The new political mutant

2024, the year of the elections in the democratic part of the world, is coming towards it's fag end. Many small and large, perfect and not so perfect democracies sought the mandate of their people to choose their government. With the US elections and back home the Maharashtra/Jharkhand elections, I reckon the last of the elections in this year are done. At least those that would interest the world and specially those of us in India.

So what's the political mood of the voters around the world. With very few exceptions, one can generally sense the comeback of the Right wing, Nationalist politics as against the Left wing, Globalist politics. Why so? What has changed the tide against globalization, the dominant theme of the last 30 years since the fall of the Berlin wall and the USSR.

I found the best explanation, very succintly captured in the 50 word Edit of The Print on the day Trump won US elections.

Trump’s definitive victory isn’t just about gender and race. It’s a vote against elitist political correctness, immigration anxiety and political Islam. This culture war is sweeping Europe too. Extreme wokeness has bred a new political mutant – populist, conservative, nationalist backlash. Jolted Western democracies are struggling to find the right balance.?

While this speaks in the Global, specially US and Europe context, I find it very relevant in explaining the dominance of BJP in India's political landscape in last decade or so.

The rising support of BJP and it's Nationalist ideology is a reaction to the "Left liberal" politics of Congress and it's self proclaimed secular allies. It's the revolt of the majority against the blatant minority appeasement. It's the rejection of the idea of breaking a nation on religious and caste lines. It's the rebuttal of the divisive politics by a inclusive politics.

Those who call themselves Secular, have done a great disservice to the word Secular. The dictionary meaning of Secular is "not being connected with religious matters". Our constitution says we are a Secular country and that is abolutely a fine idea. But then those who consider themselves to be saviours of constitution, go out of the way to appease specific religious or caste identities, in the hope of getting their votes. Being Secular should mean that in a country same law should apply irrespective of the religion. But these people would favor personal, religion specific laws. They will not hesitate to use their brute majority in parliament to overturn a supreme court judgement protecting the fundamental rights of a divorcee lady in Shahbano case. They would have no problem with a different Flag for a part of the country, until article 370 was scrapped. "Ek Vidhan, Ek Nishan" took 70 years to come true. They would not hesiate putting national security at risk by facilitating cross-border infiltration to further their vote base. They would not have any problem in having state sponsored Iftar parties but will raise hue and cry if the CJI invites the PM for a pooja at his home. All this, just to appease a section of the population. and they will call themselves Secular. They have not realized that in the hope of getting 80% votes of the 20%, they have fallen out of favor with the 80% and may not even get 20% votes of the 80%. So much so that the scion of this dynasty had to run away from his usual seat and find an obscure seat in South India to be a safe seat given it's demographic profile.

Then comes the 'woke" kind. The self annointed "Left liberals". The George Soros fed and funded ecosystem around the world, comprises of elites who proclaim to be the saviours of the poor. Hypocrites. These are the elites who once ruled the world and cannot digest the rise of Chai walas and Auto walas. They are the once who are now 3rd-4th generation political dynasts and yet claim to provide equal opportunity to the common man. At every opportunity they will go to US and Europe crying and seeking help in getting a level field in India. Inviting them to intervene in the internal matters of a sovereign nation. Some publications in New York and Washington are the guiding principles of these Woke people. and the problem with these Liberals is that they are liberal only as long as the others listen to them. The enlightened ideas of freedom of throught, freedom of expression work only till it suits them. Other point of views are simply not worth discussing. I do not understand how the words "Left" and "Liberal" got hyphenated whereas "Left" regimes across the world are known to be oppressive, autocratic, violent regimes. Recall the USSR block, China, North Korea, recall the Communist rule back home in West Bengal.

It is in these Left liberal, Extreme Woke ideologies lies the seeds of the rise of the Right wing, Nationalist, Conservative politics. Be it in US, Europe or India.

Ek hai to safe hai. Subka sath, sabka vikas. These are not divisive slogans. They are uniting slogans. We grew up watching the "Ek chidiya", "Mile sur mera tumhara" campaigns of yesteryears. They bore no different messaging. Fully in line with the True Secular principles. We are stronger if we are one. Our National identity has to prevail over any other identity. Religion and caste is what divides us. Nation is what unites us. and therefore Nationalism is the order of the day.

Like it or not. This new political mutant is here to stay.