top of page

By:

Rajendra Pandharpure

15 April 2025 at 7:55:54 pm

The BJP’s Ganesha Gambit

Pune’s Ganeshotsav has become an enormous civic and political stage, and the ruling party has proved adept at occupying it. Pune: The city’s Ganeshotsav is entering its final phase, but the festival has already demonstrated something beyond its extraordinary crowds and familiar spectacle: the extent to which it has become a political stage. This year, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has left a particularly visible imprint on the festivities, using an event that reaches deep into the city’s...

The BJP’s Ganesha Gambit

Pune’s Ganeshotsav has become an enormous civic and political stage, and the ruling party has proved adept at occupying it. Pune: The city’s Ganeshotsav is entering its final phase, but the festival has already demonstrated something beyond its extraordinary crowds and familiar spectacle: the extent to which it has become a political stage. This year, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has left a particularly visible imprint on the festivities, using an event that reaches deep into the city’s neighbourhoods as an opportunity for public outreach. The political appropriation of the festival has not, however, been without a counter-current. Demands were raised for curbs on noise pollution, loudspeakers and the volume of dhol-tasha performances. The argument was not against Ganeshotsav itself, but for moderation - notably, a complete ban on DJ music and limits on the number of dhol and tasha instruments used by performing troupes. Familiar Troubles The festival’s reality has been rather different. Major roads have been occupied by mandaps. Processions celebrating the arrival of Lord Ganesha have unfolded amid punishing noise. DJ music, while subject to restrictions, has continued. Traffic congestion has become a familiar feature of the festival, with the movement of political leaders adding another layer to the city’s already strained roads. The Peth areas have remained crowded deep into the night. The Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati temple has drawn enormous crowds for darshan from the opening day. From the old city to housing societies and neighbourhood mandals, Ganeshotsav touches virtually every part of Pune. For a political party seeking a direct connection with citizens, few occasions offer such a ready-made network of people, institutions and local influencers. The BJP enters this festival with an unusually formidable organisational base. It has two MPs, seven MLAs and more than 100 corporators in Pune. Murlidhar Mohol, one of the city’s MPs, is a Union Minister of State. Chandrakant Patil is a Cabinet minister in the Maharashtra government, while Madhuri Misal is a Minister of State. The party’s presence also extends into the festival’s organisational architecture. Its influence is visible across numerous mandals, large and small. BJP MLA Hemant Rasane is General Secretary of the Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Sarvajanik Ganpati Trust. Kunal Tilak, a member of Lokmanya Tilak’s family, is a BJP corporator. The political and cultural histories of Pune therefore intersect in ways that are difficult to ignore. The BJP’s senior leadership has also made the most of the occasion. National President Nitin Nabin visited Pune to seek Lord Ganesha’s blessings, while Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis visited the city before and during the festival. Such visits are about more than religious observance. In a festival watched by millions and embedded in the city’s social life, political visibility comes almost automatically. There is also talk in Pune that the BJP provided substantial financial support to Dhol-Lezim troupes and their organisers, with claims that some major mandals received financial backing as well. These claims would require independent verification, but the perception itself points to the depth of the political contest around Ganeshotsav. BJP workers, according to local observers, have also sought to make their presence more conspicuous than that of festivities organised by housing societies. Useful Expedient The festival arrives at a politically useful moment for the BJP. The party has faced disquiet on several fronts. Young people have been agitated over the paper-leak controversy. Broader public dissatisfaction has been voiced over inflation and unemployment, while government policies relating to ethanol and charges associated with UPI transactions have also generated criticism. While a political party can defend a policy in a press conference and advertise its achievements, during Ganeshotsav, its workers can be physically present in neighbourhoods, among processions, mandals, cultural groups and devotees. Politics thus becomes less about argument and more about visibility. That is the BJP’s advantage in Pune. Ganeshotsav, after all, is not simply a sequence of religious rituals. It is an elaborate civic network involving local organisers, volunteers, cultural groups, businesses, residents and political representatives. Whoever has influence over that network acquires a powerful channel of communication with the city. The BJP appears to understand this particularly well. Its strength in Pune’s electoral politics has been reinforced by a presence that extends beyond elections and into the institutions and social spaces that organise public life. The irony is that the very scale of the festival that makes it politically attractive also magnifies the civic costs. The political value of Ganeshotsav and the civic burden it creates are therefore two sides of the same phenomenon. For Pune, the larger question is not whether politics has entered Ganeshotsav. It has done so for decades. The more consequential question is whether the festival’s extraordinary social capital will remain primarily a vehicle for political outreach or whether the same influence can be used to reconcile celebration with the ordinary civic needs of the city. For the moment, the BJP seems to have understood the first proposition better than most.

The Sabarmati Report: A Cinematic Take on a Tragic Chapter in India’s History

Writer: Abhijit Joshi
Abhijit Joshi
Nov 15, 2024
3 min read
The Sabarmati Report

As we delve into biopics of political leaders and the audiences’ reactions to them, this week’s big release, The Sabarmati Report, is stirring conversations across generations. Scheduled to hit theatres on Friday, the film explores the events surrounding the tragic incident at Godhra Station on February 27, 2002, where 59 passengers perished in a fire. The victims included 27 women and 10 children, with another 48 passengers injured. The incident sparked the infamous Gujarat riots, a period of intense violence that claimed more than 2,000 lives, leaving an indelible mark on the country’s socio-cultural landscape.


For Generation Z, iGen, and Generation Alpha, who may only know about this tragic event through history books or second-hand stories, The Sabarmati Report provides a medium to engage with it on an emotional level. In a time where the lines of narrative are often drawn through political affiliations, the film seeks to offer a perspective that could open viewers to understanding the pain endured by survivors and the long-lasting trauma that still resonates with affected families.


Director Dheeraj Sarna takes on the challenging task of presenting the story through a journalist’s perspective. Played by Vikrant Massey, the protagonist explores the intricate social and political dynamics of the time, aiming to tell the story of the masses rather than favouring one viewpoint over another. The film also stars Raashii Khanna and Riddhi Dogra in significant roles, adding depth to the unfolding drama.


As with any film depicting real-life events, The Sabarmati Report has generated divided opinions. The release of the trailer brought immediate responses from the media and public, with one section labelling it as a propaganda film, while others applauded it as a long-awaited attempt to reveal "the reality." These polarized reactions underscore the sensitivity surrounding events that shaped the lives of thousands and are still viewed through distinct ideological lenses.


The film’s approach to addressing the role of media coverage at the time adds an interesting layer to the narrative. The story points to a perceived difference in how English and regional media covered the event, with suggestions that mainstream outlets may have overlooked certain perspectives. This aspect of the film challenges the audience to reflect on how media framing can influence public opinion, particularly during times of crisis.


Producer Ektaa R. Kapoor, along with Shobha Kapoor, Amul V. Mohan, and Anshul Mohan, has taken a thoughtful approach to ensure that the film invites viewers to consider all facets of the tragedy. They hope that audiences will not see the film as a mere political statement but as a portrayal of an event that continues to shape lives. For those who survived or lost loved ones, the pain remains palpable, and for others, it is a chance to look back and understand a defining moment in modern Indian history.


When dealing with such complex and emotionally charged subjects, filmmakers inevitably face accusations of bias. This has become especially relevant in an era when art and narrative are often dissected through the lens of political leanings.


The filmmakers stress that their goal is to offer a balanced viewpoint and allow audiences to engage with the story as a work of art rather than a political statement.


The conversation around The Sabarmati Report is also a reminder of the delicate balance required when dealing with historical tragedies. While artistic liberties are a filmmaker’s prerogative, they must tread carefully to avoid infringing on religious or cultural sentiments. In doing so, they contribute to preserving India’s rich socio-cultural fabric—a mosaic of diverse perspectives and beliefs. When audiences view the film, they are invited to remember this, to step away from potential divisions and appreciate the film as a nuanced story rather than a critique of any one community or belief.


In closing, The Sabarmati Report encourages reflection rather than judgment. Through the eyes of a journalist protagonist, it allows viewers to revisit an era defined by grief, fear, and resilience. By presenting multiple facets of a sensitive historical event, the film challenges audiences to see beyond easy narratives and explore the human cost behind headlines. Whether they walk away with new perspectives or fresh questions, viewers are reminded that storytelling can be a powerful force for empathy—a necessary bridge across India’s diversity.


(The author is a communication professional. Views personal.)

Comments

bottom of page