Dharmasansad: A new threat to democracy?

AT least for a few days, Godman Kalicharan will grab the headlines. He thus symbolises the loss of content in the Indian polity. Kalicharan is part of the proxy war going on against the ideology that brought independence to India and gave it a secular and democratic character. His speech at the Dharmasansad, a semi-religious gathering in Raipur last week, should be looked into with proper perspective. We need to decipher the real meaning of what he is saying. He is not abusing only Mahatma Gandhi, but the entire freedom movement.

He is, in fact, propagating a political narrative that has its roots in pre-independence discourse. It has nothing to do with religion. Other speeches at the most recent Dharmasansads, held in Haridwar and Raipur, have similar overtones. None of the so-called Babas speak anything about religion. Neither do they talk about fighting against moral degradation or spiritual decline. They speak like firebrand politicians. They spit venom and their narrative is part of the propaganda aimed at denying and demonizing icons of the Indian independence struggle and eulogizing those who were condemned for their opposition to independence and association with the British imperialists.

It is also not difficult to understand the timing of these utterances. In electoral terms, Uttar Pradesh is one of the most important States in the country as it returns the largest number of MPs to the Lok Sabha. The State is going to polls in early 2022 and the ruling BJP seems to be losing its ground. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath are failing to attract people to their rallies despite using government resources. Nothing is working. Their attempt to evoke communal feelings is also not creating the desired effect. In these circumstances, they need something more to polarise people along communal lines. Dharmasansad is part of this very exercise.

We need to get an insight into the character and structure of Dharmasansads. They satisfy the political machinations of the BJP and its mentor, the RSS. The BJP is one of the wings of the RSS that has several other organisations. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, and Hindu Raksha Vahini are the few among them. All these outfits have made inroads among Sadhus and Mahanths. Whenever the RSS needs them, they come and discharge the political responsibilities assigned to them. Dharmasansads are organised to perform such tasks that cannot be done by the political party. They fight the proxy political battle of the BJP. These Dhrmasansads have been useful instruments during the Ramjanmabhoomi Andolan.

There is a need to throw some light on the symbol of Dharmasansad. The symbol has been borrowed from the famous Parliament of Religions held in 1893 in Chicago, USA, wherein Swami Vivekananda gave a mesmerising speech. Does the current Dharmasnasad match that great event in any manner? Can any participant in the Dharmasansads even remotely connect with Swami Vivekananda, one of the greatest spiritual leaders of modern times? For example, Kalicharan is a school dropout and has been popular on social media for his workout lessons and recitations of the Shiv Tandav stotra. Annapurna Bharati has been associated with the Hindu Mahasabha and has been in the news for her enactment of the murder of Mahatma Gandhi. She, like Kalicharan and others, has been a fan of Nathuram Godse. Others are also facing cases for their controversial activities. None of them are known for any spiritual attainment.

The arrest of Kalicharan has raised a few other issues of relevance. Narootam Mishra, Home Minister of Madhya Pradesh, has questioned the manner in which the arrest has been made. He says that the Chhattisgarh police made the arrest without notifying the MP police. He says that this is a violation of federalism. He has raised a valid point, and it requires due attention. Federalism is one of the most important components of our Constitution. We are a Union of States, and the Constitution has defined that in no uncertain terms.

Both the States and the Centre have defined jurisdictions, and no one can infringe upon them. But the question that comes to our mind is whether the ruling BJP has conformed to the spirit of the Constitution. There are several examples wherein the ruling establishment has violated constitutional provisions and traditions. We have seen how governors are violating their constitutional roles by working as party leaders. The best example is the governor of West Bengal. The BJP ruled States have also been acting in the same manner. The confrontation between Hariyana and Delhi has been the classic case. In the present case, we must criticise the Chhattisgarh government for not adhering to federal practice. However, the larger point is also how these violations should be avoided. The trust deficit between the ruling party and Opposition parties has reached a point that may lead the polity to anarchy. The larger responsibility lies with the ruling party. They have to create an atmosphere for the federal structure to function.

The BJP has also raised the point of whether Gandhi Ji is beyond questioning. They have also raised the issue of freedom of speech. This is hypocrisy. The ruling party and the government are known for their imposition of curbs on freedom of speech. It does not refrain from using non-State actors to suppress people's voices. They should keep in mind that Mahatma Gandhi can be questioned, but not abused. Abusing him is a crime and should be dealt with legally.

(The author is a senior journalist. He has experience of working with leading newspapers and electronic media including Deccan Herald, Sunday Guardian, Navbharat Times and Dainik Bhaskar. He writes on politics, society, environment and economy)