A Political Evening on the Ghats of the Ganga
The last phase of the Lok Sabha election is upon us, and in a matter of days we will know what the country has decided, where the faith of the public lies, and what we can expect in the next 5 years. These elections, however, have changed their colours since they began and are no longer about once again laying down a ‘saffron’ carpet for Modi to regain his throne. Instead, whispers on the ground tell us that the dissatisfaction of people along with the courage and determination of the opposition have turned these elections into a battle of sorts, where one cannot claim with certainty who will emerge victorious.
One can however make estimates, and it is precisely this that The Wire aims to do in bringing together a cast of progressive intellectuals to the Assi Ghat one beautiful "Banarsi" evening. The following conversation is between Arfa Khanum Sherwani, Professor Binda Paranjape, Professor A.K. Mukherjee, Dr. Malikarjun Joshi, activists Kusum Varma and Sujata Bhattacharya, Professor A.K. Mandal, and senior journalist Ajay Chaturvedi.
The seventh phase
In this seventh phase of the elections, many eyes are turned towards UP, Varanasi in particular, it being the home ground of the PM.
Ajay Chaturvedi recalls that since 1989 the Congress has consistently done poorly in this region. Recently, however, there seem to be many conversations about progress in Varanasi and the Purvanchal area of UP. What many people might be unaware of is that Varanasi lies between two rivers, Assi and Varuna.
And yet many MPs have not even laid eyes on the Assi river, conversations about it are not welcome on the media, and when dignitaries do visit its surroundings, there is a curtain drawn across that landscape to conveniently hide away that aspect of the truth.
Illustration: Pariplab Chakraborty
Similarly, many of the issues of this region are conveniently dusted under the carpet, whether it be the Ganga-Jamuni-Tahzeeb, a legacy of Varanasi, or even the protests of a BHU cardiologist who is holding a fast unto death.
The dire situation reminds Ajay Chaturvedi of a quote from Kabir ‘Sadho, yeh murdo ka desh’. Yet, he says that in the recent past, when Priyanka Gandhi arrived here, she walked up to the ghats of the Assi river and despite being asked not to go there, she saw the situation and asked why that ‘curtain’ exists at all.
To some, this little act could be considered a harbinger of change.
Is there a threat to the Indian constitution, democracy and reservation?
Professor A.K. Mukherjee believes in only one religious book, the constitution, and only one dharma or religion, humanity. According to him, in a secular state like India, dharma and religion are the personal preoccupations of people and must not be allowed to descend upon the streets and be the cause of disharmony and violence. By bringing that religious discourse into every matter, one is only hushing up the real issues that need to be addressed.
According to him, over the past 10 years, the BJP has continued, re-inaugurated, and renamed many of the previous government’s projects. Their failures are numerous, their achievement, only a half completed Ram Mandir. To him, the statement ‘The Hindu is in danger’ makes no sense, as he cannot understand how 80% of the population can be under any threat.
He explains that India is a secular democracy, and its people have chosen a prime minister according to the constitution, and he must remember that his duty is to the state, for he is the prime minister, not the prime priest – the pradhan-mantri, not the pradhan-pujari. Many claim that for centuries Hinduism has been suppressed, and now under Modi, India is finally embracing an era of Hindu pride where a leader can be open about his religious expression. However, Mukherjee recalls growing up hearing ‘Hindu dharma sarvadharmasambhav’ – Hindu dharma is about respecting all religions, and not putting down any other religion.
Where are the elections headed?
Professor Mandal, regarding the direction of these elections claims that when somebody walks about 7,000-km on the ground, it must have some effect. The ‘mohabbat ki dukaan’, the ‘nyay ki yatra’, can not leave the present fabric of politics untouched. Therefore, these elections will not be like the walkover of 2019, and what we have before us is not merely a finished game. He admits that there seems to be a strange silence amidst the people, a silence that is brought about through fear and despondency, however, he is certain that this silence must not be mistaken for acceptance. He is reminded of the poet Ghalib when he sees the pain of people around him.
ragon mein daudte firne ke ham naheen qaayal
jab aankh he se na tapka to fir lahoo kya hai?
(I am not impressed by it running about in the veins,
If it does not drip from the eyes, what kind of blood is this?)
Do we understand the constitution?
The threat to the constitution is often spoken about by the opposition, and yet one could argue that a population of 80-82 crore people who are dependent on the government for ration, for food on their tables, might not even be aware of what the constitution really says.
However, activist Kusum Verma asserts that the common man understands the constitution very well. She is an activist who works with people on the ground, with women, and she can confidently say that not only is there a growing awareness about the constitution, but also about Ambedkar and what he stood for.
While the Modi government has been extremely vocal about the success of the 5-kg ration that they provide people with, Kusum says that the reality is different from the propaganda. In many areas, people are tired and angry with the ‘photoshahi’, with images of Modi and Adityanath plastered on bags of food. In particularly poor and tribal areas, there is still hunger, and the 5 kg of ration is often hardly enough or even worse filled with little stones and pebbles.
What does voting for the opposition mean?
We are aware that the BJP’s discourse is centred around the revival of Hinduism and the fear against the muslims, meanwhile Rahul Gandhi bases his election campaign around the constitution, reservation, unemployment – however one could say that the opposition doesn’t have a concrete outline or project for the nation as a whole.
Dr. Joshi addresses this issue by saying that before any outline or project can be even conceived, there are a lot of ground realities that need to change. He believes that if the very constitution is under threat, then no structure can stand. The key lies in understanding that the present government subscribes to a top-down economic approach and nowhere in the world has this provided any relief for the common man. On the contrary, the opposition stands for a ‘trickle-up’ approach where they intend to inject money at the lower strata of society and expect it to kick start a new form of economic growth.
Dr. Joshi claims that Modi’s brand of progress appeals to the fear and smallness of people, and while there might be only about 20-22% of vocal believers, they are simply just loud. Professor Binda’s experience with the youth of Kashi Hindu University also tells us that even though the optics of the BJP have improved on campus, and many young first time voters are attracted by it, there is dissatisfaction and anger within the youth and they might just give another party the chance to prove its worth.
Winning, losing, and the transfer of power
Many believe that the BJP will not lose this election because the media, the election commission, the judiciary are all in their hands, and the mass indoctrination of people will play into their favour. Professor Binda addresses the media and says that this country should never forgive the media for what it has done. When people give their time and money to the media, it is their duty to report the truth. However, Professor Mandal recalls that historically fascism never tends to last very long. What we are seeing before us is a government that refuses to acknowledge its mistakes and considers its position and power to be god granted.
Yet, in the case that the BJP does not win this election, it is hard to predict what will ensue, and even the procedure for the transfer of power is uncertain. Perhaps one can only be certain that it will lead to a phase of messy horse trading. However, Professor Mukherjee stresses that if Modi returns to power, the country will be speeding down the slope towards fascism. He adds that being a democracy does not consist of merely voting once every five years. When institutions are crumbling, when people’s minds are being filled with poison and toxicity, there seems to be an ominous end of democracy that hangs upon our heads.
However, Kusum places her trust in the common people, in the hardworking men and women, in the weaver community, in the people of Varanasi. People do not want hatred to continue, and they believe that the only way to change the current political atmosphere is by changing the party in charge. People are quiet and do not wish to come forward and be vocal because of their fear, but that does not mean they will once again vote for Modi. This is the judgement, the prediction, the atmosphere that lingers over the city of Banaras.
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