The ultimate aim of the Hindutva establishment seems to be “converting citizens into subjects without any right to equality,” Caravan magazine executive editor Vinod K. Jose has said.
He was delivering a lecture here on Saturday in memory of the late journalist I.V. Babu.
“It is well known that the Hindutva forces want to create a Hindu Rashtra here. Their ultimate aim, however, seems to be remaking citizens as just subjects. It is like going back to the times of monarchies, from where we had marched ahead to become a democratic nation,” Mr. Jose pointed out.
He said that in a democracy, all citizens have equal rights as mandated by the Constitution. However, in a monarchy, there are only subjects, there is no talk about equality, and the people are always at someone’s mercy, Mr. Jose noted.
“Another aspect of their politics is to entangle society in politics of hatred. Hatred against people who disagree with them, the religions they dislike, and the languages that are seemingly in contrast with their interests. In their view, Kerala and Malayalis occupy a low space, as ‘Madrasis’. Because, even with all its deficiencies, the Kerala society has been fighting this politics of hatred,” he said.
Mr. Jose observed that the Hindutva forces also “celebrate injustice” and “fight against truth in an organised manner”. He said, “It looks like justice is something that should be denied…. In the World Press Freedom Index, India’s position has gone down from 96 during the United Progressive Alliance period to 142. Truth or correct information is being diluted so much that what reaches the people is untruth.” Mr. Jose claimed that in this process, many issues were being covered up or distorted, and media organisations were not able to cross-check facts. “The process has been institutionalised,” he added.
