Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Imperium - 2 - Evolution of the Good side

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.

This is second installment of the Imperium series which chronicles the evolution of the "Pro-Indic Forces" of India in past century.

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1. Who is blocking the dynasty from coming to power?

2. The proxy "routine" was rerun post the assassination of MKG. This time time, the focal point was the pro-Hindutva forces. Like INC where people were removed in stages as a newer dimension of proxy was established, with Angry India >> INC. First triumvirate (lal-bal-pal) replaced by MKG.. Jinnah removed, Bose removed to propel the second triumvirate to power in 1947 (JLN, VBP, MKG).. MKG removed immediately, VBP died naturally, thus JLN remained the sole viceroy of India.

3. The story of how proxy continued in INC with IG replacing LBS, later RG replacing SG.. Later Sonia miraculously replacing the third triumvirate (Kesari-Sindhia-Pilot) propelling PG and RG (junior). The vazeer-e-azam, Sri A{c]hmed Patel, fulfilling the role of next "sayyid brothers", ruling on behalf of and entertaining the bumbling "Rangeele Muhammad Shah", high emperor of red-fort and India. 

4. Barring the third point above, rest of the story can be found elsewhere which I will not repeat here.

5. But India was never a "unipolar" entity. There was another force which was gathering strength, in spite of the repeated attempts by the proxies and the imperium itself to sabotage its rise. Someone had already hinted about it on this board. That force the continuum of Vijaynagar-Marathas-(Sikhs-1857)-revolutionaries.  This story is about how that force was suppressed time and again by various proxies at specific intervals.

6. I have put sikhs and 1857 in same bracket because of the unique relation which these two forces shared - a relation which can be used to explain newtonian third law of motion, rather evidently. I will not go into details, but these two resurgent forces were cleverly used against each other. 

7. As Shiv said recently in one of his posts, pakjabi mussalmaans never have ruled in history. I would extend that to entire Punjab region and not limit myself to Pakjabi muslims. I will give my reasons for that.

8. The land of Punjab is referred to as "Vaahik Pradesh" in Indian scriptures which translates literally to "land of rivers". Since elder days, Vaahik pradesh (similar to upper Ganga river region) has been divided into smaller "islands" making it difficult to cross and establish the power-continuum. Since Rigvedic days, most of these "islands of polity" of Vaahik pradesh preferred "republican" model of governance. While the east (Bihar aka Magadh) has been known for its imperialistic streak (since Jarasandha's time), VP retained its republican character for long.

9. Except for Harshavardhan of thanesar and Ranjit Singh of Lahore, there is no "well known" Punjabi "emperor" in annals of history. And apart from harsha (and Chandragupta maurya), no king based in Punjab ever ventured out of Punjab. This tendency of VP power centers to limit themselves. To be honest, it was after partition when so many punjabis (hindus and sikhs) had to migrate to inner India, that their "patriotism" blossomed even more. When Punjab was united and people settled, this "urge" to spill over in the inner India, whenever Inner lands were in trouble, is seldom seen in the power-centers of Punjab. This changed since the days of first triumvirate (Lala Lajpat Rai). Also many contingents from Rawalpindi participated in 1857's Mutiny.

10. The fate of "Sikh-1857" bracket was decided on 17-12-1805, when Ranjit Singh allied with British against Marathas, thereby India losing the "north" to EIC along with any prospects of getting it back. What political compulsions led to this event, let us not get into the details, but what is important is, MRS, like his VP predecessors, refused to step out of VP. Furthermore, MRS, though great, was an anomaly in history of VP and dharma, since the demography was already against dharma and MRS's lineage was unsuccessful in continuing his work and at least maintaining Punjab as last bastion of Dharma. This was the first instance in last 200 years when the consolidation of Pro-Dharma forces was sabotaged by the Imperium.

11. 1857 is well known. Parag Topé has written a good book on it. 

12. Various small rebellions were quelled through out India until 1885. I have spoken about few of them in previous part of this story.

13. With establishment of INC as first proxy, the excess pressure of Pro-Indian Forces (PIF) too began to mount. It penetrated the first proxy and facilitated the formation of first triumvirate, thereby making it necessary to bring in MKG.

14. However the brutal suppression of the PIF took place in the years prior to rise of MKG, in three epicenters of Indian resistance vis-a-vis Punjab, Bengal and Maharashtra. The simultaneous suppression of the "men of action", along with engineering events to force them out to do the "violent and liberating act" preemptively. This resulted in many commanders and "potential leaders" of India being killed OR rounded up and arrested OR exiled. The imperium did this serially, first to fall was Maharashtra, followed by Bengal and then Punjab. As the PIF in the region fell, the MKG proxy quickly moved in to fill in the vacuum. The imperial brutality convinced many (rather most) to join the bandwagon of MKG, if they wished to stay safe and alive.

15. But something happened which the imperium did not hope for. Even MKG's proxy began to develop cracks and newer generation "men of action" began to emerge. There were many responses designed and executed by the imperium against these new problems. One of them was to sow the seeds of dissent among the PIF. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (VDS) was released from Kalapani in the attempt of sowing these seeds at the backdrop of Mopla riots in Malabar. VDS, just like SCB, was ardent supporter of replicating 1857 like movement where all Indians, Hindus and Muslims fought together to overthrow imperialistic yoke. All his thoughts, literature was indicating this mindset, making him, according to Imperium, an ideal candidate to sow the seeds of dissent withing PIF. Furthermore, he had "apologized" for his behavior and had requested to be transferred to mainland India. If grew too big, his "apology letters" would prove to be a handy too to distract public attention.

16. However VDS had changed while his stay in Andaman. He was no longer a dreamer in his mid 20's when he was arrested and sentenced deportation.  He was in his early 40's now (1924-25), having seen and learnt from his experience in Andaman with Muslim inmates, jailer and also Mopla riots and fiasco of Khilafat movement. He gave a word to PIF's political ideology - Hindutva and wrote a treatise defining this word. 

17. The writing of this book is one of the landmark events of Indian history which is highly understated. Within couple of years after publication of this book, one important organization was established in India which continue to have its domineering presence on Indian polity even today. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (The national volunteer association) commonly known as "RSS". 

18. Savarkar's definition of Hindu (although controversial and not universally accepted, not even by the RSS's first chief, Dr. Hedgevaar) gave a launch pad for the PIF in its new avatar. 

19. It was clear after fiasco of Khilafat movement, Mopla riots and increasing popularity of Mullahcracy along with steady blind eye that the Imperium and the proxies tuned against mullahs, that the nature of struggle was going to shift. The "Indian" core which was stable and active during 1857 to large extent and which was very painstakingly built by Marathas after death of Aurangzeb in 1707 by sacrificing themselves at Panipat, was divided into Indic and Non-Indic. The damage was already done and the Non-Indic component had acted, in accordance with Najib of Rohilkhand, and had already made a deal with foreign Abdali to defeat their fellow country men. Panipat was now inevitable. The only choice left was whether Indics will fight that war from position of abysmal weakness OR relative weakness.

20. For next 20 years, this organization spread rather rapidly in territories previously held by the Marathas. While this was happening, VDS was unconditionally released (in 1937) and became president of Hindu Mahasabha. By this time the demand for Pakistan was already made. 

21. The role of VDS on the events from 1925 to 1948 is difficult to describe. But his presence is impossible to ignore. Any one who wishes to understand India, cannot afford to neglect the thoughts and actions of this man and see what good and ill effects did he bring upon India.

22. Anyways, in 1948, MKG was assassinated by a group of young men from Pune. Most of them were associated with RSS and the HMS at some point of time in their earlier life. While the conspiracy itself was planned and executed by these guys, the influence of VDS is unmistakable on the thoughts of these men. 

23. The fact that the Second triumvirate (JLN-VBP-MKG) neglected the threat to MKG's life until it actually materialized makes it the next "biggest" blow to the PIF gathering strength. The CID had information a week earlier when they arrested one of the co-conspirators. Yet, nothing concrete was to done to stop this assassination. This also was one of the "self-goals" scored by Indics. 

24. The persecution of the PIF "commanders" by the "imperium" and the remaining two triumvirs was so large that the wings of executive arm of RSS were clipped off. They had to pledge themselves to the government of their "non-violent" and "cultural-onlee" role in order to sustain. The pogrom of 1946-52 was next big filter after 1905-1915 to clip the wings of "men of action" within PIF camp. 

25. The career of VDS ended here. He was quite old as well, and spent rest of his life writing and cautioning GOI about China, which was not heeded. Shyamaprasad Mukherjee (SPM) was eliminated systematically in the jail cell of Sri nagar. No one knew what happened to SCB. Other commanders of INA were also punished in spite of the "valiant" defense by JLN.

26. This turn of events forced the RSS to reinvent itself as a cultural movement and had to redefine the political thought as "integral humanism". Deendayal Upadhyay (DDU) was the last intellectual of this movement, worth its salt.

27. Golwalkar died in 1973, after steering the organization from one "prunning stage (of 1948)" to another (of 1975-76, the emergency). He successfully strengthened the roots of the organization. His is the period where the PIF saw emergence of two political ideologues B. Madhok and DDU. Under these two, their two great pupils starting rising to prominence. Lal Krishna Advani (LKA) and Atal Bihari Vajpayee (ABV).

28. Many great emerging leaders and activists of PIF were eliminated in 1975. Those who stayed, quite a few of them had "compromised". Just like 1948, the PIF guys of the era (RSS, JP, Lohia et al) had to resign from some of their "stances" and agendas in exchange of life (physical and/or political). Emergency was next big instance where the gathering strength of PIF was sabotaged again.

29. There are many sources which tell us the story of this "great pruning of 1975". The proxy (IG) and imperium were perhaps not at ease with each other due to some events that had transpired meanwhile. 1971 war and liberation of BD. 1974 smile of Buddha. Siachin. the heir apparent (SG) favoring US more than others and IG indulging. The cold war entered India in 1979 when Soviets invaded AFG and along with it started the decade long tussle to gain supremacy over the ruling dynasty of India. RG as PM was not effective at all. The PIF (now heavily communal, perhaps much more than pre-partition riots) started gaining strength again.

30. Shah-Bano, Shilanyas, RJM etc propelled the most "visible" political face of PIF to power. But this is when the next pruning happened. INC was now controlled for the first time since 1920s by a Non-proxy triumvirate. There is difference between being corrupt and being a proxy. However, when buddha smiled again in 1998, out of no where, the three are eliminated from world, SG made INC supremo and proxy is successfully installed which miraculously came to power in 2004 and has been in it, ever since.

31. The problem with having to gather strength and install proxy again and again, is that with time, people loose interest. Both the proxy and the PIF has lost its "efficacy" in the minds of people. one cannot say the same about PIF because it is a ever-reinventing itself. Vijaynagar to Anna-Baba duo.. But the problem of frequent reinvention is that lot of energy is wasted in making people aware that they are PIF. And in that process, many people compromise out.

32. The current proxy split Babaji and Annaji to ensure that they won't have to face the ire of both of them simultaneously. While they have succeeded, it is merely tactical brilliance. While PIF is not strengthening, Imperium is definitely weakening rapidly. And this is precisely the problem which India will face in coming decades.

33. The Rangeela Muhammadshah might sell out to western imperium OR ROP-lobby, in this tactical brilliance. Do we see a pattern here? 

34. Imperium here refers to Mughal-British-Dynasty power continuum operating in India either directly or via proxy. PIF refers to Vijaynagar-Maratha-(Sikh 1857)-Revolutionaries-nationalistic forces operating in India in various forms.

35. The Imperium will not do anything which is directly against the tradition of its predecessor. If doing partition was in interest of Imperium, keeping partition is in favor of imperium too. If dividing indian society to help rule India easily was in interests of Imperium, keeping those divisions and fostering new ones is in interest of ay iteration of imperium in any given time in near future. If deracination is in interests of Imperium, it will remain so, as long as Imperium (in any form calls shots).

36. Similarly, PIF changes with time. when a PIF component does not do what its predecessors did, one can safely conclude that the component has gone bad. Be it Holkar, Bajirao-2 peshwa himself, OR Godse, Bhindrawale or allegedly the patriarchs of BJP and the "team Anna". Most of PIF's interests are opposite to Imperium's interests and coherence with codes of Dharma. Any one who stands  for Dharma, he is the PIF in given space and time

2 comments:

amAtya said...

Interesting. However, disagree on the point that Anna-ji and Baba-ji are split proxies. Anna is co-opted, while Baba-ji can't be termed as proxy at all. The sheer treatment given to both, in full glare of TV cameras during their peak time, is a testimony to my above assertion. One was disrobed, his campaign was termed as 'tamasha', his followers were lathicharged (in the middle of the night, even as they were hungry for 2 days); while the other was treated as a saintly figure with the usual NGO/Left crowd surrounding him and passing off as 'civil society' and 'activists'. Baba-ji, however unintellectual and unrefined, is clear in his thoughts (even if wrong at times), while Anna-ji is not even sure which side to turn to (with his usual comments like , 'saadi nahi ki, lekin parivar bada kar liya','jeevan ka uddeshya hai sewa' etc. etc. ). I put up a temporary page on him and his erstwhile lot here - http://bit.ly/K1I2Kf

Anonymous said...

Sir, your theory on the genesis of RSS doesn't cut mustard. Also that reinventing of RSS as social organization is wrong. You probably read lots of books and wrote this piece. However you are wrong. Just about any evidence on Patel forcing Guruji to stay out from politics is hearsay. I would not divulge more, but I have compelling evidence that it was created based on someone telling someone.