Bhabani Shankar Nayak
As Indians are sinking amid a pandemic, its camera addicted, selfie-savvy Prime Minister Narendra Modi is busy sharing his own multi-tasking photos, photography skills and love for wildlife. His photos feeding peacocks at his residence are flooding our social media walls. The economic and social crises does not disturb his focus on the camera.
As is known, the idea behind all this is primarily to project a very compassionate image of Modi, represented by his ‘simplicity’ and ‘love for animals’. However, the petting of animals and birds for entertainment doesn’t necessarily translate into unconditional love for them. In fact, some popular animal lovers in the history of the world have been known people-haters. These feudal and authoritarian leaders have always used animals to present power, strength and courage.
Jan Mohnhaupt, in his book ‘Animals in National Socialism’, depicts the way animals were used in Adolf Hitler’s footage to show his love for animals and even demanding obedience to his leadership. Hitler to Karl-Otto Koch of the Schutzstaffel (SS) of Nazi Germany were known for their love for animals and used pets for entertainment and a diversionary strategy. More importantly, Nazi propaganda used animals to undermine political opponents. There was no contradiction or conflict between love for animals and the Nazi death cult. Therefore, the love for animals cannot hide the evil Hindutva politics and policies of Modi led BJP government in India.
Under Modi’s watch, thousands of Muslims were killed during the pogrom in Gujarat in 2002, and as the Chief Minister of the state, he was a silent witness to it all. Increasing hate crimes, the lynching of Muslims, attacks on rationalists and activists continue to persist in India under his watch as the Prime Minister of the country. Much in the same way, recent Delhi riots took place directly under his watch too. The ministers in Modi’s cabinet are no less — they are known for their openly Islamophobic and anti-Muslim statements views and statements. There is no doubt, therefore, that Modi loves the camera more than animals, and considers Muslims not as citizens but as “puppies”, as he infamously stated in an interview about the 2002 riots in Gujarat.
The hugging of corporate heads and the humiliation of Muslims are the twin pillars of Hindutva politics. The vilification of Muslims, secularists, rationalists and political dissidents are everyday affairs in the country under the Modi regime. The brazen abuses of civil liberties and the celebration of riots are a daily reminder of the worsening law and order situation after the formation of the Modi-led central government by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It is important to identify how the love for animals and the Hindutva politics of hate exist together in India. The subjugation of minorities and the undermining of the country’s secular and democratic characters are defining features of the Hindutva ideology in praxis.
Modi is trying to seduce the Indian masses by showing his love for animals and hide all his failures as the PM of India. The ambience of Modi’s photoshoot makes one feel as if Modi stays far away from the ugly realities of the majority of Indians. No amount of propaganda can provide relief to the pain of hunger. No amount of media management can hide the agrarian and unemployment crisis in India; the social and foreign policy crises make it look as though there is no government in the country. Hindutva anarchy is a systematic design created to manufacture crises, which can be used as a shock therapy to control masses with the authoritarian culture of the law, police and the court. The making of a democratic deficit is an opportunity for Hindutva fascist forces in India. Modi’s jubilant photoshoot is, therefore, a project to hide the darkness and dangers of Hindutva ideology. The policies of the Modi government display that it neither cares for animals nor for humans.
The animal-love narrative remains myopic with an absence of love for fellow humans. It goes without saying that citizenship rights are no less than animal rights, but authoritarian politicians like Modi use such narratives to hide their sinister design to diminish citizenship, democratic rights and liberties. Modi’s love for animals will not save the Indian economy either from plummeting to new lows every day.
The Hindutva politics of hate will not stop with Muslims — it will percolate to every level of the Indian society. It’s time to stand with Indian Muslims and other religious minorities to save citizenship rights and constitutional democracy in India. The stripping of Indian Muslims’ citizenship rights is a threat even to the citizenship of Hindus. Diversity is India’s strength and the Modi-led BJP government is opposed to this idea. In fact, the idea of a ‘Hindu nation’ by BJP is a cover for corporate rule.
It is time to defeat Hindutva’s fake propaganda with hard facts. The failure to stop its forward march would push the Indian society to perpetual conflict within the country. Political silence is no longer an option for Indians.
Dr. Bhabani Shankar Nayak is a Senior Lecturer in Business Strategy at Coventry University, UK. Read his piece on the globalisation of capitalist crises here.
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