Acharya is no ‘fringe’ element

The recent remarks of Assam governor P.B. Acharya — that India was the land of the Hindus, and Muslims who feel persecuted could remove themselves to Pakistan or Bangladesh — are obnoxious, unacceptable, and thoroughly unbecoming of the high constitutional office Mr Acharya holds.

So far, poison gas in the form of malicious observations against non-Hindus, mainly Muslims but also Christians, intended to direct suspicion, hatred and violence against these religious communities, has been released by believers in Hindutva — the world view of Hindu-supremacists in India — at the citizen level, and their sundry social and quasi-political organisations. This is the consequence of years of indoctrination and propaganda that plays out easily in a democratic society where expression is free.

Crude observations such as these have also fairly routinely come from BJP MPs and even Union ministers, namely people who are engaged in thrust and parry situations on the political plane in their everyday working lives. The BJP leadership and the government leadership have made clucking sounds, and sometimes politically correct statements, in order to show at the formal level that they do act when a communal provocation is offered. But they have singularly failed to rein in and punish such people whose words have incited violence against the minorities in this country and have spread intolerance all round. BJP president Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are perceived as failing in their duty in this context. This is the state of affairs that has caused a massive protest in recent weeks among the country’s writers, artists, scientists, the film industry, and the academic community, many of whom have given expression to their disgust by returning national and state awards. Seeing the deteriorating state of affairs, President Pranab Mukherjee has intervened more than once in the past month or so to underscore India’s age-old values of tolerance and pluralism.

The Assam governor has evidently shown the gumption to spew proto-fascist venom because he must feel reasonably confident that he will get away with a mild ticking off at worst. Had people crossing the line been proceeded against according to the law, the governor may have felt obliged to be more restrained.

A state governor making anti-minority observations dispels the myth that those engaged in undermining social stability are “fringe elements”. Assam is up for Assembly elections next year. Mr Acharya’s words are likely to give a licence to Hindutva bodies which are extremely active in this state bordering Bangladesh.

When abroad, the Prime Minister claims that India upholds pluralism and tells the media (as he did in London) that violators are quickly proceeded against. The facts seem to be different. How the Assam governor’s case is handled will attract much interest and curiosity.