Beer-on-Tap Generation rejects heady Political Cocktails

Those who worry about the rise of a divisive kind of Islamic fundamentalism in India have known that eventually, if the government does not change course dramatically, something has to give. So far, the Hindus have, for the most part, been remarkably tame. They have swallowed a lot. But their leaders have tangoed with Muslims who were making it clear that they had no intention of fully joining or contributing to their host Hindu society, rather, were content to take, to harm, to damage, and to destroy, and were determined, in the long run, to conquer and rule; like their ancestors.

“The government is not there for the people. It is there to protect its interests.” Of course, those “interests” include prioritising favours and concessions for left-over Muslims who did not immigrate to the panacea of the wonderland of a new born Muslim-ruled Islamic-country. Such favouritism seemingly is doled out, at the expense of Hindus, who are putting in a lifetime of effort to rebuild and resurrect India to its glory of the pre-Islamic invasion era.

No one had ever asked the citizens of dismembered India whether even after giving away their big limb to Muslims in the name of Pakistan, they wanted their Independent nation to be radically transformed in this manner. This distortion, moreover, is intensifying by the year. At some point, surely, the native Hindus of India would react.

But what form could a reaction or a backlash take? Already there are no-go zones – enclaves in and around major cities and towns where “infidels” are unwelcome and where police are unwilling to enter. It is easy enough to imagine such areas expanding, their de facto sovereignty under ‘Sharia’ and Muslim personal law officially recognized and some kind of stability established. There could be another extreme - some kind of riots by natives - not by the elites whose personal lives are minimally affected by the Muslim presence, but the less privileged types whose neighbourhoods are becoming danger zones.

In recent past, citizens of India from across the political spectrum, and mostly hailing from medium and small towns, have been engaged not in any standard-issue public protests, but have been rioting and committing acts of vandalism in the name of beef, ‘love-jihad’ or supposedly undignified portrayal of Hindu ‘Maharani Padmini’ opposite a Muslim tyrant in a movie, which never was, apparently in a display of anti-Muslim stance.

Analysts have had trouble getting clear and concise explanations from the rioters of their motives and goals. Perhaps the rioters cannot find the words, perhaps they are expressing a rage that they have yet to be able to articulate. Or perhaps they are reluctant to speak their minds out loud for fear of being called intolerant, orthodox, anti-Muslim, or rightists. Even today, however, for many Hindus, it can be easier to be an anarchist than to speak honestly about Islam and Muslim-Indians.

Confirming the non-feasibility of all such speculations, projections, forecasts and scenarios of divided polity, the most comforting evidence on this front, however, came through the ballot box. Last month, Hindus expressed growing outrage over Modi’s government but did not succumb to politics of religious polarisation. Likewise, Muslims were not allured by the promises of favours made by politicians having historical credibility. Loss for BJP is due to a clear rejection of their policies. Congress won not due to any endorsement for its past or promised policies but simply as a consequence of loss for BJP.

Disagreements between the Hindus and the Muslims, on Goals and priorities for India as a nation; responsibilities which they have to take on; the domains for contributing their performance; and partaking the rewards of accomplishments; will persist. Such disagreements will cause tension between them.

Modest tension in the form of a competitive spirit to outsmart one another is in fact good for India. Politicians and civil-society have to ensure that small tension never turns into serious conflict. To this end they need to become heat-sinks rather than heat-sources for containing the entropy created by the engine of Indian democracy.

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