Rajiv Gandhi’s description of the recent regional parties’ conclave at Hyderabad as ‘antinational exercise’ reflects a dangerously morbid aberration that portends a dark destiny for India. The remark is symptomatic of the growing dichotomy between Hindi hinterland and non-Hindi speaking states. It also highlights the continuity of a distinct strain that characterizes each of the autocrats from the Nehru dynasty.
For Jawahar Lal Nehru, nationalism was a synonym for Indian National Congress. He was extremely impatient with everything outside himself, For him all else was either irrelevant or antinational. Indira went a step further. Transcending her father’s pedestrian concept of nationalism, she developed a still more egotistical denomination. For her India was Indira. Initially Rajiv was pretty cautious and discreet enough to hide his real self. But his outburst against the conclave is indicative of his inherent fear and psychological distrust of the regional parties.
The talk of strong center is nothing beyond perpetuating Hindi hinterland’s imperialism which in reality means rule by Nehru dynasty. The deification of this dynasty in itself is a clever camouflage to make the domination of Hindi speaking areas less unpalatable to the rest of India as well as to defeat the constitutional obligation of evolving a federal structure.
The re-emergence of regionalism, in this context, is actually an intuitional defense mechanism against imperialistic arrogance of the crafty “Hindi lords”. In less than forty years India is again at the crossroads. Gone is the fervor of new won independence that made people from all quarters of the country to abandon their regional aspirations that made rulers of princely states to ‘merge their identity in the surging tide of nationalism in the glorious hope of developing a truly national and secular society.
Today all such hopes lie shattered. Nehru dynasty’s lust for power and its unfortunate patronage of Hindi hinterland has made it a prisoner of those communal elements who advocate Hindi, Hindu and Hindustan. These Chauvinistic protagonists are endeavoring to mono police power at the Center and are determined to reduce non Hindi speaking states to the slavish position of dependent vassals. The situation has deteriorated to a point where even the constitutional demands of these states are instantly branded as “separatist” and “antinational”.
It is a situation that will inevitably lead to confrontation and ultimately to disintegration of the country. Federalism is the only answer to this ticklish problem. Rajiv must realize that denouncing regionalism won’t lead him anywhere. Rather it will further complicate an already messed up situation. He should remember that states in America enjoy tremendous autonomy, yet they pose no threat to its integrity. Let him prove that country is more important than his dynasty. There is still time to reverse the process and avert the tragedy of disintegration by giving complete autonomy to the states.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 10, 1986
