SPECIAL REPORT

The party has never seemed so divided, between its ne^d to rarve out a wider support base and to retain its militant stronghold.

Bv INDERJIT BADHWAR this theory. The BJP leaders talk softly, in chance." Familiarity has bred both con- and ZAFAR AGHA the hope of broadening the party power tempt and discontent. base, but the clamour of the VHP and RSS Given these pressures, it doesn't CHIZOPHRENIA within the BJP threatens to drown them out. Unable to seem long before its cadres will force the ranks has never been so acute. Its deal with their fundamentalist pulls, the BJP to clear the cobwebs from its rath Smilitant Hindu constituency still BJP'S image of a parochial party has been yatra model of . With the VHP seems a safe bet but a wider constituency reinforced. And if the recently-passed hanging tough on the Ram Janma- beckons. Should the party sacrifice the Places of Worship Bill is any indication, bhoomi issue and flexing its biceps on security of its grassroots support for the the BJP is in danger of acquiring perma- the Mathura and Kashi temples, this benefits of centrist appeal? The answer nent residency status as the party every winter promises to be steamy and to that question may well force the BJP to other group most likes to hate. strewn with communal conflagrations. re-examine its image. The bellicose behaviour of the The immediate spark has been the And it might also belie the claims of party's new parliamentarians has done approval to the religious party theoreticians that once the BJP nothing to aid the BJP in carving out a places bill. While senior party leader gains a foothold on the centre-stage, its new identity. The dismal performance of LK. Advani condemns it as "unwar- essentially liberal national leadership its governments in , Raja- ranted and uncalled for", VHP President will edge out the more radical majority. sthan and is no help Ashok Singhal sounds threatening. The argument is that whenever the BJP is either. Ridden with administrative inep- "Withdraw the bill or face the conse- isolated from mainstream politics, it is titude, dissidence, corruption, over- quences," is his response to the Govern- garrotted by the stridency of its cadres. centralisation, and an inability to come ment. VHP'S governing council has cal- But once it enters the national to terms with the minorities, the govern- led upon the Hindu samaj to arena, the leaders take control and ments have made nonsense of the force the Government to saner counsel prevails. The current sce- party's vote-netting catchphrase— withdraw the bill. nario, however, seems to be devastating "You've tried others, now give us a In fact, both the BJP

BJP leaders speak softly but the VHP and RSS clamour seems threatening. and the VHP fully agree thai ihc bill must be opposed. What they are yet to IN PARLIAMENT dualise is the strategy. The BJP is doing its best to steer past the pitfalls of launching new agitations for the Unruly Behaviour KrishnaJanmabhoomi --in Mathura andKashi temple. Says Advani: "The BJP has never spoken about any place of EMPERS fly thick and fast in RSS and . Even senior BJP worship other than . The VHP, Parliament these days. _ Freq- leaders are distancing themselves ot'coarse, has been speaking about other Tuent free-for-alls, fisticuffs and from their colleagues' antics. "We places of worship." physical abuse are the order of the have on occasion been unable to The VHP, in fact, may try to generate day. And restraint seems to be the curb the militancy of new members," enough smoke from the two simmering last thing on the minds of the elected admits L.K. Advani. While Jaswant controversies to deflect attention from representatives of the people. Largely Singh, the soft-spoken, erudite MP the prolongedRamJanmabhoomi blaze. responsible for this melee is the BJP, from Jodhpur, says "they need time In the meantime, however, the VHP the very party that prided itself on the to adjust". Now, orientation courses appears to have finalised November 19 discipline of its cadres. If anything, its as the date for construction, to take the greatest proclaimed virtue has today wind out of its critics' sails- -who in the become its most glaring lapse. forthcoming Lok Sabha by-elections, Taking a cue from „, ,v"^,-s "^ are bound to harp on the BJP'S failure to fulfil its pledge on the Ram temple. But as it is only at the ahilanyas site, which is away from the disputed shrine, this seems to be a mere ruse.

ECAUSE, despite the shrill theatrics of the BJP'S pre-election propa- Bganda, and its own government in Uttar Pradesh, the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya is yet to come about. Advani says he woulu like the temple to be constructed without gener- ating any acrimony or precipitating a confrontation. Echoes BJP General Sec- retary Govindacharya: "History will firebrand Lima Bharti, BjpMPs, espe- are being conducted for them. bear witness to our interest in and cially the new entrants, have en- The more rabid section of the BJP commitment to the temple. But we have gaged in venomous attacks against clearly disagrees. Some are for adopt- always talked of playing only a support- rival parties. More disturbingly, they ing an eye-for-an-eye policy. Others, ive role in building the temple." have been resorting to physical vio- like Guman Mai Lodha, associate In fact, senior BJP leaders seem keen lence of an unprecedented nature in restraint with insult. ag- to use a weapon they didn't think much the House. Consider this: rees, saying she'd rather retaliate of earlier in resolving the Ayodhya >• In early August, BJP members than observe parliamentary niceties. tangle: negotiation. Atal Behari Vaj- stormed the well of the House, de- The BJP feels it has been singled out payee, for instance, has tried to requisi- manding an apology from Tourism for attack. "One member jokes about tion the services of a key member of the Minister Madhavrao for Hanuman, another about Lord Ram. Muslim Personal Law Board, Maulana branding them "anti-national". How'11 they react if we talk about the Ali Mian. He met Ali Mian in >• The next day, party ranks at- Prophet similarly?" asks Lodha. recently and asked him to convince tempted to storm Scindia'sresidence. Clearly, religion is a major gr- Muslims to untie the knotty issue. > The same month, nearly 15 BJP ouse. Says socialist leader Madhu storm-troopers closed in on Janata Limaye: "Their only point is the Ram Dal MP Syed Shahabuddin for saying temple. Poverty, illiteracy or events "Swami bakwas M baat kar raha hai". in the Soviet Union mean nothing." The reference was to the BJP'S Swami Ironically, despite the array of Chinmayanand, who was then spea- talent the first session of the 10th king on the Places of Worship Bill. Lok Sabha will be remembered not >• And on September 9, BJP MPs for Vajpayee's brilliant speech on the sought to assault Janata Dai's R.S. confidence motion nor for Jaswant Shastri for his remarks on Lord Ram. Singh's incisiu attack on the deci- This new, volatile face of the BJP sion to defer the Punjab polls. The has shocked veteran parliamentari- impression that lingers is of pande- ans. Many attribute it to the fact that monium; of the raucous cries of Jai the 117-strong BJP contingent com- Shri Ram raised by the rabid saffron prises a motley pack picked from the brigade. —JAVED M. ANSARI

41 SPECIAL REPORT BJP GOVERNMENTS But sweet-talking the prominent is a portent of this: "The country will MOUNTING PROBLEMS Muslim leaders has not won over their have to decide whether the Muslim backing as yet. So the BJP has increas- lobby will rule or the Hindu sants' ingly been relying on the VHP to buy opinion will prevail/' Singhal says that land around the disputed shrine. The the religious places bill was pushed Uttar Pradesh Government is expected through because the Congress(I) had to take over the Babri masjid with an struck up an understanding with IUML ordinance, backed by a statement from leader G.M. Banatwala: the Congress(I) some Muslim leaders that they will be would initiate the bill if the Muslim ready to relocate the masjid to a Muslim- League supported it in the assembly majority village called Makkha. 1.5 krn elections in Kerala. from Ayodhya. Advani speaks in a similar vein: It is then that the BJP-VHP combine "The recent bill certainly gives an will work in concert to draw maximum edge to the BJP campaign against mileage from its "fulfilled promise". pseudo-secularism." But this unin- When the Central Government and the tended advantage does not make him rest of the Opposition oppose the take- happy, he says, because it adds to dis- over bid, the two will launch a veritable harmony. Perhaps it is this caution, born war of words to paint them as of the nation's tenuous pre- less saffron—and therefore, sent and the fear of elections in in their book, less patriotic— the near future, which is as- than them. serting itself. As party Vice- Singhal's recent remark President K.R. Malkani puts UTTAR PRADESH

• Ministers and lower • Files not moving; mi- level officials have little nisters are disgruntled access to chief minister and partymen unhappy

• Bureaucrats favoured • Arbitrary decisions by Kalyan Singh call all are taken without the the administrative shots ministers' knowledge

• Promulgation of a new • Resentful students, ordinance on UPSC job backward castes threa- reservations hanging fire ten new agitations

• Muslims feel insecure • Fears of new commu- over Ayodhya revival nal conflagrations persist

MADHYA PRADESH

• Ministers and state • Partymen flay govern- • Party and executive in • Overcentralisation of party leaders are disen- ment in public, in as- Shekhawat's iron grip be- administration and pa- chanted with Patwa's in- sembly and keep mum on cause most cabinet mi- perwork as crucial deci- abilty to lead effectively Congress(l) attacks nisters are non-entities sion-making suffers

• Constitution of the • Patwa weaker while • An overworked chief • No time left for dealing 'super cabinet' headed by ministerial decisions wait minister, who is forced to with corruption and Vijaya Raje Scindia for Vijaya Raje's nod look after micro-manage- crises like communal ment in both the Govern- riots; no attention paid to • National party lea- • The chief minister's ment and the party rural area development ders like L.K. Advani standing touches a new openly chide Patwa for low and Government's • Shekhawat's survival • Administrative work ineffectual governance credibility plummets depends on Janata Dal(D) suffers while the CM de- which had threatened to votes his energy to politi- • After electoral deba- • The image of the withdraw its support and cal firefighting and cajol- cle, no concrete steps Patwa Government conti- blackmails him politically ing his outside support taken to win over public nues to remain tainted N.K. SINGH and DILIP AWASTHI

43 it: "We are for stability in the country dharmacharyas will be sent forth, tem- ing the BJP, if it chooses to press the Ram and would like to judge the Government ples will become the epicentres of Hindu Janmabhoomi issue. Advani recognises on the basis of issues.' "reawakening" and rallies will be orga- the danger. Says he: "Even now at- For now, therefore, even the VHP is nised to whip up hysteria. tempts are being made to launch a content with a week-long public aware- But this time, the party may not be vicious campaign against the BJP." ness campaign on the bill in early Octo- able to get away with it. A broad realign- If other parties do unite, the BJP'S ber. But soon, whether or not the Ram ment of political forces on the anti-com- isolation will seem neither splendid nor mantra wins any more votes for the BJP, munalism platform is not unlikely. The sensible. In what should have been its the VHP will seek the aid of Lord Krishna Congress(I) has already.indicated that it best year ever, the BJP is hardly having too. Yatras are expected to be flagged off, may pull out all the stops in marginalis- the time of its life. •

NAWABGANJ MUSLIMS Running Scared OMMUNAL hysteria has rea- ched a fever pitch in Bareilly's CNawabganj tehsil. With the BJP Government waving the banner unabashedly, Muslims are scurrying for cover. Tellingly, the Muslim exodus from the dozen Hindu- dominated villages began soon after the BJP came to power in June. And they haven't stopped running since. Razed house: facing the wrath of Hindutva The Muslims who The migration was trig- have stayed behind live in gered off by the killing of a fear. Even Ramzani, 45, Muslim, Ali Ahmed of the only Muslim left in Dandia Faizulla village, The Muslims hold the BJP Lamba Khera, sounded on June 15—the day of the transparently false, when Nawabganj assembly responsible for their migration. he said: "Nothing unto- constituency poll. Mus- ward was done to the lims hold BJP candidate Muslims who migrated." Bhagwat Sharan respon- ^^^^™ The ravaged houses sible for the violence. tely." According to Aziz Quereshi, 34, reveal the truth. Says Abdul Rauf, The poll was countermanded but a journalist in Tanda village—the 40,who now lives in Sainthal village: the communal fires had been stoked. new home for many Muslims—seven "We were beaten up, our women At least 150 Muslim families have Muslims have been murdered by abused and ourhouses demolished." already migrated to Sainthal and Kurmis since the BJP came to power. Others like Dr Oamarur Rehman are Tanda Sadat villages. Officials con- And the police has done little about it. determined never to return. firm the migration of 91 families. Of The district magistrate says there Meanwhile, the flight of the Mus- these, they claim, 38 have returned. have been just four murders, that too lims continues. Says District Magis- The real conflict is between the stemming from personal enmity, not trate Verma: "We are not forcing Muslims and the Gangwars (Rurmi- political vendetta. anybody to go back until we can OBC)—the agricultural workers and The Kurmis are quick to defend restore their confidence." As of now, the landlords. Moreover, the themselves. They put the blame on that hasn't happened. In fact, ever Gangwars have the BJP behind Akbar Ahmed "Dumpy", the Cong- since the murder of Abdul Karim at them—six of the nine BJP candidates ress^) candidate for the Bareilly Lok the irrigation dam near Grem village, from Bareilly are Gangwars. Sabha seat. They say Ahmed engi- Mulsims have even stopped travelling Not surprisingly, the Muslims neered the communal divide to corner on the dam road at night. complain of victimisation. They claim the Muslim vote. Says Mukta Prasad That's not surprising. For, painted the administration doesn't respond to Gangwar of Lamba Khera village, on a wall near the dam is a threaten- their FIRs. District Magistrate D.D. from where 15 Muslim families have ing message: Yahan 8 baje ke baad Verma denies this: "I have myself migrated: "There was Hindu-Muslim aanaa manaa hai, varna maut pichcha visited these areas more than twice. harmony before Akbar Ahmed came karegi. (Don't come here after 8 p.m. or We have ensured that complaints on the scene. After all, we've elected else death with follow you.) from Muslims are dealt with immedia- Muslims like Abida Ahmed." —DILIP AWASTHI in Nawabganj

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