A Right Wing Wrap Around Nationalism
Tehelka|March 15 2016

Sangh Parivar’s attempt to neutralise dissenters by portraying them as anti-nationals is a deliberate ploy to reap electoral rewards. 

KN Ashok
A Right Wing Wrap Around Nationalism

Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel — Samuel Johnson

The nation is witnessing such an unprecedented situation these days that the ruling party’s ideological fountain-head RSS and other affiliated organisations are zooming in on places such as educational institutions, news rooms and even court rooms, and mobs are teaching violent lessons of nationalism.

As many point out, the very idea of India and its pluralistic culture is facing major threats from these organisations. Will the BJP government succeed in the plan to weave a Right-wing narrative around the concept of nationalism?

Priyamvada Gopal, writer and academic at Cambridge University tells Tehelka, “The Sangh Parivar has succeeded in taking an existing Right-wing narrative of a Hindu nation and bringing to the mainstream its most vicious, exclusive, bigoted and violent aspects.”

Apart from the VHP and the Bajrang Dal, the sudden rise of its affiliates such as the ABVP, the Hindu Dharma Sena, the Durga Vahini, the Adhivakta (lawyers’) Sangh, the Dharma Jagaran Samanwaya Samiti and the Hindu Janjagruti Samiti are examples of it.

The result of this blooming of outfits was evident in the statistics the government recently released in the Lok Sabha which revealed that communal violence witnessed a 17 percent rise in 2015.

The poll-bound Uttar Pradesh witnessed 155 communal incidents and Karnataka, where Sangh Parivar has a strong base, is in second position with 105 incidents.

Denne historien er fra March 15 2016-utgaven av Tehelka.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra March 15 2016-utgaven av Tehelka.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA TEHELKASe alt
Why Did Ratan Tata Feel Compelled To Take Charge Again?
Tehelka

Why Did Ratan Tata Feel Compelled To Take Charge Again?

Did Cyrus Mistry fall victim to an ossified corporate culture or did he violate Tata Sons’ ethos and culture? MG BanGa tells the story so far.

time-read
10+ mins  |
30 November 2016
Misguided Youths Or Trained Terrorists?
Tehelka

Misguided Youths Or Trained Terrorists?

As part of a dangerous trend emerging across the world, homegrown ISIL sympathisers are willing and attempting to carry out deadly terror attacks without any comprehensive support system.

time-read
5 mins  |
July 31 2016
Indian Railways: Living In Dreams
Tehelka

Indian Railways: Living In Dreams

Indian Railways is changing track, giving up its separate Budget and experimenting with surge pricing on three popular trains. That leaves the behemoth with no funds to replace ageing assets and encourage further investments.

time-read
10+ mins  |
31 October 2016
Priyanka Gandhi Agreed To Play Bigger Role In UP
Tehelka

Priyanka Gandhi Agreed To Play Bigger Role In UP

Further delay in decision making could be detrimental to the party’s goal to rejuvenate its prospects in the State Assembly elections.

time-read
4 mins  |
July 15 2016
Mission 2019: Banega Swachh India?
Tehelka

Mission 2019: Banega Swachh India?

Two years ago, Modi kicked off a cleanliness drive in a spectacular way. Showing the contrast between world cities and Gurgaon, MG BANGA suggests ways in which the mission can be accomplished by 2019.

time-read
7 mins  |
September 15 2016
The Goodwill Enjoyed By Mehabooba Mufti Has Been Erased!
Tehelka

The Goodwill Enjoyed By Mehabooba Mufti Has Been Erased!

Mehbooba Mufti risks losing her popularity and irking her party ranks by using New Delhi’s rulebook to deal with the unrest in Kashmir.

time-read
8 mins  |
August 31 2016
Is China's Support To Pakistan, Big Threat To India?
Tehelka

Is China's Support To Pakistan, Big Threat To India?

New Delhi needs to be cautious as in Pakistan’s scheme of things, strategic ties with China can serve as a powerful weapon to deal with adversaries like India.

time-read
4 mins  |
August 15 2016
Panama Papers: Nawaz Sharif'S Troubles Escalate
Tehelka

Panama Papers: Nawaz Sharif'S Troubles Escalate

After his name surfaced in the Panama paper leak following several other charges of money laundering filed against him, there is pressure on Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif to resign.

time-read
5 mins  |
30 November 2016
This Potus Will Make The World Go Bust
Tehelka

This Potus Will Make The World Go Bust

The man who believes global warming is a hoax and has a short attention span will now preside over the affairs not just of the United States but of the whole world. A daunting prospect.

time-read
9 mins  |
30 November 2016
Reel-Life Bohemians, Real-Life Hyprocrites
Tehelka

Reel-Life Bohemians, Real-Life Hyprocrites

ADHM vs Palm Grove Heights: In cinematic life, two strangers Ranbir and Anushka meet in a pub in London and go on a kissing spree while in actual life back in India, a woman from Barcelona was evicted from her male friend’s home in Gurugram. Is cinema really a mirror of society?

time-read
4 mins  |
30 November 2016