Recently, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath made a statement during an event in Agra that stirred significant controversy across the country. His remark, “Batenge to Katenge” (If we divide, we will be cut), was interpreted in various ways by different people. Various political parties reacted, which was expected. Now, it is essential to understand the entire context of this statement. As we all know, the opposition has been consistently demanding a caste-based census and promoting its narrative of communal division in the country. This narrative seemed to benefit the opposition in the upcoming general elections. Under the leadership of Narendra Modi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has emphasized prioritizing development and good governance over these divisive issues. The party believes that during the government’s tenure, the benefits of government schemes have been extended to people of all communities, castes, and religions without any discrimination. This success is a testament to the good governance and transparency of the Modi government.
At the same time, the BJP does not want to sideline its core issues of nationalism and Hindutva. The party understands well that it cannot progress against the backdrop of Mandal politics by sidelining the Hindutva issue. It is true that in its journey over the past decade, the BJP has effectively brought social engineering into its fold, managing to balance both Mandal and Kamandal (caste-based and religious politics). As a result, the BJP has emerged as the largest party at both the government and organizational levels.
While the hard work of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers is undoubtedly crucial to its success, it was after the formation of the government under Narendra Modi’s leadership in 2014 that social scientists and election analysts began acknowledging the significant role of the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) and its organizational efforts behind the BJP’s success. Following the electoral developments of the 1990s, political parties realized that electoral success in India was not possible without securing the support of the large Dalit-Bahujan community. Leaders like Kanshi Ram, Mayawati, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Ram Vilas Paswan, Lalu Yadav, and H.D. Deve Gowda proved this by 2004. Historian and anthropologist Badri Narayan mentions in his book “Republic of Hindutva” how the RSS has been working to unite the Dalit, marginalized, and backward communities with the ideology of Hindutva by focusing on issues of society, family, values, and nationalism.
Badri Narayan expresses disagreement with the divisive and conservative ideology attributed to the RSS by urban, educated, and Left-Liberal groups. He argues that the RSS, through its volunteers, has been attempting to organize various symbols, heroes, and ideas within the social dimension to unite the country through cultural integration. The cultural nationalism of the RSS aims to establish coordination among neglected castes like snake charmers and Musahars, as well as nomadic and semi-nomadic communities, to integrate them into the mainstream of society. Politically, this has benefited its ideological organization, the BJP. The inclusive policy of the RSS has also had an impact on the organizational level of the BJP, where proper representation of all sections of society can be observed.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) aims to bring all sections of society together under the umbrella of cultural nationalism through the ideology of Hindutva. The discourse created by the opposition on the issues of caste-based census and reservations is seen as a hindrance to BJP’s mission of advancing both “Mandal” (caste-based politics) and “Kamandal” (Hindutva politics) together. Once again, the BJP is focusing on sharpening its Hindutva agenda, and the most prominent figure leading this effort is Yogi Adityanath.
While unveiling the statue of Veer Durgadas Rathore in Agra, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stated, “The nation is supreme; nothing can be above the nation. But this is only possible if we all stay united. If we are divided, we will be cut down.” He further remarked, “Look at what is happening in Bangladesh. Such a mistake should not happen here. If we stay united, we will remain safe.” Yogi Adityanath’s statement was made in the context that if society gets entangled in selfish interests, divided by caste, creed, sect, and religion, it will either be destroyed by adversaries or be subjugated by them. This observation holds true in the context of India as well. Whenever Indian society has prioritized selfish interests, it has been made subservient and deprived of its rights by enemies. Aurangzeb tried numerous times to capture Jodhpur, but was unsuccessful due to Veer Durgadas Rathore. Aurangzeb deceitfully made a treaty with Maharaja Jaswant Singh, taking him along under the pretext of fighting Afghans, but secretly had him killed. Following this, he plotted to kill the Maharaja’s son, Ajit Singh. Veer Durgadas Rathore disguised himself as an ascetic and safely took Ajit Singh to a secure place, later crowning him as the king
The statement made by Yogi Adityanath aligns closely with the ideology of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as evidenced by the party’s open support for this issue. BJP’s national spokesperson, Sudhanshu Trivedi, supported the statement by asserting that it is essential to understand the true nature of the discussions propagated by those who engage in politics based on caste and community in today’s time.
He stated, “When we talk about the 70 to 75 percent comprising Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC), these people were present in every part of India. They were in present-day Bengal and also in what was then East Bengal, now Bangladesh. But where are these 75 percent people today? They have either been eliminated or converted. This is why the 32 percent population has reduced to just 7 percent. When the population was 32 percent, 75 percent of them were SCs, STs, and OBCs. So, the question arises, where did these 25-26 percent people go?”
He further provided the example of Jogendra Nath Mandal, who became the first Law Minister of independent Pakistan. According to him, Jogendra Nath Mandal, who belonged to the Dalit community, was misled into believing that separating castes and forming a combination with the Muslim community would be beneficial. He went to Pakistan but witnessed extremely painful events there. He saw how Dalits were systematically targeted and killed. Villages were surrounded, and people were told to either convert to Islam or face death. The Prime Minister of Pakistan did not listen to him, and eventually, he had to resign. Deeply saddened, he returned to India and spent the rest of his life in obscurity. The painful events he witnessed serve as a warning even today. He also mentioned that even in independent India, incidents in places like Kashmir, Dhubri, Barpeta, Karimganj, and Malda is evidence of this bitter truth. This is the kind of politics that Yogi Adityanath referred to.
Observing the political landscape, it seems likely that more such statements and reactions from political parties will emerge in the future. However, if we think seriously, in this era of technology, efforts and awareness are required at individual, societal, civic institution, and government levels to protect India from social disharmony. Currently, the international conspiracies surrounding India are clearly visible. Afghanistan has endured devastation, instability and deepening crises are evident in Pakistan, Sri Lanka is going through a severe economic crisis, and now the situation in Bangladesh is also concerning. In such times, India’s resilience and stability increase the responsibility of its citizens to keep the nation united. Due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s strong leadership and strategic vision, India has been able to face every challenge effectively. His policies and decisive actions have provided the country with security and stability, enabling India to maintain a strong position on the international stage. It is a reality that despite numerous global crises, under Modi’s leadership, India has remained safe and strong, providing confidence and courage to its citizens during difficult times.
– Dr Alok Kumar Dwivedi
(Dr Alok Kumar Dwivedi holds a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Allahabad. He is currently working as an Assistant Professor at KSAS, Lucknow, which is the Indian research centre of INADS, USA. Dr Alok’s interests include philosophy, culture, society, and politics.)