The intellectuals, academics, working class and the social activists who are perceived as the conscience keepers of India were reduced to the level of a creeper by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi who while denigrating the participants at the democratic struggles and protests described them as parasites.
Modi used the floor of Rajya Sabha on Monday to ridicule these people as a “new breed” of protesters, the “Andolan Jeevi” and parasites and asked the country to be alert about “Foreign Destructive Ideology”. The tone and tenor of his speech underlined his disdain for these people and reinforced the belief that he was articulating the Nazi language and ideas and putting his conspiracy theories and labels reminiscent of the Nazi era in Germany in public domain.
It is a known fact that these people have always extended and actively participated in the democratic movements, whether it was during the pre-Independence era or in the Independent India. These were the people who received batons of the police, jailed and tortured for their love and dedication for the liberty and democratic rights and values. They do not participate at the movement for monetary lust and gains.
One believes that Modi must be knowing the dictionary meaning of the parasite (andolanjivi and par jivi) the words he used for the protesters. Parasite means an organism that lives in or on an organism of another species (its host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the other’s expense. Does Modi believe that these people have been eating and surviving on others support? Do they participate for some material gains. One ought to remind him that he himself had participated at the Navnirman Samiti’s movement launched by Manishi Jani in 1973 in Gujarat against the corruption. Did he participate for some material gain? He must clarify whether he actually participated or not. A Google report points out that he was a participant.
After NNS’s movement, Bihar witnessed the famous JP movement. Most of the present BJP leaders and ministerial colleagues of Modi are the products of that movement. Though it was a students’ movement, the fact is entire rank and file of RSS, the mentor of Modi, had participated in that movement. How ill Modi describe them? Were they parasite?
Even in the Anna Hazare’s movement, the RSS played a crucial role from behind the curtain to embarrass the Dr Manmohan Singh government. The fact is this movement laid down the red carpet for Modi to ascend to the office of the prime minister. How he will describe this movement. It is another thing that RSS or BJP cadres kept away from the movements which reflected greater public concern; whether it was the quit India movement or freedom struggle.
It is absolutely clear that he used this phrase to decry and insinuate the persons who have come forward to extend their help and support the farmers’ movement. Let us remind him the role of the RSS in Assam movement in 1978. The central leadership of the BJP, led by L K Advani coordinated the operation. The leaders of the All Assam Students Union were the public face of the movement. The entire movement was in fact guided by the RSS.
Naturally Modi is scared of the support extended to the farmers movement by these people. Resorting to the same strategy which the Modi’s ministers and the BJP leaders used to denigrate and malign the farmers and their leaders, he has launched the campaign to deride these people. This is the part of the same strategy under which the saffron brigade has been accusing the farmers of being Khalistani or getting the support of the Naxalites.
Modi’s response to those who dissent and oppose his government’s laws — they were “andolan jeevi (professional agitators)” and “parjeevi (parasites)” — did not behove his office. When the need is to build bridges, his taunt — the nation must protect itself from the new FDI, of Foreign Destructive Ideology — is counter-productive.
Modi’s anathema for the left and secular forces is an open secret. A large number of prominent academics and intellectuals, some of them suffering with acute malaise, have been in jails for years for their simple crime of participating at the Bhima Korgaon meet. Journalist Gautam Navlakha and academic Anand Teltumbde, both activists for civil liberties, join a number of other intellectuals and anti-Modi critics who have been incarcerated or targeted.
Teltumbde, who is the grandson-in-law of Dalit icon Bhim Rao Ambedkar, the architect of India’s Constitution, mentioned that “the jingoist nation and nationalism have got weaponised by the political class to destroy dissent and polarise people. The mass frenzy has accomplished complete derationalisation and inversion of meanings where destroyers of the nation become deshbhakts [nationalists] and selfless servers of people become deshdrohis [anti-nationals]. As I see my India being ruined, it is with a feeble hope that I write to you at such a grim moment.”
Apprehensions are being expressed that Modi identifying these people as parasites is the prelude to the government crack down on such elements and arrest them. Just next day of his speech in Rajya Sabha, the ED raided the office of the Newsclick, a forum of the independent and freelance journalists, on the plea that the news agency was involved in money laundering.
His using the word Andolan Jivi underlined that he was mocking the farmers’ movement instead of reflecting the gravity of the situation and making a serious attempt to resolve the crisis. It is irony that instead of demonstrating his sensibility towards the farmers’ issue, the PM sent out an unequivocal message there is no going back on the farm laws and he was determined to deal with the movement with a firm hand. His mention of the then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri confronting doubters and agitators and labels and accusations of being an “American agent”, was an astute move to build his case and show his strong determination to curb the protest. Like the Shaheen Bagh movement, once again the government will use the nationalism to finish the protest and this is explicit in Modi singling out the left forces for being the andolanjivi (the parasite). He sent the loud and clear message that leftists are parasites by narrating how they embarrassed the previous Congress rulers.
He cautioned; “You will find them at the protests of lawyers, students, workers and farmers. Kabhi parde ke peechhe, kabhi parde ke aage. Yeh poori toil hai (Sometimes behind the curtain and sometimes in front of the curtain. This is a gang).” He later added: “Aise logon ko pehchan-ne ki zarurat hai. Sab Andolan Jeevi par jeevi hote hain (Such people need to be identified. They are all parasites).” It is worth mentioning that Hitler described the Jews as parasites living off others or as harmful bacteria (“noxious bacillus”). He is trying to hound the protesters out. This is clearly manifest in his remark; “The nation should stay away from these Andolan Jeevi. We are talking about FDI (foreign direct investment). Another FDI has come too. It is ‘Foreign Destructive Ideology’. We have to be aware of them to save the nation from this ideology,”
Nevertheless a statement from the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), underlined; “Farmers would like to remind the PM that it is andolans that have liberated India from colonial rulers and that is why we are proud to be Andolan Jeevi. It is the BJP and its predecessors that had never done any andolan against the Britishers and they were always against the andolans. They are still scared of public movements.” (IPA Service)