The name of great martyr Kshudiram has been pronounced by PM Modi in his ‘Man ki Baat’ programme on 27 July last. In that particular speech, he said that Kshudiram, at a very tender age of 18, died on the gallows of the British rulers with a smiling face and that created an uproar among the Indians. Through such many sacrifices, we could achieve freedom from the subjugation of British rule. Very well said, and that is true also. But a question does arise why after so many years of independence, the name of Kshudiram, perhaps for the first time, was highlighted by the Prime minister? Because the RSS-BJP-Sangh Parivar have all along been accusing Kshudiram, Bhagat Singh, Chandra Sekhar Azad, Asfaqullah, Surya Sen, Pritilata and so many other freedom fighters of the uncompromising revolutionary trend of Indian freedom movement? In fact, they held that all those who thought “anti-Britishism and ‘nationalism’ were interconvertible terms” were all reactionaries and traitors. “Those only are nationalist patriots, who, with the aspiration to glorify the Hindu race and Nation next to their heart, …All others are either traitors and enemies to the National cause”, observed M S Golwalkar, the RSS ideologue, in his book ‘We or Our Nationhood Defined’. Who does not know the stigmatic role of RSS and Hindu Mahasabha in the freedom movement? They not only maligned the movement and stayed away from participating in it, they helped the British imperialist rulers to crush that movement. PM Modi himself has been a ‘pracharak’ of the RSS. Then how could newer realization suddenly dawn upon him, that he openly opposed the doctrine of the RSS? Is it that the RSS-BJP have changed their opinion and evaluation regarding anti-British freedom movement and the role of the martyrs? There is no reason to believe that. Every time before election, their ‘national-patriotic’ feeling is found to be overblown. But that feeling also is expressed differently in different parts of the country as sentiments centering on region, ethnicity, language and other characteristics differ from place to place. So, when elections knock at the door, the RSS-BJP carefully select the tone and plank of their campaign trail to massage local feelings. With election to West Bengal assembly on the anvil, the BJP leaders have started saying some good words about the revered freedom fighters and renaissance stalwarts to woo Bengali voters. And that is why, in a recent mass meeting in Durgapur, West Bengal, PM Modi raised slogans like ‘Jai Ma Durga’ and ‘Jai Ma Kali’ in place of Jai Shri Ram. Moreover, a few months later the assembly election will be held in Bihar. As Kshudiram was hanged to death in Muzaffarpur jail on 11 August 1908 and many aged people still harbour deep respect and emotion for him, that is another reason why PM Modi has started singing peans for Kshudiram. But when he went to Tamil Nadu in the last week of July, he released a commemorative coin in honour of the Chola king. Heaping praises on Chola dynasty during his address, PM Modi announced the installation of grand statues of the monarchs—Rajaraja Chola and his son Rajendra Chola—in Tamil Nadu. Earlier in May when he visited Rajasthan, he effusively praised ‘Operation Sindoor’ launched by the Indian armed forces and claimed that the holy name of Sindoor (vermillion) had forced Pakistan and its terror operators into submission. Thus, the Hindutva sentiment was raised in that Hindi heartland. Actually, the RSS-BJP-Sangh Parivar’s espousal of Hindutva is no avowal of Hinduism. It is now a ploy to polarize the people along religious lines to strengthen their Hindu vote bank.
It is typical of a vote-based power-monger political party like the BJP who is not averse to put on new cloaks for the sake of garnering electoral support. All their gimmicks, popular gestures and showbiz are for playing to the gallery. They, in fact, have no ideological mooring other than using religious fanaticism and communalism to precipitate divide among the people and establish those divisive thoughts as the principal issue of electoral battle. And in absence of proper political consciousness and being carried by the incessant propaganda of the bourgeois media, the people rally behind the bourgeois parties like the BJP, Congress and others.
Therefore, paying homage to the departed soul of martyr Kshudiram in Modis ‘Man ki bat’, has it come from the deepest core of his heart? Or has it been prompted rather with an eye on the forthcoming elections? But will people pardon such game of playing with the name of Martyr Kshudiram, the legend of Indian freedom movement and a name that evokes immense reverence?
