10/14/2014 1984 and the Spectre of Narendra Modi: Ravinder Kaur | Kafila

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media | politics | dissent
1984 and the Spectre of Narendra Modi:
Ravinder Kaur
NOVEMBER 1, 2013
tags: 1984 anti-Sikh pogrom, BJP, Congress, Indira Gandhi's Assassination, Narendra Modi, RSS
by Shuddhabrata Sengupta
Guest Post by Ravinder Kaur
As India begins the countdown to the 2014 general elections, a new discourse has started taking
shape around its minority populations. It is called the what about 1984 argument. The
supporters of Narendra Modi in a bid to deflect attention from his role in 2002 pogrom usually
throw 1984 at his critics. The critics have lately begun responding by placing 1984 pogrom in a
less grave category in comparison to 2002. The difference we are told is the political ideology
Congress is inherently secular and 1984 an aberration whereas BJP is communal and 2002
symptomatic. This unfortunate comparison means that the what about 1984 argument has
unintentionally turned 1984 pogrom into an exclusive Congress problem even when it sets out to
call out Modis anti-minority stance. The role of Hindutava ideology has been airbrushed out of
the history that led to 1984 pogrom as a consequence.
Indeed the spectre of Modis political ascent looms large in public imagination. The reasons are
well founded. The brutality of anti-Muslim violence in Gujarat, the fake encounter killings,
economic boycott of Muslims and spatial segregation that keeps Hindus and Muslims apart in
Gujarati cities is all too well know. The thought of Gujarat being replicated on an all-India scale is
beyond imagination especially for the minority communities.
Yet the what about 1984 argument is not only on morally thin ground, but also historically
inaccurate. It is built upon what I call the problem of coherence where complicated histories are
deliberately cast aside to create neat, symmetrical narratives of the events being contrasted. But
we all know there is no coherence in politics as in life, and therefore it is all the more important to
account for inconsistencies, disorders and overlaps that underpin the politics of anti-minority
violence in India.
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I will begin with the frame of reference itself which is divided into seemingly two distinct
polarities communal and secular. Within this framework, 1984 is now categorized as the
handiwork of secular forces whereas 2002 is deemed communal in character. In a classroom
setting, this taxonomy might seem sensible, but if you ever asked the victims of violence they
would most likely have a hard time telling apart secular violence from communal violence. Once
the perpetrators descend upon you, the only language that is spoken is the language of death,
rape and life-long wounds. Yet the 1984 pogrom is now increasingly viewed through this neat
dichotomy even when its history is knotted and hard to fit in a coherent storyline.
The 1984 pogrom is usually traced to the assassination of the former Prime Minister Mrs Indira
Gandhi who was fatally shot by two of her Sikh bodyguards twenty nine years ago. This quick
narrative somehow elides over the messiness and ideological entanglements of what used to be
called the Punjab problem. In 1980s and 1990s, Punjab occupied the same exceptional space that
Kashmir occupies in India today; and the Sikhs were categorized as terrorists and anti-national
the way the Muslims are alienated today. The Punjab problem was shorthand for a place and
people considered insubordinate and in need to control. It was classified as a disturbed territory
sharing sensitive borders with the arch-enemy Pakistan for a long time. It is often forgotten that
BJP was an advocate of tough measures and LK Advani, the Hindutava strongman of yester-years
routinely spoke of armed intervention to end militancy in Punjab. The RSS rhetoric in Punjab was
exactly the same as in contemporary Kashmir where the BJP/RSS favor a hawkish flexing of
muscles of the Indian state.
The point is that in 1980s, the Congress party as well BJP shared the rhetoric of Sikhs having gone
too far and in need of being taught a lesson at a fundamental level. The Punjab problem at that
stage was seen through the prism of Hindu-Sikh alienation and anti-national activities of the
Sikhs around which most mainstream political parties had formed a kind of consensus. The
Opeartion Bluestar in June 1984 was an outcome of this political consensus, and the military
intervention was seen by many as a necessary action required to control militancy. The violence
that sparked after the assassination of Mrs Gandhi on 31st October was built upon these prior
fractures rather than clear cut party affiliations.
While Indira Gandhi was leader of the Congress Party, she was admired on the other side of the
political spectrum in the RSS camp as well for standing her ground against militancy. It is well
known that after the Bangladesh war, Atal Bihari Vajpayee hailed her as an incarnation of the
Hindu Goddess Durga. Even posthumously, she is frequently praised by RSS as a fearless leader,
and more recently by Bal Thackrey as the woman who had guts and knew how to rule in the
Shiv Sena mouthpiece Samnaa. These Congress-BJP entanglements have increasingly been erased
from public memory when it comes to making sense of anti-minority violence. It is often forgotten
that several RSS functionaries are implicated in the 1984 pogrom too even though it was led by
prominent Congress Party leaders. Similarly, the secular parties are known to have turned away
their eye from anti-minority violence under their jurisdiction. It may very well be political
opportunism than communal ideology, but that does not erase moral and legal culpability by any
measure.
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The question is this is it possible to create a coherent narrative of anti-minority violence neatly
split along party lines. The answer is no. Those who seek coherence can only do so if they choose
to gloss over these entanglements between political parties and shared rhetoric of disciplining
minority communities. The coherent narrative of our violence vs your violence is of a more recent
date. It began taking a firm shape after Srimoni Akali Dal made an arrangement for political
power sharing with the BJP in Punjab. Once the alienation of Sikhs from the Congress party had
been harnessed for political gains, it became politically inconvenient to speak about the role BJP
had played in sharpening and exploiting Hindu-Sikh cleavages. The former terrorists have by
now been rehabilitated within the national imagination as harmless, cheerful tricksters in a slew
of Bollywood blockbusters like Singh is King and Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye. The Sikhs have also
been incorporated in the RSS family in the form of Rashtriya Sikh Sangh where they have been
reallocated their traditional role as the militant wing of Hinduism.
The use of 1984 and 2002 as moral retort as rhetorical means of making moral equivalence, and
thereby neutralizing culpability has become mainstream in the past two years or so. The trend
can be linked directly to the rise of Modi on the national political scene and the rising political
stakes. In this scenario, 1984 and 2002 are no longer signs of human brutality and loss, they have
become useful weapons in ones political arsenal.
Perhaps its time to call out the what about 1984 type of teleological narratives. In many ways, it
is the same argument that Advani made some years ago, though in reverse, when he called 2002 a
mere riot compared to the organized carnage of 1984 without any parallel in Independent
Indias history. It may be politically expedient to throwback 1984 and 2002 at the opponents to
reveal their sins, but in the long run it does little to counter the kind of politics that makes anti-
minority massacres at this scale even possible. The very framing of the question discloses the
failure of political imagination to even speculate a future beyond two political parties. It is as if
the only outcome the political arithmetic allows is a choice between the Congress and BJP.
Those arguing politics in terms of what about 1984 basically ask us to choose, and live with, the
lesser evil of the two. This dispassionate gradation of human pain and suffering must be rejected
even when it is made in the name of progressive politics.
Ravinder Kaur is a historian based in Copenhagen
from Bad ideas, Debates, Everyday Life, Excavation, Politics, Right watch, Violence-Conflict
25 Comments leave one
1. KashanAdeem PERMALINK
November 1, 2013 9:41 AM
We are left a limbo ! I think this is the most difficult time for the people of India.
REPLY
2. R V Subramanian PERMALINK
November 1, 2013 10:09 AM
A very good incisive analysis.
There is a difference between communal poisoning and communal flare ups.
REPLY
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3. TRUTH PERMALINK
November 1, 2013 11:01 AM
The ..B..I..G.. difference between 1984 and (not just) 2002 is quite apparent to all right
thinking people. Godhra mODI/bjp/vhp/rss are a communal entity. Communal violence is
their central theme/mantra. These criminals have incited communal violence all over the
country in the past,,are doing so today and will continue on a massive scale in the future if
allowed to come to power. The Sikh killings were a spur of the moment reaction, under very
trying circumstances given that Ms. Gandhi was killed in a horrible way) however gruesome it
was. THE Sikh KILLINGS WAS A -ONE OFF- BLACK MARK FOR CONGRESS . Congress
must come clean about the Sikh riots and prosecute the guilty with jail or death. That message
has to be sent out. Congress will never let this happen again, I am sure and the Congress is the
only force standing between these treacherous killers and a safe india for not just the countrys
minorities .but for all its citizens without exception!. SO PLEASE DO NOT EQUATE THE
CONGRESS PARTY WITH THESE KILLERS. WILL THIS ENTITY CALLED THE BJP
SUPPORT THE DEATH SENTENCE FOR COMMUNAL KILLERS?. WHY IS THIS EVIL
GROUP EVEN ALLOWED TO BE A POLITICAL PARTY?. THE ELECTION COMMISION
HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION.
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The Citizen PERMALINK
January 11, 2014 1:40 AM
Are you trying to justify the 1984 tragedy? SO WHAT if Indira Gandhi was killed? Dont
you remember how the Godhra riots started ? It was by the burning of the Sabarmati
express. Both these events were shameful. Such kinds of acts cannot be justified by any
means.
And how can you say for sure that such killings were a one off black mark for Congress?
For all we know, this can be true for the BJP; there has been no such occurrence in a BJP
ruled state after 2002 and instead the people of Gujarat voted Modi back to power twice
after 2002. On the other hand, More riots have occurred in Congress or its allies ruled
states and yet no one bothers to point the finger at them. How would you justify whats
happened in Assam and Muzzafarnagar lately?
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TRUTH PERMALINK
January 11, 2014 10:38 AM
Every human life is precious. No one has the right to hurt or kill their fellow human
being. I made it quite clear that the Congress Party must prosecute the people behind
the Sikh Riot and even execute them if the Supreme Court so decides. Where have you
read about a mODI /BJP supporter saying that modi criminals should be prosecuted
and executed?. These criminals do not even admit to the communal murders. In fact -
THEY- claim to be SECULAR and accuse the Congress of being COMMUNAL!!. The
Modi/bjp gang, like i mentioned has Communal Violence as their central theme and
the fact that they are against the ANTI_COMMUNAL BILL is self explanatory. Call a
spade a spade!.
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TRUTH PERMALINK
January 11, 2014 11:07 AM
What is happening in the North East is insurgency backed by the Chinese. Just like the
Punjab problem was the handiwork of Pakistans ISI. Is New Delhi supposed to sit back
and ignore these critical problems?. The Muzzafarnagar Communal riots were the
handiwork of the modi/bJP gang, something these criminals do just before election
time. In fact mODI invited the accused in the Mussafarnagar riots to his rally as CHIEF
GUESTS!. The sheer arrogance of these Psychopaths is mindboggling.
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INDIA WANTS TO KNOW PERMALINK
January 11, 2014 12:21 PM
Do you have anything to say about the attack on the Christian community in
Mangalore-Karnataka during the BJP rule?. Innocent church goers were beaten
including priests, nuns and the churches burnt.ON CHRISTMAS DAY!.
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4. Eric Pinto PERMALINK
November 1, 2013 11:27 AM
Ravindar Kaurs 1984 and the spectre of Narendra Modi is a well argued case that analyses
the varied contexts of 1984 and 2002. This should be compulsory reading for tv journalists
who are ignorant of political history or deliberately choose to be so. What about 1984 is a
classic question to skirt and shirk responsibility for state-abetted human brutality.The moot
point is how do we ensure it is not repeated albeit in less tragic modes. Take the case of
Khandamal where the violence was more recent and had another community traumatised and
relegated to refugee status. Also the Mangalore/Karnataka church vandalism that relegated
Christians to frightened second class citizenship. We focus on riots/violence where deaths are
high and neglect the ones where a minoritys psyche is brutalised into submission by state
abetted majoritarian hegemony. This is as much about Kashmiri Pandits as Mangalores
Christians and Muzzarnagars Muslims. We just need to get Ravindar Kauls arguments into
the current national discourse because the current media discussion is being deliberately
reduced to simplistic q.e.d arguments.
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5. Rahul Gangurde PERMALINK
November 1, 2013 11:35 AM
Sorry, but this is a rather badly-written article. You say that in 1990s, the Congress party as
well BJP shared the rhetoric First of all this is wrong BJP never said anything about
Sikhs it commented on Khalistanis though. Secondly, even if we accept your argument,
how did something that happened in the 1990s was responsible for the 1984 riots? Did BJP
invent a time machine?
Khalistan movement originated when the Sikhs in Lahore became afraid that they would be
left without a homeland if Pakistan is created. There were contentions between the Arya Samaj
and the Khalsa, and this conflict had no involvement of RSS, Bajrang Dal or any other
Hindutva organization. The real problem came due to issues like the language-based
10/14/2014 1984 and the Spectre of Narendra Modi: Ravinder Kaur | Kafila
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reorganization, the river water dispute with Haryana and antics of Jagjit Singh Chauhan. A
large number of youth became unemployed due to modernization of agricultural techniques
during the Green Revolution, and unlike in other states, they could not get industrial jobs as
the Indian Government did not set up heavy industries in Punjab (due to its proximity to the
Pakistan border). Then Indira Gandhi propped up Bhindranwale in a bid to split the Sikh
votes, the Sikh-Nirankari clashes took place, the Khalistani militants started killing moderate
Sikhs and Hindus like Jagat Narain, Indira Gandhi ordered the disastrous Operation Blue Star.
RSS or any other Hindutva organization had nothing to do with these events (no, the
Nirankaris are not part of the Hindutva movement).
The worst thing you can do is accuse RSS/VHP of trying to dilute the distinct Sikh identity by
trying to claim the Khalsa as a panth within Hinduism. They also did that with Buddhists and
Jains, but we didnt see any Buddhist or Jain militancy. The reasons for the Sikh militancy and
the anti-Sikh genocide were not related to Hindutva they were invention of Congress and
Congress alone. Trying to blame Hindutva organizations for 1984 riots or the events leading
up to these riots is not only absurd but also intellectually dishonest.
Maybe you should google this quote (by a Sikh): RSS has played an honorable role in
maintaining Hindu-Sikh unity before and after the murder of Indira Gandhi in Delhi and in
other places It was the Congress (I) leaders who instigated mobs in 1984 and got more than
3000 people killed. I must give due credit to RSS and the BJP for showing courage and
protecting helpless Sikhs during those difficult days. No less a person than Atal Bihari
Vajpayee himself intervened at a couple of places to help poor taxi drivers.
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6. Mukul Dube PERMALINK
November 1, 2013 12:20 PM
1984 is now categorized as the handiwork of secular forces whereas 2002 is deemed
communal in character. This is nonsense. There is nothing secular about the massacre of all
who belong to one religious group. The SAD, the Hindu Right, and the Congress have been
changing their stands as convenient. The Sikhs have also been incorporated in the RSS
family is a ploy which Sikhs should see for what it is. It is my conviction that the Congress
has been going easy on 2002 because it gladly took the help of the RSS/BJP in 1984.
REPLY
7. Pseudo secular PERMALINK
November 1, 2013 12:36 PM
Dear learned author,
Please stop selectively interpreting events to suit your own objective. Only two lines for ur
entire article
1. Bhinderwale was a creation of Indira to undermine the democratically elected govt of
Punjab ruled by Akali Dal (non Congress Party)
2. Why every secular/communist conveniently forget burning of 50+ Hindu in a train near
Godhra while talking about 2002 riots?
REPLY
iqbal PERMALINK
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December 4, 2013 11:20 AM
you missed the point of author completely. whether godhra train burning , or assassination
of indira gandhi . none of these events can justify massacre of innocents. if indirectly some
one justify gujrat carnage then some people might try to justify 1984 genocide. the problem
will not rest here. all terrorist take the perverted reasoning and try to justify the their cruel
inhuman acts on grounds of imaginary or real grievances. some people take recourse of
history and talk about settling historical errors like babri masjid etc. therefore language of
revenge is harmful for entire civilization. by the way alleged mastermind of godhra train
burning case along with his few associates is honorably acquitted by lower court. some
people are convicted. case is in higher court. lets see what result will emerge. baneerji
committee whose leaked findings are circulating (officially baneerjee committe report not
declared) says that godhra incident was not a terror act but just an incident.
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8. Hindudefender PERMALINK
November 1, 2013 3:15 PM
The sikh women has lied many times in this article first of all she is a NAZI as she thinks
repeating a lie 100 times will made it true. Indira gandhi was one of the most anti hindu
leader with no religious background the myth of vajpaye calling her a durga is similar to
gandhi saying hey ram. Both are false. Further sikhs should have allowed hindu mobs to kill
them and rape them as their killers and rapist were none other than their hindu brothers.
REPLY
9. Raghu (@raghu500000) PERMALINK
November 1, 2013 3:38 PM
Hindus and Sikhs paid for their sins during 1984 riots Salman Khurshid
http://defence.pk/threads/hindus-and-sikhs-paid-f
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10. Taran Suri PERMALINK
November 1, 2013 4:23 PM
We can debate for decades around what caused the communal violence but fact of the matter
is
A son blamed an entire community for her mothers death just because her killers belong to
that community. Thats 1984
A staunch Hindu CM avenged the killing of 50+ innocent Hindus by teaching the whole
community; the killers belonged to, a barbaric lesson. Thats 2002.
And both of them were able to do it because they were in power and own the government
machinery.
I am a firm believer that if Supreme Court of India can pass a judgment that the CM and DGP
of the state, SP and DC of city would immediately have to resign if any communal violence
occurs there will be no such indent. This happens because the GOVERNMENTS allow it to
happen.
REPLY
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ayisha PERMALINK
November 7, 2013 11:57 PM
like!
REPLY
11. Gujarati News paper PERMALINK
November 1, 2013 6:19 PM
Narendra Modi is currently the tallest political figure in the country
REPLY
Shuddhabrata Sengupta PERMALINK
November 1, 2013 6:29 PM
As far as I know, give or take a few inches, Narendra Modi is five feet six inches tall. Only
someone who crouches or bends in front of a five foot six inches man would need to find
him tall.
REPLY
bigboss PERMALINK
November 1, 2013 7:38 PM
He is, however, taller than Irom Sharmila.
REPLY
Nirmalangshu Mukherji PERMALINK
November 10, 2013 9:49 PM
Or place a dwarf on a pdestal.
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Sidharth PERMALINK
November 2, 2013 1:25 AM
@Gujarat Newspaper: What do you have against short people?
REPLY
Mukul Dube PERMALINK
November 2, 2013 4:34 AM
While Modi himself may not be the tallest, he plans to have a statue constructed which
will be taller than the Statue of Liberty. It is rumoured that Modis brain-child will have
plumbing similar to that of the Manneken Pis of Brussels.
REPLY
12. Manjeet Singh Sandhu PERMALINK
November 1, 2013 8:08 PM
What was done to bring peace in Punjab can be repeated in Kashmir. People who dont vote
here should not bother to serve sermons to the voters of this country.
REPLY
13. Ameya PERMALINK
November 1, 2013 11:16 PM
10/14/2014 1984 and the Spectre of Narendra Modi: Ravinder Kaur | Kafila
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Well the article is factually incorrect a Hindutvawadi forces protected Sikhs and not incited
the violence a is claimed.Punjab Insurgency is the sole creation of Indira Gandhi who propped
up Bindhranwale against SAD and raked up their Anandpur-Sahib resolution.The reason that
riots didnt spread to Mumbai because Bal Thackeray said no Sikhs are to be hurt by any
person and Mumbai remained calm during the incendiary 80s where it was marred by gang
violence mill strikes and communal violence. Please get the article fact checked before it is
posted.These are lies plain lies and this narrative is sort of taqqiya being employed by left
wingers who by far have killed more Indians in their insurgency .
REPLY
14. Indian PERMALINK
January 11, 2014 1:14 AM
It was a sad time for Punjab. Not just Sikhs, all the people of Punjab suffered due to this
insurgency. As rightly said, crimes of few people from a community are sins that effects the
whole community. Few insurgents made whole Sikh community suffer. These political
bastards reaped a lot from these differences created between Hindu community and Sikh
community. I am not a supporter of this articles as it has been written by communal
perspective. Why people forget that numerous Punjabis irrespective of their religion were
killed at that time, shot, wounded, kidnapped, looted and burnt.
Indira Gandhi created her own demons for what she paid in full but Punjabis are still paying
the price. Punjabis forgot that they are not just Hindus and Sikhs, they all belong to same
community that is being Indians. Delhi had the same situations. Few political idiots made
people believe that they have to avenge their brothers and sisters killed by their own Indian
brothers and sisters by killing their Indian brothers and sisters.
This is what happened in Gujarat and again political mahamanush were the only ones to reap
profits.
And Kashmir is a whole different story, the people do not even consider themselves Indians.
We are Indians before we are Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi, Christian or
whatever religion we belong to.
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