The biggest project of the right wing for the past century has been to convince the backward castes and Dalits that they are Hindus first and last. In fact, all the anti-caste movements run by these right-wing Fascists have had their foundation in this one idea.
To do this, they have used the Muslims and Christians and painted them as enemies, basically making the argument that while it is true that the backward and oppressed castes are badly off under the Savarnas, they would be worse off under Muslim or Christian rule. And the way they have done this is by demonising these communities, rewriting history with a fake narrative, and cherry-picking news items to show how the fear is true, even while dismissing, if not outright denying, the violence visited upon the lower castes by the privileged ones that are happening all around us. It is akin to drawing a larger line in front of another to make the other line look smaller.
That said, come to think of it, this is the same project as the Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Christians too. They all want people they have oppressed to be thankful for the perceived protection of the very hand that oppressed them rather than leave the fold and seek refuge under another which, they are assured, is far more violent, without ever mentioning the possibility of committing less violence themselves instead of pointing to others! So, nothing different than what most religion-based political parties try to do worldwide. With one exception: They are not the largest and wealthiest party in the world, with absolute power over 1.4 billion souls in a democracy like India. Their efforts are limited, mostly outside of governmental approval, and focused on areas where the minorities that they demonise are not in numbers as large as Muslims are in India.
You would have noticed this as the same attitude that makes people tell you to be ‘more positive’ when you talk of some issue, because ‘at least you get to enjoy free speech here, which, if you were in, say, Pakistan or Saudi Arabia, you would be hanged for’. This is the same line of thinking that is used on millions of women suffering domestic abuse from their husbands to stay in the marriage because they are convinced by their own families that life without this husband who abuses (‘but also loves you so much’) is worse than the life they lead under his thumb.
Of course, the position that reservations, and all affirmative action, is unfair, in fact, casteist in itself, and harms the unity of the Hindu society (of which the backward castes are an integral part) in the long term is a natural progression once you have managed to get the first part into everyone’s hearts and minds. I’ve actually met Dalits who believe that reservations are the bane of Indian society and make us less competitive on the global stage. The funny part was that these Dalits had drunk so much of the right-wing Koolaid that they believed in this position even while not being from the so-called creamy layer. They were poor. They came from uneducated families. And they were unemployed. But they continued to believe the Hindutva propaganda. The toxic ideology of pan-Hindutva/Akhand Bharat/we-are-all-Hindus addles one’s brain like cocaine does. Once you are addicted, it is impossible to quit. Even as it destroys you from within.
Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention that while the Dalits and backward castes are being fed this poison about other religions and their supposed dangers, they are also being assured that the matter of their oppression by caste Hindus shall be looked into. Soon. In due course. At the appropriate juncture. In the fullness of time. When the moment is ripe. When the necessary procedures have been completed. Nothing precipitate, of course. We don’t want a revolution, do we? We want to educate the Savarnas and slowly turn them towards our cause.
That is why Savarna-led projects and institutes, committees and groups, and forums and societies that are purportedly formed to remove or abolish caste seldom actually achieve anything but become debating clubs for virtue signalling entitled assholes. They never get anything done, except talk about it and preen like peacocks in their self-appropriated righteousness. Dr Ambedkar’s response to the Jat-Pat-Todak Mandal, which eventually resulted in the publishing of the brilliant speech ‘Annihilation of Caste’ (a must-read for anyone trying to understand anything about caste in India), was so foresighted. And so apt.
Unfortunately, the ‘we are Hindus first’ project of the right-wing Fascists has had some notable success in the recent past when they voted en masse for the BJP across the nation (well, mostly in the North, but you get what I am saying), despite being treated badly socially even as they were being courted by the same people who were stripping them, beating them, urinating on them, raping them, and impoverishing them as they kept them away from knowledge, resources, and everything else the Preamble promised every Indian.
The chronology (as Dhruv Rather brilliantly pointed out) has been: We are all Hindus first. Hindus have had a glorious past. But we were destroyed by outsiders who hated us for our achievements. This destruction was aided and abetted by divisions within us. Only two things will save us from complete destruction: unity and a strong leader. Here is the leader. Let us now unite and strengthen his hands. And if, in the process, we have to suffer a bit, that’s just a minor inconvenience compared to the glorious cause we are contributing towards.
Fortunately, in the very laboratory that the right wing was trying to experiment with this (Uttar Pradesh), it has failed. The partnership of Akhilesh, with his canny caste equation-led picks, and Rahul, with his generosity and brotherhood, has broken through this illusory fog being spewed by the right-wing propaganda smoke machine and has brought clarity to the people of the state. At least as of now. There is no way to predict how the right wing shall adapt to this new challenge, and how Akhilesh and Rahul will recalibrate their defences to pare that attack when it comes.
Have no doubts; this is simply the quiet before the storm, the lull between battles, and the tranquillity before all hell breaks loose. Once again. We cannot rest. Our opponents aren’t. जागे राहा! रात्र वैऱ्याची आहे.
P.S.: This project also has a side quest of convincing Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs, and tribals that they, too, are Hindus. But that is another story altogether. As is the story of convincing women of similar ideas.
