THE MIND OF A MODI BHAKT: Part 2

Part - 2

The purported Hindu Rashtra project of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and BJP has pre-Mughal India as the ideal period of Hindu India which was polluted by Muslim invaders and the European colonists. Now that since 1947 the British have left the land a sizeable number of Muslims still live in India despite the creation of Pakistan for Muslims through the Partition in 1947. Hence, according to Hindutva ideology by allowing Muslims and other minorities as equal citizens India will not become this “land of the pure”. To change this situation and usher in a national revival the secular and democratic nature of the constitution should give way to a new constitution where Hindus and the Gita are above the Constitution, and all the rest are pushed to second class citizenship. Only then the Hindu Rashtra can be established. As a corollary to this ideology and political project “target Muslims” is the best politically profitable polarising narrative.

The thrust to identify, isolate and erase Muslims and everything Islamic, (which necessitates India to remain secular), from India’s collective memory, (politics, society, and culture) has been single-mindedly pursued ever since the BJP found its foothold in Indian politics. The “target Muslims” discourse and ground action (communal riots) which began through L.K. Advani led Ram Janam Bhoomi agitation that resulted in the demolition of Babri Masjid have found their fullest expression with the ascendancy of Narendra Modi, (the rabid Hindutva advocate), as prime minister of India in 2014. Ever since brutalising Muslims physically, slandering them discursively and erasing Islamic presence and influence from public spaces has become a virtue for Hindutva vigilante groups. More vicious or violent a person against the Muslims is the better chances for such a person to find a respectful place in the BJP and the government.

The discussion in the first part of this analysis accounts for the above argument. Aryan Khan drug conspiracy employed to target Shah Rukh Khan, (the best that represents Indian secularism and Indian Muslims), the unrivalled super star of Bollywood, though shows the larger intent of the Hindutva agenda: target Shah Rukh Khan and destroy Bollywood, (the best of India’s secular culture). For Modi and the RSS destroying everything that represents India’s secular culture: political parties such as the Indian National Congress (INC), every political symbol that represents Nehru-Gandhi-Azad type secular nationalism, and every cultural symbol, institution, and person (Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone etc.) that promotes secularism and liberal ideology appears to be the single-minded objective.

Hindutva and its anxieties

How to understand this anxiety about secularism and Muslims among the Hindutva ideologues, political leaders, and their foot-soldiers? This could be analysed from two perspectives: a) Feelings of inferiority suffered by the narcissist Modi himself and the “sexual jealousy against Muslim men … stoked by the ideology and politics of the Bharatiya Janata Party and its parental organisation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)” which defines Hindutva supporting men as identified by Prof. Apoorvanand in thewire.in.

This explains the reason behind Aryan Khan arrest on 3rd October 2021 involving ruling (BJP) party officials and the officers from Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). With the revelation of more facts day by day it is becoming clear that the whole exercise was not only an attempt at kidnapping and extortion but also to “put Shah Rukh Khan, a Muslim, in his place” in the New India. This is the reason that the Bhakt army (Modi supporting Hindutva social media troll army) did not waste any time before expressing their sense of de ja vu about subjecting the greatest Bollywood star, Shahrukh Khan, to humiliation at the arrest of his son. Even though the issue stinks of corruption, extortion and political motivation the Bhakts have not wasted any time in imputing crime on Aryan Khan and demanding boycott of all Bollywood movies produced or acted by Muslims.

This issue sits well with Bhakts because according to them all Indian Muslims are traitors, terrorists, Hindu girl-stealers, proselytisers and second class (subhuman) citizens. Hindu fanatics’ hatred of Muslims is visceral and expressions of historic hurt and feelings of inferiority as author Swaroopanad writes so incisively in his column in thewire.in. I wish to quote his words at length here:

“The public humiliation of one of the most sought after Muslim men in India makes a good political spectacle. It actually satisfies the injured manhood of those who suffer from a sense of sexual inferiority when they compare themselves with Muslim men. For them, nothing can be more satisfying than rubbing in the dust the nose of a Muslim star who has been the heartthrob of many Hindu girls and women for three decades.

It would sound absurd to rational people but this sexual jealousy against Muslim men has been stoked by the ideology and politics of the Bharatiya Janata Party and its parental organisation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). To be fair to them, this inferiority complex is not confined to these organisations alone. The image of a virile, sexually powerful or more attractive Muslim man has long tormented the mind of ‘Hindu nationalists. The arguments put forward by V.D. Savarkar for the martial and military training of Hindus also betray the same mindset. He felt that Muslim men could easily be trained militarily while Hindu men would need longer training as they have been emasculated by the practice of non-violence for centuries. Physical strength, manliness and violence are strangely entwined in the mind of Hindutva ideologues.”

The very idea is also expressed by Chetan Bhagat, a one-time Modi Bhakt, about these new breed of Hindus whom he calls “Bhakts”. Who else can describe them better than Chetan Bhagat who indulged Modi as the saviour of the nation? According to Bhagat, Bhakts are a new species, a cyber species, who are “owners of right-wing user accounts who tend to be aggressive fans of all things Hindu” and, of course, they do this to protect their ‘god’ Modi’s image from sullying in any manner. “They also like old Hindu kings and conspiracy theories about how Hindus were shortchanged in the past – they often swap such stories online.” While noting the cognitive dissonance that they exhibit in reacting to issues and persons, Bhagat goes on to define the characteristics of these Bhakts and what drives them to exhibit such behaviour.

Typical of any fascist mob they are neither typically Hindu nor do they care about Hindu causes. But they identify themselves as nationalists with the stated aim of “nation building and winning back for India its lost glory.” However, according to Bhagat they are neither Hindu warriors nor nationalists. Bhagat identifies four typical traits among this new breed of “Internet Hindus”:

“First, they are almost all males.

 Second, they have weak communication skills, particularly in English. This in turn leads to a bit of an inferiority complex, of not being cool or sophisticated enough in a fast changing, globalising world.

Third, they are generally not good at talking to women. As a result, they are unlikely to know how to behave with them or woo them. They do desire women but can’t get them. In other words, if I may say so, they are sexually frustrated with no way of getting it.

Fourth, there is an over-riding sense of shame about being Hindu, Hindi speaking and/ or Indian. Deep down they know that Hindi-speaking Hindus are among India’s poorest. They also know that India is a third world country with third rate infrastructure and few achievements on the world stage in science, sports, defense or creativity.”

Though, Bhagat has generalised too much here and found himself criticized for it, if one has the privilege of meeting this cyber species outside their virtual reality and in real flesh and blood, one will not disagree much with Bhagat. From vomiting whataboutery to defending Modi and his rule despite facts proving otherwise these Bhakts will drain your energy through their skullduggery. If you encounter them on social media, within minutes you will be swarmed by their army just as angry bees whose comb is disturbed by mischievous kids. Their language is foul, and their thoughts appear deranged as exhibited in the case of rape threats to Indian Cricket captain, Virat Kohli’s nine month old daughter. The Bhakts’ wished fire and brimstone on Virat Kohli, another Modi and Hindutva supporter, who stood by Mohammed Shami, his cricketing colleague who was abused by this cyber species. This is the true colour and character of a Modi Bhakt. To put it once again in Bhagat’s words, a Bhakt is:

“…. an inferiority complex ridden Indian male who is sexually frustrated, ashamed of his background and has poor ability in English is vulnerable to transforming into a true bhakt.”

For this inferiority ridden, sexually frustrated Indian Hindu male the enemy is not only a Muslim male who is imputed with extraordinary sexual energy but also “confident, English-speaking women who oppose Modi” who hit a raw nerve in these Bhakts on all counts. The treatment, abuse and trolling of movie actors such as Swara Bhaskar, Richa Chadda, Deepika Padukone, Tapsi Pannu who are outspoken against Hindutva thuggery and Modi himself proves the point. These liberal, English-speaking women rile the Bhakts’ idea of the ideal role of a typical Hindu (Sanskari) woman and, hence, “get the worst of the true bhakt treatment. Since social media allows anonymity, their anger expresses itself as the worst personal abuse.” Though, according to Bhagat, this abusive, deranged, cyber species is neither invited by BJP nor their “hyper-aggressive bhakti” is like by the Prime Minister Modi the reality is that many of these Bhakts are followed on social media by Modi himself along with most of his ministers and BJP functionaries. Some of them even were given tickets to fight elections on behalf of BJP and some were even made party spokespersons.

Modi, Modi, Modi

Why do they find a place of pride in the BJP? According to Bhagat “at the end of the day, easy votes are welcome, and BJP doesn’t mind them”. Also, to protect like a hawk with great personal investment the ever sagging, corruption and failure ridden image of Modi who else is better than these Bhakts for whom an uneducated but purportedly ‘self-made’ Modi represents the highest aspirational figure. Hence, as Bhagat puts it “Modi is unabashedly from the Hindi/ Hindu/ modest-means background and represents the best people like them can be.” Hence, their self-image is mystically united with Modi and his image. That’s why, as Bhagat writes:

“Modi’s success gives true bhakts a genuine reason to rejoice and feel that they have a place at the top. Hence, protecting him is vital. Therefore, you have seen true bhakts defending Modi’s silence on various scams and vigorously attacking anyone questioning the PM. Objectivity is lost when the person they are trying to protect, and worship is seen as an idealisation of their own kind.”

This vulnerability of their personality makes them the perfect zombies for BJP IT Cell propaganda machine. No political party or organisation can ever dream of such faithful, irrational, full of rage mob to protect the image of its “Leader” and fight for its ideology even at the personal cost of losing livelihood and family. Modi has managed this for himself and RSS/BJP political project. Even though these “Frustrated And Complex-ridden Indian Males (FACIMs, pronounced fai-kims, not to be confused with the curse word you may want to use on them)” as Bhagat baptises them, are seen as an asset by Modi and BJP Bhagat thinks that in the long run their unrestrained testosterone will prove unsavoury for the general public, which is generally secular and tolerant, and hence will cement the hardline image of the BJP. Hence Bhagat warns, that “the Indian voter will get scared and go back to its default party – Congress.” He also reminds the BJP the reason why “Congress ruled for 60 years, and BJP has just about crossed six.” There are indications of this happening already as evidenced in the recent bypoll results.

The two-part analysis done here throws up several features of typical fascist turn in Hindutva politics and Modi’s approach to governance that is typical of a fascist regime. If targeting Muslims is one feature of Hindutva fascism, its core myth about a glorious Hindu past, laid waste by marauding Muslim and European White ‘subhumans’ which, under the ‘avatar purush’ (incarnation gods) and ‘Hindu hriday samrat’ (Emperor of Hindu hearts) MODI, will see a Hindu national regeneration is the larger utopia that motivates the legion of Bhakt army. If Hindutva cyber species’ (Bhatks) rage and violence are the driving features of this Hindutva juggernaut, dismantling of the secular, liberal and multicultural state apparatus is RSS/BJP/Modi’s civilisational project. To achieve this objective, RSS/BJP/Modi need to keep the communal hatred and polarizing cauldron continually boiling. In the language of fascism this is identified as “permanent revolution”. Can RSS/BJP/Modi sustain this or has atrophy set in already? These questions will be discussed in a future article.

Samuel Sequeira is a Researcher at Cardiff University, UK. A native of Karnataka, he had his MA at Mysore University (Karnataka) and an M.Sc. in Human Resources Management from Glamorgan University Wales, UK. In Indian he has worked as Managing Editor of Konkani and Kannada newspapers. He has his PhD from Cardiff University where he researched on “South Asian Migrant Community living in Wales”. His current research is about the topic “Trauma of Civil War: Sri Lankan Tamil Experience.”