BOOK REVIEW

Kaushik Bose and Sanjay Subrahmanyam's "Unravelling the Nation:

Sectarian Conflict and India's Secular Identity

Review by Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay

Given the persevering nature of the issue, the last word on the nature on communal conflict in India shall not be written for years to come. Even while the Sangh Parivar and its allies continue with their majoritarian style of politics, new volumes analysing various facets of the Hindutva movement keep appearing. The latest is a collection of six essays which are preceded by a short introduction.

This collection of essays carries the debate surrounding the nature of secularism somewhat forward But, the editors had to grapple with contributors articulating conflicting opinions at times. This has devalued the consistency of the collection and the reader is forced to agree with one scholar at the expense of other viewpoints in the same book.

G. Balachandran in his essay on Religion and Nationalism in Modern India is guided by his genuine apathy towards the Congress for its style of politics both during the national movement and following Independence. He makes a strong case to contend that the Congress "played the role of a midwife in the birth of the Pakistan" and that the party would "remain a source of unease to the country's religious and ethnic minorities"

(On the other hand), Amartya Sen points out the contradiction of Jinnah and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee who though being less religious personally, pursued communal politics. Sen further spells out the motive of Mahatma Gandhi's assassins: "The complaint against him (Gandhi) was not that he did not follow Hinduism in his personal life or in his social activities, but that he was, allegedly very 'soft' on the Muslims in political matters".

This interpretation of the 'father figure' of the Congress is clearly poles apart from that of a person who presided over an organisation that is responsible (according to Balanchandran) for communalising India since the 1920s.

Such differences between contributors - the one cited is not the only instance - do add to the confusion in the already muddled debate over the nature of communalism.

One of the biggest misrepresentations of the Sangh Parivar has been on the changing demographic character of India. It has been claimed by its leaders on numerous occasions that Hindus were facing the threat of becoming a minority

Alka M. Basu however, in a meticulous exercise, provides a comprehensive critique of the theory and substantially demonstrates that "demographic arguments in favour of communalism are easy to invoke, not because they are true, but because we know so little about the truth of the matter".

The highlight of the collection is Sudhir Kakkar's analysis of the emerging Hindu identity as projected by the Sangh Parivar. By quoting at length from one of Sadhvi Rithambara's speeches, Kakkar provides a gripping analysis of the imploring of one of the RSS clan's most effective campaigners.

The analysis is disturbing as the scholar argues that the likes of the Sadhvi - who whip up the public mood, are not backward-looking demagogues invoking memories of a long past golden era. Rather, what makes the proponents of the new Hindu identity more potent is their ability to convert this yearning for a collective glorious memory into "social resonance and political success". There are many facets of communalism that need further and detailed scrutiny.

(Source: The Times of India, 27 December, 1996)

National Commission for Minorities' Chairman's Letter to PM, 19 March, 1997

At present, I wish to draw Government's kind attention to a matter of primary importance. The Bible of all welfare schemes for the Minorities is, at present, the "Prime Minister's 15-Point Programme". Now 14-years old, this Programme remains devoid of any legislative basis and, therefore, of binding force.

The first National Commission for Minorities had recommended a 'legal status' for the said Programme; and the present Commission has reiterated the recommendation.

I suggest that after the necessary revision of its contents and a proper enlargement of its scope, the Programme be enacted into a binding law - to be titled as the "National Minorities (Protection and Development)

Act". The proposed law may incorporate a revised version of the NCM Act 1992 and also include other necessary provisions corresponding to the United Nations Declaration on the Right of Minorities (1992). The Government shall please examine this proposal and consider the feasibility of, and the modalities for, securing Parliamentary legislation for this purpose.

(Source. NCM Newsletter Vol 1 No 1 1997)