20

Dec

Using Big Names for Sectarian Politics

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The fact that the  74th death anniversary of Sardar Patel passed of last Sunday without being observed as a big event by the BJP’s Modi Government in New Delhi has been aA person with white hair and glassesDescription automatically generated bit of a surprise. Is Sardar Patel no more useful to the BJP to promote its brand of sectarian politics is the big question. And if so, why?

 Sardar Patel was no doubt a towering leader of India’s glorious struggle for freedom from British colonial rule.  He was a close associate and disciple of Mahatma Gandhi and as the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister he played a historic role in integrating nearly 550 big and small princely states into Indian Union. He also laid the foundation of the new civil service system suitable to meet the needs of an independent India.

But what has been important to the BJP brand of politics is not Sardar Patel’s contribution but his ideological differences with Jawaharlal Nehru ‘their enemy number one. The Sangh Parivar always felt a conservative pro-Hindu Patel closer to them than a progressive and secular Nehru. That was a matter of preference but under Modi’s influence, Sardar Patel has been used as a tool to uncharitably attack Nehru, the Nehru-Gandhi family and pursue its goal of a Congress-Mukt Bharat.     

Column at a Glance
The 74th death anniversary of Sardar Patel passed without significant recognition from the BJP-led government, raising questions about his relevance to the party's sectarian agenda.
As a key figure in India's independence and the first Deputy Prime Minister, Patel played a crucial role in unifying princely states and establishing a civil service. However, the BJP has historically leveraged Patel's ideological differences with Jawaharlal Nehru to undermine the Congress party, portraying Nehru as a lesser figure.
Friday Fuss
By Pradeep Mathur
While Patel was celebrated through grand gestures, such as the world's largest statue, his legacy has become uncomfortable for the BJP due to his close ties with Mahatma Gandhi and his critical stance against the RSS.
As the party seeks to promote a Hindutva narrative, Patel's vision of a united India, rooted in Gandhian principles, poses a challenge. Ultimately, Sardar Patel's contributions and ideals remain significant in the discourse of India's identity.

Under this plan Sardar Patel’s role was blown out of proportion, Nehru was painted a pigmy and a lackey of British rulers who conspired to deprive Patel of the Prime Minister’s job . With this the Modi’s BJP launched the task of rehabilitating the “victimised son of Gujarat” in making of modern India and securing him his  “rightful place” in history. An order to make the world’s largest statute of any political or religious leader in human history was placed to a Chinese company and the statute was set up and unveiled by Prime Minister Modi at a grand ceremony in Gujarat in 2018. As was expected the event got wide media coverage.

Meanwhile, BJP’s  efficient media management  machine and the highly competent IT cell specialising in converting half truths and doctored statements into good narratives kept working to run down a “pro Muslim “ Nehru his “anti national”  family and the “corrupt “ Congress party to establish the supremacy of the doctrine of Hindutva championed by the all-time great Indian leader Narendra Modi and his committed followers to make India the Vishwa Guru, the greatest nation on the planet earth ,in our life time. A defeated Congress, depressed and rudderless, was in no position to stand up to this onslaught.       

 Despite the blunder of demonetisation and gaffe of GST the BJP under Modi comfortably won the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. However, problems started coming in the way of pitting Sardar Patel against Nehru and his Congress party. Modi has “vastly grown” in stature overshadowing all Sangh Parivar leaders from Shyma Prasad Mukherjee to Lal Krishna Advani and to consider Sardar Patel as a demigod had become somewhat uncomfortable. The world’s largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad, which was slated to be named after Sardar Patel, therefore, had to be named Narendra Modi Stadium.

Other problems also started cropping up. Political analysts and media started saying that the differences between Nehru and Patel were ideological arising out of their family background but personally they had great regard for each other. Patel relinquished his claim to be the prime minister in favour of a 14-year younger Nehru as the recently independent country need a young and energetic mass leader to tackle the plethora of problems left by the British rulers. And Nehru had refused to consider the offer of resignation Patel wanted the make feeling guilty for failure as Home Minister to save Mahatma Gandhi from the bullets of a brute Hindu fanatic.

Also came into public discourse the tough stand Patel had taken against the RSS by first accusing it and banning it for Mahatma Gandhi’s murder and then putting tough conditions before RSS chief Golwalkar for lifting the ban on his organisation. The conditions put a  question mark on the very ethos of RSS  and knocks out the basis of the doctrine of Hindutva which is the main election plank of BJP.

Sardar Patel is becoming uncomfortable to the BJP   for another reason as well. Sardar Patel was a close associate and confidant of Mahatma Gandhi in his struggle for freedom and his vision of independent India. The Sangh Parivar’s ideology cannot be the predominant narrative and Idea of India so long as Gandhian ethos is there. And among those who come in the way of a decisive Sangh Parivar assault on Mahatma Gandhi a big name is Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.       

So Thank You Sardar Patel. Please Rest In Peace.

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