Hindutva

[Guest]

<P>Op-ed pieces on three different topics got Offstumped thinking resulting in what Offstumped calls “Flat World Hindutva”.</P>
<P>First a quick run-down on what got Offstumped thinking along these lines.</P>
<P>1. The Pope Issue</P>

<P>To begin with you had this issue with the Pope and anti-conversion and swathe of news articles where along predictable lines the BJP condemns it, the secularists keep silent, the Government toes a diplomatic path and the Left of Center media as usual comes up with please all editorials that slams the right, cautions the Pope and pretty much advocates status quo. The renewed focus on India from Vatican and Christian evnagelicals is easy to explain. The crisis of faith in the Western world with the sex abuse scandals, same sex marriages and general apathy towards religion is turning the focus on to Latin America, Asia and Africa. The 2 billion chinese religious market is not exactly open to the organized church as can be seen with the jockeying between Vatican and Beijing on appointment of Bishops. So that leaves the 1 billion Indian Market which allows open access iwith 100% foreign investment guaranteed within a secular regulatory environment for the Church to actively market its product to. So what should be the response of the Right to this market invasion ?</P>

<P>2. The Heir apparent</P>

<P>Then came further evidence of the concerted media campaign to get on the “Suck up to Rahul“ bandwagon with this rather mediocre op-ed piece from Minhaz Merchant in the DNA http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsI...9&catid=19 who seems to be in hurry to not just talk about if and when Rahul Gandhi will lead the Congress, but to start opining on what kind of a Prime Minister he will make. So once again clearly the left of center media caught in a dog eat dog game of competition is going all out to fuel the personality cult to its own advantage. This was clearly in evidence through out the recent election news analysis on the 24x7 news channels with their cliched cricketing analogies and outdoing each other on who was the Man of the Match. Then comes the silly Opinion Poll by NDTV where they talked to 4000 people across 15 states and concluded that a majority of Indians want Rahul in the Cabinet. As absurd as that sounds you have this opinion poll covered by the print media in the monday editions. So now we have the media already setting up a telegenic Rahul with also have beens in the BJP. So what should be the response of the Right to this crowning of the heir apparent ?</P>

<P dir=ltr>3. Party of Differences</P>

<P dir=ltr>Then comes almost as if Sonia's spin meisters are working in concert, this op-ed piece in the Hindustan Times by Pankaj Vora playing up on the confusion within the BJP, the Marandi episode, the parting of ways with Uma Bharathi, the so-called ineffectiveness of Rajnath Singh, the alleged differences with the RSS and the general state of incoherence. </P>

<P dir=ltr>So what hope does the Right of Center Political Agenda have, what big ideas or vision can inspire the Right of Center Movement.</P>
<P dir=ltr>Offstumped's answer to this what Offstumped calls - Flat World Hindutva.</P>
<P dir=ltr>So what is Flat World Hindutva ?</P>
<P dir=ltr>To understand Flat World Hindutva let us examine the success of Infosys. </P>
<UL dir=ltr>
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Infosys interestingly enough was formed around the same time as the BJP was formed, celebrating silver jubilees a year apart.
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Infosys was not born out of any business house or traditional business family
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Not losing faith or hope Infosys persevered through the 80s like the BJP
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Infosys' meteoric rise to the forefront on the global landscape parallels the rise of the BJP on the political front
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As we enter the new millennium a new global reality confronts Infosys
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A Globalized World, open markets and competitition from global majors
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So what was Infosys response to the challenges thrown by the new millennium
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Infosys did not hanker down with calls for protectionist laws to prevent global majors from competing with it from India
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Infosys did not sell-out and merge itself with a bigger player wary of competing with the big boys
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Nor did Infosys put all its faith in its mascot Mr. Murthy to take it through this challenging phase
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In fact Infosys actually demonstrated its confidence that there is no dearth of talent amongst its ranks and put in place a leadership system where the young are groomed to succeed as the elders move on.
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Today Infosys is the leader in showing the world how to compete and win in a Flat World.</UL>
<P>So what lessons can the Right of Center Movement draw from the Infosys experience whose success almost parallels its up until recently </P>
<P>What should Flat World Hindutva come to mean ?</P>
<P>Flat World Hindutva </P>

1. Should be a Political and Social Vision for the Right in the 21st century
   <LI>Should reflect the opinions and aspirations of the Young Globalized Indian
   <LI>Should be about ideas and issues that will secure India's place in the 21st century
   <LI>Should provide a clear distinction on what lies outside the realm of Governance and within the realm of Social Reform
   <LI>In Governance
   • <LI>Should be about Securing Strategic Interests of the Nation - Energy and Security
     <LI>Should be about Competitiveness of Indian Enterprises and Indians in a Globalized World
     <LI>Should be about Federalism in its true sense - Local Communities in charge of their destiny
     <LI>Should be about Grass Roots Democracy to groom a Million Leaders from the ranks
2. In Social Reform
   • <LI>First and Foremost must be about reforming Mainstream Hinduism
     <LI>Must in un-equivocal terms work to De-Legitimise Caste System as un-Hindu and have every mainstream religious pontiff, leader, guru endorse this de-legitimisation
     <LI>Must invest, build and spawn institutions and bodies of thought on what Mainstream Hinduism must come to mean in the 21st Century
     <LI>Must be about reaching out to the most disaffected sections of the community and making Mainstream Hinduism relevant to their needs, aspirations and aid
     <LI>Must be about CLOSURE on the divisive issues of the last century
     <LI>Must be about COMPETING on IDEAS and ASPIRATIONS through SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS, CULTURAL MOVEMENTS, MASS MEDIA PRODUCTS rather than through STREET FIGHTS AND LEGISLATIONS
     <LI>FINALLY MUST BE ABOUT OUTLASTING THE NEXT MILLENNIUM BY DRAWING ITS STRENGTH FROM SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS RATHER THAN STATE SPONSORED LEGSILATIONS
   </LI>

<P>Flat World Hindutva will not need protectionist legislations to battle conversions, it will fight conversions by being more responsive, more relevant to the needs and aspirations of the disaffected and by offering a better vision.</P>
<P>Flat World Hindutva will not fear dynastic politics but will offer a much more vibrant and diverse alternative with a Million Choices all rising from the grassroots.</P>
<P>Offstumped Bottomline: The mainstream media is missing the big picture as it goes overboard in predicting the doom of the BJP and the crowning of the heir apparent. Political India is no longer the homogenous entity it was. The biggest misread of the 2004 General Elections was the BJP's assumption that a national theme and projection of a personality would win it the election. The UPA and its minions in the left of center media with their silly opinion polls are making the same mistake. We no longer have a National Election on National Issues. We have 545 mini-elections the sum total of which is what will determine who wins in 2009. So success of the UPA or failure of the BJP will not depend on whether Rahul Gandhi is projected or if Arun Jaitley is pitted against him, but it will depend on what Raman Singh does in Chattisgarh, what KCR does in Telangana or Arjun Munda in Jharkhand. This is the political reality of India. </P>
<P>So all is not lost for the Right as the Media would have us believe. </P>
<P>But the Right must re-invent itself with new ideas and new vision for an emerging Flat World, Infosys style.</P>