The Intellectual bankruptcy of the Indian 'critical thinkers'
After reading the discussion between the self styled 'critical thinker' Romilla Thapar and Siddhartha Varadarajan in thewire.in, I thought a response is really called for.
These ' critical thinkers ' in our Universities, media, etc cry hoarse against the sins of the present regime in India, denouncing it as fascist, anti-democratic, and what not. But, to use a Hindi proverb, ' kabhi inhone apne girebaan mein jhaank ke dekha hai ? '.
I accuse the Indian self styled 'liberal',and 'critical' thinkers of totally letting down the nation, by hankering for lucrative posts and sinecures in Indian academia and elsewhere, and of being totally superficial while posing to be profound thinkers. It is indeed fashionable today to be a 'leftist' 'intellectual' in India, as long as your comfortable lifestyle is not adversely affected.
Let me ask a few questions to these ' critical thinkers ' ?
1. When I denounced Gandhi as a hypocritical, feudal minded, reactionary British agent in a series of blogs ( see the blogs on Gandhi in justicekatju.blogspot.in ), for which I gave my reasons, but for which I was condemned by both Houses of the Indian Parliament, without even considering my reasons, where were these ' critical thinkers ? '. Did anyone of them come to my defence ? Or if they thought I was wrong, did any of them consider my reasons and seek to refute them rationally ? No, they maintained the 'noble silence ' of the Buddha, probably thinking the topic too hot and dangerous for a rational discussion. But surely critical thinking means application of reason to every phenomena, even it results in personal discomfort.
2. Similarly when I denounced Tagore, Syed Ahmed Khan, Allama Iqbal, Savarkar, Tilak, Bankim Chandra etc as British agents, and Subhas Chandra Bose as a Japanese stooge and lackey, for which I gave my reasons in my blogs, where were they ? Again, maintaining the ' noble silence '.
3. How many 'critical thinkers' came to my support when I condemned the irrational, feudal laws, customs and practices of beef ban, sharia, burqa etc and called for their abolition ? Not one.
4. Have Romila Thapar, Irfan Habib, or other 'celebrated' historians in India said, or even realized, that communalism in India is an artificially created phenomenon which did not exist before the Mutiny of 1857 in which Hindus and Muslims jointly fought against the British, and which was created craftily and systematically by the British after suppressing the Mutiny of 1857 ( see my article ' The Truth about Pakistan ' and B.N.Pande's speech ' History in the service of Imperialism ' online ), and by certain vested interests after 1947 ?
5. Has any of these ' critical thinkers ' ever said, or even realized, that Pakistan is a fake, artificial country which was created by the British on the basis of the bogus two nation theory, using as their agents Gandhi and Jinnah ? ( see my blogs ' The Truth about Pakistan ', ' We are one ' , and my blogs on Gandhi, etc), that we are really one nation sharing the same culture, that we were one country since Mughal times, and that we are bound to reunite under a truly secular govt. which does not tolerate religious bigotry or extremism of any kind, whether Hindu or Muslim.
6. Has any of these 'critical thinkers' ever considered what is India ?
I did, and after deep investigation found that India is largely a country of immigrants, like North America, with about 93-94% of its present inhabitants having ancestors who came from abroad, mostly from the north west ( see my post ' What is India ? ' online and on my blog), and this explains our tremendous diversity.
Now I am a man with a legal background. This discovery should really have been made by the academicians. But where were they ? Enjoying their comfortable lives ?
I have pointed out in several posts on facebook and my blog that the solutions to the massive problems India is facing---poverty, unemployment, malnutrition, lack of healthcare and goof education, etc---do not lie within the present Constitutional and political system, but outside it, and hence India is inevitably heading for a revolution.
http://www.huffingtonpost.in/…/reforms-will-not-do-india-a…/

But every great revolution has to be preceded by an ideological revolution.
For instance, the French Revolution of 1789 was preceded by several decades of struggle in the realm of ideas, in which great thinkers like Voltaire, Rousseau, the French Encyclopedists, and thinkers of the Enlightenment bravely fought ideologically against the feudal system and religious bigotry. in France. Without this long drawn ideological struggle the Revolution of 1789 would have been difficult, if not impossible.
Similarly, before a revolution can take place in India to establish a modern, just, political and social order in which all Indians can have decent lives, a powerful ideological struggle is needed to attack and sweep away the centuries of backward, feudal filth, e.g. casteism, communalism and superstitions which has accumulated, and which still pervades and persists in Indian society, and spread rational and scientific ideas widely
This was the job of our 'critical thinkers'. But where are they ? What have they been doing so long ?

The BJP and the Nazis

The BJP has often been compared to the Nazis.

While it is true that there are some similarities, inasmuch as both were ( and are ) fascists, nevertheless there are some vital differences between the two.

The Nazis seized power in 1933 when Germany was already a highly industrialized country. So they used their technological might to aggressively grab country after country in Europe, first peacefully and then militarily, using the economic resources of each conquered country for further aggression, until they met their Waterloo at Stalingrad in 1942-43. But by 1945, when the Second World War ended, the Nazis were responsible for 50 million deaths, including 6 million Jews sent to gas chambers

On the other hand, India is a relatively backward country, only partially industrialized. Hence it does not have the technological strength to launch aggressive foreign wars. The fascism of BJP can therefore be a much weaker fascism than Hitler's.

BJP had come to power in 2014 on the slogan of 'vikas' i.e. development, due to which hundreds of millions, particularly the youth, voted for it, thinking that vikas meant that tens of millions of jobs will now be created.

But this slogan of vikas was a hoax, as Indians, who were taken for a ride and hoodwinked, have now realized.The Indian economy is stagnant , and jobs have become less ( 12 million youth are entering the Indian job market every year, while only 140, 000.jobs were created in 2016 in the organized sector of India's economy. )

India has massive poverty, child malnutrition, lack of healthcare and good education, etc.

All this is bound to lead to popular agitations against the govt. which will then blame the minorities for all problems, the way Hitler blamed the Jews. In other words, communal riots and communal incidents will be engineered through agent provocateurs, the 'beef' lynchings being latest examples. .

No doubt the Hindu majority will approve of this for some time, but this drama cannot go on forever. You can fool people for some time, but not all time. Ultimately even Hindus will realize that what is needed is jobs, healthcare, food, etc and not Ram Mandir or cow protection.

Then the day of reckoning for BJP will come in some way ( which cannot be presently predicted ).

The truth about JNU

JNU claims to be a great centre of free thinkng and of the 'revolutionary' spirit.

But I think this claim is a hoax, and this revolutionary spirit is skin deep. Many JNU students shout ' halla bol ' and ' azadi for Kashmir '.

But why have they never shouted ban on burqa and on sharia law to attain azadi for Muslim women ? Why have they never demanded repeal on the laws against cow slaughter and eating beef ?...

The real reason is that many of the JNUSU members are aspiring politicians, and are members of the youth wings of political parties like Congress, CPI,CPM, BJP, etc and they know that if they make these progressive demands they will be expelled from their parties. Demanding ban on burqa and sharia will endanger the Muslim vote bank of the parties which rely on it, and demanding repeal of the ban on cow slaughter and eating beef will endanger the Hindu votes of those doing beef politics. So very cleverly they avoid making these demands

But I am not in politics, and I do not seek anyone's votes.So I can make these demands, which strike at feudalism and are therefore in the national interest

Bruyat Satyam Apriyam

There is a Sanskrit shloka which says : " Satyam Bruyat " i.e. " speak the Truth ". To this I agree.

But the same shloka goes on to say " Na bruyat satyam apriyam ".i.e. " Do not speak the unpleasnt truth ". To this I disagree.

I think the time has come in our country when unpleasant truths must be said if we are to progress.

For example, I said that 90% indians are fools. This was an unpleasant truth. And it had to be said, because a shock therapy had to be given to awaken Indians from their Kumbhakaran like slumber.

The truth of the statement is obvious from the fact that most Indians vote on the basis of caste and religion in the elections, instead of on the merit of the candidate. Most indians, maybe over 80% , whether Hindu or Muslim, are communal. Most Indians believe in astrology (that is why they ask for horoscopes before finalizing a marriage ), and astrology is unscientific, and pure superstition and humbug.

In the Sanskrit work Kiraataarjuneeyam of Mahakavi Bharavi there is a statement :

नहि प्रियं वक्तुमिच्छन्ति मृषा हितैषिणः

Nahi priyam vaktumichchhanti mrishaa hitaishinah

i.e.

Those who mean well for others do not want to please them by false praise.

So I do not want to praise Indians ( except where praise is due ).

I am not a publicity or popularity seeker ( whatever some people may say about me ). I am not in politics, and I do not seek your vote.

If I stand for elections who will vote for me ? Hindus will not, because i have openly said I eat beef ( where legally permitted, e.g. in Kerala and Goa ). I do not regard beef eating as anything wrong. Almost the whole world eats beef. Are we Hindus alone sadhu sants, and the rest of the world wicked ? And I do not regard cow as a mother ( gomata ). How can an animal be a mother of a human being ?

Muslims will not vote for me because I have condemned the backward sharia law and burqa, which I want banned. And Sikhs, Christians, etc may not because I am an atheist, and regard all religions as superstitions.

I have called Gandhi, Jinnah,Tagore, Bankim Chandra, Swami Vivekanand, Allama Iqbal, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, 'Veer' Savarkar, etc as British agents, and Subhas Chandra Bose as a Japanese agent. People of India ( and Pakistan, which is a fake, artificial entity ) have been brainwashed into thinking otherwise. I regard Pakistan and Bangladesh as part of India, temporarily separated, but which will reunite with India under a secular government.

I have called most of our politicians goondas, who have no genuine love for the country, but only seek power and pelf, and polarize our people on caste and communal ines.

All these statements stirred a lot of controversy and animosity against me, and I was deluged by a barrage of invectives and diatribes against me, but that does not matter. The truth must be told now to Indians, because India is a sleeping giant which must be awoken now by giving it severe shocks and doses of the truth. How long must we remain poor and backward, with massive poverty, unemployment, lack of healthcare and good education for our masses ?

Many people say that I seek controversies. That is totally false. I am really a very shy, unsocial being, who wants to keep away from the limelight. I never chase controversy, but if controversy chases me what can I do ? When I see my country going to dogs should I remain silent ? Others may be deaf and dumb, but I am not. So i speak out, and when I speak out there is a controversy. How is that my fault ?

As the great Urdu poet Faiz said " Bol ki lab azad hain tere, bol zubaan ab tak teri hai "

i.e.

' Speak out, for your lips are free

Speak out, for your tongue is still yours "

Hinduism

Although I eat beef ( and pork ) and am an atheist, I am a strong champion of Sanskrit and the Hindu Nyaya philosophy( see my articles ' Sanskrit as a language of science ', ' Nyaya or Vedanta ? ', ' Indian philosophy ', etc on my blog justicekatju.blogspot.in as well as on facebook and on kgfindia.com).

Most Hindus, and most members of organizations and parties who claim to represent Hindus, have little or no idea of the great Hindu intellectualism of the past, and of the real great intellectual achievements of our ancestors ( see my blogs ' The real nature of BJP ', ' Did Rama and Pushpak Vimaana exist ' ), and instead make false boasts e.g. that there were atom bombs, guided missiles, aeroplanes etc in ancient India or that Hindus discovered head transplant and genetic engineering ( see my blogs ' Making us a laughing stock ', ' Mixing the true with the untrue ', ' A visit to Akshardham ', etc )..

Thus, I am a real Hindu, rather than these so called Hindus, and organizations and parties which claim to represent Hindus, but really know little or nothing about Hinduism.

Pakistan has more fools than India

 

I spoke to a Pakistani friend on skype recently.

I told him that while 90% Indians are fools, 95% Pakistanis are fools. The 5% extra marks I gave to Pakistanis is because Pakistan declared itself an Islamic state, while India declared itself a secular state. So there are more fools in Pakistan than in India.

For instance, I said to him, if you say in Pakistan that Sharia or burqa should be abolished, then in all likelihood you will be killed by religious extremists. But I have said this repeatedly in India and yet got no threats ( though many people have disagreed with me ).  I have also said that there is nothing wrong in eating beef, and it is stupid to say cow is our mother.

So there is more freedom in India than in Pakistan.

So there is more freedom in India than in Pakistan.

Recently some human rights activists in Pakistan, who were opposed to religious fundamentalism, have gone missing, and may have been killed.

http://indianexpress.com/article/world/pakistan-liberal-human-rights-activist-goes-missing-4463694/

http://www.dawn.com/news/1307195

This happens sometimes in India too, e.g.cases of rationalist freethinkers like Prof. Kalburgi, Pansare and Dabholkar, but it is rarer than in Pakistan, where perhaps over a hundred journalists, lawyers, etc who were speaking and writing freely have been killed

Some thoughts

1. I must be perhaps the most abused, vilified, maligned and demonized person in India. I have been called a crazy person, a madman, a maverick,.a publicity seeker, a person living in lala land or cuckoo land, and even a dog ( by one Chief Minister ).

2. And why is this ? Because I have been doing what no person who cares for his self interest should
ever do in India, which is to-speak the truth

3. And why have I been speaking the truth, not caring for my self interest ? Because I found after deep study, discussions with others, and reflection over several decades that most Indian people ( among whom I include Pakistanis and Bangladeshis ) have been brainwashed, drugged and indoctrinated with lies, fabrications and deceptions by certain vested interests for centuries, so much so that these lies are usually regarded by most people ( who are simpletons ) as gospel truths.

It was a maxim of Hitler and Goebbels that a lie repeated a hundred times becomes a truth. The Indian people have been lied to not a hundred times but a million times, and so if anyone challenges these lies and fabrications he will do it at his own peril. The moment he speaks a truth a barrage and avalanche of filthy abuses, denunciations,calumnies, villifications threats, etc will descend upon him, he will be ostracized and boycotted, described as a lunatic, and made a pariah, and suffer all kinds of hardships, including physical and financial.

4. But as Nietzsche said in 'Thus Spake Zarathustra' : " What matter about thyself Zarathustra ? Say thy word and break into pieces ".

So before I break into pieces let me say my word.

5. Here are some of the lies and fabrications with which the Indian people were brainwashed and drugged for a long period, and which I have exposed ( details can be seen on my blog justicekatju.blogspot.in ) :
a. Gandhi is the father of the Indian nation, and he got us our freedom from British rule
b. Hindus and Muslims are each others enemies. Muslims are terrorists and violent. Pakistanis are wicked people
c..Cow is our mother, and eating beef is a wicked thing
d. Abolition of Sharia will endanger or destroy Islam
e. Dalits are inferior beings
f. Urdu is a language of Muslims alone, and is a foreign language.

5. Conversely, here are some of the truths I have dared to speak out :

a India is a poor country, with massive unemployment, child malnourishment, lack of healthcare and good education, etc The poor are never respected, and instead are kicked around. So if we want respect in the world we must make India a powerful, highly industrialized, highly prosperous country, with its people enjoying a high standard of living.

b. India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are one country, temporarily divided, but which are bound to be reunited one day under a strong secular government which will not tolerate religious extremism or bigotry of any kind, whether Hindu or Muslim. Pakistan is a fake, artificial entity. The two nation theory, that Hindus and Muslims are two separate nations, was bogus and Partition of India in 1947 was a ferocious fraud and swindle by the Britishers, who wanted to keep us fighting each other in the name of religion, so that we remain weak, and not emerge as a modern industrial giant, for which we have all the potential today. The Kashmir problem will automatically get solved when India and Pakistan will reunite.

c. The Indian media basically serves the interests of its owners, the corporates. It deliberately diverts the attention of the people from their real problems of poverty, unemployment, healthcare, malnourishment, lack of good education, etc and seeks to shift it to non issues or trivialities like lives of film stars, cricket, astrology, petty politics, etc.

d. The Indian system of governance and our state institutions have largely collapsed, the Constitution has exhausted itself, and the country is heading for a revolution ( whose form and timing no one can predict ). It is only after a revolution that India's problems can be solved. They cannot be solved within the present system.

e. Gandhi was a feudal minded hypocrite, and objectively a British agent ( see my blogs on Gandhi ). Jinnah too was a British agent The real Father of the Indian Nation was the great Emperor Akbar, not Gandhi.

f. Tagore, Allama Iqbal, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, 'Vir' Savarkar , Bal Gangadhar Tilak, etc too were all objectively ( and possibly even consciously ) British agents ( see my blogs on them ).
g. Subhas Chandra Bose was objectively a Japanese agent.

h. Only science and scientific thinking can solve India's massive problems. Our main enemy is feudal and backward thinking and practices e.g. casteism, communalism, and superstitions. So a powerful cultural struggle has to be launched against these feudal and backward forces by our patriotic people, particularly the youth

Today if an Indian soldier is ordered to shoot at a Pakistani soldier, or if a Pakistani soldier is ordered to shoot at an Indian soldier, they will shoot. But in 10 years time or so from now they will ask the officer giving the order " Why are you asking me to shoot at my brother, my fellow countryman? We are both Indians. We were befooled by the Britishers into thinking we are enemies, but how much longer must we remain befooled ? How must longer must blood flow between us, filling the coffers of foreign arms manufacturers who are profiting from our fighting, while we remain poor and backward ? "

Why I hate burqa
Many Muslims think that because I hate burqa I am anti-Islam and a 'bhakt' and a RSS man.
But then many Hindus think that because I eat beef ( where legally permitted e.g. in Kerala, Goa etc ) and have said there is nothing wrong in eating it, and that it is stupid to say that cow is our mother, I am anti-Hindu and a 'sickular'.
What is the truth ?
I am totally secular, and my whole track record proves it.
When I was a Judge in the Allahabad High Court at a time when the BJP was in power both at the Centre and in U.P. I said in several judgments that Muslims had a right to build mosques ( though while upholding that right I also recommended that Hindus and Muslims should not build temples and mosques but scientific institutes, engineering colleges and medical colleges, as the national interest requires that we move away from religion and go towards science ). I was almost transferred from the Allahabad High Court at the behest of some powerful political people because of those judgments.
In the Madras High Court, where I was the Chief Justice, I upheld the right of Muslims to take out their funeral processions through a public street.
I have spoken out against the hate speeches of Togadia, Sadhvi Prachi and Adityanath, and protested against the atrocities on Muslims in Muzaffarnagar, Ballabhgarh,etc, and against the lynching of Ikhlaque, and against the gau rakshaks, and those who compelled some Muslims to eat cow dung.
So how can I be called a 'bhakt' ? Does any 'bhakt' or RSS man eat beef and say there is nothing wrong in eating it ?
Whenever there were atrocities against Muslims my voice was one of the first to rise against it. I have repeatedly said that there should be no atrocities against anyone, whether Hindu, Muslim, Sikh or Christian.
At the same time, I hate poverty and backwardness. The worst thing in life is poverty, and backwardness, and feudal thinking and customs contribute to remaining poor. I want to see India emerge as a modern, highly industrialized, prosperous nation.
So when I attack burqa I am not attacking Islam, but backwardness. I have in fact praised Islam for its great message of equality, and providing social emancipation to the depressed and downtrodden sections of society ( though now all religions are outdated, and should be replacxed by science ). See my statements in Arnab Goswamy's panel discussion on triple talaq.
I hate burqa because it is a feudal, outdated, backward custom, and has contributed to keeping Muslims backward. This is the age of equality. Why should Muslim women be kept in a cage ? And I do not say women should go about nude. Surely a woman who wears a salwar kameez or sari is not nude.
Some people say it should be left to the woman to have a choice in wearing a burqa or not. I disagree. These people forget that though there may not be any overt compulsion on a Muslim woman to wear a burqa, there are social pressures on many Muslim women to wear it. And to say that a Christian nun wears a veil is forgetting that nuns are priests, while Muslim women wearing burqa are not priests.
To those who say that it is one's right to wear a burqa or not, I say : you have no right to remain backward.
To those who say I should not comment about Muslims I say : Muslims are my countrymen too, and I have a right to comment on all our countrymen, whatever their religion, caste, or region.
The great Turkish ruler Kemal Mustafa Ataturk abolished burqa in Turkey, as he saw that such backward social customs have kept Turkey backward and become the ' Sick Man of Europe '. I am his admirer, and recommend all Mulims, particularly Muslim youth, to follow his example.

India's Great Leap Forward

India has to take a Great Leap Forward, to rid itself of the feudal filth of casteism, communalism, superstitions, and other backward ideas, customs and practices which have accumulated over the centuries, and which are a huge obstacle and stumbling block on the path of our progress. Without this, we will be doomed to remain in our present state of poverty, malnutrition, unemployment, lack of healthcare and good education, etc.

For this, a mighty struggle has to be waged in the realm of ideas by our patriotic modern minded intelligensia, to replace the present feudal backward ideas with modern scientific ones, so that India emerges as a modern, powerful, highly industrialized country, with its people enjoying a high standard of living and leading decent lives.

A new idea usually arouses furious opposition at first from a large section of the people when it is presented, for example, the idea that there is nothing wrong for a non dalit to marry a dalit, or that there is nothing wrong in eating beef, or that wearing burqa is stupid. So the pioneers who initially advance such ideas will have to be ready for irate, hysterical, and often savage abuses, tirades, calumnies and denunciations.

But despite this hostility, the patriotic modern minded people must continue their struggle day in and day out for several years, perhaps even decades, talking not just to a small circle of people, but to everyone, patiently and coolly, giving reasons for what they say, and unmindful of abuses, calumnies 

and invectives.

Its a long way to Tipperary

A call from Pakistan

Amile Gulzar, my young friend from Pakistan who lives in Lahore called me just now on my landline number. We had a long talk, and discussed several matters.

Amile is 25 years old, and has just started law practice. He is getting married next year.

He asked me whether I had ever been to Pakistan, and I said no. He invited me to come to Pakistan, and I said I would be happy to come, even though I will be taking a risk about my security, as I have said several times that Pakistan is a fake, artificial country, and will one day be reunited with India ( though that may take 10-15 years). He said that both countries have nuclear weapons, so how can they be united ? I replied that reunification will not be by war, but by mutual consent. This will no doubt take time, as a lot of hostile propaganda has been done in both countries, but one day it is bound to happen, as we are really one.

What is Pakistan ? It is Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan and NWFP. These were all part of India since Mughal times. When I meet Pakistanis I feel no different from them. We look like each other, speak the same language Hindustani ( called Hindi in India and Urdu in Pakistan ), have the same culture ( love for Urdu poetry, Hindustani music, food habits, etc ).

It was the British who divided us by their wicked divide and rule policy, and the bogus two nation theory, acting though their agents Gandhi and Jinnah. I also said that religion cannot be the basis of a nation, otherwise hardly any nation can survive. England, USA, France, Germany, etc have people of many religions, so they will all have to be partitioned if that theory is accepted.

I said I am against oppression or atrocities on anyone, whether Hindu, Muslim, Christian or Sikh, and always raise my voice against it. Often I am criticized for my views e.g. about beef eating by Hindus and against oral talaq and burqa by Muslims, but that does not bother me. I am not a popularity seeker.

He said a lot of Pakistanis are discussing my views, though many disagree. I said that truth has great power. If what I say is true, then it may not be accepted today or tomorrow, but the day will come when it will surely be accepted.

I asked him to read my article ' The Truth about Pakistan ' which is available online and on my blog, and circulate it to his friends. In that I have explained my views in great detail.

Eating beef and pork

I eat pork ( particularly ham and bacon ) and also beef, if legally permitted.

I reside in Noida, U.P. where beef is prohibited by law, so I do not eat it here. But when I go to Kerala, Goa or some other state where it is legally permitted I eat it.

I am not compelling anyone to eat beef or pork, but I see nothing wrong in it. Almost the whole world eats beef. And I regard cow as an animal, like any other animal, e.g. a dog or a horse. It is certainly not 'gomata'. An animal cannot be the mother of a human being. And my reply to those who say that beef eating hurts Hindu sentiments is that I will keep attacking stupid sentiments, whether Hindu or Muslim. Not all sentiments are rational.

As regards pork, it was rightly prohibited by Islam because in earlier times there were no modern dairies, and pigs often ate filth, which could cause diseases like tapeworm. But now pigs are raised in modern dairies in hygienic conditions, so I have suggested to Muslims to eat pork just like any other kind of meat, and ignore these Maulanas who have kept many of you backward..

As for people who are inclined to beat up Muslim meat eaters ( usually accusing them of eating beef ), let them come to me. I have a danda waiting for them which is getting impatient

Sweep away all demons and monsters

Some persons say that I should do social work instead of only expressing my ideas on fb and my blog.

The truth is that I am doing the most crucial and important social work needed in India today, that is, removing the filth and rubbish in the minds of most our people, telling the truth about our country, attacking feudal and backward ideas and practices ( e.g. regarding beef, burqa, oral talaq, casteism and communalism ) and superstitions ( e.g. astrology, beliefs in babas, etc ), sweeping away all the false notions about some of our icons ( e.g. Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose, Tagore, 'Veer' Savarkar, Tilak, etc ) and events ( e.g. the Mutiny of 1857, British rule in India, Partition and creation of Pakistan, etc ) which false propaganda by some vested interests have crammed into our people's heads, telling you about our real heroes ( e.g. Akbar, Bhagat Singh, Surya Sen, Tipu Sultan, etc ) and pointing out the correct way ahead.

https://www.facebook.com/justicekatju/posts/571768009530416

I found nobody in India doing this, so I thought I may as well give it a shot.

India is 135th in human development out of the approximately 200 countries in the world

Our country has tremendous poverty, massive unemployment, staggering malnutrition and lack of healthcare and good education for the masses.

 To abolish all this, and raise the standard of living of our people must be the goal of all patriotic modern minded people. We have to create a modern, highly industrialized country in which all our citizens are getting decent lives. But how is that to be achieved ?

 It is easy to change the physical environment. It is much more difficult go change the minds of people. But without changing their minds, we will not be able to change the physical environment.

So my job is to change the mindset of most of our 125 crore people, which are today full of casteism, communalism, superstitions, etc and false notions about Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose, Tagore, etc.

It is truly a Herculean task. But I guess I am drafted to lift up Olympus, since I find no one else doing it

Abolish ban on cow slaughter and beef eating

I have repeatedly said that there is nothing wrong in eating beef. Almost the whole world eats it---America, Europe, Africa, Arab countries, China, Japan, Australia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Thailand letc. In many of our own states beef is eaten, e.g. Kerala, Goa, North Eastern states, and West Bengal.

So are these beef eaters all wicked people, and we alone are sadhu sants ?

And how can a cow be gomata ? Can an animal be a mother of a human being ? Does it carry any sense ? A cow is just another animal, like a horse or goat.

Some people say that it is a matter of sentiments for Hindus.

But similarly, some Muslims say that Sharia and burqa are matters of sentiments for Muslims.

 In my opinion, these are all sentiments based on stupidity, and we should not bother about , or pamper sentiments based on stupidity.

 I call for repeal of laws banning cow slaughter and eating beef., just as I call for enactment a Uniform Civil Code and abolition of burqa.

The Power of Truth

In my discussion with Aarti Tikoo Singh yesterday evening I told her that truth has great power. So if the things I have said are true, they may not be accepted today or tomorrow, but the day will surely come when the people will accept them.

Many people are shocked by the things I have said, because probably they have never heard such things before, and have been brainwashed by false propaganda by some vested interests. But how does that matter ?

 I am not a popularity or publicity seeker, and in fact many of the things I said made me very unpopular among many sections, e.g. my statements about Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose, Tagore, 'Veer' Savarkar', Periyar, Tilak, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, Madan Mohan Malviya, etc and about beef, Sharia, burqa, Pakistan,  Indian politicians,etc. ( see my blogs about them on justicekatju.blogspot.in ).

 But I always give my reasons for what I say, and I am confident that if what I have said is true, one day people will accept what I said. Satyamev Jayate.

 I have not personally benefited by what I said. In fact I lost a lot financially, because many people avoid coming to me for arbitrations, opinions, etc ( from which many retired Judges have earned, and are earning, a lot of money ), because they think I am crazy. I have also got a lot of abuses.

 But what of that ? As Nietzshe said in ' Thus Spake Zarathustra ' : " What matter about it Zarathustra ? Say thy word and break into pieces ! "

On Pakistan and contesting elections

Last night a journalist belonging to a leading Pakistani newspaper telephoned me from Lahore requesting for an interview which he intends to publish in his newspaper ( the interview will be published a little before Ramzan ).

 We had a long discussion, during which I told him that Pakistan is a fake, artificial entity, created on the basis of the bogus two nation theory. He took no offence, and rather chuckled heartily. I have a feeling that many Pakistanis agree with me that India and Pakistan should reunite, as we are really one people, but are afraid to say so out of fear of the religious extremists.

He told me that he and many other Pakistanis read my faceboook page regularly. He was very happy that I had appealed to non Muslims everywhere to observe one day roza in Ramzan ( and to non Hindus to observe one day fast during Navratri )

 He requested me to come to Lahore, but I told him that I will be killed in Pakistan because many of my views e.g. about Sharia. There are madcaps in India too, but more in Pakistan.

 He then asked me why I do not contest elections in India. I gave him the following reasons :

1. An election costs crores of rupees

2. I will have to appeal to caste and communal sentiments, since in most states elections are on the basis of caste and religion.

3. Who will vote for me ? Hindus will not vote for me as I have said that there is nothing wrong in eating beef. Most of the world eats beef---America, Europe, China, Africa, Arab countries, Japan, Australia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Thailand, Vietnam, and many other Asian countries, etc.So are these people who eat beef all evil people, while we alone are sadhu sants ? Moreover, an animal cannot be the mother of a human being, so how can cow be gomata ?  These statements of mine will effectively cut off my Hindu votes, and Hindus are almost 80% of our population.

 Muslims will not vote for me as I have said that Sharia is only the bakwas of Mullahs, and wearing burqa is a sign of stupidity. These statements will cut off my Muslim votes, and Muslims are about 16% of our population.

 That leaves Sikhs, Christians, etc who are at most 4% of our population. Even they may not vote for me because I have openly said that I am an atheist, and that I believe all religions to be superstitions.

 That leaves my vote alone, but I will not get that too, as I do not vote.

So how can I win an election ?

An assessment of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan ( 1817-1898 )

I had in an earlier post said that creation of Aligarh Muslim University and Benares Hindu University was part of the British policy of divide and rule. A University is by it very nature something universal. How can it be Hindu or Muslim ?

I consequently regard both Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya, the creators of these Universities, as objectively British agents.

Here I may deal with Sir Syed.

 Sir Syed worked for the British East India Company, and in the Great Rebellion of 1857 was loyal to the British, calling the rebellion ' haramzadgi '.

Hali, his biographer, has written that when the British Commissioner of Benares expressed his surprise when Sir Syed, who used to earlier talk of the common welfare of all Indians suddenly changed his stand and started talking only about Muslims. Sir Syed replied " I am convinced that the two communities ( Hindu and Muslim ) will never put their hearts in any venture together. In coming times an ever increasing hatred and animosity appears in the horizon. "

 Thus, Sir Syed is the father of the two nation theory, that Hindus and Muslims are two separate nations, a theory which was later developed by Allama Iqbal ( see his presidential Address to the Muslim league in its Allahabad Session of 1930 ) and Jinnah.

 In 1869 Sir Syed went to England where he was awarded the Order of the Star of India by the British Government., and he was knighted in1888. Would they have given him these awards if he had not been objectively a British agent, loyally serving the British policy of divide and rule and supporting British rule like a faithful lackey ?.

 Many people say that Sir Syed only wanted Muslims to become educated. If that alone had been his endeavour there would be no objection. But if one reads his speeches, e.g.the one given in Meerut in 1888 ( link given below ) it is evident that it was not just that.

  He repeatedly calls Muslims ' my nation' ( paras 1,3,7 etc of the speech ), 'our Mahomedan nation( para 2 ), .'our nation ' ( para 4 ), ' whole Mahomedan nation ', ( para 4 ), ' my own nation'( para 5 ), etc

 Is this not subscribing to the two nation theory which led to Partition in 1947 with all its horrors ( see the stories on Partition by the great writer Saadat Hasan Manto, whom I regard as one of the greatest short story writers of all times ) ?

 In para 7 of the speech he says :
"  In whose hands shall the administration and the Empire of India rest? Now, suppose that all English, and the whole English army, were to leave India, taking with them all their cannon and their splendid weapons and everything, then who would be rulers of India? Is it possible that under these circumstances two nations — the Mahomedans and the Hindus — could sit on the same throne and remain equal in power? Most certainly not. It is necessary that one of them should conquer the other and thrust it down. To hope that both could remain equal is to desire the impossible "

In para 8 he says "
" It is, therefore, necessary that for the peace of India and for the progress of everything in India, the English Government should remain for many years — in fact forever "

 So this British lackey shamelessly wanted British rule to continue in India forever
In para 17 he says :

" Oh! my brother Musalmans! I again remind you that you have ruled nations, and have for centuries held different countries in your grasp. For seven hundred years in India you have had Imperial sway. You know what it is to rule. Be not unjust to that nation which is ruling over you, and think also on this: how upright is her rule. Of such benevolence as the English Government shows to the foreign nations under her, there is no example in the history of the world. See what freedom she has given in her laws, and how careful she is to protect the rights of her subjects "

 So he shamelessly supports British rule which reduced India, which was a prosperous country under the Mughals, to an impoverished nation under the British..

In paras 19 he says "

 We ought to unite with that nation with whom we can unite. No Mahomedan can say that the English are not "People of the Book." No Mahomedan can deny this: that God has said that no people of other religions can be friends of Mahomedans except the Christians. He who had read the Koran and believes it, he can know that our nation cannot expect friendship and affection from any other people.At this time our nation is in a bad state as regards education and wealth, but God has given us the light of religion, and the Koran is present for our guidance, which has ordained them and us to be friends."

 So according to this unashamed British lackey, Muslims cannot be friends with Hindus, though they are living in the same country, but must dishonourably join hands with the British rulers who were oppressing and exploiting us.

 In para 20 of the speech he goes on to say :

      " Now God has made them rulers over us. Therefore we should cultivate friendship with them, and should adopt that method by which their rule may remain permanent and firm in India, and may not pass into the hands of the Bengalis. This is our true friendship with our Christian rulers, and we should not join those people who wish to see us thrown into a ditch. If we join the political movement of the Bengalis our nation will reap loss, for we do not want to become subjects of the Hindus, instead of the subjects of the "People of the Book." And as far as we can we should remain faithful to the English Government. By this my meaning is not that I am inclined towards their religion. Perhaps no one has written such severe books as I have against their religion, of which I am an enemy. But whatever their religion, God has called men of that religion our friends. We ought — not on account of their religion, but because of the order of God — to be friendly and faithful to them. If our Hindu brothers of these Provinces, and the Bengalis of Bengal, and the Brahmans of Bombay, and the Hindu Madrasis of Madras, wish to separate themselves from us, let them go, and trouble yourself about it not one whit. We can mix with the English in a social way. We can eat with them, they can eat with us. Whatever hope we have of progress is from them. The Bengalis can in no way assist our progress. And when the Koran itself directs us to be friends with them, then there is no reason why we should not be their friends. But it is necessary for us to act as God has said. Besides this, God has made them rulers over us. Our Prophet has said that if God place over you a black negro slave as ruler, you must obey him. ".

 So the Indian Muslims must be friendly with the British looters and gangsters and support their rule over India because that was the order of God !

In para 22 he sums up by saying :

"  God had made them ( the British ) your rulers. This is the will of God. We should be content with the will of God. And in obedience to the will of God, you should remain friendly and faithful to them. Do not do this: bring false accusations against them and give birth to enmity. This is neither wisdom nor in accordance with our holy religion "
http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00islamlinks/txt_sir_sayyid_meerut_1888.html

 Is this not like a fawning speech by a British slave, a disgraceful chamcha of the British government ? And is it not furthering the two nation theory, that Hindus and Muslims are two separate nations, and that the Indian Muslims should ally themselves with the British, rather than with their fellow countrymen, the Hindus, ostensibly because the British, being Christians, are people of the 'book'
while Hindus are not?
 Now let us consider another speech given by Sir Syed in Lucknow in 1887 ( link given below ).
 In para 5 of the speech he says :
"   It is a first principle of the Empire that it is the supreme duty of everyone, whether Hindustani or Englishman, in whose power it rests, to do what he can to strengthen the Government of Her Majesty the Queen. "
http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00islamlinks/txt_sir_sayyid_lucknow_1887.html
 So instead of fighting jointly with Hindus against British rule, which reduced India from being a prosperous nation under Mughal rule before the British came to India to an impoverished nation by the time British rule ended ( India held over 30% of the world's trade before the British came to India which was reduced to 2-3% by the time they left ), Sir Syed advocated support and strengthening of British rule.
 No wonder the British gave him knighthood and other awards.
I know this post will make me unwelcome in AMU and unpopular with many Muslims ( just as my statement against beef ban made me unpopular with many Hindus ) but that does not matter. The interest of the nation and the truth overrides all other considerations.
I am not a popularity or publicity seeker ( whatever some people may think ), and often what I say makes me very unpopular ( e.g. my statements on Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose, Tagore, beef ban, burqa, oral talaq, etc ). But I give reasons for what I say, and those who wish to refute me are welcome to give their counter reasons..

Dark days are coming in India

Orthodox sociological theory states that the substructure ( the method of economic production in society ) determines the superstructure ( the culture, customs, ideas, laws,state institutions, etc ), and when the substructure changes, so does the superstructure.

 But in India after independence in 1947 in almost every state zamindari abolition acts were made, which meant that the feudal sub structure was largely abolished. Yet casteism and communalism, which are feudal forces, have remained, and even increased in recent times, as can be seen by the increase of intolerance lately. How does one explain this phenomenon ?.

 It is explained by the fact that the formula, that the superstructure changes with change in the sub structure, cannot always be applied mechanically without knowledge of the specific facts..

 In this connection the following facts may be noted :

1. The mindset of people and customs prevalent in society often do not change immediately following change in the sub structure, but persist even long after change in the latter. For instance, despite change in the economic sub structure by the advent of the Industrial Revolution, which began in England in the early 18th century, for a long time even thereafter feudal customs, e.g. the aristocracy and aristocratic customs and laws, persisted. It required a long historical struggle before the minds and customs in England changed and became modern. In France though industries had been set up from the early 18th century, great, arduous, ideological struggles had to be waged against feudalism by thinkers like Voltaire, Rousseau and the French Encyclopedists which led to the French Revolution of 1789 which smashed aristocracy, and even thereafter there was a temporary feudal restoration in 1815 under King Louis 18th.

2. In England and France modern institutions ( Parliament, etc ) and modern principles ( freedom of speech, equality, liberty, freedom of religion, etc ) were created in the course of long historical struggles in those countries. In India, on the other hand, these institutions and principles were not the product of historical struggles of our own masses, but were borrowed by a handful of our modern minded leaders ( Pt. Nehru, etc ) from the West, and transplanted from above on our backward feudal society. But our society still had a feudal mindset, and this does not change immediately. The result was that these institutions were gradually feudalized. For instance, voting in elections in most states in India today is on the basis of caste and religion, instead of the merit of the candidate. Was democracy meant to be run in this manner ?

 Equality is enshrined in our Constitution. But the caste system discriminates against sections of our people e.g. the dalits. Secularism is enshrined in the Constitution, but communalism is still widespread. So writing things in the Constitution will not by itself change society It will require a long arduous people's struggle to get rid of casteism, communalism and superstitions.

3. In England and France the state often played an educative role in modernising society. For instance the leaders who came to power in the French Revolution of 1789 were all anti feudal, and propagated anti feudal ideas of liberty, equality and fraternity, and of religious freedom.

 In India no doubt our leaders immediately after independence, like Pt. Nehru, were modern minded. But a few decades thereafter vote bank compulsions feudalized our politics, which today largely runs on caste and religious lines.. Also, many MPs and MLAs were former feudal princes, and they naturally brought their feudal mentality into the legislatures, thus degrading and feudalizing them.

 In recent times, the party which has come to power has Hindutva as its professed ideology. Far from playing a modernising role, it is doing the reverse by spreading communalism,which is a feudal force. I

t is common knowledge that the BJP is dominated by the RSS which is rabidly anti minority. So how can it play a modernising role ? In fact it is playing a highly reactionary role, e.g by installing RSS minded people in all institutions such as the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan, a BJP member, as Chairman of the Film and Television Institute of India ( FTII ) against which protests have been going on for long, and by  spreading reactionary ideas and hate speeches e.g. by Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti and Mahesh Sharma,  Union Ministers, Adityanath, an MP, Sangeet Som, an MLA, and Sadhvi Prachi , beef politics, etc thus pushing India backward. No doubt the BJP leaders often try to distance themselves from hate speeches and communal incidents like that in Dadri  by saying that the views of such people are their individual ones and communal incidents are not of their creation, and no doubt the Prime Minister sometimes delivers homilies advocating communal harmony ( though usually after a long time of incidents like the lynching of Ikhlaque ), but these are only for public consumption and to assuage the fears of foreign investors. The BJP, like a leopard, cannot change its spots.

4. I believe that some kind of fascism is inevitably coming in India.in a year or two in which democracy, freedom of speech and of the press, and civil liberties will all be totally suppressed.

Consider the facts :

a. The present Indian government came to power on high expectations with the slogan of ' vikas ' or development. This meant, or at least was perceived as, millions of jobs for the youth, industrial growth benefiting businessmen and others, and general prosperity for the public.

b. We are now one and a half years since the new government came to power, but one can see no traces of vikas ( see my articles ' The Shape of Things to come ', ' Vikas ', 'Healthcare in India', ' Malnutrition in India ', 'Unemployment in India;, ' The Trickle Down Theory ', ' The Dream has evaporated ' etc on my facebook page and my blog justicekatju.blogspot.in ). All we have witnessed are stunts like Swatchata Abhiyaan, Ghar wapasi, Good Governance day, Yoga Day, etc. In these articles I have demonstrated that under the economic policies being pursued by this government there is bound to be further economic recession ( in fact recent figures show manufacturing and exports declining )  and further unemployment, malnutrition, lack of healthcare, farmers' suicides and poverty, though a handful of big businessmen may benefit. Prices of essential foodstuffs like dal and onions have already gone through the roof, and will in all likelihood shoot up higher

c. Consequently this government will become increasingly unpopular day by day, as people, especially the youth, get disillusioned and realize that they were befooled and taken for a ride by our superman who promised a paradise and Shangri-La in India with his accession to power, but have left people in the lurch.

d. This disillusionment and disenchantment, coupled with the terrible economic hardships and distress the Indian people are facing, with rising prices, rising unemployment, widespread malnutrition, farmers suicides, etc, is bound to lead to widespread and massive popular agitations, disturbances, and turbulence all over the country

e. To deal with these, attempts will first be made, as they have already been made, to divide the people on communal lines, and blame minorities for the problems, as Jews were blamed by the Nazis. One may recall that fascist regimes came to power in Germany and Italy in the 1920s and 1930s in he wake of massive unemployment and soaring inflation in those countries and the consequent popular agitations.

f. These attempts to polarize society will no doubt temporarily succeed, because unfortunately the communal poison which was injected into our body politic by the Britishers from 1857 onwards ( see my article ' The Truth about Pakistan ' online and on my blog ) and continued even after 1947 by some of our politicians, is still deeply entrenched. The truth is that today most Hindus are communal, and so are most Muslims. Since about 80% Indians are Hindus, Muslim 'bashing' is quite popular among the majority of our people. But ultimately the people will see through this game because in the long run food and jobs are more important than religion..The Jewish pogroms organized by the Czarist regime to divert attention of the Russian people from their economic problems by putting all the blame on Jews, did not prevent the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. Massive popular agitations against unemployment, price rise, malnutrition, lack of healthcare etc will surely begin in India soon.

g. The rulers, threatened of being toppled and ousted by these agitations, will then impose some kind of fascist rule, suppressing all democratic freedoms and civil liberties, as was done in 1933 by the Nazis, and as was done by Indira Gandhi by imposing a fake Emergency in 1975.

 I am afraid dark days are ahead for India

Nothing wrong in eating beef or pork

At Qatar I also said that there is nothing wrong in eating beef ( cow meat ) or pork, and I have myself eaten them several times, wherever legally permitted.

 As regards beef, most of the world eats it ( Americans, Europeans, Arabs, Africans, Japanese, Australians, Thais, and many of our own countrymen like people of the North East, Bengalis, Goans, Keralites, etc ). So are they all wicked people, and we Hindus alone are sadhu-sants  ? To call a cow ' gomata' ( mother cow ) is nonsense. How can an animal be a mother of a human being ? And people also drink milk of goats, buffaloes, yaks, camels, etc. Are they all our mothers ?

 Moreover, most cows are driven out when they cannot produce milk and left to starve or eat garbage on streets etc.Do you drive your mother out and leave her to starve when she is old ? Is death by starvation not cow slaughter ? The cow lovers are not bothered about that.

 As regards pork, Islam rightly banned it at a time when there were no modern dairies with proper hygiene and sanitation, and pigs ate filth which could cause diseases like tape worm etc if one ate its flesh. But now there are modern dairies and the pigs are bred in a clean environment. I myself have been eating ham and bacon, which i enjoy, for over 50 years, but have never got tape worm or any other disease by it.

 I am not compelling anyone to eat beef or pork. But i see nothing wrong in eating it

Intellectuals are the eyes of the society and without them India would be blind

More than a hundred Indian scientists, an equal number of sociologists and social scientists, 50 historians, dozens of award-winning writers, artists and film makers have raised their collective voice against the growing atmosphere of intolerance in the country. Some have returned awards they had received from state bodies while others have signed statements. All are united in their sense of disquiet at what is going on in India today. What is the significance of this ?

These intellectuals are not rich or powerful people. Some among them may well have been surviving on some kind of patronage, as their critics contend. However, to my mind their action is brave and commendable.

It is worth reminding ourselves that under the fascist regimes which came to power in Europe in the 1920s and 1930s, most intellectuals fell in line and either did not oppose the fascists, or became positive collaborators. India should take pride in the fact that its own intellectuals have not behaved in this manner. On the other hand, the response of the government’s spokespersons and apologists has revealed the ideological bankruptcy of the BJP and sangh parivar.

One and a half year into Modi’s rule, the failure of governance is manifest. Far from the vikas, or development, which was promised, the prices of essential foodstuffs like dal and onions have gone through the roof, and unemployment remains intolerably high.

What is the Modi government – and sangh parivar – doing to tackle this problem? They are diverting attention in a totally reactionary direction, spreading communalism and trying to throttle rational thinking. The brutal killing of Govind Pansare and M.M. Kalburgi,  the lynching of Mohammad Akhlaq and others over motivated rumours of cow slaughter, the escalation of beef politics – these are ominous signs of the times to come.

No doubt some of the intellectuals who have returned awards ought to have spoken out earlier but at least they are doing something to keep the spirit of rationalism alive in our country.

The historians issued a joint statement saying that “differences of opinion are sought to be settled by using physical violence. Arguments are met not with counter arguments but with bullets.”

They allege that appointments to various positions are being made of people who have some connection with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.  “What the regime seems to want is a kind of legislated history, a manufactured image of the past, glorifying certain aspects of it and denigrating others, without any regard for chronology, sources or methods of enquiry that are the building blocks of the edifice of history” their statement said.

We have a Prime Minister who made a laughable comment that in ancient India we had genetic engineering and head transplants. We have a Finance Minister who calls the protests a “paper revolt” and a Culture Minister who has asked writers to stop writing. It is significant that hardly any scientist, sociologist, social scientist, historian, writer, artist of film personality has come out in support of the government – other than Anupam Kher, who is close to the BJP. That itself is proof of the depth of feeling amongst the intelligentsia in India.

In my opinion, the revolt of Indian intellectuals is of tremendous importance. The message it sends is that a regime that seeks to create an atmosphere of fear and hate everywhere will only bring about its own downfall. In a country like India with its massive socio-economic problems,  the role of ideas is of great importance. India will have no future if it is going to be governed by reaction and hate, and not reason and scientific thinking. It is intellectuals who are the eyes of society, and without intellectuals a society is blind.

Modi's Waterloo

The Bihar elections are almost certainly going to be Modi’s Waterloo, after which his fortunes are going to rapidly decline. Let me explain.

 In most of India, including Bihar, most people vote on caste and religious lines. The exception is when there is a wave, which cuts through these lines.

The BJP had won the May, 2014 Lok Sabha elections on a Modi wave. This wave was due to three main reasons.

One, Modi’s magic slogan of ‘vikas’ (development), which was perceived as the creation of millions of jobs. The Indian youth, whose voting age was reduced from 21 to 18 in 1988, and who are facing the dreadful future of unemployment (10 million youth enter the job market in India every year, but only half a million jobs are created in the organised sector of the economy), voted en masse for Modi, cutting through caste and religious lines, in the belief that they would all get jobs.

Two, unfortunately the communal virus is still deeply entrenched in society. Most Hindus are communal, and so are most Muslims. Modi was perceived as a ‘Muslim basher’, who had put Muslims in their place in Gujarat in 2002. Many Hindus believe that there has been too much ‘Muslim appeasement’, and so voted for Modi to put Muslims in their place on an all-India basis.

Three, people were simply disgusted with Congress and the UPA under whose rule various scams were unearthed.

Now the Modi wave has largely dissipated, except among hardcore, mainly upper-caste Hindu fundamentalists.

There are no jobs despite the victory of the BJP. Jobs cannot be created by slogans. They are created when the economy is rapidly expanding. And the Indian economy is practically stagnant. So the youth who were expecting jobs have realised they were taken for a ride.

Those who talk of GDP growth ( assuming the figures are real and not cooked up, as they often are ) overlook the more important question : who is getting the fruits of this growth, the Indian masses or only a handful of big businessmen ?

The hope that foreign investments would come into India and create jobs has proved to be illusory. In fact Jim Rogers, a leading American investor has withdrawn his investments in India and exited, saying that one cannot invest in mere hope. Who will invest or set up factories in India in most parts of which there is lack of infrastructure, massive corruption and red tape? (despite Modi’s tall claims of ‘na khaoonga na kanedoonga’). As one foreign businessman said " There is a lot of sizzle, but where is the steak ? ". When even Indian businessmen are not investing in India, why should foreigners do so ?

On the other hand, prices of essential food items like daal and onions have gone through the roof. For instance, dal is selling at about Rs.200 a kilo. This means that the real incomes of most people in India have gone down drastically, because incomes are relative to the price index. Is this vikas ?

No doubt the communal card is still sought to be played – Dadri and the beef ban politics – but it is not having much effect. Food and jobs are more important to people than religion or talk of Digital India and visits to foreign countries.

So voting in the Bihar elections is following the traditional pattern of caste and religion, and we can therefore forecast the results with almost mathematical precision.

As per the 2011 Census of India, Scheduled Castes constitute 16 percent of Bihar’s 104 million population. The census identified 21 of 23 Dalit sub-castes as Mahadalits. The Mahadalit community consists of the following sub-castes: Bantar, Bauri, Bhogta, Bhuiya, Chaupal, Dabgar, Dom (Dhangad), Ghasi, Halalkhor, Hari (Mehtar, Bhangi), Kanjar, Kurariar, Lalbegi, Musahar, Nat, Pan (Swasi), Rajwar, Turi, Dhobi, Pasi, Chamar and Paswan (Dusadh).

The Paswan caste was initially left out of the Mahadalit category. Adivasis (Scheduled Tribes) constitute around 1.3 percent of Bihar’s population. Tribals include Gond, Santhal and Tharu communities in Bihar.

Extremely Backward Class (EBCs) is also sometimes referred to as Most Backward Class (MBCs). There are 130-odd EBC castes in Bihar.

Yadavs and Kurmis, constituting 19 percent, and Muslims – about 17 percent – will solidly vote for the Lalu-Nitish alliance, which makes it 36 percent of the vote. Muslims will vote for the alliance despite Owaisi, who is regarded as a BJP vote splitter by Muslims, and who will therefore not be misled by him, because Muslims are feeling very insecure after issues such as ‘love jihad’, ‘ghar wapasi’, speeches of Adityanath, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti and incidents like those in Muzaffarnagar, Ballabhgarh, and the latest one at Dadri.

A section of the other backward castes, say 8-10 percent, will also vote for the alliance, as Lalu has successfully described it as a fight between the backwards and the forward castes.

Thus the tally of the Nitish-Lalu alliance comes to about 45 percent votes, which represents a sweep (the BJP got a majority in the Lok Sabha with only 31 percent votes).

The NDA’s support is from the upper castes, and a section of the EBCs (or MBCs) and a section of Dalits.

The upper castes in Bihar are altogether only 15 percent. Paswan does not have the support of all the Dalits (who are divided into a large number of sub-castes and Paswan is only one of the dalit sub-castes), in Bihar, unlike Mayawati who has the support of almost all the Dalits in UP. So he may get the NDA about 6-7 percent votes. Manjhi may get 7-8 percent MBC votes, and Kushwaha may get three percent of the votes.

Thus the total tally of NDA votes is at most 33 percent.

These figures show that there is clearly going to be a sweep in favour of the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar. In the Indian system of democracy, seats in elections depend not on percentage share of votes but on being first past the post. With 31 percent votes the BJP got an absolute majority in the Lok Sabha. Getting 45 percent votes means a massive victory for the Nitish-Lalu alliance
.
And after that, the deluge for the BJP. Massive agitations against price rise, unemployment, etc will begin almost immediately after the Bihar elections, and these will not be quelled by phoney slogans of vikas, and stunts like,Swatchata Abhiyan, Yoga Day, etc You can fool the people for some time, but not for all time.