Just ask yourselves this: if Krishna was to be born today would he not stand up against these (evil) acts by a government that is using religion for ulterior motives — to divide people– and stick to power?
It is time that Hindus stand up against the new avatar of the arrogant Kauravas whose ideals are people like Godse and not Karkare who was a far better Hindu than Modi.
On the auspicious occasion of Janamashtami, our Hindu friends, brothers and sisters need to revisit the story of one of their most adorable and adored gods. Especially because India is presently ruled by a right wing Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) government that claims to be the defender of the Hindu faith.
Ever since the BJP came to power with a brute majority in 2014 under Prime Minister Narendra Modi – the attacks on religious minorities have grown, while there is no end to sexual violence and state repression either.
Lord Krishna who grew up in the backward community of cattle raisers had finished off the tyrannical Kans, broke gender barriers by mingling with girls, fought for the five Pandavs and their small family unit against the powerful Kauravas, stepped in to save Draupdi from sexual assault and preached to the world through Bhagwad Gita the time-tested words: we must focus on our duty rather than worrying about the consequences.
Yet, under the BJP rule and those who wish to see India turned into a Hindu theocracy, who have also been trying to make Gita a national text an entirely different kind of value system from that espoused by Krishna, is being imposed. The actions of Modi supporters (or bhakts) resemble more the deeds of Kans and the Kauravas while nothing seems to be in line with the teachings of Lord Krishna.
The backward classes and Dalits — so called untouchables — continue to be oppressed through structural violence. Their lands are being taken in the name of development and are being given away to the extraction industry. The BJP government is more inclined to safeguard the corporate interest over people’s interest.
If Kans enjoys a reputation of being one of the worst tyrants, the BJP government has proved to be even worse. This government has been persecuting political prisoners, throwing dissidents in jails, charging them for sedition and muzzling any voice of reason. The killings of political activists through extra judicial means is another addition to the long list of excesses this establishment is known for.
Whereas, Krishna introduced modernity to Hinduism and allowed an open relationship between men and women, BJP supporters have been indulging in moral policing and attacking and shaming dating couples.
Unlike Krishna who chose to side with Pandavas over the powerful Kauravas, the BJP government is giving patronage to majoritarian extremist groups and suppressing activists from minority communities with an iron fist. It remains a mute spectator to the continuous violence against Muslims, Christians and Dalits, unleashed by goons owing allegience to Hindutva.
While Draupadi was fortunate to have been saved from disgrace by Krishna, there are many like her who have been subjected to sexual harassment and violence under the BJP rule. Only recently, the son of a BJP leader from Haryana was caught stalking a woman in Chandigarh. A few months earlier, a young woman Gurmehar Kaur was threatened with rape by the BJP supporters for questioning right wing politics on social media, and even speaking up for peace, not war, with Pakistan. Not only that, the BJP supporters are known to have been involved in anti Muslim and anti Christian violence during which the women from the minority communities were raped in the past.
What can be more hypocritical than asking for Gita to be adopted as national text, when you do not follow its principles in practice?
One of the values that the Gita teached us is to focus on our Karma or the duty without worrying about the consequences.
The BJP wants the intelligentsia, the judiciary, the police and the intelligence to behave in a manner that suits their agenda. It does not want the protectors of the law to work independently and that’s why the penetration of prejudiced officials have increased under the current government. This has made the lives of the minorities miserable. Most of the time its the Muslims or the tribals who are at the receiving end. They can be easily branded as Jihadists or Maoists and charged under false cases.
On the other hand, there is no action against Hindutva terrorists. Rather, the late Hemant Karkare, a police officer who had smashed the Hindutva terror network was hounded by the BJP. Though Karkare was a practicing Hindu who drew inspiration from Gita and was only doing his karma he was constantly harassed by the BJP until he died during a terror attack in Mumbai.
Modi himself came to the defence of the Hindutva extremists back then. As a Chief Minister of Gujarat at that time, he was responsible for anti Muslim pogrom in 2002 when the police was made to protect the BJP activists involved in the violence against the very spirit of Gita. Likewise, the appointments of scholars and judges who agree with the ideology of the BJP isn’t something surprising.
This is not to suggest that the previous governments were perfect. State violence and sexual abuse have also been happening during other regimes, but what is unique about the BJP is that due to its Hindu nationalist (supremacist) mandate the attacks on minorities have grown. More importantly, the BJP has always been playing the card of religion and has been using the Hindu gods as political icons to further their agenda.
It has to be therefore challenged for its double speak and only devout Hindus whose brand of Hinduism is more open can do that.