Everyone would say that BJP-RSS won Bengal (I think it will) through a politics of religious polarization. True. But how could they polarize so easily? They barely had any org 5 years back. Communists took 20 years to win power even in coalition +
Never seen the question as to the why of the success of BJP-RSS’ politics of polarization across castes addressed. It is because religion is a major fault line in Indian society at a social and cultural level, not among elites but among middle class to below, far more than caste
Bengal is no exception. All those who spread reams of ink or bytes on how “secular” Bengalis are, both left, BJP-RSS, just do not know the Bengali society from a commoners’ point of view. They have not even talked with common people I suspect, or may even be lying.
The polarization that already existed have exacerbated over years because of appeasement politics by various political parties. Never seen this appeasement discussed so much during left rule in WB because it was not so in your face. This is also why BJP-RSS didn’t succeed.
To see how polarized the society is in Bengal, see who have switched over to BJP-RSS - the CPiM cadres, lock, stock and barrel. These cadres have never read Marx, Engels etc etc, CPIM never indoctrinated them either, they have remained common Bengalis, who are deeply Hindu.
In the last 40 years no party in Bengal made the appeasement an issue, BJP-RSS has. And that’s why you are seeing vote on religious lines for the first time. Ground always existed, BJP-RSS reaped the fruits.
To see the organic faultline, read a recent article by Newslaundry on Bengal. Its clear to me that the journalists talked to real people. The difference in response to Jai Shri Ram slogan of BJP-RSS between the Hindu and Muslim cadres of TMC.
The Muslim cadres are offended at the slogan. The Hindu cadres say Ram is our God too (Ram is a God in Bengal too, just not a commonly worshipped one), but why are they bringing him into politics? Why are they chanting his name while drunk ?
That’s the fundamental religious divide that transcends politics and even nationality. Why do I say nationality ? Look at the millions who changed and still change countries, suffer enormously, but retain their religion. The refugees of religious persecution.
Finally, if you talk to people about what is the number one issue in WB polls. You will get myriad of reasons from those who switched to BJP-RSS. Bread & butter issues. Looking at BJP-RSS’ record in other states, there is no reason to believe that BJP-RSS won’t worsen those.
But people are citing those as reasons. And they are not speaking the truth, sometimes consciously many times unconsciously. Most with jobs etc won’t mention appeasement as an issue to strangers. They would to an insider,one who they know all their lives, they feel safe 2 open up
That’s where you hear the deep discomfort about appeasement even from those who like TMC otherwise, even those who would continue to vote for TMC. This discomfort exacerbates anger on other day to day failings.
Bottomline - a party can not survive in power when seen to be appeasing the other, and thousand faults of a party will be forgiven if it is seen to be one’s own. See how Modi remains popular despite grave failures on measurable metrics.
It speaks volumes of how disjunct our opposition is from the people if despite repeated betrayals only Modi is seen as their own leader.
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Several of the Abrahamic religions I am aware of prescribe starkly unequal of treatment of believers&disbelievers, both in this world and after death. So, God will punish u if u don’t believe in him. Philosophical question-How exactly is this equality of man in the eyes of God?
This is perhaps an early documentation of viewpoint discrimination,specifically viewpoint of believing in 1 particular concept of God. In contrast, Indic religions espouse the concept of Karma, deeds.Their belief-Karma applies regardless of which God u believe in.This is equality
It is historically documented how over time repeatedly heretics have been persecuted by practitioners of Abrahamic religions just for being heretics, that is, on account of divergence of their belief from what the texts espoused. Is this practiced equality ?
Never ever speak to any media without maintaining your records. A thread on my experience with media. My first interaction with media. In 2013, a filmmaker contacted me to get my comments on a movie she was making on Modi & Hindus. I was interviewed on video+
Subsequently, the filmmaker sent me documents that I should sign so that she can use the video interview any manner she wants to. I demanded that I have the right to see how she uses my statements, that is after she uses it. She refused and I did not sign.
Second, Newslaundry contacted me 4 my comments on a hit piece they would write against me.I interacted only on email and insisted that they reproduce my statements in full.They agreed and complied grudgingly. In the piece,they mention grudgingly that she asked 2 be reproduced...
Some facts on Sheikh Mujibur Rehman post 1971. Ramana Kalibari used to be a five century old temple in Dhaka.During 1971 Pakistani army committed mass atrocities in the temple, which included destruction of the temple, burning to death 50 cows in its cowshed, forcible conversion+
+ abduction of women & murder of men who took shelter in the temple + m. After Mujibur Rehman got power courtesy Indian army, he returned the land of the temple not to the original owners but to Bangladesh public works which removed the last vestiges of the temple from the land+
Hindus have now been granted permission to build the temple, not at the original site, but some distance away. Accounts here
I normally do not dignify abusive handles with engagement. This is 1 such as evidenced thru his multiple abuses directed against me for challenging his concoction. Such abuses disqualify any one from civil engagement. But will make one exception, just 1 to counter. Thread:
Notice what I asked - evidence of usage in common parlance of a term he pedaled. This is best shown through literature, newspaper reports. Thus far he has shown none. But, of course, he has showered vile abuses at me for asking him to show.
What has he shown instead - a collection of papers written in the last ten years that mentions this term, and an English book written in 1943. The first paper in this collection cites this term from an English book on castes written in 1981. So, a secondary reference.
Open Letter to Rutgers University Administrators. Not sure what the principal critique here is, is it the said Professor is mocking BJP-RSS, or mocking Hindus? The first aspect seems to dominate the piece. Nothing wrong with Profs using SM 4 their politics indiafacts.org.in/commentary/ope…
Completely confused by comments on how many Indians and of which religion support Biden vis a vis Trump. Both were Presidential candidates only a few months ago. Indian Americans can support whoever they wish, what’s the morality factor associated with their choices?
If the author wishes to argue that the Professor in question is biased against Hindus, he needs to stick just to that point. Bringing in BJP-RSS, Modi, Biden, Trump are pure distractions, and even harmful. This is conflating BJP—RSS & Modi with Hinduism which is plain wrong.
As a point of principle, I oppose mass petitions of students demanding punishment for a Professor for her views. This is a recipe for mob justice and contrary to conducive environment for academic research. Views have to be countered through documentations & scholarly arguments.
The issue becomes more complicated when however the Professor in qsn have cautioned students of specific groups to be “safe” only because a speaker was giving a speech in her University campus, rather than educating them 2 debate him.This is a tacit call to cancel that speaker.
Those who have perpetrated the cancel culture themselves should be ready to be canceled themselves. One can’t encourage cancelation of speakers in her own campus and simultaneously claim academic freedom when a different mob campaigns to cancel her. Playing field has to be level