Opinion: The changing national consensus

India at 71 seems preoccupied with the same debates which were dominant at the time of independence. Whether the issues remained unresolved or reinvented to suit contemporary politics, they are back in full course. The developments coincide with rise and fall of two major organisations. Congress, founded in 1885 and 133-year-old is on a great low and RSS which is the back bone of BJP founded in 1925, a 93-year-old organisation is on a great high.

BJP, a 38-year-old party, formed after dissolution of Jan Sangh has become hegemonic in India. After 71 years, issues like loyalty of Muslims, cow protection, national anthem, national song, integration and cultural dogma has become central to Indian political life. The old Nehruvian consensus witnesses the toughest challenge from RSS-BJP combine. For once, if we locate the debate outside popular narrative, it shows that national boundaries and accepted norm of nationalism can change for any nation over a period of time.

Globally, post-communist order witnessedeastern Europe organising itself on the model of liberal-democratic societies. Within a span of 30 years, these countries are witnessingthe rise of the right which believes in cultural nationalism based exceptional and unique nature of the society. For the "Right" demography matters and essential values do not flow from the constitution but from cultural and religious practices. It locates the nation in immutable attributes of the nation. In some cases it is argued that nation existed but state did not. It is argued both in the case of Israel and India by RSS. In both cases, the modern national consciousness is fused with select cultural history creating a sense of political renaissance. Today India has become a classic example of it. The national consensus on certain constitutional positions have become a matter of debate. Whether socialism and socialist should be or should not be part of the Constitution has become a matter of debate.

These debates are a reflection of the fact that given positions of Constitution, citizenship and state has not remained the same. The question is why did it change so radically in last four years? It changed because an old actor has become a major political force in politics. The middle class is redefiningnational imagination. The middle class which was confined to cities and kept away from politics has become a political actor. Nationalism, which was purview of the elite and very well educated, has moved into the domain of middle class which may not be well versed in the historicity of nationalism, but has very vocal and definitive view on it. So, instead of agrarian equation with the elite which produced the dominant nationalist discourse in 50s, 60s,70s and 80s has shifted away to the middle class. The views find resonance with RSS-BJP world view and not Congress whose equation with middle class remains less defined and poorly maintained. It is not without reason that today, Congress Party's discussions on nationalism are getting confined to academia and RSS-BJP has taken the discussion to the larger middle class. Even if the decision of the large middle class is not defined, the views coupled with power of social media defines the political landscape.

It is for this reason, old debates have been reignited. The national consensus which flew from the Constitution stands challenged.The shift ofagency from agrarian classto the middle class on issues of economy to politicshascaused the tectonic shift in politics. The new middle class articulates a marriageof politics with modern dayconsumerism. Unlike yesteryears where social justice and rights were central to politics, today it is about delivery and choice. It is about being treated equally. The new middle class does not share the guilt of historical injustice to Dalits or political comfort for Muslims. It seeks progress in context of India and not of communities.

The same middle class is engaging the old issues for final solution because it feels that nation has been stuck in old politics. This is the reason behind 35A petition, personal laws, uniform civil code and strong support to military in conflict areas. It also confirms to certain global trends. For example, veil which was a symbol of women domination two decades back has become a matter of cultural choice in Western society. This is a result of strong secularisation of public space. In India, it has resulted in rise of Hindutva which which now is not limited to the issue of temple. It has mutated to an issueof cultural identity which has become acceptable to the middle class.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

This defines India today. It has reopened the old wounds and shifted the national consensus on cultural, political and religious issues. For good or bad, it will continue to engage us for some time till state specific issues become central to the national agenda.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)