Retributions  

A Leadership Crisis

Let’s start with a basic premise: All political parties exist to win elections, and in turn, claim power. Given that as a priori, their  compromises with their claimed ideologies becomes somewhat more understandable–though no less unacceptable–and so does their tendency to cater to the lowest common denominator in order to win popular support.

Nevertheless, for a party to survive in the long-term, especially in case it loses power for a substantial period of time, it has to have a core set of beliefs which define it. Any contravention of that basic set of beliefs for political expediency will ultimately damage the political party. In other words, while realpolitik is necessary for a political party to survive in the messy world of Indian politics, it still has to be guided by some sense of right and wrong.

Now, let’s examine the Varun Gandhi fracas from this perspective. Reacting to Gandhi’s abominable comments–his excuse of doctored CD is too lame to be taken seriously unless he offers compelling proof--BJP quickly disassociated it self from his comments. The twin Muslim faces of the party–Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Shahnawaz Hussain–roundly condemned him and claimed that his views did not reflect the party’s beliefs. Gandhi’s comments should ideally have been countered by someone of the stature of L.K Advani–the party’s ”new” moderate face–but considering the propensity of BJP leaders to embarrass the party, perhaps, Mr Advani’s reticence was understandable.

The party adopted the same stand before the Election Commission of India, disassociating it self from Mr Gandhi’s purported remarks while demanding a ”fair” inquiry. The Commission after due deliberation passed an order strongly condemning Mr Gandhi and ”advised” BJP not to offer him a ticket for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Now, legally, the EC’s stand can be reasonably questioned. Perhaps, as some experts have pointed out, the commission had no locus standi to hear the case against Mr Gandhi before the Lok Sabha elections had been notified. That is an issue which can only be settled by the higher judiciary.

Notwithstanding the legal complications, BJP’s defense of Varun Gandhi and its launching an attack against EC–a constitutional body–is extremely deplorable. Neither Mr Gandhi nor his party have offered an iota of proof that the tapes were doctored–Gandhi could have asked for a forensic test to verify that the voice in the tape was not his. He did nothing of that sort. Instead, he offered vague conspiracy theories–a defense in which BJP and its supporters seem as adept as some Muslim organizations–and tried to turn the tables on his critiques by claiming to be vilified for championing the Hindu cause. And now, he has courted arrest in Pilibhit while thousands of his supporters rioted and clashed with the police and his mother blatantly played the communal card.

But while Varun Gandhi needs to be condemned for his activities, he is still a small-time leader exploiting his famous surname to find his foothold in politics. What is far more worrisome is BJP’s game.  BJP’s duplicitous stand–condemning Gandhi’s remarks while refusing to deny him a ticket or to control his activities–is an indication that the party wishes to run with the hares while hunting with the hounds. Much as it would like to deny it, the party seem unable and unwilling to give up its ”Hinduvata” plank if it stands to make electoral gains–even if they are likely to be minor as is the case in UP.

Now, realpolitik is important and BJP should not be expected to sacrifice its electoral fortunes for moral grandstanding. But a party which claims to be ”nationalist” must be held to some basic standard of decorum and propriety. It must be prepared to make at least minimal sacrifices if it hurts the national interest. Only in the last year, BJP did not do so in the case of Amarnath issue where it attempted to emerge as the Hindu Huriyat. It did not do so on the nuclear issue where it broke bread with the Left merely to snipe at Manmohan Singh. And it did not do so when it attempted to defend those accused of killing innocent Indians in Malegaon. And now this. How seriously BJP claims of placing ”country first”can be taken when it condones Varun Gandhi’s vitriolic comments merely for a few seats in UP? Surely, communal polarization which is a natural offshoot of Gandhi’s comments harms the national interest. But in its mad dash for power at any cost, does the party care anymore?

What is most astounding is that the party has failed to learn from its past mistakes. In Orissa, the violence against Christians was at least partially responsible for it losing the support the Naveen Patnaik–an important electoral ally. In Karnataka, the party has been embarrassed no ends by the likes of Muthalik who emerged from the larger saffron parivar. Important allies like Nitish Kumar who have assiduously wooed Muslims are extremely uncomfortable with the likes of Varun Gandhi as they understand that they stand to lose from communal polarization. On othe other hand, in states like Madhya Pradesh, where Shivraj Singh Chauhan has played the development card, the party has repeatedly done well. But so short-sighted the party has become; so nonchalant about its reputation; and so fixated on immediate gains–whatever the long-term costs–that is is willing to condone the likes of Varun Gandhi.

One suspects the real cause is the success of the ”Gujarat model.” Narendra Modi first tasted political success by his dubious role in the Gujarat riots of 2001. Since then Modi has evolved into a development poster boy who has apparently left his ”Hinduvata” roots far behind. Many of his supporters focus on the latter while conveniently forgetting the former. This is the model which the likes of Varun Gandhi attempt to emulate–after all, a riot or two has never affected the political fortunes of Indian politicians. Witness the relative success of Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar in Delhi. Or CPI(M)s’ fulsome wooing of Muslims fundamentalists–accused of terror attacks–in Kerala.

But it is a stand which damages the national interest. And that cannot be justified by demands of realpolitik. In fact, BJP’s stand on the Varun Gandhi issue is both morally reprehensible as well as politically incomprehensible. It is clearly a failure of its leadership. As Vir Sanghvi rightly asks, if Mr Advani cannot run his own party, can he deliver for the nation?