‘LIBERAL’ DUPLICITY      

Dr. Duggaraju Srinivasa Rao

The self-declared liberals and secularists have once again exhibited their well-known duplicity in all the recent events happening in the country. Their narrative of anti-Hindu have been exposed through the social media and almost made them irrelevant in the current scenario. Despite all that, their attitude remains unchanged. Their voices and pens are reserved for blaming nationalists and project the image of India in the negative sense in the international arena. In fact they are confirmed suppliers of anti-India material and fabricated evidences to the international activists, Church groups. China and Pakistan often use the Indian liberal quotes for the projection of India in bad taste.

The liberals, few of them, are chameleonic in character, changing the tunes to remain relevant in the changing situations. When exposed or questioned they try to remain dormant, but continue as anti-India sleeper cells. Some try to change their tune. But the double speak charcter is retained by the liberals and that needs to be exposed for any number of times till they are totally exposed and thrown out of their business of opinion building through funds from abroad.

Whether it is targeted killings of Pandits in Srinagar valley or judicial pronouncements on the Kashi and Mathura structures, the liberals’ attitude is baffling. The actions and reactions of some of the liberals needs to be juxtaposed with their earlier comments when similar incidents occurred either in courts or in other states. Compare the reactions of the liberal gangs on the recent killing of the Kashmiri pundit and to that Pehlu Khan murder earlier. Even on the setting right of the history the liberal double speak is too evident.

Rahul Bhat, the Kashmir pundit, was murdered by gun wielding Islamic terrorists in a highly secured government building recently in Chadoora of Budgam district in Srinagar valley. Despite all the security checks in place, the killers could walk straight into the office table where Rahul Bhat was sitting and working, bumped bullets and killed him. No other colleague, mostly Muslims were not harmed. None of them tried to stop the killing or chased the killers nor were the police were informed. The systematic killings of Hindu community in the valley met with silence from all sections. Barring the statement of condemning by the J&K regional parties there was no attempt to help the administration in tracking the terrorists. Such a silence in the valley, a Muslim dominated area, is understandable. But why this silence from the liberals out side Kashmir, who are otherwise vocal in their criticisms when such incidents happen in some other Indian states, have shut their mouths so tightly. Whether the liberals’ anger and powerful condemnation words are reserved for incidents where victims are from Muslim community. Do the liberals believe that Pehlu Khan’s life more precious than Rahul Bhat?

Rajdeep Sardesai who claims himself as democratic liberal has the track record of saying desh-Bhakti can’t be monopolized. When pointed questions were asked him on twitter by Anupam Kher the route of escape this liberal Sardesai chosen was “raat bahut ho chuki. Good night do baar bol diya. Why not have a debate on Desh Bhakti on TV tomorrow”. That offer was in 2015 and the debate never materialized. Then in 2021 incident where Islamic terrorists targeted Sandeep Mawa, a pundit, but his associate Mohammad Ibrahim was gunned down, Rajdeep Sardesai called Sandeep Mawa into his programme and while the brave Pandit expressed his intention to stay back in the valley and work for peace in Kashmir, the secular Sardesai has no hesitation to say “inshan Allah” for Pandit’s bravery wish fulfilment. Despite his ideological support to the terrorists groups of Islam, Rajdeep Sardesai still want Indians to believe his patriotism. Many such pretensions of liberals on the Pandits issue can be culled from the media.

Take the case of another Left-liberal in the garb of human rights activism, Akar Patel. Who in the light of Varanasi court ordering the survey of the Gyan Vapi mosque area survey, this liberal Akar cautioned judiciary to go slow on the religious issues through his weekly column. Akar and fellow liberals were in the forefront when the judiciary took up the case of entry of women of certain age into Sabarimala Ayyappa temple they were all unanimous in demanding not only the early judgment but also immediate implementation of the judgement setting aside the Hindu sentiment.  That too was a religious issue since a Hindu custom was challenged in that case. But for liberals that judgment is paramount as that was against Hindu beliefs. These liberals in the garb of secularists are well known supporters for the Muslim personal Law and opponents of the idea of common civil code as mandated by Art.44 of Indian constitution. That much for the secular beliefs and liberal thoughts of self-labelled liberals.

Let us consider the case of Shashi Tharoor, the Congress M.P. form Kerala who  quite frequently brandishes his liberal label around his neck. His liberal duplicity is evident from his article and statements which appeared in the same magazine ‘The Week’. In his latest article titled “Alarm bells in Kashi” published in May 29, 2022 issue he wrote that “our Hindutva nationalists are yelling ‘turn back’! Reverse!’ Their intention of history is not anchored in a reverence to the past, but in their desire to shape the present by resurrecting the past”. That is Shashi Tharoor’s sermon in the light of Kashi issue. But let us go to the issue of August 23, 2020 of The Week magazine, where Shashi Tharoor was described as “the campaign leader for the removal of the Clive statue in London”. Why Shashi Tharoor is campaigning for Clive statue removal in a foreign country while he is questioning the campaign to remove the mosque in Varanasi? Was it for any other reason other than the communal political vote bank building in the typical secular politics?. For the politician cum liberal Tharoor the Islamic rulers destruction of India is acceptable but not the colonial exploitation of Indian wealth despite both being foreign rulers and have no positive interest in Indian culture and traditions.

Shashi Tharoor and his ilk of liberals in India oppose the change in the curriculum of History and retain the colonial rulers designed and Left group historians rewritten and sustained through the Congress regime at all levels of study despite that history being false on many counts. But read what Shashi Tharoor said in The Week in 2020. “I would be in favour of teaching Indian school kids a broader and more complex history than they get now….we must open up our history syllabi too”.

The duplicity of liberal Shashi Tharoor can be gauzed from his statement “Removing Clive is a powerful symbol….in many ways, he is emblematic of the Raj and all its misdeeds”.  He can demand the removal of the misdeeds of the British but he wants retention of structures which represents repression of Mughals and that medieval attacks on Hinduism and temples. Is that what the liberals wants? History of colonial area be taken away but retain the Islamic invaders history, though both of them were foreigners and tyrants in their own way.

 The deafening silence of liberal, secularists on such occasions only confirms their collaboration with the destroyers of temples perpetrators of the killings, both in the name of religion. “To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men” said Abraham Lincoln long time back and that great man seems to have the foresight of Indian liberals and their actions.

(Author is retired professor and occasional contributor for dailies and magazines. The views expressed are personal opinion of the author. He can be reached at duggarajusrinivasarao@gmail.com)