At the outset, let me state that I find the whole idea of caste repugnant! Religion too - but thats another debate! But that being said, caste is a fact-of-life affecting most Indian's at every level - a fact brutally underscored by the suicide of Rohit Vermula in Hyderabad earlier today.
I attempt to examine one reason behind the bewildering support the Right-Wing enjoys from some of the more educated Indians - their Caste!
To be fair, these particular "bhakti" traits can be found in most Indian origin alumni of many international schools of business/economics from London to Singapore. I highlight LSE only because I found this trait particularly defined in my interactions with the alumni of this particular school. On my recent trip back home to Pune/Mumbai for the New Year, had the privilege of meeting up separately with 4 different individuals from the institution, and I found the similarity of ideas in political debates particularly striking! Perhaps #SavarnaElite/#BSchoolSavarna would be a more suitable term to define the larger subset?
"The #LSESavarna are a unique subset of individuals who hold political views steeped in opportunism, hypocrisy and caste & religious bias while mouthing forced, but obedient platitudes to secularism and liberal values interspersed with paeans for a certain Jay Panda!"
As the tag suggests, Savarna-Elite are drawn from the Upper Castes - almost without exception being "Twice Born". Most have exceptional academic careers and show remarkable growth in corporate jobs - though their record in entrepreneurship and "organisation building" is strictly mixed. And most display a fascination for alternate interests that others may find odd - from motorcycle touring to trekking to flying to wildlife - which is how I interact with them!
The first trait is a surprising obsession with caste - they wont openly admit to it, but caste is THE basis for their political choices - hence my use of the word "Savarna" in the descriptor. Surprising, because one imagines these things loose value with education and in corporate settings. Apparently not!
I remember my interactions with these individuals in the period immediately before and after the recent Bihar Elections of 2015. When they expressed the fervent hope that Bihari's will not vote for caste, what they really meant was they hoped lower castes would not consolidate against their chosen party- the BJP! Post the Nitish-victory, when they lamented that "Bihari's voted on caste lines this time" what they really meant was that the lower castes unfairly denied the Upper Castes their divine right to rule by voting tactically. That the upper castes themselves may have voted en-bloc for a particular party is of-course of no relevance! That is their right: Divinely ordained! Our rights are not to be questioned, and you don't have a right! Manifest Destiny redefined!
The second trait is how they define their political enemies. Nitish Kumar was the messiah of development until he was in alliance with "their" party. The moment he broke that alliance and chose to forge an independent path, he was a "Yadav party" again (their words, not mine!) - fair target for vile abuse on Social Media! NCP of Maharashtra was routinely described as "Naturally Corrupt Party" by none other than Modi himself. That record changed tune when Sharad Pawar was in talks with the BJP during Govt formation in Maharashtra! A similar dynamic exists for Kashmir. The PDP were routinely described as "anti-national" - that is until they chose to form an alliance with "their" party. The J&K National Conference could well become the new "patriotic" party if recent news from that state is to be believed! Template applies equally to ADMK/DMK, TMC, BJD, JVM, JMM and so on!
That is how the dice rolls in the #LSESavarna world! Allying with the BJP is like getting purified in holy Gomutra! The sharing of negative news about political players stops the day the politicians align with "their" party only to restart the day such alliance ends! And then they call themselves "objective"!
The third trait is how they see Modi himself - a political necessity to ensure Savarna-Elite primacy. The puppeteers in Nagpur would rather prefer a Twice-Born for the top job, they say, but their politics revolves around creating a brand, and Modi to his credit has built such a brand that is saleable. Hence the "compulsion" (again their words) to go with a Modi rather than a Sushma Swaraj. His record of communal politics and crony-capitalism? Chyaaa! Small price to pay man!
The fourth trait is a very clearly defined "Us-and-Them" duality - whether it is against Muslims, Dalit's or indeed any significant other. What is sauce for the goose is not sauce for the gander! Not in their world, no! Sample these 2 articles written about 2 impending court judgements set a year apart - one concerning "Them" - the Muslims, and the other concerning "Us" - the Hindus . Note the diametrically opposite conclusions drawn by the same author - Nitin Pai (@acorn).
Are #LSESavarna bhakt's? They do share political views to an extent and a similar hypocrisy, but in the conventional sense no, they aren't bhakts! For one thing, they don't display the kind of crass abusive behavior on Social Media that has come to mark that term! Atleast not from their official Social Media accounts anyway. :P Most of them are fairly liberal in personal life. These are bhakts but with clearly defined objectives and an image to maintain!
What truly sets the #LSESavarna apart from the rest of the bhakt janata is the often ingenious arguments they employ in their attempts to defend every indefensible action of "their" govt and party. Their training at LSE undoubtedly enables them to use/abuse data selectively in pursuit of that objective. I have seen some truly amazing spin in some FB/Twitter posts! They "thank god" that Pathankot terror attack was not in a large city with casualties because that would prevent Modi from making further overtures to Pakistan! The release of Italian Sailors helps build a positive image of India being a law abiding nation - 2 years back they were panning UPA for being anti-national for suggesting they be tried in India but death penalty wouldn't be applied, Increased visa fees for Indian is an opportunity to cut costs for Indian companies! Exports crashing 24% in under a year is a "fantastic opportunity for Modi to recalibrate the economy". The crash of the rupee reduces our import costs and improves earnings for exporters! Its another matter, that these very same people were spinning similar news like the fall of the currency or terror attacks in quite the opposite direction 2 years back when "their" party was in opposition! And data, then as it is now, is just a tool that can be used/abused at will!
What explains this more evolved version of bhakti of the #LSESavarna crowd? Does their education and elevated comprehension not enable them to see through the shenanigans of the present govt? Ofcourse they can! But they have good reason to bury their heads in the sand or look the other way! Unlike the regular bhakt crowd, this #LSESavarna janata is very "objective".
This manifestation of bhakti is merely an extension of the desire by the Upper Castes to continue to retain effective control over the state and political discourse! This has been the case since medieval times and gained further traction with the opening up of the political space to lower castes around the 1920's. The Savarna-Elite were very much the guiding force within the Indian National Congress in its formative years and indeed that continues to a large extent. It is no coincidence, that the RSS was formed around the same time that Mahatma Gandhi was breaking down the barriers of caste and untouchability. It was no coincidence either that it was an RSS camp follower who murdered the Mahatma! But regardless, the INC continued to be the primary instrument for the Savarna-Elite to exercise their primacy.
It is only when the INC, led by Jawaharlal Nehru adopted a more aggressive approach to breaking caste barriers that a significant section of the Savarna-Elite element within the party felt they were loosing control and started drifting away. The adoption of the Hindu Code Bills in the 50's and the role played by Nehru set the party on a direct collision course with these caste elements. Key upper-caste leaders drifted away from the Congress at this time to various alternatives that were emerging - Swatantra, Jan Sangh and others which followed a more openly upper caste agenda. The emergence of the BJP in 1980 gave the Savarna-Elite a concrete political platform, though it would take another decade and LK Advani's enormous political skill to make that platform a viable political entity. And another 25 years before it could emerge as the supreme political force.
Its been a long wait for some! In the mid-50's the risk of loosing control over the polity was very real! With Mandal, it seemed that control was all but lost! It took the Mandir agitation and communal polarisation that followed in its wake to help them get back from the precipice! From where the #LSESavarna see it, Modi's arrival has restored Upper Caste primacy in politics again. And now that they have it, they aren't about to loose it! Communal and caste polarisation is but a small price to pay to retain that primacy!
I attempt to examine one reason behind the bewildering support the Right-Wing enjoys from some of the more educated Indians - their Caste!
To be fair, these particular "bhakti" traits can be found in most Indian origin alumni of many international schools of business/economics from London to Singapore. I highlight LSE only because I found this trait particularly defined in my interactions with the alumni of this particular school. On my recent trip back home to Pune/Mumbai for the New Year, had the privilege of meeting up separately with 4 different individuals from the institution, and I found the similarity of ideas in political debates particularly striking! Perhaps #SavarnaElite/#BSchoolSavarna would be a more suitable term to define the larger subset?
"The #LSESavarna are a unique subset of individuals who hold political views steeped in opportunism, hypocrisy and caste & religious bias while mouthing forced, but obedient platitudes to secularism and liberal values interspersed with paeans for a certain Jay Panda!"
As the tag suggests, Savarna-Elite are drawn from the Upper Castes - almost without exception being "Twice Born". Most have exceptional academic careers and show remarkable growth in corporate jobs - though their record in entrepreneurship and "organisation building" is strictly mixed. And most display a fascination for alternate interests that others may find odd - from motorcycle touring to trekking to flying to wildlife - which is how I interact with them!
The first trait is a surprising obsession with caste - they wont openly admit to it, but caste is THE basis for their political choices - hence my use of the word "Savarna" in the descriptor. Surprising, because one imagines these things loose value with education and in corporate settings. Apparently not!
I remember my interactions with these individuals in the period immediately before and after the recent Bihar Elections of 2015. When they expressed the fervent hope that Bihari's will not vote for caste, what they really meant was they hoped lower castes would not consolidate against their chosen party- the BJP! Post the Nitish-victory, when they lamented that "Bihari's voted on caste lines this time" what they really meant was that the lower castes unfairly denied the Upper Castes their divine right to rule by voting tactically. That the upper castes themselves may have voted en-bloc for a particular party is of-course of no relevance! That is their right: Divinely ordained! Our rights are not to be questioned, and you don't have a right! Manifest Destiny redefined!
The second trait is how they define their political enemies. Nitish Kumar was the messiah of development until he was in alliance with "their" party. The moment he broke that alliance and chose to forge an independent path, he was a "Yadav party" again (their words, not mine!) - fair target for vile abuse on Social Media! NCP of Maharashtra was routinely described as "Naturally Corrupt Party" by none other than Modi himself. That record changed tune when Sharad Pawar was in talks with the BJP during Govt formation in Maharashtra! A similar dynamic exists for Kashmir. The PDP were routinely described as "anti-national" - that is until they chose to form an alliance with "their" party. The J&K National Conference could well become the new "patriotic" party if recent news from that state is to be believed! Template applies equally to ADMK/DMK, TMC, BJD, JVM, JMM and so on!
That is how the dice rolls in the #LSESavarna world! Allying with the BJP is like getting purified in holy Gomutra! The sharing of negative news about political players stops the day the politicians align with "their" party only to restart the day such alliance ends! And then they call themselves "objective"!
The third trait is how they see Modi himself - a political necessity to ensure Savarna-Elite primacy. The puppeteers in Nagpur would rather prefer a Twice-Born for the top job, they say, but their politics revolves around creating a brand, and Modi to his credit has built such a brand that is saleable. Hence the "compulsion" (again their words) to go with a Modi rather than a Sushma Swaraj. His record of communal politics and crony-capitalism? Chyaaa! Small price to pay man!
The fourth trait is a very clearly defined "Us-and-Them" duality - whether it is against Muslims, Dalit's or indeed any significant other. What is sauce for the goose is not sauce for the gander! Not in their world, no! Sample these 2 articles written about 2 impending court judgements set a year apart - one concerning "Them" - the Muslims, and the other concerning "Us" - the Hindus . Note the diametrically opposite conclusions drawn by the same author - Nitin Pai (@acorn).
Are #LSESavarna bhakt's? They do share political views to an extent and a similar hypocrisy, but in the conventional sense no, they aren't bhakts! For one thing, they don't display the kind of crass abusive behavior on Social Media that has come to mark that term! Atleast not from their official Social Media accounts anyway. :P Most of them are fairly liberal in personal life. These are bhakts but with clearly defined objectives and an image to maintain!
What truly sets the #LSESavarna apart from the rest of the bhakt janata is the often ingenious arguments they employ in their attempts to defend every indefensible action of "their" govt and party. Their training at LSE undoubtedly enables them to use/abuse data selectively in pursuit of that objective. I have seen some truly amazing spin in some FB/Twitter posts! They "thank god" that Pathankot terror attack was not in a large city with casualties because that would prevent Modi from making further overtures to Pakistan! The release of Italian Sailors helps build a positive image of India being a law abiding nation - 2 years back they were panning UPA for being anti-national for suggesting they be tried in India but death penalty wouldn't be applied, Increased visa fees for Indian is an opportunity to cut costs for Indian companies! Exports crashing 24% in under a year is a "fantastic opportunity for Modi to recalibrate the economy". The crash of the rupee reduces our import costs and improves earnings for exporters! Its another matter, that these very same people were spinning similar news like the fall of the currency or terror attacks in quite the opposite direction 2 years back when "their" party was in opposition! And data, then as it is now, is just a tool that can be used/abused at will!
What explains this more evolved version of bhakti of the #LSESavarna crowd? Does their education and elevated comprehension not enable them to see through the shenanigans of the present govt? Ofcourse they can! But they have good reason to bury their heads in the sand or look the other way! Unlike the regular bhakt crowd, this #LSESavarna janata is very "objective".
This manifestation of bhakti is merely an extension of the desire by the Upper Castes to continue to retain effective control over the state and political discourse! This has been the case since medieval times and gained further traction with the opening up of the political space to lower castes around the 1920's. The Savarna-Elite were very much the guiding force within the Indian National Congress in its formative years and indeed that continues to a large extent. It is no coincidence, that the RSS was formed around the same time that Mahatma Gandhi was breaking down the barriers of caste and untouchability. It was no coincidence either that it was an RSS camp follower who murdered the Mahatma! But regardless, the INC continued to be the primary instrument for the Savarna-Elite to exercise their primacy.
It is only when the INC, led by Jawaharlal Nehru adopted a more aggressive approach to breaking caste barriers that a significant section of the Savarna-Elite element within the party felt they were loosing control and started drifting away. The adoption of the Hindu Code Bills in the 50's and the role played by Nehru set the party on a direct collision course with these caste elements. Key upper-caste leaders drifted away from the Congress at this time to various alternatives that were emerging - Swatantra, Jan Sangh and others which followed a more openly upper caste agenda. The emergence of the BJP in 1980 gave the Savarna-Elite a concrete political platform, though it would take another decade and LK Advani's enormous political skill to make that platform a viable political entity. And another 25 years before it could emerge as the supreme political force.
Its been a long wait for some! In the mid-50's the risk of loosing control over the polity was very real! With Mandal, it seemed that control was all but lost! It took the Mandir agitation and communal polarisation that followed in its wake to help them get back from the precipice! From where the #LSESavarna see it, Modi's arrival has restored Upper Caste primacy in politics again. And now that they have it, they aren't about to loose it! Communal and caste polarisation is but a small price to pay to retain that primacy!
Superb analysis sir. What sets these rational bhakhts apart is their use of scientific theories mixed with ancient puranas and granths to justify casteism.
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