THE evening of 2024 witnessed two episodes in the political domain which passed a profound statement on the general thinking of the overall Indian society. In the chaotic Winter Session of the Parliament, which saw a scuffle between Members of Parliament, police complaints and fierce war or words, the issue at the centre remained the fight over Architect of the Constitution Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar and his legacy. In the social arena, another stormy debate raged over the statement by RSS chief Dr Mohan Bhagwat asking people to desist from raking up newer temple-mosque disputes. Both issues effected a deep churning among masses and classes, in public, in media, and the favourite sounding board called social media.

 

As opinions -- some very harsh and some rational -- are still emerging from the social churning, a blinding aspect of this entire debate has again remained understated — the Indian society still wants to stay as the Captives Of The Past. Digging out bygones with little consideration for the circumstances prevailing at those times has become a habit of the present society which talks about a bright future but revels in remaining caught in the past. The future has to be thought of by remaining in the present. Unfortunately, wrapping things in archaic casing has become a fashion. Political developments over Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks on Dr Ambedkar turned out to be the biggest example of staying in the past with the only aim of claiming the great man’s legacy. The legacy of Babasaheb is too broad. He cannot be monopolised nor can he be marginalised. He was a man for all seasons, not one brief Spring to be enjoyed and forgotten. Dr Ambedkar’s place in the history of India remains undisputed. His thoughts, his principles, his suggestions, and his objections will also remain intact but in those very contexts. Cherry-picking his statements for appropriation of his legacy is no way forward for a progressive society envisaged by the legend. Every political party and each outfit owing allegiance to Dr Ambedkar and his philosophy is guilty of using his statements as per convenience.

 

This again is a result of staying too much in the past instead of taking pearls of wisdom from the philosophies of our great thinkers. The thinking aptly reflected in the debate on the Constitution in the Parliament which ultimately turned out to be a war of accusations between political parties. The whole discourse centered around “who disrespected the Constitution the most in their respective tenures” instead of taking the best out of it for the public. The show was limited to digging deep into the past to bring out faults and ended with a storm on a statement from the Home Minister which was again interpreted by each party as per their own convenience. Digging deeper into the fault-lines will only hasten polarisation of society. And it will lead to more appeasement of sections on either side of the political divide. This will be the biggest disservice to Dr Ambedkar who sought an equal playing ground for all with limited help of reservation for the marginalised. The limited help has been turned into a permanent fixture by the politics of appeasement. It remains a subject of debate among the backers of meritocracy and the progressive thinkers in the society but firmly trapped in the past, no political dispensation is willing to take the bait of scrapping reservation. The perils of remaining in the past are not always evident to the eye. These dangers act like termites, slowly corroding rational thinking.

 

Despite the need for reforms for a prosperous and secure future, the craving to dig out past ghosts prevails blatantly, leading either to a sense of permanent oppression or an unjustified entitlement. The current sharp divide on religious lines is the biggest evidence of this danger where radical elements in each society in the entire world have resorted to violence with a false notion of delivering divine justice. These elements are not the true representatives of their society nor can they be termed as the symbols of any religion. They are the prisoners of their past, seeking to disturb societal balance with the weapon of extremism. It is in this context the second episode in the last few days assumes great significance. The statement by Dr Mohan Bhagwat to stop raking up Ram Mandir-like issues is a rational view that puts to rest the idea of extremism. A few flag-bearers with radical religious views cannot be termed as the leaders of any community.

 

The message was as much for the Hindus looking for temples and Shivlings under each mosque in the country as well as the Muslims longing for domination of fanatic Islamic practices which have been shunned by majority of Muslim population around the world. The biggest example of how Captives Of The Past bring doom for a society or a nation can be seen in the fall of Afghanistan and Syria, both Muslim majority countries. The downfall of both the countries was swift and uncontrollable. It was not solely driven by the influence of global powers but both countries had grappled with fragility marked by protracted conflicts and religious divisions.

 

A microcosm of the bigger picture is now evident in Bangladesh, where fanatics are out to dig into the past with an aim to “correct it”. Desh is bound to follow a rule of anarchy and its penchant to live in the past will continue to trip every step towards development. The evening of 2024 has left a message for India, aspiring to take its place in the new global order. There will be external efforts to destabilise it by exploiting fault-lines. The only response to such diabolical attempts is to live in the present with firm focus on the future.n