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<div class="view-content"> <div class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first views-row-last"> <div class="views-field-field-blog-slug-value"> <span class="field-content">FAST TAKE</span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="story-cat"></div> <div class="vantage"><h2>What the BJP Manifesto Doesn’t Say</h2></div> <div class="clear-block"> <div class="subhheading"></div><div class="authorndate">By <a href="/web/20150923171055/http://www.caravanmagazine.in/profile/307">HARTOSH SINGH BAL</a> | <span class="date-display-single">April 7, 2014</span></div><div class="full-image-view"><div class="show-image" style="display:block"><div class="f-image"><a rel="lightbox[lightbox_full_image][]" title="" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150923171055/http://www.caravanmagazine.in/sites/default/files/imagecache/lightbox_full_image/bjp_manifesto.jpg"><img 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class="st_twitter_hcount" displaytext="Tweet"></span>  <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20150923171055js_/https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js"></script>  <g:plusone href="http://www.caravanmagazine.in/blog/what-bjp-manifesto-doesn’t-say"></g:plusone> <div class="print-email"><a href="/web/20150923171055/http://www.caravanmagazine.in/print/4367">Print</a>|<a href="/web/20150923171055/http://www.caravanmagazine.in/printmail/4367">E-Mail</a>|</div><div class="single-paged">Single Page</div></div> <script type="text/javascript">var switchTo5x=false;</script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20150923171055js_/http://w.sharethis.com/button/buttons.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript">stLight.options({publisher:'8014eb0d-feae-4f08-9056-b8b78a153569'});</script> <div class="fullpage-body"><div class="detailBody"><div class="view view-story-page-views view-id-story_page_views view-display-id-block_2 view-dom-id-1"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first views-row-last"> <div class="views-field-body"> <div class="field-content"><p>Reading through the <u><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150923171055/http://www.bjp.org/images/pdf_2014/full_manifesto_english_07.04.2014.pdf" target="_blank">BJP manifesto</a></u> released today, it seems clear that the delay in releasing it had much to do with what the party did not want to leave out, but would have preferred not to own up to for the moment.</p> <p>This duality has always been the party’s preferred strategy, choosing to conceal or reveal its ideological moorings depending on circumstances. Those who believe these ideological moorings do not exist are deluding themselves, much as those observers looking for solace attempt to see a pattern in Narendra Modi’s rhetoric while ignoring Amit Shah’s counterpoint in Uttar Pradesh.</p> <p>Such people will read the manifesto selectively, emphasising its thrust on the economy and governance. But the document in its entirety makes clear that the BJP has neither wandered away from its Hindutva roots, nor made any attempts to curtail even those aspects of its agenda that were problematic during the last term of the National Democratic Alliance government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, such as curriculum reform.</p> <p>Murli Manohar Joshi’s preface to the manifesto begins by observing that “Al-Andalusi, a Spanish scholar in the 11th Century, in his monumental work 'Tabaqat al-Umam' had discussed the state of science in different countries. He writes, ‘The first nation to have cultivated science is India ... India is known for wisdom of its people.’” What Joshi omits to mention is that Al-Andalusi was actually named Sa’id al-Andalusi and was a great Islamic scholar who held the post of the qadi of Toledo. The omissions in his version are telling.</p> <p>He goes on to claim that the Indian freedom struggle “which was inspired by Tilak, Gandhi, Aurobindo, Patel, Bose and others, had a clear vision of the civilizational consciousness of India.” Note the omissions here: no Jawaharlal Nehru, no BR Ambedkar, no Bhagat Singh, no Maulana Azad. No prize for guessing what is meant by “the civilizational consciousness of India.”</p> <p>Claiming that the “situation in the country is deteriorating rapidly” because of our separation from this “consciousness,” Joshi offers a solution: “Delay in resolving the crisis would be dangerous. What is needed is to take lessons from history, recognise the vitality and resilience of India, the power of its world-view and utilize its strength, which drove it to glorious heights and analyse its weaknesses, which led to this abysmal fall. Pick up the thread from the point where the continuum of our civilizational consciousness was lost and reorient the polity in consonance with those strong points of Indian psyche which will be the engine for our future glory.”</p> <p>This idea of a “civilizational consciousness” must be kept in mind while attempting to make sense of the manifesto when it states, “Education in India needs to be revitalized and reorganized to make future generations proud of their culture, heritage and history and also for creating confidence in the vitality of India.”</p> <p>Or when it declares, “The content and process of school education shall be thoroughly reviewed to make it dynamic, stress-free, attractive and responsive to the emerging national needs.” In both cases, which are spelt out so clearly by Joshi, the problem lies in what the BJP means by “India”.</p> <p>These references are easy to miss, and when read in isolation, are difficult to comprehend in their intent. But that is the design not just behind this manifesto, but also this campaign. The fact that some issues have not been made explicit or are not a focus of the campaign does not mean they do not matter for the party or have been forgotten.</p> <p>At the press conference after the release of the manifesto, when a reporter asked whether the reference on the last page to building the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya was a return to Hindutva, Joshi answered that the manifesto has nothing to do with “‘Hindutva’ or ‘<em>atva</em>’, it is simply a developmental programme and the issues which are culturally important have also been adumbrated in that.” Clearly, the doublespeak that has marked this campaign is also well and truly alive in this manifesto.</p></div> </div> <div class="views-field-phpcode"> <span class="field-content"><div class="shortbioview"><p><strong>Hartosh Singh Bal</strong> is the political editor at <em>The Caravan,</em> and is the author of <em>Waters Close Over Us: A Journey Along the Narmada</em>.</p> </div></span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div></div><div class="detail-body"><div class="detailBody"><p>Reading through the <u><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150923171055/http://www.bjp.org/images/pdf_2014/full_manifesto_english_07.04.2014.pdf" target="_blank">BJP manifesto</a></u> released today, it seems clear that the delay in releasing it had much to do with what the party did not want to leave out, but would have preferred not to own up to for the moment.</p> <p>This duality has always been the party’s preferred strategy, choosing to conceal or reveal its ideological moorings depending on circumstances. Those who believe these ideological moorings do not exist are deluding themselves, much as those observers looking for solace attempt to see a pattern in Narendra Modi’s rhetoric while ignoring Amit Shah’s counterpoint in Uttar Pradesh.</p> <p>Such people will read the manifesto selectively, emphasising its thrust on the economy and governance. But the document in its entirety makes clear that the BJP has neither wandered away from its Hindutva roots, nor made any attempts to curtail even those aspects of its agenda that were problematic during the last term of the National Democratic Alliance government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, such as curriculum reform.</p> <p>Murli Manohar Joshi’s preface to the manifesto begins by observing that “Al-Andalusi, a Spanish scholar in the 11th Century, in his monumental work 'Tabaqat al-Umam' had discussed the state of science in different countries. He writes, ‘The first nation to have cultivated science is India ... India is known for wisdom of its people.’” What Joshi omits to mention is that Al-Andalusi was actually named Sa’id al-Andalusi and was a great Islamic scholar who held the post of the qadi of Toledo. The omissions in his version are telling.</p> <p>He goes on to claim that the Indian freedom struggle “which was inspired by Tilak, Gandhi, Aurobindo, Patel, Bose and others, had a clear vision of the civilizational consciousness of India.” Note the omissions here: no Jawaharlal Nehru, no BR Ambedkar, no Bhagat Singh, no Maulana Azad. No prize for guessing what is meant by “the civilizational consciousness of India.”</p> <p>Claiming that the “situation in the country is deteriorating rapidly” because of our separation from this “consciousness,” Joshi offers a solution: “Delay in resolving the crisis would be dangerous. What is needed is to take lessons from history, recognise the vitality and resilience of India, the power of its world-view and utilize its strength, which drove it to glorious heights and analyse its weaknesses, which led to this abysmal fall. Pick up the thread from the point where the continuum of our civilizational consciousness was lost and reorient the polity in consonance with those strong points of Indian psyche which will be the engine for our future glory.”</p> <p>This idea of a “civilizational consciousness” must be kept in mind while attempting to make sense of the manifesto when it states, “Education in India needs to be revitalized and reorganized to make future generations proud of their culture, heritage and history and also for creating confidence in the vitality of India.”</p> <p>Or when it declares, “The content and process of school education shall be thoroughly reviewed to make it dynamic, stress-free, attractive and responsive to the emerging national needs.” In both cases, which are spelt out so clearly by Joshi, the problem lies in what the BJP means by “India”.</p> <p>These references are easy to miss, and when read in isolation, are difficult to comprehend in their intent. But that is the design not just behind this manifesto, but also this campaign. The fact that some issues have not been made explicit or are not a focus of the campaign does not mean they do not matter for the party or have been forgotten.</p> <p>At the press conference after the release of the manifesto, when a reporter asked whether the reference on the last page to building the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya was a return to Hindutva, Joshi answered that the manifesto has nothing to do with “‘Hindutva’ or ‘<em>atva</em>’, it is simply a developmental programme and the issues which are culturally important have also been adumbrated in that.” Clearly, the doublespeak that has marked this campaign is also well and truly alive in this manifesto.</p> </div></div> <div class="shortbioview"><p><strong>Hartosh Singh Bal</strong> is the political editor at <em>The Caravan,</em> and is the author of <em>Waters Close Over Us: A Journey Along the Narmada</em>.</p> </div><div class="paging"></div> <div class="text-size-bottom"><div class="views-as">View as</div><div class="single-paged">Single Page</div></div> <div class="story-tags"> <div class="story-block1"><div class="view view-story-related-tag view-id-story_related_tag view-display-id-block_4 view-dom-id-2"> <div class="view-header"> <h3 class="subject-heading">More From This Section</h3> </div> <div class="view-content"> <div class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first"> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20150923171055/http://www.caravanmagazine.in/vantage/deafening-voices-invisible-hills">Deafening Voices from Invisible Hills</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even"> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20150923171055/http://www.caravanmagazine.in/vantage/manmohan-singh-reforms-conviction-narasimha-rao-compulsion-jairam-ramesh">“Manmohan Singh came to reforms out of conviction, Narasimha Rao came to it out of compulsion”: An Interview with Jairam Ramesh</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-3 views-row-odd"> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20150923171055/http://www.caravanmagazine.in/vantage/why-interview-top-pharmaceutical-executive-left-me-alarmed">Why an Interview with a Top Pharmaceutical Executive Left me Alarmed about the Industry</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-4 views-row-even"> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20150923171055/http://www.caravanmagazine.in/vantage/why-government-new-portal-missing-children-khoya-paya-harm">Why The Government’s New Portal for Missing Children, “Khoya-Paya,” Is Likely to Do More Harm Than Good</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-5 views-row-odd"> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20150923171055/http://www.caravanmagazine.in/vantage/private-hospital-apollo-bpl-families-free-healthcare">How a Private Hospital in Delhi May Be Keeping Families Below the Poverty Line From Availing Free Healthcare</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-6 views-row-even views-row-last"> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20150923171055/http://www.caravanmagazine.in/vantage/cnr-rao-responds-narayana-murthy-let-us-not-damn-it-all">CNR Rao Responds to Narayana Murthy: “Let us Not Damn it All!”</a></span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="comment_count">READER'S COMMENTS [14]</div> <div id="comments"> <a id="comment-35889"></a> <div class="comment comment-published clear-block"> <h3></h3> <div class="submitted"> <div class="comment-name"> ajit Welling </div> <div class="comment-date">15 July 2014</div> <div class="comment-time">17:09 PM</div> </div> <div class="content"> Nobody takes Manifestos seriously, it is just a election ritual, So dont split your hairs on that... </div> <ul class="links"><li class="comment_reply first last"><a href="/web/20150923171055/http://www.caravanmagazine.in/comment/reply/4367/35889">reply</a></li> </ul></div> <a id="comment-25639"></a> <div class="comment comment-published clear-block"> <h3></h3> <div class="submitted"> <div class="comment-name"> C Vasanth </div> <div class="comment-date">08 April 2014</div> <div class="comment-time">22:50 PM</div> </div> <div class="content"> What matters is not what an obscure scholar from Spain thought about India in the 11th century but what we Indians are today - highly corrupt, economically broke, leaderless, socially & politically fragmented nation. The manifesto is more like spurious wine in a cheap bottle. </div> <ul class="links"><li class="comment_reply first last"><a href="/web/20150923171055/http://www.caravanmagazine.in/comment/reply/4367/25639">reply</a></li> </ul></div> <a id="comment-25628"></a> <div class="comment comment-published clear-block"> <h3></h3> <div class="submitted"> <div class="comment-name"> saheer </div> <div class="comment-date">08 April 2014</div> <div class="comment-time">18:14 PM</div> </div> <div class="content"> BJP should need rethink over its manifesto. </div> <ul class="links"><li class="comment_reply first last"><a href="/web/20150923171055/http://www.caravanmagazine.in/comment/reply/4367/25628">reply</a></li> </ul></div> <a id="comment-25599"></a> <div class="comment comment-published clear-block"> <h3></h3> <div class="submitted"> <div class="comment-name"> Vasanth </div> <div class="comment-date">08 April 2014</div> <div class="comment-time">11:25 AM</div> </div> <div class="content"> Isn't it patently obvious that anybody named Al-Andalusi who wrote something called 'Tabaqat al-Umam' is muslim? In any case, why is it a big deal that Joshi does not explicitly identify him as so since the point is about what this person said about science in India rather than what religion he professes. Similarly, statements like “Education in India needs to be revitalized and reorganized to make future generations proud of their culture, heritage and history and also for creating confidence in the vitality of India.” and “The content and process of school education shall be thoroughly reviewed to make it dynamic, stress-free, attractive and responsive to the emerging national needs.” are praiseworthy immaterial if they are made by the BJP, Congress or any other party. By attributing motives to otherwise innocuous statements, this article is actually a lot more revealing of the thought process of the author than that behind the BJP manifesto. </div> <ul class="links"><li class="comment_reply first last"><a href="/web/20150923171055/http://www.caravanmagazine.in/comment/reply/4367/25599">reply</a></li> </ul></div> <a id="comment-25592"></a> <div class="comment comment-published clear-block"> <h3></h3> <div class="submitted"> <div class="comment-name"> <a href="/web/20150923171055/http://www.caravanmagazine.in/profile/7438"> </a> <a href="/web/20150923171055/http://www.caravanmagazine.in/profile/7438">Nikhil</a> </div> <div class="comment-date">08 April 2014</div> <div class="comment-time">09:55 AM</div> </div> <div class="content"> By far the stupidest review I have ever read. Clearly the reviewer went in with a single minded objective of poking holes. In Hindi this is called, "Baal ki Khaal ki Chaal". Should the manifesto have a credit roll for all our freedom fighters? Talk about over analysis. What does BJP mean by "India"? What does the author think BJP means by India? Why are you unnecessarily making a negative interpretation? Completely biased article - it's a case study in how not to review a document. </div> <ul class="links"><li class="comment_reply first last"><a href="/web/20150923171055/http://www.caravanmagazine.in/comment/reply/4367/25592">reply</a></li> </ul></div> <div class="indented"><a id="comment-25732"></a> <div class="comment comment-published clear-block"> <h3></h3> <div class="submitted"> <div class="comment-name"> Just curious </div> <div class="comment-date">10 April 2014</div> <div class="comment-time">08:44 AM</div> </div> <div class="content"> what do you think BJP idea of India means? </div> <ul class="links"><li class="comment_reply first last"><a href="/web/20150923171055/http://www.caravanmagazine.in/comment/reply/4367/25732">reply</a></li> </ul></div> </div><a id="comment-25575"></a> <div class="comment comment-published clear-block"> <h3></h3> <div class="submitted"> <div class="comment-name"> <a href="/web/20150923171055/http://www.caravanmagazine.in/profile/3208"> </a> <a href="/web/20150923171055/http://www.caravanmagazine.in/profile/3208">Kunal</a> </div> <div class="comment-date">08 April 2014</div> <div class="comment-time">01:06 AM</div> </div> <div class="content"> Its admirable how the author keeps up the pretense of being a dispassionate critic whenever we have the misfortune of watching him on news channel debates. If this paranoid piece of drivel is anything to go by his morbid hatred for Modi/BJP should render him unsuitable to participate in any debate which seeks to inform the viewer and offer perspectives. With all sense of balance and objectiveness long forsaken by him I wonder how he manages to get invited on national television. Irony is that a look at the 'More from this section' on this page suggests that Modi puts the bread on his table. Al in all this is really sad journalism. </div> <ul class="links"><li class="comment_reply first last"><a href="/web/20150923171055/http://www.caravanmagazine.in/comment/reply/4367/25575">reply</a></li> </ul></div> <a id="comment-25574"></a> <div class="comment comment-published clear-block"> <h3></h3> <div class="submitted"> <div class="comment-name"> Citizen </div> <div class="comment-date">07 April 2014</div> <div class="comment-time">23:57 PM</div> </div> <div class="content"> Anytime a political party wants to tinker with education, a big warning sign should go up for the nation. If you want an example of what happens when the state starts interfering with a child's education, take a close hard look at Pakistan. </div> <ul class="links"><li class="comment_reply first last"><a href="/web/20150923171055/http://www.caravanmagazine.in/comment/reply/4367/25574">reply</a></li> </ul></div> <div class="indented"><a id="comment-72990"></a> <div class="comment comment-published clear-block"> <h3></h3> <div class="submitted"> <div class="comment-name"> <a href="/web/20150923171055/http://www.caravanmagazine.in/profile/12388"> </a> <a href="/web/20150923171055/http://www.caravanmagazine.in/profile/12388">iveygoodlet887588</a> </div> <div class="comment-date">27 August 2015</div> <div class="comment-time">02:46 AM</div> </div> <div class="content"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150923171055/http://www.uygungsm.com/lenovo-s60-kilif/">lenovo s60 kılıf</a> kılıf </div> <ul class="links"><li class="comment_reply first last"><a href="/web/20150923171055/http://www.caravanmagazine.in/comment/reply/4367/72990">reply</a></li> </ul></div> </div><a id="comment-25573"></a> <div class="comment comment-published clear-block"> <h3></h3> <div class="submitted"> <div class="comment-name"> Abhishek Saha </div> <div class="comment-date">07 April 2014</div> <div class="comment-time">23:41 PM</div> </div> <div class="content"> Thank you for writing this. </div> <ul class="links"><li class="comment_reply first last"><a href="/web/20150923171055/http://www.caravanmagazine.in/comment/reply/4367/25573">reply</a></li> </ul></div> <a id="comment-25572"></a> <div class="comment comment-published clear-block"> <h3></h3> <div class="submitted"> <div class="comment-name"> Nidheesh </div> <div class="comment-date">07 April 2014</div> <div class="comment-time">23:38 PM</div> </div> <div class="content"> stupid media </div> <ul class="links"><li class="comment_reply first last"><a href="/web/20150923171055/http://www.caravanmagazine.in/comment/reply/4367/25572">reply</a></li> </ul></div> <a id="comment-25569"></a> <div class="comment comment-published clear-block"> <h3></h3> <div class="submitted"> <div class="comment-name"> master </div> <div class="comment-date">07 April 2014</div> <div class="comment-time">22:01 PM</div> </div> <div class="content"> honestly u ppl always want to see what u want to see, wts wrong in revitalizing education by given students a sense of reverance for the past, nd y the fuck do u see the need to spell out dat he was an islamic scholar,then u would say dat he deliberately did dat to prove hez secular, i am honestly sick nd ashamed at hypocrites like hartosh bal and hope dat he gets well soon, nd stop lookin for somethin sinister behind bjps every move yours sincerely "very very communal person" </div> <ul class="links"><li class="comment_reply first last"><a href="/web/20150923171055/http://www.caravanmagazine.in/comment/reply/4367/25569">reply</a></li> </ul></div> <a id="comment-25567"></a> <div class="comment comment-published clear-block"> <h3></h3> <div class="submitted"> <div class="comment-name"> <a href="/web/20150923171055/http://www.caravanmagazine.in/profile/16814"> </a> <a href="/web/20150923171055/http://www.caravanmagazine.in/profile/16814">Preethi</a> </div> <div class="comment-date">07 April 2014</div> <div class="comment-time">21:02 PM</div> </div> <div class="content"> The first thing any party should have ready while campaigning is its manifesto. It allows people to make informed choices over the course of the campaign. But, it is unfortunate that most parties release their manifestos too late into the campaign, or worse, the first day of election. </div> <ul class="links"><li class="comment_reply first last"><a href="/web/20150923171055/http://www.caravanmagazine.in/comment/reply/4367/25567">reply</a></li> </ul></div> <div class="indented"><a id="comment-72958"></a> <div class="comment comment-published clear-block"> <h3></h3> <div class="submitted"> <div class="comment-name"> <a href="/web/20150923171055/http://www.caravanmagazine.in/profile/12388"> </a> <a href="/web/20150923171055/http://www.caravanmagazine.in/profile/12388">iveygoodlet887588</a> </div> <div class="comment-date">27 August 2015</div> <div class="comment-time">00:03 AM</div> </div> <div class="content"> General Mobile Discovery adlı ürünle bizleri ilk tanıştırdığında çok yüksek <br/><br/> adetlerde satılmıştır.<br/><br/> general mobile discovery <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150923171055/http://www.uygungsm.com/general-mobile-discovery-elite-plus-kilif/">gm elite plus kılıf</a> plus kılıf <br/><br/> <br/><br/> Açıkçası Discovery modelleri çıktığında çoğu kişi çin çift hatlı </div> <ul class="links"><li class="comment_reply first last"><a href="/web/20150923171055/http://www.caravanmagazine.in/comment/reply/4367/72958">reply</a></li> </ul></div> </div><div class="box"> <h2>Leave comment</h2> <div class="content"><div id="comment-preview"></div><form action="/web/20150923171055/http://www.caravanmagazine.in/comment/reply/4367" accept-charset="UTF-8" method="post" id="comment-form"> <div><div class="form-item" id="edit-name-wrapper"> <label for="edit-name">Name: <span class="form-required" title="This field is required.">*</span></label> <input type="text" maxlength="60" name="name" id="edit-name" size="30" value="" class="form-text required"/> </div> <div class="form-item" id="edit-mail-wrapper"> <label 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