What is a ‘Hindu Nationalist Party’?

Most of the ‘Western World’ and the pseudo secularists in India call the BJP (Bhartiya Janata Party) a ‘Hindu Nationalist Party’. With the same yard-stick, the Republican Party in America should be called “White Christian Nationalist Party”. Just think about it! If Republican Party has a couple of ‘Black Faces’ in the party, the BJP has a couple of ‘Muslim Faces’. The GOP (Grand Old Party), as the Republican Party is called, is predominantly Christian, the BJP is predominantly Hindu. Both the GOP and the BJP are highly nationalistic since both parties focus on defense and ‘National Security’. Then why this double standard? The answer is simple. The Bhartiya Janata Party is openly jingoistic while the GOP is covertly racist. When it comes to governance, both have been reasonably moderate but strong on ‘National Defense’. The problem is that ‘American National Defense’ is a legitimate national concern but when it comes to ‘Indian National Defense’, it is considered fundamentalism.

The BJP has never governed India on it’s own because it was always considered a regional party. The GOP on the other hand has ruled for more than 100 years, coming to power again and again. Once a nationalistic party rules for an extended period of time, it tends to become even more moderate. The compulsions of governance make a party less ideological and more pragmatic. BJP during it’s tenure from October 13, 1999 to May 22, 2004 was reasonably moderate and responsible. The only significant aberration was the 2002 communal riots in Gujarat that were shameful to say the least. Not to forget that they were instigated by the minority community. The Congress Party that claims to be the moral conscience of the country was in charge at the time of 1984 Hindu-Sikh riots. Talk of Congress hypocrisy or Western connivance! It was the British Empire in India that introduced communal riots to divide and rule and American complicity with Pakistan to keep the pot boiling.