How Jai Shri Ram Slogan has turned into an object of political contestation?

 

The Ministry of Culture had organised an event at the Victoria Memorial, Kolkata on the eve of 125^th Jayanti of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. The event was attended by Prime Minister Modi and Governor Jagdeep Dhankar. By refusing to deliver her address as a mark of protest to the Jai Shri Ram slogans raised at the event, Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee has stoked a needless controversy just months ahead of upcoming assembly elections.

Controversy and confrontation aren’t new to mercurial Didi. Greeted with slogans of Jai Shri Ram, a visibly irked Didi refused to speak at the illustrious event celebrated to pay homage to the legendary freedom fighter, whose Jayanti has been declared as Parakram Diwas. A section of political analysts even defended her action concurring that it isn’t a political event to have such slogans. Her intolerance towards the slogan, which is widely used across India and especially more popular in Hindi belt as a greeting, has for the first time earned the ire of the majority community. It is unfortunate that chants of Jai Shri Ram are now identified with a political party. Similarly, anything related to Hindu culture and civilisation are now reduced to one colour- saffron, which in turn is attributed to one party that never openly stood up for the Hindu welfare or causes.

With time while the slogan undoubtedly has accrued larger political connotations and became identified with BJP, among the political circles, it still has a deeper religious significance to it. Most religious events and especially those related to Bhagwan Shri Ram are incomplete without chants of Jai Shri Ram. These chants have been integral to the religious solidarity and harmony.

Didi’s lividity towards the Jai Shri Ram chants is not new. Even in the past Didi lost her cool and she stepped out her vehicle angrily to confront people who chanted Jai Shri Ram, as her motorcade passed through North 24 Parganas district. Reportedly, seven people were detained for chanting the slogans¹ in May 2019.

While her indignation towards the chants of Jai Shri Ram was attributed to her political desperation due to perceived surge of BJP’s presence in the state, her current irate reaction and the illogical dissent at Netaji’s event is an insult to the iconic freedom fighter. Clearly, at a time, when the Centre is often rebuked as being intolerant, the display of gross of intolerance towards mere chants is an unequivocal self-goal by the Bengal CM.

In India, politics and religious have never been clearly delineated. It is no secret that leaders cultivate certain communities and openly pander to them to win elections.  Faith based slogans have become very common at political rallies.

While Jai Shri Ram slogans are a misfit at an event conducted to commemorate Netaji’s Jayanti, given the kind of political ruckus which is becoming more of a pattern in the state, being a confrontationalist, Didi should have held BJP responsible for turning a commemoration event into a political one. However, in what can be considered as a political meltdown, Didi allowed her anger to overpower her which in turn gave an opportunity to political adversaries to expose her ham-handed approach towards the Hindus in the state.

Since 2016, West Bengal administration has become increasingly hostile towards Hindus denying them permissions to celebrate Rama Navami, curtailing Durga Puja celebrations at places and even curtailing the traditional Saraswati pooja celebrations in schools. Local administration which inveterately bends over backwards to serve the administration and under the pressure from the local Muslim communities has been denying permission to organise Durga Puja in some places. On the contrary, religious events of Muslims never encountered any such restrictions.

Didi’s high-handedness and blatant appeasement presented perfect occasion for BJP to make political gains. BJP started organising Ram Navami celebrations across the state. But the state administration began obstructing these processions and objected to carrying of religious symbols like tridents. This often led to scuffles and clashes in the state. In the process, the chants of Jai Shri Ram have become very popular among the people. Eventually in this competitive political appeasement, Bhagwan Ram and Jai Shri Ram are now identified with a certain political party.

Slowly but steadily, these chants now represent growing dissent and unhappiness with the ruling party in the state, and started acquiring political overtone. Increasingly, the chants have now become a war cry of people against the authoritarian administration of the state.

Gauging the ever-growing popularity of the Ram Navami across the state, even the TMC leaders began organising peaceful processions. But that was too late. TMC failed to make any gains with its new approach. Subsequently, Didi began to hit back at BJP saying, “People here have been worshipping Lord Shiva, Goddess Durga and Kali for ages. Here is a party that wants us to worship a particular God” ² in an oblique reference to BJP’s state wide Ram Navami celebrations.

Meanwhile, with the remarks dubbing “Jai Shri Ram” slogan as alien to people of Bengal, the slogan and even the Ram Navami celebrations have unfortunately become an appeasement handle. In its political anxiety, political dispensation in the state deemed the worshippers of Bhagwan Ram and the slogan as an “outside influence”.

The escalating identity politics, together with unabated exodus of TMC leaders has unsettled Didi. Certainly, while the Jai Shri Ram slogans are clearly out of place and context, Didi’s furious reaction at a pan-Indian event underscored her intolerance towards the chant and her irreverence towards the PM. By reducing the event to a political slugfest between BJP vs TMC, Didi has taken the sheen out the well-intentioned tribute to Netaji.

Now, the million-dollar question is- what would have been Didi’s reaction to other faith-based chants?

 

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