The Saffron Hive Mind Is Here.

Something unusual is happening. Nayantara’s movie ‘Annapoorani’ was yanked off from Netflix. By Netflix. Many attribute it to the not-so-flattering portrayal of Brahmins and misplaced quotes about a Hindu god to justify meat eating. Zee followed suit by issuing an apology to VHP. ‘Abject surrender’ screamed many liberals across the country. Pro-Hindutva people are grinning ear to ear over this unprecedented development.

The mainstream media is too shocked to react. Some sane minds rightfully posed the sensible question, ‘Hey, wasn’t the movie cleared by the censor board?’ They averred that by bowing down to right wing mobs, art was being sacrificed at the altar of fanaticism.

It’s not the first time works of art are being subjected to the scrutiny of thin-skinned groups. ‘Tandav’ had to the bear the brunt in 2021 when Amazon Prime apologized for mocking Hindu gods. Rumours of a dream sequence nearly derailed the box office journey of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Padmavat’ in 2018, as it enraged the Rajput community. What surprises most observers is not the hyper-sensitivity displayed by Hindu groups since 2014, but the enormous clout they seem to wield – clout enough to get movies and superstars cancelled.

It was never like this before. Hindu gods were fair game for mockery. Tamil Brahmins have been spoofed umpteen number of times. Many villains of Bollywood sported a red tika. Getting movies and books banned was supposed to be a minority thing, right?

So, what happened? Superficial pundits ascribe it to ‘the culture of intolerance’ fanned by Modi and Shah. The Big Two would love to enjoy such powers. The truth of the matter is there is something deeper at play. And it’s been missed by many India watchers.

There has been a silent Hindu upsurge since 1989. It picked momentum during the Ram Janmabhoomi protests. Then it underwent a ‘nationalist’ makeover under Vajpayee and Advani during the coalition era of the nineties. The 2002 Godhra riots brought it right back to its original assertive and aggressive form. In the mute Manmohan Singh times, the fire was simmering underneath waiting to express itself. The anti-corruption protests and the visceral dislike for the Gandhi dynasty politics gave it a pathway and a new voice called Modi.

Modi, being a hardcore Hindutva leader, spared no effort in institutionalizing Hindu pride. The actions of Amit Shah and Yogi gave it an intimidatory sheen. But the real credit for turning a fragmented religion into a massive social, cultural and electoral force lies with RSS. For them it’s a hundred-year project. They’ve been at it since 1925.

What they’ve done right since 2012 is in organizing the social media and Whatsapp to champion the cause of Hindutva. Initially, the focus was on bringing Modi to power. After the mission was achieved, soft influencers were roped in to slowly take up causes one by one. If it was Triple Talaq one day, another time, it was CAA. Or Article 370. Or Beef eating.

The social media loved this project of shaping the nation’s narrative. Many jumped into the bandwagon on their own. Modi got them excited. Hindutva ignited their minds. Like DNA molecules self-assembling into a new organism, lakhs of twitter and Whatsapp activists fused themselves into a massive propaganda machine, likes of which have never been seen before. Many of these were intelligent, influential minds who were in it without any incentivization from the famed IT Cell.

It is this unpaid army that’s the Iron Dome of the RSS and the BJP. It is this phenomenon that has been shaping India’s conversation on a daily basis. They are the force behind the new Hindu upsurge. Modi and Shah are just the tip of the spear.

Scurrilously labeling them as ‘Hindu mobs’ won’t cut it. They are the New India. They are the crowds that cheer for Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Rajamouli, and Kangana Ranaut. They are the loudest proclaimers of India’s achievements. They are the ones who can make or break brands. They are the Hindu Rashtra, the RSS craved for.

For want of a better term, I call them the Saffron Hive Mind or SHM for short. SHM is like nuclear energy. If we harness it right, we could do magnificent things. If we agitate it and let it out, the radiation can singe us all.

We are at a significant moment in our history. The Hindu is wide awake now. He shall brook no nonsense. Mockery won’t be tolerated. Critics will be cancelled. Adversaries will be rolled over by this juggernaut.

India as a society has to come to terms with this truth. The Hindu is no longer meek. He is no pushover. Attempts to provoke him will come to naught as he’s discovered the power of unity that was missing for centuries.

The Ram Temple Consecration on Jan 22nd is the first public expression of this Hindu wave. Don’t be surprised if the nation bursts into a bout of celebration. Don’t outrage if zillions of lamps are lit in housing societies across India. It may happen not because Modi & Shah planned it. It will happen because the Saffron Hive Mind is real. Jaago and smell the coffee.