The first time I heard the phrase, ‘Operation …’, was in the 1980s when the then prime minister, Indira Gandhi, launched ‘Operation Blue Star’, which led to her assassination and the anti-Sikh riots.
Beyond its usage in medical parlance, the word, Operation, has always been associated — at least in my mind — with military action; both resistance or aggression against another State or against those the State perceives to be internally festering, anti-national actors. The phrase has always carried with it nationalistic and hyper-nationalistic sentiments. During the action and immediately after its completion, any criticism or questioning of its need, method or outcome is condemned as unpatriotic and individuals who raise their voices are labelled saboteurs. The overall sentiment that all citizens are forced to adhere to is unquestioned support. It is a moment to stand with the soldier and bow to the nation-state.
On social media, this plays out in the form of changes made to DPs wherein the nation’s flag is proudly displayed. Memes that mock the enemy, portray vengeance and gore, and mimic military successes are widely circulated. On the ground, support for the armed forces is shown by political parties and by civil society by organising solidarity events.
In the recent past though, ‘Operation …’ has also been used in a different context. ‘Operation Lotus’ is now a common phrase in Indian politics. It is, simply put, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s way of getting members of other parties to cross over to its side. All of a sudden, members of Opposition parties become disillusioned with their host parties and express loyalty to the BJP and, of course, to Narendra Modi. With the successful completion of this hop-skip-jump act, cases against these movers vanish magically. This personality transformation also has a name: the ‘BJP washing machine’. Some of these turncoats have gone on to become chief ministers. Accusations of large amounts of money being given and received for these switches have also been made.
As I write this piece, a split in the Trinamool Congress has already been effected with a bizarre twist. An unknown entity, the Nationalist Citizens Party of India, is, in this instance, the proxy for the BJP. If successful, this would top all political farces we have witnessed. I am told that ‘Operation Tiger’ has been launched against the Shiv Sena (UBT). To be honest, the behaviour of political parties and elected representatives has remained consistent from as far back as I can remember. Engineered defections have a long history in India. I come from a state where around 100 members of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam were holed up in a resort to make sure they did not change camps. What is different now, though, is the brazenness with which all this is done. There is absolutely no attempt to hide the opportunism that drives these representatives.
This is why the use of the term, ‘Operation …’, is sinister. Because of its nationalistic resonance, it unconsciously embeds within the listener a feeling that this is a need that strengthens the country. Some may even feel that this consolidation of power is necessary to fight our enemies, internal and external. The meaning of morality shifts dramatically once we believe this will lead to a better future, whatever that might mean. Acquiring members using whatever methods possible becomes dharmic! Those who remain on the other side are enemy combatants or spies. They want to usher in Ravanrajya. Ravan becomes code for Left, Muslim and liberals. Conspiracy theories sell easily, and it worries no one that a country with an Opposition splintered by brute force is a sign of a failing democracy. The casual cleansing of politicians who join the BJP is easily justifiable. They did the right thing for the nation and have, therefore, been rewarded. This narrative fits perfectly with how Modi and Amit Shah portray themselves. They are warriors of and for the nation, protecting and establishing a Hindutva raj. Either we concede and join them, or be vanquished. This is a war in which there are no rules, let alone constitutional morality.
What about us, the people who elected these individuals to the positions that they are using as trading chips? A glance at our social media feeds reveals much about how we feel about the transpiring events. There is little outrage about the ethics of such behaviour. There is laughter and satire, but anger is limited. Parallelly, there are celebrations of the cleverness of Shah who many seem to credit for these defections. The moniker, Chanakya, is used to cheer the man and his back-room operations. Even those who oppose Shah applaud his stagecraft. Opposition parties are teased for not being able to keep their flock together. There is an inherent justification for such actions. Though not expressed overtly, one gets the feeling that many do not seem to mind that money is possibly trading hands or politicians are just covering their backs. Those who oppose the BJP feel helpless, unable to respond to this systematic onslaught. But even as they whine about the powerful and wily BJP, there is little discomfort about what we have done to ourselves. It makes me wonder if the same schemes will be in place when another party emerges on top some time in the future.
The problem does not lie at this moment when we are witnessing these shenanigans. It lies in the moment when we cast our vote. Everyone, including flag-bearing liberals, is afraid to call out the voter. Just because voters make a choice, and a fair number backed a political outfit, does not mean that the choice needs to be accepted uncritically. Respecting the voters’ decision is essential but that does not mean the voter is always right. In our need to acknowledge the miracle of electoral democracy, we have shied away from critiquing ourselves: the voters. This is not a critique of just those who voted for the BJP but of all of us irrespective of whom we supported. The vote has always been tainted by the ills that plague our societies. Choices are not about the greater good but are often governed by immediate needs and are clouded by irrationality. Caste, religion, language, ethnicity, and gender take precedence in which way the electorate swings.
We, the voters, are gullible because we have been kept that way by our political class. This line will upset many and some may accuse me of being elitist. But, pause for a moment and think about our choices. Irrespective of class, social standing, or education, parochiality has always sullied our selection. The lack of political literacy is, without doubt, a bane. Every political party prefers a socio-politically divided citizenry until its own existence comes into question. There is also the cynical voter who does not care because he/she believes nothing will change. According to the Constitution, we elect MLAs and MPs, not political parties. Reality tells us something else. Citizens vote for the party and not the candidate. This means that individuals shifting sides becomes irrelevant to our minds. We continue to vote according to the face of the leader and the party symbol. This is not the democracy we envisioned. Ironically, the first time the expression, ‘political party’, entered our Constitution was when the anti-defection law was brought into the Tenth Schedule.
Our politics needs urgent unshackling and that must begin with us — We, the People of India. This freedom must come from within and has to be much bigger than demanding changes in laws and policies. We need to empower ourselves politically and change the way we vote. It will take a generation or more for this to happen, but we need to start now.
T.M. Krishna is a leading Indian musician and a prominent public intellectual