinmeisters may say about the Modi government and its lofty commitment to inclusive growth and development, Yogi’s elevation is the clearest sign yet that we are gradually and surely heading towards the Hindu Rashtra of the RSS’ dreams. Indeed, Ram Rajya may have already arrived. If the outraged editorials and headlines in the international press are anything to go by, the message seems to have been received loud and clear around the world.

Yogi’s elevation is perhaps even more portentous than that of Modi himself. He had at least the experience of 12 years as the Gujarat chief minister and the reputation of being an efficient administrator. Yogi has none. All he has to recommend him for the top job in a state of more than 210 million people was his rabble-rousing reputation and hundreds of fulminations against the Muslims – from promising to kill 100 Muslims for one Hindu to vowing to put Hindu idols in mosques across the country. Indeed, many of his rants can’t even be reproduced in print.

Clearly, that was enough. In fact, from Modi to Yogi, a manic obsession with a weightless, voiceless minority seems to be the chief qualification for the most coveted of jobs in India now. Apparently, scores of criminal cases against the new chief minister and his deputies are only added strengths and qualifications.

If you can get away with the demolition of mosques and with pogroms killing hundreds of people, you can get away with anything. These cases are nothing really. You can trust the judiciary to keep nodding and not upset the applecart while powerful leaders hold court all in the name of the people and democracy.

Now begins the careful canonisation of Yogi Adityanath as the new mascot of Hindutva – and perhaps the future leader of India. After all, PM Modi, despite his robust physique and punishing yoga regimen, is not getting any younger. The RSS, the ideological guardian of the BJP, needs an insurance policy after Modi.

Besides, in his keenness to become a globe-trotting world statesman, preaching globalisation and market-friendly development and chanting ‘sabka saath’ – even if it is little more than a lip service – gives the Sangh a bit of a complex. Ostensibly, the demands of high office, in their view, have mellowed down Modi. And Yogi represents the original, unadulterated version of Modi.

Be that as it may, the rise of Adityanath should come as a wake-up call to all reasonable, fair-minded people in the country – if the jaw-dropping electoral outcome in UP earlier this month didn’t have the same effect. India has taken a decisive, violent lurch further to the right. Things are sure to heat up even more, especially for the country’s minorities. However, we must guard ourselves from plunging into collective despondency. Doubtless, these are testing times and that is how we should view them: as a test that we cannot afford to fail.

As I argued last week in the wake of the UP elections, India’s Muslims need a new approach – a paradigm shift, if you will – to deal with the new realities and challenges of the country. It can no longer be business as usual. The recent developments in the country should electrify us into action to lift ourselves out of our stupor and listlessness.

The Muslims have lived in India for more than a thousand years and they have been through many ups and downs. This too shall pass. It is up to us how we deal with the new challenges facing us – whether we continue to wallow in self-pity and fear or come up with a bold new plan to reinvent and revive ourselves as a community.

Our politicians must learn from recent mistakes and avoid wasting their people’s precious time, resources and energy in emotional, pointless pursuits and fighting shadows. As UP once has again demonstrated with catastrophic consequences, self-serving turncoats and motor mouths, such as the Bukharis and other professional divines, are the bane of this community.

When will we learn to tell apart our friends and well-wishers from our enemies? There is no dearth of people in our midst with a real vision, skill and commitment. They must put their heads together to use the resources that we have to confront the existential challenge which is staring us in the face.

We need a conscious and relentless national movement to rid ourselves of ignorance and educational and economic backwardness. The mission that Sir Syed had launched after the carnage of 1857 needs to be carried forward to every nook and corner of our country.

Education holds the key to our future. Political empowerment will follow. No one messes with people who are aware, organised and united. No challenge is too great if we keep our eyes on the ball and maintain unity within our ranks. Look at the example of the Jews in the US or the Sikhs in our own country. The clout they enjoy is incredible when compared to their size.

The truth is, we have squandered away long years by resting on the laurels of our past, even as we descended into the depths of despair. It is time to rediscover ourselves and what we stand for. Our faith ordains us to guide and help others. If we cannot help ourselves and our own, how can we show the path to others?

I said it last week and I say it again. In this battle for an inclusive India and an inclusive world, we are not alone. We need to look around and build bridges and alliances with other vulnerable communities and groups. We must consciously work to revive our relations with the Hindu brethren in particular.

Despite the recent successes of Hindutva, an overwhelming majority of people still believe in the idea of an inclusive, democratic India. They are our greatest allies. In fact, this is true of most countries across the world. We must reach out to this sane majority and connect with it regardless of where we are in the world. This is the best way to address many of the misunderstandings and misconceptions about our faith and, more importantly, ourselves. There is no other way forward. If we do not change, we will perish.

The writer is an award-winning journalist.

Email:aijaz.syed@hotmail.com