Like it or not, Modi can't woo Muslims

Prime Minister Narendra Modi continues to be afflicted with the Sangh Parivar's majoritarian attitude towards Muslims. Because of failure to elevate his idea of sabka saath, sabka vikas from being a mere (and meagre) slogan, Modi has been time and again leaned on ideas that are dated, if not moribund.

Consequently, he remains trapped in a mindset which, like his political ancestors, will not enable him to convince Muslims (and Christians) that they have a future in the Bharatiya Janata Party and their future is secure under a BJP government.

The Sangh Parivar will not be able to win confidence of Muslims till the political clan continues to swear by their vintage icons. In the era when communism as an ideology was relevant in Indian politics, leaders of the BJP and its preceding party, the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, damned it arguing that ideologies that do not evolve with time, are doomed to fail. Though the BJP is the dominant political party, it faces similar severe crisis of ideas.

When I had the opportunity in 2012, I put a question to Modi.

My question was somewhat on these lines - whether you like it or not, you have to deal with Muslims, if only because they constitute almost nine per cent (in Gujarat) people. How then do you propose to deal with them?

His reply was roundabout. He had no "problem" with Muslims or Christians following their faith, but, and this was the operative part: they must consider the culture of the majority as their own.

They must accept the ideals and sages (adarsh and mahapurush) of the majority as their own. He accepted that there was nothing wrong in the argument of spearheads of the Ayodhya agitation that "Muslims must accept Lord Ram as the symbol of national identity, the main philosophy..."

Old wine in old bottle! Only the date of packaging had changed!

At the BJP's National Executive meeting, Modi once more used a thought much beyond the "use by" date. The prime minister cited Deen Dayal Upadhyay, whose idea of Antyodaya has become his recurring phrase whenever Modi elaborates in his economic vision for the country. Do not puruskrit (appease) Muslims, do not tiraskrit (scorn or shun) but parishkrit (cleanse) them.

So, what problem did Upadhyay have with Muslims that he felt that they needed to be cleansed? And, to what extent does Modi share this concern?

To find answers to these questions, there is no need to restrict to the views of Upadhyay will tumble out.

Take for instance, one speech of Atal Bihari Vajpayee he delivered in December 2001. He said that "substantial cooperation" of Muslims for "development of nationalism" was "not forthcoming" because of "their past identification with the foreign power."

Muslims, Vajpayee elaborated, had adopted a "different style of living, different traditions and customs with a view to proving that they were different from Bharatiya society." Muslims are therefore primarily anti-nationals because "they were not prepared to acknowledge Rama and Krishna as their forefathers." The firebrand young Jana Sangh leader of the time was livid because "they even refuse to observe and participate in the festivals which were in no way related to religion".

It has been a long held belief in the saffron clan that Hindu religious festivals like Dussehra, Holi and Diwali are "national" festivals and not celebrating these indicated that the person(s) was not a patriot. This however is not the case for festivals of other religious communities.

Upadhyay wanted Muslims to be cleansed because they were originally Hindus but were sullied after converting to Islam. Muslims, can be proud Bharatiyas provided they are purified. For more than a century, the programme of shuddhi has been a matter of contention. In recent years, more so after Modi assumed office, the ghar wapsi programme has been cause of social conflict and violence.

Modi invoked Upadhyay to tell his cadre that they should reach out to Muslims because they were indistinct from them. His message to Muslims is also similar - they cannot have an imagination of themselves as a distinct social and cultural community but must subsume themselves in the national stream.

They are welcome to follow religious customs in their homes or in places of worship. But public identification must be with Bharatiya culture. Only then will they will be ensured of two bits of vikas!

Got it?

Also read - Why Deen Dayal Upadhyay is an icon for BJP and RSS