Hoping that the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) would work against the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and assist a Congress-led dispensation to attain power in Goa is foolish. Those who know the RSS would unequivocally rebuff such a prospect. “We have an option”, “don’t take us for granted” are worthy catchphrases. In an election year they may instill some fear and doubt in your prodigy. But if push comes to shove the “option” would be evolved from within than without.
This “tu tu main main” between the RSS and the BJP is certainly not cosmetic. The sangh parivar cannot digest the fact that their prodigal son is sipping high tea in the archbishop palace when he should be conceding his power in the Mahalaxmi precinct at the bottom of Altinho. But the RSS in Goa frankly does not have an option. They cannot create a scenario in which the Congress benefits. They cannot trust the MGP as Sudin Dhawalikar’s die-hard love for Hinduism gets clouded when pitched against a cabinet berth in any government. Rest all are persona non gratae for the Hindutva brigade.
The only option that remains is the “reformed” BJP. In the Velingkar vs Parrikar battle the ground realities are by now clear and crystal. The Parrikar “ Parsekar duo are in no mood to stop grants allocated to the Archdiocesan and Diocesan-run English medium primary schools. The status quo would continue with some tweaking in favor of Konkani and Marathi. The “amicability” promised in the BJP manifesto of 2012 would remain a distant achievement. The party would not introduce the MoI bill in the assembly. So the English language protagonists “ FORCE “ would also remain discontented. The bottom line would be - we have made you both “ FORCE and BBSM “ equally unhappy.
How will this turn out for the BJP in the next election remains to be seen. But the RSS would not like the existing form of the BJP to go for polls in 2017. Their primary objective would be to revamp the party inside out. To begin with, they would need to create a bigger villain “ from within. And an anti-villain (I refrain from using the word ‘hero’ in politics) “ from within.
They are already advertising their prodigal son as a “habitual liar”. Manohar Parrikar is likely to be the face the Sangh hopes people of Goa would hate in this election year. They have already bolstered attacks on the Raksha Mantri. They have called him various names in pure Konkani and refined Marathi. They are circulating his photographs wearing “English Why, Maibhas Zai” t-shirt in 2011 during the MoI agitation. The brigade is digging out his old speeches, videos and tweets to sustain their primary salvo “ father of liars.
Once they generate a strong rhetoric to maintain momentum till the election, the RSS would need to pop up a convincing alternative “ again - from within the BJP; someone who would be perceived as firm, level-headed, committed, anti-Parrikar policies and most importantly a staunch swayamsevak. Subhash Velingkar has already floated the name of Rajendra Arlekar. Arlekar has strong roots in the RSS. His commitment to the Sangh Parivar is unflinching and he is gathering sound administrative experience as minister after his three year stint as Speaker of the legislative assembly. Will the RSS succeed in creating advantageous aura around Arlekar? Or they would be required to resume their search for another trusted lieutenant “ from within?
In theory, the plan works. They would not cede opposition’s space to the Congress or any other entity. Discontent will be manufactured from within. A scene would depict architects of u-turns being shown the door. With their character assassination rhetoric would be built, an anti-option created and all the failures of this government in last five years overshadowed by designing a fresh plot with a new hero, new director, new script but same producers.
For the RSS, BJP is a permanent entity. Leaders who shape the present and future of the party are dispensable. They come and go. Organisation remains. The party should survive. The self-made demigods are expendable on the altar of power. But the power too cannot be at the cost of some of the core principles of Hindutva. A BJP CM just should not walk across to the Archbishop palace for a cup of tea from the Mahalaxmi (he can do that before an election).
The Bhartiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch will be rendered irrelevant in this game of choice. The oldies sharing the dais with the RSS stalwarts do not have any weight in the market of votes. But they have sharp words mightier than swords. They have respectable personas, liberal background and firm commitment to the cause. They carry credible faces. Such personalities are very valuable to create desired rhetoric.
With an opposition completely disintegrated, this plan might just work. But there is one major roadblock - Manohar Parrikar. For this plan to be effective the sangh parivar needs to totally deconstruct the legacy of Manohar Parrikar in Goa. It is not easy. It may work in favor of the BJP; it is surely not going to serve the pleasure of the defense minister. He has already drawn first blood through Narendra Sawaikar. This is not RSS vs BJP battle. This is RSS vs Parrikar. And the begul has been just sounded.
Pramod Acharya is the Editor, Prudent Media
