As a young reporter for The Independent newspaper (Times Group) I covered the Rath Yatra thru Bihar in 1990. What struck me then was no mainstream political party tried to physically protest onsite as Advani’s cavalcade wound its way from Gujarat via Bihar for weeks(contd)
Only some cadres of the Indian People’s Front stood with black flags on the way. It faintly struck me no mainstream party had an effective way to counter the overt use of religion in politics. As reporters we found it difficult to fathom the religious fervour (contd)
generated by what was so clearly and brazenly a political project. With benefit of hindsight there is no doubt the Ram Temple/Hindutva movement helped establish BJP in Bihar and later enabled it to counter Mandal politics too. BJP had zero presence in Bihar before that. (Contd)
The mandir project got BJP maximum gains in UP. Advani’s campaign in 1990 & 1992 created permanent space for BJP in UP reflecting subsequently in the party getting triple digit Lok Sabha seats, mostly from Hindi speaking states. These states give BJP 55% plus vote today(contd)
Of course greatest irony today is, L.K.Advani, the man who implemented Savarkar’s political Hindutva project on the ground, will be watching the Bhoomi poojan via video from home, while waiting anxiously as an accused for the outcome of the criminal case in Babri demolition case!
