THE LIBERAL
Only two of the many types of people who identify as “liberals” will be discussed here.
First, the educated Indian who dabbles a little in politics, follows American media and pop-culture extensively, and maybe knows a little something about Donald Trump and Brexit too. Enamored by all things WESTERN, he is fascinated by anyone who gets validation from the West. His opinions are made for him by mainstream media like CNN, BBC, NYTimes, and domestically by “independent” media of the subcontinent – The Wire, Newslaundry, Article-14, NewsClick etc. (because he’s too good for Indian Mainstream Media, which he contemptuously calls – Godi Media)
“If the entire global media is calling Modi a RW dictator, then surely he must be one. The BBC doesn’t lie. And look, Rahul Gandhi and The Wire and Magsaysay Award winner Ravish Kumar are saying it too. I’m sure now.”
Second, is the type who are actually leftists with a political agenda, but using the label ‘Liberal’ to fool the 1st category described above. These chaps run the “independent” media houses that the former group subscribes to. They pretend to earn money only from subscribers, but more often than not they receive foreign-money from some “saviour of democracy” or an agenda-driven philanthropist who lives to earn money by shorting big corporations.
The 1st type of Liberal, let’s call him, WokeBro, is actually a good person. He wants moderation and is instinctively afraid of any behaviour deemed EXTREME by so-called opinion makers. He hears things like :
“Hindutva and Hinduism are different” from erudite english speakers like Shashi Tharoor and Karan Thapar. They’ve seen the world; ofcourse it’s true. Right ?
“The RW is destroying democracy.”
“They want Hindu Rashtra where Brahmins will run the country, regressive manusmriti will become the new constitution, and Muslims and Dalits will be genocided.”
You tell someone something so insane, they just won’t trust you.
Unless you do it daily. Bit by bit.
And you felicitate the leftists who run those “independent” media houses by inviting them to speak at prestigious foreign conferences and seminars.
“They won’t just invite ANY random person to come speak on the human rights situation in India. “
“New York Times is saying it, BBC is saying it. Hell, even ChatGPT is saying it. And look a US congresswoman and an EU parliamentarian also say so; and even the guy who predicted The Tutsi genocide in Rwanda is saying that India is on the brink of one. They can’t all be wrong, can they ?!”
Every story about India, even a story about how India became the 1st country to land a mission on the Dark Side of the Moon, is prefixed by saying : Modi’s Hindu Nationalist India, where minorities are 2nd grade citizens.
‘Right-Wing’ and ‘Sanghi’ become cuss words.
They only see articles with pictures of saffron-clad men, weilding swords and daggers, out to turn India into a “Hindu-Rashtra”
These Liberals are educated people, and they don’t want anyone else to tell them what to eat, what to wear, who to date/marry; which is what they are told the Hindutva brigade will do.
A moderate-sounding political party like the INC appeals to them a lot.
These parties say soft things which sound like something Obama would say.
They regurgitate the talking points they read again and again; are thus, social-engineered to turn against Modi, the RSS and by extension against Hindutva.
“The SOUTH-ASIA EXPERTS all across the world are saying this, it’s obviously true !”
THE STORM AT THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN
Hindutva = casteism, anti-muslim anti-dalit bigotry, cow urine drinking, love-jihad fanatics, end of democracy, hindu rashtra
Hinduism = spirituality, equality, good vibes, progressive, unity in diversity, democracy, freedom of speech.
These messages are drilled into their brains like nails. Using the combined might of left-leaning foreign media, and academia.
HINDUTVA BAD. MODI BAD.
HINDUISM GOOD. RAHUL GOOD.
This is the message that filters down from the top of the mountain.
Aah, THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN.
That is the sociology, liberal arts and history departments of Harvard and Rutgers and Oxford and such varsities of global prestige. And analogous departments at JNU, Ashoka University, Jamia, Jadavpur, etc.
Places our WokeBro dreams of studying.
Places that recruit and cultivate our 2nd category of ‘Liberal’ and teach them age-old leftist tactics.
They create the DIGESTIBLE TALKING POINT:
Hindutva Bad. Hinduism Good.
Because you must absolutely out of your bloody mind to directly attack Hinduism in 80% Hindu majority India.
(But rest assured, their end-game is DECONSTRUCTION and DISMANTLING of Hinduism in its totality. By giving Dalits and tribals and OBCs a separate “non-Hindu” identity. THEY SAY SO THEMSELVES.
We know all this thanks to the internet and all of their conferences being livestreamed)
So. The modus operandi of the Leftist “independent” media houses and academia:
First you attack Hindutva. Bang Bang Bang!
Shift the overton window a little.
Abuse deities like Lord Ram. Call him a misogynist.
“Look how he tested his wife.”
(Because obviously, 21st century morality is only reserved for Hindu figures !)
Abuse Brahminism, but not Brahmins (that comes later).
All that is bad is a result of Brahminism.
No-one likes casteism. Or imposing men. So call for doing away with Hindu rituals done by Brahmins ie. Brahminical Patriarchy.
Overton Window shifts further.
Use examples from abandoned texts like manusmriti to further deepen existing caste fault lines.
Invoke the European trope of the academically bogus Aryan Invasion Theory.
Show Brahmins as foreign invaders who APPROPRIATED all the rich cultural and spiritual traditions of the Dalits and tribals – the “real indigenous peoples of India”.
Call to De-Brahminise, Yoga, classical music and art, Hindu Festivals. As these are stolen intellectual property.
In the meantime organise DGH-Dismantling Global Hindutva- conferences (Hindutva here is a mere dogwhistle for Hinduism).
Start building real academic support against Hinduism. Distribute toolkits on how to do disruptions/boycotts of Hindu speakers. And harass openly-Hindu students on college campuses. Alienate and stigmatize vocal Hindus, while incentivising deracinated Hindus who toe the line.
Spread your hateful message among like-minded NGOs and activists.
But what is discussed inside these conferences ?
Crux of their message is:
“Hindutva = Casteism = Brahminism = Hinduism”
And since ALL the problems of India originate from Caste, to eradicate all the multiple evils of India, the “final solution” is to deconstruct, dismantle and abolish Hinduism.
This is the take-home message at these conferences.
That, Brahmins ≈ White Supremacists of India. They are fascists. And you don’t engage with fascists in debate, and all tactics – even violence – is justified against fascists.
Ofcourse our WokeBro isn’t aware of the shit-storm brewing at the top of the mountain. At the bottom of the hill, all he feels is a cool light breeze on his face, as he feels happy about virtue-signalling and participating in the latest outrage cycle.
Moreover these conferences are not reported by his favourite “independent” media houses.
All he knows is: Hindutva Bad, Hinduism Good.
THE JOKER, AND THE LIBERAL DILEMMA
But then something weird happens.
A Youth Minister from Tamil Nadu, the son of the sitting Chief Minister of the State, actually says that shit in public.
The son of one of the seniormost Congress Party leaders, endorses that statement.
A barrage of wannabe politicians and low-level online scamsters go on social media, do insane mental gymnastics and try to defend his statement.
What did the minister say ?
The Minister doesn’t attack Hindutva. He doesn’t attack Brahminism.
He goes straight for the jugular !
He says SANATAN DHARMA needs to be eradicated, like mosquito-borne diseases Dengue and Malaria.
He says the stuff that’s not to supposed be said just yet. The Overton Window has not moved enough. The common people are not primed for this yet.
The Joker has made a huge Oopsie ! Just as the opposition alliance was taking shape and beginning to set the narrative.
And thus the veil has been lifted.
All doubts erased.
The sterilising rays of the sun fall and nothing is hidden now.
The attacks on Hindutva have always been a dogwhistle for attacks on Hinduism.
Just it was impractical/politically suicidal to say that openly.
But now it’s been said. The genie is out of the bottle. There’s no going back.
No more pretence.
The ball is in the court of the Hindu community now.
And the good-hearted honest liberal -our WokeBro- needs to make a decision.
– @SusLibRealist on Twitter
