Any attempt at being ‘BJP Lite’ will render us ‘Congress Zero’, says Congress MP Shashi Tharoor

The Congress identifies the clear distinction between Hinduism and Hindutva, says Tharoor

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor tells DH’s Sagar Kulkarni he’s looking forward to the party leadership acting on the ‘G-23’ letter’s urging for reforming the party

How would you define patriotism and nationalism and how has the debate on nationalism been reshaped in the recent past?

To my mind, “patriotism” is about loving your country because it is yours, because you belong to it and it belongs to you, the way you would love your mother, without claiming she is perfect. Whereas the nationalism being promoted in India today is a totalising vision that excludes those who don’t subscribe to it, that demands allegiance and brooks no dissent.

The term ‘nationalism’ has been appropriated in a way that makes it almost a dirty word. The dominant narrative these days, unfortunately, has meant that when the ruling party speaks of nationalism, they mean an exclusionary, aggressive, sectarian nationalism. We must continue to fight against this idea of ethno-religious nationalism and prove that love and inclusivity remain at the heart of what it means to be a patriot.

As I argue in The Battle of Belonging, it’s crucial that this brand of nationalism, which best safeguards individual rights, is promoted and protected above all others.

Have sub-national or ethno-national identities become stronger in post-Independence India? How does it reflect on the greater idea of India? Is greater autonomy to states the answer?

Sub-national and ethno-national identities have long been exploited for political reasons, and perhaps the trend has indeed become more explicit in the last few decades. I would note that I do not think that this is an existential threat to the wider nation-state, but I am concerned by the petty prejudice that such politics often exploits. It must be curbed, but not through sweeping and hurtful measures such as the Centre’s attempts to force language imposition on the southern states. The real danger is in the ethno-nationalism of the majority – the attempt to elevate Hindutva as a synonym for India’s cultural and political ethos by claiming that a communal majority represents the whole nation.

Has the experiment to reshape the debate on nationalism and dovetailing it with Hindutva succeeded, as we have seen BJP returning to power in 2019?

I would caution against this perception that Hindutva is all that popular in India. After all, the 37% vote won by the BJP last year is not a majority! Hindutva, like most reactionary ideologies, has successfully exploited fear of the “other”. Its champions in power have no issues with commandeering or undermining the ostensibly independent institutions at the heart of our democracy, from the Election Commission to the RBI, RTI commissioners, or even the judiciary and media.

Sure, the BJP holds a commanding parliamentary majority, but it has worked incessantly to suppress dissenting voices, making it difficult to get an accurate gauge of support for Hindutva among ordinary Indians. I do not think that a majority of the country supports the hateful rhetoric and exclusionary nature of Hindutva.

The Congress has often been accused of practising – as you yourself had described -- ‘Hindutva lite’ to take on the BJP? Is that the right approach?

We in the Congress Party have been unequivocal that we cannot allow ourselves to become any sort of BJP-lite or practice any Hindutva-lite. Any attempt to emulate ‘Pepsi Lite’ by ‘BJP Lite’ will end up with us becoming ‘Coke Zero’ – that is, Congress Zero. Congress is not BJP in any sense, and we should not attempt to be a lighter version of something we are not. Neither do I believe that we are trying to be.

The Congress identifies the clear distinction between Hinduism and Hindutva. The Hinduism we respect is inclusive and non-judgemental, whereas Hindutva is a political doctrine rooted in the idea of exclusion.

Do you think the greater emphasis on creating a coalition of minorities by previous regimes made it easier for the BJP in its quest for majoritarianism?

I think it is almost meaningless to speak of “minority politics” in a country as richly diverse as ours. Electoral politics has no doubt complicated matters, because the quest for an electoral majority has driven much of today’s political majoritarianism. The old formula was that you constructed a majority out of a coalition of minorities, but now the ruling party, by harping on a Hindu identity that subsumes differences of caste, region, language and gender, has essentially marginalised members of minority groups in their quest for a majority base.

Reasserting that such petty politicisation of identity actually divides the majority rather than unites it is the only remedy. We must remind voters that there are more important issues that affect their daily lives than asserting their communal identity.

How has social media contributed to furthering majoritarianism? Is there an effective fight back for a counter-narrative?

Oh, social media has undoubtedly introduced a toxicity into Indian politics that wasn’t there before. The shield of anonymity that social media permits has turned it into a breeding ground of vicious vituperation that we wouldn’t have heard publicly before, and that has poisoned political discourse more generally. More regulation could curb the worst of social media’s excesses but risks government control over our freedom of expression, which would be the greater evil. It’s better that the ideas that fuel such hatred must be combated on the ground.

How would a Joe Biden presidency be different for India, given Prime Minister Modi’s penchant for striking a personal rapport with world leaders?

I have no doubt that the relationship will grow stronger under President-elect Joe Biden – keeping in mind that international relations are not based on the rapport between two individuals but the ability of two countries to come together, rooted in shared values, with the hope of benefiting one another and increasing the peace and prosperity of their citizens. President-elect Biden has long been well-disposed towards India, and I can see no reason why that should not continue.

You had raised concerns about internal elections in the Congress and need for the party to rejuvenate itself? Are you satisfied with the steps taken by the Congress president after the G-23 letter?

The party president had said she would deal with the issues raised in the letter, and we are all looking forward to that happening.