top of page

By:

Correspondent

23 August 2024 at 4:29:04 pm

Civilizational Confidence

For decades, independent India suffered from a peculiar form of historical insecurity. A nation that inherited one of the world’s oldest living civilizations often appeared reluctant to speak confidently about its own past. While political independence was achieved in 1947, intellectual independence remained elusive in the Nehruvian era and the decades thereafter. That is why the Ministry of Culture’s recent efforts to showcase India’s civilizational heritage on social media and other...

Civilizational Confidence

For decades, independent India suffered from a peculiar form of historical insecurity. A nation that inherited one of the world’s oldest living civilizations often appeared reluctant to speak confidently about its own past. While political independence was achieved in 1947, intellectual independence remained elusive in the Nehruvian era and the decades thereafter. That is why the Ministry of Culture’s recent efforts to showcase India’s civilizational heritage on social media and other platforms deserve applause. Consider the famous Pashupati Seal discovered at Mohenjo-daro. Dating back more than four millennia, the steatite seal depicts a seated figure in a yogic posture surrounded by animals, believed to be a proto-Shiva figure. While scholars may continue to debate its precise interpretation, what is impossible to deny is that India remains the living cultural inheritor of the civilization that produced such artefacts. Civilizational continuity is determined by living traditions. The yogic practices, Shaivite symbolism, ritual forms, philosophical concepts, and cultural motifs that emerged across millennia continue to animate Indian life today. The thread connecting ancient India to modern Bharat was never severed. The Ministry’s celebration on X of a 4,500-year-old terracotta dice from the Indus-Saraswati Civilization similarly highlights the important truth that cultural memory endures even when empires vanish. Predictably, these efforts have triggered outrage from a familiar ecosystem of professional contrarians, ideological activists masquerading as scholars, and academics who seem to regard any positive articulation of Indian civilization and Hinduism as a threat. For this crowd, India’s past must always be fragmented, contested, and stripped of continuity. The moment Indians speak of civilizational inheritance, they are accused of ‘myth-making.’ Any interpretation that strengthens a sense of civilizational continuity is treated with suspicion, while theories that sever Indians from their own historical inheritance are celebrated as sophisticated and progressive. For decades, this self-appointed priesthood of the Indian Left-liberal academy exercised an extraordinary monopoly over historical discourse. Their approach was remarkably consistent. Hindu traditions were to be endlessly deconstructed and disparaged. Civilizational pride was to be treated as inherently suspect. Meanwhile, fashionable western academic jargon was deployed to obscure what was often little more than ideological prejudice. What particularly irritates this ecosystem is that Bharat today is increasingly refusing to seek such permission. The return of Chola-era copper plates from the Netherlands, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, forms part of this larger civilizational recovery. These records illuminate the maritime power and global reach of the Chola Empire. Likewise, the documentation of more than 8.5 million manuscripts under the Gyan Bharatam National Survey of Manuscripts represents one of the most significant cultural preservation exercises in modern Indian history. Such initiatives expose the intellectual bankruptcy of those who spent decades insisting that India’s civilizational consciousness was little more than a modern political invention. The Ministry of Culture’s recent initiatives reflect something more important than mere government messaging. They reflect a nation rediscovering its historical confidence after decades of elite condescension.

BJP Boost

Updated: Oct 22, 2024

As the dust settles over the recent Assembly elections, the BJP, defying anti-incumbency prediction of political Cassandras and exit polls, is set for a historic third term in Haryana. This will buoy the party after its underwhelming performance in the Lok Sabha polls. The Haryana outcome not only reinforces the BJP’s foothold in national politics but also presents a counter-narrative to the INDIA bloc’s post-election fervour.

Despite the bogey stoked by lingering farmer protests and discontent surrounding the controversial Agniveer scheme, the BJP strategically diversified its approach, relying not solely on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s star power—evidenced by his reduced number of rallies—but also on a ground-level consolidation of anti-Jat votes. The Congress’s over-reliance on the Jat community backfired, rallying other groups against it. Interestingly, the Dalit vote, which the Congress anticipated would tilt in its favour, has not completely abandoned the BJP.


At the forefront of the BJP's campaign was Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, whose relatively short tenure allowed him to distance himself from the decade-long rule of the previous administration. By introducing measures to benefit the backward classes, including a significant income limit increase for OBC employment from Rs. 6 lakh to Rs. 8 lakh, the BJP effectively shifted the narrative in its favour. Their mantra of ‘bina parchi, bina kharchi Naukri (promising jobs without bribes) resonated with voters.


The BJP’s rejuvenated team, led by key figures such as Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and state leaders, has seemingly addressed concerns that arose following its poor showing in the Lok Sabha elections. The incorporation of new candidates in place of established leaders provided a fresh face that contrasted sharply with the Congress’s decision to recycle incumbents.


In contrast, in Jammu and Kashmir, the National Conference, in alliance with the Congress, having crossed the majority threshold, reclaimed its historic dominance and is set to form the government. Here, the BJP’s performance in the first Assembly election held after the abrogation of Article 370, fell short despite its strenuous attempt to position itself as a proponent of development.


The electorate’s apparent rejection of hardline factions like the PDP reflects a nuanced response and win for democracy. Notably, the results have shown a significant rejection of separatist candidates, including those from Engineer Rashid-led Awami Ittehad Party and Jamaat-e-Islami, who failed to make a meaningful impact in the polls.


The BJP’s emphatic victory in Haryana redeems its Lok Sabha misstep but also signals a broader political resurgence, giving the party renewed vigour to march into future contests like the crucial Maharashtra Assembly election.

 
 
 

Comments

bottom of page