THE VICTORY OF THE BJP IN THE MAY 2019 ELECTIONS; IMPLICATIONS FOR INDIA

https://wordcraftandstatecraft.blogspot.com/2019/04/the-electoral-prospects-of-bjp.htmlA look at the world of politics, statecraft, diplomacy and books

There was no great surprise in the relection of the BJP and the victory of Shri Naredra Modi. In fact in a number of blogs we had made the same prediction and the actual number of seats won was close to the figure we had predicted in the blog (link above). 303 seats across the lengrth and breadth of the country. From 282 seats in the 2014 Elections the individual seats of the BJP has gone up to 303 and the Party contested little over 385 seats leaving the rest to its allies like Shiv Sena, JD  (U), Shiromani Akali Dal and the AIADMK. If we can use a cricketting metaphor from the T20 series, the srike rate of the BJP is very high meaning 80 % of the BJP candidates won their seats. In order to curb anti incumbancy, the BJP dropped nearly 105 sitting members. On the whole an impressive amndate and for the first time in India's electoral history, the percentage of votes polled have crossed 50% in vafour of the BJP. Most Governemnts have been formed with vote shares ranging from 28% to 34%. We now have a Governemnt with a vote share of more than 50%. All this means stability and the Government will be bold in taking decisons.

The Map given illustrates the safforon surge that has seen the emergence of the BJP as India's natural party of Governence. This victory was achieved in the face of the most vicious electorl campaign that India has even seen. Rahul  Gandhi, the putative challenger, had to tender an apology to the Supreme Court of India for calling Modi a "chor", thief. Other Congressmen emboldened by the aggression displayed by their leader were less than flattering in their rhetorical attacks on the Prime Minister. The more he was attacked, the greater was the backlash from the electorate. Then a variety of identity cards were pulled out: Dalis are in danger was one such. The fact is that the BJP has convincingly demonstrated its hold over the Dalit population by winning 75% of the reserved seats. In fact Congress did not win a single reserved seat nor did the Communists. For all their bluff and bluster both the Connumits and the Congress are bereft of any support amonmg the subaltern classes. Only the BJP commands the allegiance of the SC and ST communities. In the tibal belt of Central India the BJP held sway. All this goes to ahow thast the vicious campaign of polarization run by the so called Cetre Left Parties did not cut ice with the population.

The BJP won 18 seats in West Bengal and a clutch of seats in Orissa. The re election of Naveen Patnaik to power shows that the Indian electorate rewards good governence. In Tamil Nadu and Kerala the results show that people vote on emotional lines. There was sustained and calculated socialmedia attacks on Modi and the bJP throughout the 5 years that he has been in power and more so sicne the death of Jayalalitaa. The killings of the Tamils in Sri Lanka during the UPA rule was forgotten and the party which was then in power Congress joined hands with the DMK. The ease with which they joined hands shows that the politics of Tamil Nadu is still fluid and if BJP has effective leadership, the challenge can be met. In Bengal the BJP gave a resounding ideological challenge to the TMC. In Tamil Nadu the BJP takes dravidianist ideology for granted. It is not prepared to challenge the dravidianist dispensation.

What can India expect from Narendra Modi in the next five years. First, econom,ic development by huge investment in Infrasttructure will continue. New ports and transport hube will be established. On the National Security front major initiatives can be expected. The Nation Register of Citizens will be given full adminstrative backing as it has the approval of the Supreme Court. Identity politics will not be entertained thopugh the Congress habit of instigating the minorities will continue. Cattle Laws will be enforced so that the instances of gau rakshaks taking law into their own hands are reduced. Israel India partnership in Education will be encouraged. Modi will try to ease tensions with China as he is focussed on the internal developments and he cannot be distracted by adventures near the border.

The Economy will continue to grow at 7 to 8 % and further liberalization will be expected. Agricultural sector will be looked in and cold storage facilties and Silos for grain storage will be undertaken. In Higher Education there will be an emphasis on fundamental research.

"Is Modi the Divider iin Chief" A Response to Aatish Taheer and TIME

A look at the world of politics, statecraft, diplomacy and books


Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, has been the target of malicious attacks ever since he became the Chief MInister of Gujarat in 2001 and the white liberal media has been maliciously targeting him from 2002, when the Gujarat Riots happened after the buring down of the train in Godhra in which 79 passengers returning from pilgrimage were killed. Since then there has been a steady barrage of unsubstantiated newspaper "articles" which have held Narendra Modi responsible for the Riots in Gujarat. This narrative was amplified by the the Congress Party which came to power on the strength of a self serving coalition in 2004. It may be stated that the Supreme  Court of India appointed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and the Report exonerated Narendra Modi from any responsibility either of Omission or Commission. It is well known that more people were killed by Police firing than in the riots perse and this fact adds credence to the BJP claim that unlike the anti Sikh Riots of 1984 in which the Congressmen were let loose on the instigation of Rajv Gandhi and Arun Nehru, the Gujarat Riots of 2002 were expeditiously squelched. Police action against the rioters were prompt focused and decisive. Indeed the Congress Government which was ruling Madya Pradesh dis not send reinforcements requested by the Gujarat Government. Since then, a campaign was launched in concert with the Congress Party in India and the white International Liberal media which put all the blame for the riots on Modi, suppressing both the context as well as the Supreme Court monitored probe.

The first charge that Modi is populist is easily refuted. There has been no attempt on the part of Narendra Modi to initiate populist measures. In fact had he done so, there would not have been any doubt whatsoever about his election. The fiscal inclusion programme launched by Modi, his Clean India Campaign, his Medical Insurance Scheme are all important policy initiatives launched to improve the lives and living standards of the people. To mock such measures that enhance human dignity and trivialize them as populist is sheer cussedness. Secularism is another of the ideological shibboleths raised by Taseer. The Indian notion of secularism is decidedly founded on minority identity politics. The Constitution does not define Minorities and hence the Moslem population of India which is 120 million strong is treated a Minority. Infact, the failure of the Indian National Congress to safeguard the unity and integrity of India in 1947 itself suggests that the appeal of its ideology on the Moslems was rather weak. However, after Partition it successfully converted the Muslim population into a captive vote bank by demonizing the Hindu population. The Congress pursued a successful electoral strategy of combining Populism with Minority appeacement and Narendra Modi has rejected this policy. On the other hand, his social vision is inclusive in that he does not allow identity politics to determine the social equity measures and schemes like the Ujjal Yojana have benefited Moslems and Hindus alike.

The 5 years in which Modi has been in power has seen absolutely zero Communal clashes. Yet the liberal media in India alomg with a clutch of Bollywood personalities like Swara Bhaskar and Nazeeuddin Shah produced a narrative that mob lynching was popular and enjoys state support. Nothing could be more egregiously erroneous. The fact is that Cow vigilantism was highlighted during the course of the past five years and such incidents of "gau rakshaks" seizing cattle being smuggled across state borders in violation of the Law and Constitution have always taken place. Isolated incidents were strung together to create mass hysteria in the white world as if India was slipping into a barbaric age. And the attacks on Churches which prompted a host of Congress friendly "intellectuals" to return their National Awards were proved to be false flag attacks and those arrested for destroying Churches turned out to be mostly Christians and in one case a Moslem. The Jabua Nun Rape case accused turned out to be an illegal immigrant from Bangladesh. The damage caused by false media reports were not successfully repaired by the BJP which though well organised lacks intellectual ballast and hence such reports went largely uncontested.

Taseer makes ugly comparisons. Modi is not an Indian version of Bolsonaro of Brazil or Erdogan of Turkey. In both these instances the political power weilded by these men is backed by the threat of Military force. The Press is suppressed and there is hardly any dissent/ The fact that aatish Taseer is able to write and publish his trash and that has not been proscribed or banned itseld is proof that the Modi Government does not suppress Freedom of Expression. There has been a steady barrage of abuse directed at the Prime Minister. Sonia Gandhi called his "muth ka saudagar" Merchant of Death. One Congree Leader referred to him as "neech" a word that denotes contempt. Abuse is the only challenge that Modi faces and he has not bothered to respond. Rahul Gandhi the Crown Prince of the dynasty obsessed Congress Party calls his a "thief" in every public meeting. Just once Modi turned around and slapped Rahul across the face by pointing out the politically significant fact that Rajiv Gandhi had a major role in the Bofors Scandal.

Congreess Mukth Bharath the stated goal of the Modi Campaign is based on the recognition that Crime Corruption and Communalism are part of the political DNA of the Congress Party. 1984 anti Sikh Riots, the large scale corruption of the UPA regime particularly the 2G Spectrum Scandal and the constant appeasement of Muslims are all proof of the degradation in the political sphere. And Dynastic Politics is inherently anti democratic.

Aatish Taseer, the son of a Pakistani father and an Indian Mother should have been more circumspect in his writing. Brought up in India, he knows the reality. He has chosen to write a piece of garbage for the white liberal. Institutions have been stressed due to the bad language of the ruling Congress Party. The attempt to intimidated the Supreme Court by an attempt at impeachment of the Chief Justice attempted by the Congress which was reduced to a Herd of 44 only showed the desperation of the Congress. The attacks on the Election Commission of India and the Reserve Bank of India are not the work of the Modi Government.

The General Elections of 2019 are not yet over. One Phase is still left and the foul language of the Congress Dynastic Fascist courtiers all suggest a desparation. Modi has served the people of India. It is hoped that people have the intelligence to vote for a man who has contributed constructively to India and punish those responsible for inflicting huge damage to the Indian Economy. I will not be surprised if Modi gets around 270 to 290 seats in the May 2019 Elections.

Hindu Terror Myth or Reality A Review of R V S Mani's Insider Account of Ministry of Home Affairs

A look at the world of politics, statecraft, diplomacy and books

The Myth of Hindu Terror: Insider Account of Ministry of Home Affairs
R V S Mani
New Delhi:Vitasta
2018

HINDU TERROR

The myth of Hindu Terror was propagated by the important lights of the discredited UPA regime such as P. Chidambaram, Sushil Kumar Shinde and Dig Vijaya Singha. It basically attempted to shift the responsibility for serious crimes against the Indian State like the 26/11 attacks on Mumbai, the Malegoan Bomb Blast Case and the outsourced attempted killing of the then Chief Minister of Gujarat, on to the Hindus and present them as concerted planned and executed plots of resurgent Hindu or Saffron Terror. The political purpose behind such a devious attempt at implicating people in plots where the responsibility lay elsewhere was to consolidate the muslim vote bank and discredit the BJP which was posing an impressive challenge. The book under review goes to prove that the state machinery was systematically used to undermine criminal investigations in order to sustain a false and questionable narrative of Saffron Terror. The author worked in a senior capacity in the ministry of Home Affairs, when Chidambaram the architect of the Saffron Terror Plot was the Home Minister and continued into the tenure of Sushil Shinde, the dismissed Police constable who rose to become the Home Minister of India. It is a crying shame that the position once adorned by the like of Sardar Patel and Lal Bahadur Shastri were disgraced by such men.

The book is extremely disturbing in that it documents various important cases in which investigations were derailed and evidence suppressed or worse manufactured. A Just yesterday the Nation was informed that Mazoor Azhar, the dreaded terrorist has been declared a "Global Terrorist". When UPA was in power, the present Union Minister Shri Hardeep Singh Puri IFS (retd) was the Permanent Representative  of India to the UN. The CBI, then under Chidambaram refused to part with evidence required to  file material before the Security Council regarding Hafiz Syed's role in the 26/11 killings keeping in mind the sensibilities of the Moslem vote bank. Such instances are several. On the Israt Jehan Case, the involvement of Chidambaram and his cronies makes chilling reading. Even after Ishrat Jehan's identity as a LeT terrorist was known, the Government of India tried to file a false affidavit before the Gujarat High Court by suppressing this vital and crucial detail. In fact, during the interrogation of David Coleman the fact that Ishart Jehan was an LeT "Operative" was known but this detail was deliberately suppressed. Similarly in the Malegoan Blast case also, the involvement of muslim terrorists was proved, but to facilitate the Safforn Terror Theory the FIR against the arrested minority criminals was set aside and a false narrative based on Col Purohit, a serving Army Officer and Sadhvi Pargya was created. This matter is still in Courts and if the evidence points to a false case has been fabricated, then the matter must be probed and punishment meted out. If Ministers holding responsible positions involve themselves in obstructing the course of investigation then they must be treated as abettors in the crime. It is clear that the Congress Party had a very deed association with the group which entered Gujarat with the sole purpose of killing  Narendra Modi the Chief Minister of Gujarat. It is to the credit of men like Vanzara that the plot was foiled.

The book exposes in some detail the workings of the Home Ministry during the turbulent UPA period. It is really sad that secularism has become a weapon to protect anti national elements.

Jallianwala Bagh and the Writing of History; Kim Wagner's An Empire of Fear and the Making of the Amritsar Massacre

A look at the world of politics, statecraft, diplomacy and books

Jalianwalla Bagh: An Empire of Fear and the Making of The Amritsar Massacre
Kim  A. Wagner
Penguin India, 2019

Jalianwalla Bagh

Kim Wagner is a well known English Historian with books on the Nineteenth Century such as the study of Thugee and later the violence of the Indian Mutiny as evidence from the macabre evidence of the skull of Alum Beg. Now he has turned his attention to the Jalianwalla Bagh Massacre of 1919 and has published this book in time to trigger the political and academic interest in this singular event of the early twentieth century. He is a careful historian, unlike the Indian "historians" who are quite content reproducing large chunks of the Hunter Report and thickly marinate their so called hypotheses with nationalistic bombast of the Nehruvian variety. He has scrupulously adhered to the basic premise of good historiography by not letting post colonial sentiments of moral outrage and loud lamentations over the Evil of Empire overpower his narrative. The Massacre cannot be reduced to a label of identity and hence has to be treated as a "historical event" that needs to be reconstructed. And that Kim Wagner has done is a commendable manner. He has consulted all available records in the British and Indian Archives and the result is a tour de force of historical narrative, reconstruction and interpretation of the event. To most Indian Historians, the 1919 Massacre is an example of the brutality of the British Raj and indeed it was. That in itself does not explain the 1919 Amritsar Massacre. All Empires are brutal and the British one was not an exception. Even the First Award Wapsi of India, Rabindranath Tagore in his letter renouncing his Knighthood spoke only of the extreme cruelty of the Massacre. General Dyer was like Adolf Eichmann who was evil in a banal and incoherent fashion. Jalianwalla Bagh Massacre is a an event that reminds us that Evil lurks in every corner and is not the monopoly of one individual or institution.

Kim Wagner has drawn a very detailed picture of the Punjab right from the suppression of the Kuka Uprising/Rebellion of 1872. The uprising was suppressed with extrmeme violence as nearly a 100 men who were merely accused of participating in the Uprising were blown from the mouth of cannons. Without even consulting his superiors Commissioner Cowan executed the rebels in the most horrendous manner. Wagner explains the unnecessary cruelty in terms of the memory of Kanpur during the Mutiny of 1857. The Kuka Rebellion remains an enigma in Indian Historiography as the 68 rebels killed by Cowan whose names are known have not been recognized as Martyrs till this day. The SGPC has been clamoring for recognition till this day. The recent exchange of words between the Vice President of the Akali Dal , Mahjitia and the Congress Chief Minister of Punjab, Captain Amrinder Singh, the grand son of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Karpurtala underscores the fact that these events have an afterlife until this day.

There are certain events that Professor Wagner has excavated which seems to "normalize" the brutality of General Dyer. The Rowlatt Act was unpopular in the Punjab and both Dr Kitchlew and Dr Satyapal were leading agitations against it and were ably assisted by Hans Raj. Wagner makes a rather unkind statement about Hans Raj on page 51 casting serious aspersions on a man India regards a patriot.  Whatever be the antecedents of Hans Raj he was a good organizer and was instrumental in arranging the meeting on the fateful day at Amritsar. On 10th 11th and 12th of April there were a series of riots all over the city of Amritsar in which more than 20 Englishmen and women were killed and a Bank looted the manger brutally killed and set on fire. Wagner seems to believe that the context of the Massacre was set by these unfortunate events that brought back memories of 1857. By invoking the Memory of 1857, it seems to me that Wagner is not just trying to explain the event but also justify it. April 13 1919 happened to be the day of Baikashi, an important day in the social calendar of Punjab. Martial Law had been imposed after the British troops failed to contain the rioters on the Bridge leading to the centre of the City. And General Dyer went all arounf the City on the morning of April 13 proclaiming that Martial Law has been declared. Hans Raj and his companions went around stirring up a crowd for a meeting in Jalianwala Bagh which was to be addressed by Kanniyalal, a well known local leader, in the absence of Satyapal and Kitchlew. The question is: Does the fact that Dyer had issued the warning to the residents of Amritsar mitigate the enormity of the tragedy. The answer clearly is "NO".

The firing started at around 4 PM and continued for about 10 minute in which 1650 rounds were fired from 303 Enfield Rifles. The events at Sultanwind Gate of the previous day were still fresh in the minds of the people of Amritsar. The Gurkha Regiment and one more provided soldiers for Dyer's contingent that marched to Jalianwala Bagh even as a peaceful meeting was going on. Without warning, Dyer ordered his men to shoot at the crowd and justified his action before the Hunter Commission by saying that he had already warned the City, a reference to his proclamation earlier in the day. He was aware of the enormity of his actions and even the Lt Governor Michael O' Dwyer was at first reluctant to back Dyer that the shooting was necessary. Udham Singh killed O'Dwyer 20 years later in London.

The Amritsar Massacre led to the establishment of the Hunter Commission and after a detailed Inquiry held General Dyer guilty of over reaction and he was forced to resign. The Time ran a Fund for him which resulted in more than 26,000 pounds being contributed. The evil of his deed cannot be written off with a mere apology and India should not forgive the Jalianwala Bagh Crime.

The Electoral Prospects of the BJP

A look at the world of politics, statecraft, diplomacy and books

The time has come to look back at the campaigns ans see where the Nation is heading towards in the forthcoming General Elections. The campaign  of the Congress centering around the dynastic mascot, Rahgul Gandhi, is surprisingly sharp and focused. The Assured Income scheme launched in the Manifesto is both innovative and attractive. By guaranteeing a minimum income of 72, 000 per family for a year as income support the Congress has created some ripples. Given the state of public journalism in India, the scheme has not attracted the kind of attention it deserves. The BJP brushed this scheme aside. However, the tax burden on the middle class will increase dramatically if this scheme is introduced and it will add to the inflationary woes. For the past 5 years India has seen 8% growth with around 3.5% Inflation. If the Congress comes to power Inflation will sky rocket and growth will plummet. What needs to be done is to work out the benefits already rolled out by the Modi Government to the people and make a comparative assessment.

Except for the one innovative policy measure, the dynastic fascists have run a highly divisive vituperative invective laden campaign. Modi was attacked in every possible manner. His Mother, Family, his personality were all viciously attacked to little effect. The more he was attacked the greater the popularity. Rahul even went to the extent of saying "Chowkidar Chor hai". The watchman is a thief, an attempted rebuke that was transformed into a splendid statement of approbation with people from all walks of life adding the word Cowkidar to their names. In the last General Elections Mani Shankar Ayer's jibe directed against Modi turned out to be a vote getter and this time if Modi is now set to trounce the Congress, the credit should go to Rahul and his meanly mouth jibe.

There is not a single allegation oc corruption against Modi. He has led, for the first time since Independent India, a Government that does not face a single charge. The Scams and Scandals of the Congress and its Allies have been the subject of numerous Inquires but given the state of the judiciary here in India, the prosecution has been tardy. Further, sections of the Judiciary seem to be playing footsie with the Congress as Chidambaram and his son havc secured bail 18 times already over the slew of cases they face. The entire Gandhi family is out on Bail facing serious fraud charges in the National Herald case. This case is one in which the entire property of the National Herald, a Congress Newspaper, was acquired by the first family of the Congress contrary to the rules and law presently in place.The eviction has been stayed by the Supreme Court. Yet another instance of the judiciary playing footsie with the Congress. The Higher Judiciary seems to be a partner in the UPA and it is fast losing the respect of the Nation

In spite of all these, the Congress and its allies are headed for a decisive defeat. Kamalnath, the Chief Minister of Madhya  Pradesh was caught in the Augusta Westland Scandal as some of the money got as kickbacks was recovered from his aides. The Pulwama Attack was sought to be politicized by Rahul and his associates. They wanted proof of the Attack implying that the Government was lying about the Balakot Air Strike. For the first time the Armed Forces became a factorin domestic political squabbles. And the Congress sought in vain to  turn the needle of suspicion on Modi and failed.

The North East will see a resurgent BJP and in Mamta's  Bengal the BJP has made significant inroads. Orissa will see a BJP victory in around 8 constituencies with a hung assembly and in nearby Andhra Pradesh the Jagan Mohan Reddy outfir is set to weep and BJP may win just 2 seats in AP. Tamil Nadu is always a difficult state to study as people show very erratic voting behaviour. BJP may win the Kanya Kumari seat, the Coimbatore seat and has a fighting chance in Ramanathapuram. We know that Kartok Chidambaram and Tirumavalavan will not taste electoral success.

At an all India level it would be safe to predict that Narendra Modi will form the next Government with the NDA getting around 315 seats.

The Festival of Democracy in India: Pranoy Roy and Navin Chawla

A look at the world of politics, statecraft, diplomacy and books

India is the world's largest Democracy and in spite of the antics of political parties like the Congress,, DMK, the Communist factions and identity based political groups like the Akali and the Muslim League. And that is not a mean achievement in itself. Navin Chawla, the well known biographer of Mother Theresa, has said in as many words that the Election Commission of India is the real pillar of Indian democracy. He may not be off the mark as the Election Commission is universally feared by political parties across the political spectrum. Its ability to enforce a modicum of discipline in the conduct of elections shows that what it lacks by means of man power it makes up with robust moral authority by establishing its absolute independence from the Executive. The book Every Vote Counts: The Story of India's Elections is a racy highly readable gallop across all General Elections starting from 1952. He documents in rich details the trials and tribulations faced by the Election Commission in the early years under Sukumar Sen. The Election Commission has insisted on a set of practices in order to make the election process free and fair and the Model Code of Conduct in one such measure. There has been frequent allegations that the EVMs ( Electronic Voting Machines) are susceptible to hacking. This is an absurd allegation and given the fact that our political parties are filled with semi  literates such baseless allegations keep gaining traction come every election season. A stand alone machine manufactured to the specifications of the ECI by Bharath Electronic Corporation cannot be hacked as they are not connected to the internet and they are not compatible with blue tooth technology.

The Verdict: Decoding India's Election by the well known election analysts, Dr Pranoy Roy and Darob Sopariwala is a good introduction to the delicate business of election forecasting. They have done a commendable job of looking at the aggregate data relating to General Elections. Does Incumbency provide an advantage to the sitting MP. Do voters vote for political parties or on the basis of their perception of the merit of the candidates contesting. Do political parties decide on candidates on the basis of the winnability or other factors. Does party and its ideology play a major role in determining the outcome. What is the SWING factor and how can it be measured. How do votes get translated into seats. What are the major advantages and disadvantages of the first past the winning post system that we have. A major disappointment in the book is that it does not address the important issue of proportional representation. How does turn out on election day help or hinder the outcome. All these issues are discussed in great detail with a plethora of facts, tables and analyses.

Both these books must be read by everyone interested in Indian politics, particularly the Election process. Navin Chawla raised a very important point in his book and that needs to be further researched. There is no reference to political parties in the Constitution of India. In legal terms a political party has the status of an unincorporated Association. What kind of  democracy was envisaged by the founders and if we remember that Gandhi wanted the Congress to be dissolved, it is certain that the founders had a partyless democracy in mind. We have move a long way from that ideal.

Both these books are worth a read. Lucidly written and with a faint touch of humour I commend these writers for their worthwhile contributions.

FLIGHT OF DEITIES AND THE REBIRTH OF TEMPLES

A look at the world of politics, statecraft, diplomacy and books

Flight of Deities and Rebirth of Temples
Meenakshi Jain
Aryan Books International, New Delhi 2019.

One of the most tragic and neglected aspects of medieval historiography of India is the fate of Hindu, Buddhist and Jaina Temples. Sita Ram Goel several years back addressed this issue and indicted the medieval rulers for following a political strategy of destroying Hindu places of worship and the systematic destruction od Hindu, Buddhist and Jaina centres of worship and pilgrimage, he argues was party of the political and imperial ideology stemming from Islamic ideas of conquest and conversion of Darul Harb into Dar ul Islam, from Land of War to Land of Islam. Hence the destruction of Indian religious institutions cannot be view in isolation of the ideological underpinning of the Turkish, Afghan and Mughal rule over India. This interpretation was, of course, attacked by a whole host of historians from Alighr Muslim University, Delhi University and of course, Jawaharlal Nehru University. Is this interpretation a "communal" one or, even if not politically correct have the weight of historical evidence behind it.


The deliberate underplaying of Moslem vandalism in parts of India which were conquered may have been a political necessity in the years after Partition when Hindu Moslem tension were high and it was prudent to avoid contentious and identity laden issues. However, 70 years after Independence if the same platitudes are trotted out, it becomes necessary to re investigate the issue and assess the question on the basis of evidence. In short, the time for political correctness is past and it is time to seize the historical moment even as it disintegrates before our very eyes. Meenakshi Jain has produced a scholarly and eminently well researched work on this question. She starts where Sita Ram Goel left and her work is a fitting riposte to all those historians who live in a state of denial about the tragedy the befell India. After reading the work under review it will not be possible for anyone either to deny the political underpinning of the reign of vandalism unleashed against Hindu and other Indian religious structures or belittle the cultural and civilizational chaos it engendered.

One argument that white scholars like Richard Davis and Richard Eaton are quick to advance is that the Turks, Afghans and Mughals did not indulge in any sort of vandalism and destruction which Indian rulers had not done in the past. This line of argument is absolutely incorrect as there is not a single instance in which a ruler of India be he Jain, Buddhist as Harsha or Hindu/Shiva like Rajendra subjected the images captured for religious sites and appropriated for relocation in their own imperial repertoire ever showed an attitude of anything less than reverence. Thus when Krishnadevaraya captured Udayagiri and acquired the green granite Balarama image, he had a Krishna temple constructed in his capital, Vijayanagara, and had the image installed with reverence. Similarly, when Rajendra Chola brought back the image of Durga from the territories of the Western Chalukyas he had it enshrined in his new capital, Gangaikonda cholapuram. Such example can be multiplied. However after the Islamic conquest, temples were detroyed and the sanctity of the temple violated by the shedding of blood and was usually accompanied, as was the case with the Vaishnava Temple of Srirangam, a whole sale massacre of the temple priests. To deny the cold facts of history, recorded in the medieval Chronicles is to deny the very validity of History as a field of study.

Meenakshi Jain has produced a fine piece of historical research. It is true that the academic climate for a free investigation of India's tangled and tortured past has opened up only recently and I fervently hope that historians of India cease to function as servitors of political parties, start researching the past without fear or favour.