The Hindu : Politics of 'trishul' taking centre-stage

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 29, 2003

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National

Politics of 'trishul' taking centre-stage

By K.K. Katyal

`Trishul', `lathi', `prasad', `Bhojshala', cow, conversions — these are the issues that figure prominently in the political discourse these days. This is the response of our politicians to the pressures generated in advance by the Assembly election in four States scheduled for later this year. There is nothing unusual for the political scene to warm up in the run-up to the contests, regarded crucial by all the parties. Coming barely a few months before the general election, the trial of strength in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Chhattisgarh will both be a barometer of the electoral climate and a curtain raiser to the bigger fight.

One would have expected the poll rhetoric to focus on matters such as development, employment opportunities, corruption, quality of governance and last but not the least internal and external security. In practice, we find controversies on petty, narrow matters crowding out serious, substantive issues of national interest. This throwback to medievalism on the eve of the Assembly poll is disturbing indeed. What if these trends and tactics persist till the Lok Sabha elections towards the end of next year? Shed some tears, countrymen, this is going to be the nation's agenda in 2003-04, in the 21st Century, when we have made big strides in IT and related areas.

This development, clearly, is an offshoot of the Gujarat poll and the prime responsibility is of the BJP though its opponents are not blameless either. Having tasted victory on the strength of the Hindutva wave, in the wake of the Godhra train tragedy and the communal pogrom, the BJP was tempted to create a majority wave in the four States. As has been its experience in the past, Hindutva appeal, by itself, was not strong enough to steer it to victory. Had that been the case, the BJP would have won hands down in the last Assembly election in Uttar Pradesh where it had the advantage of making electoral use of Ayodhya. It had to be Hindutva plus, that is, the addition of a local emotive issue. This was the crux of the Modi strategy in Gujarat and it had to be re-created elsewhere.

The VHP, which was its architect in Gujarat, got active in Rajasthan. That was the genesis of the campaign for distribution of `trishuls' (tridents). Initially, the drive was restricted to the Dalits on the ostensible plea that they needed to be empowered. However, the fear of a backlash by the non-Dalit sections led it to broaden the base of the campaign. The subsequent events are known — especially the arrest of the VHP general secretary, Praveen Togadia, the master of ceremonies for the distribution of tridents or `trishul diksha', and his release on bail.

The Congress Government in Rajasthan took a tough stand, after the reported directive to the Chief Minister by the party high command to counter firmly the moves to create communal disaffection. The law, of course, has to take its course but total reliance on the legal approach — to the exclusion of political campaign — could be counter-productive. Already, the BJP, along with the VHP, has sought to derive political capital out of the State Government's action against Mr. Togadia — slapping the charge of "conspiracy to wage war and overawe the State by criminal force''. Meanwhile, Mr. Togadia has announced his resolve to organise `trishul' distribution ceremonies all over the country in a "democratic and constitutional way". `Trishuls' threaten to dominate the political stage in the coming months. Not a happy prospect.

Believing that two wrongs make one right, the Rashtriya Janata Dal leader, Laloo Prasad Yadav, is going ahead with a major drive to distribute `lathis' (batons) to counter the Sangh Parivar's challenge.

The Bihar Government's administrative machinery is involved neck deep in the preparations for a rally in Patna on April 30. Mr. Yadav sees nothing wrong in the use of `lathis' — in self-defence — and demonstrates how it can be used without attracting the penalties under the law. Not to be left behind, Amar Singh of the Samajwadi Party led a Kshatriya rally of sword-brandishing activists in a bid to assert the superiority of their caste.

In Madhya Pradesh, the Congress sought to pre-empt the BJP bid to generate a Hindu wave (of which the campaign for the entry of the Hindus into Bhojshala was the first salvo) through two moves. One, the Chief Minister, Digvijay Singh, wrote to the Prime Minister to take steps for a ban on cow slaughter throughout the country. The BJP was sore that it was being deprived of a major electoral card. But what rattled the party was the Congress charge that the top BJP campaigner in the State and the candidate for the chief minister's post, Uma Bharti, offered a heart-shaped cake at the Jam Sanuli Mandir in Bhopal on Hanuman Jayanti, which had egg as one of the ingredients. And that she chanted: "Happy birthday Hanumanji''. The "cake kaand'' threatens to be a major campaign issue against her. Ms. Bharti fumes and frets, denies the charge, demands a CBI enquiry, blames the Congress for stooping low but remains on the defensive. In the process, all other pressing matters are forgotten.

With all these issues — along with religious conversions — which could erupt on the electoral scene any time, the platform for the Assembly poll takes a bizarre turn. But who cares.

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