Pavan Varma's elite Hinduism vs 'lumpen' Hindutva.

Pavan Varma was a 1976 batch IFS officer- i.e he began his career during the Emergency and was initially indoctrinated in a Leftist ideology. However, after Mrs Gandhi returned to power, the ideological current reversed polarity. Rasgotra- a religious man- was considered to be the new Haksar. Rajiv Gandhi continued this trend- he sacked a Foreign Secretary who was appeasing Pakistan. Narasimha Rao was even more right wing. He sent Vajpayee to make India's case at the UN and quietly began the nuclear program which Vajpayee completed.

Varma was ambitious but didn't get very good postings. Still, he got permission to publish middle brow books- e.g. on Ghalib- and gravitated towards the cultural side of things- e.g. serving as head of the Nehru center.

Why did he take retirement to join Nitish Kumar? I think that his friends in Delhi considered Nitish to be the savior of Bihar which otherwise would be ruled by the uncouth Lalu and his family. However, Lutyen's Delhi overestimated Nitish's political strength. Those who spoke of him as a future Prime Minister were deluding themselves.

Varma was flatteringly referred to as Nitish's Chanakya. But he turned out to be a dud and Nitish expelled him from the party a year or two ago because Varma opposed CAA- i.e. he rejected the long settled Indian policy of giving citizenship to non-Muslim refugees. 

Varma is now in a pickle. Just recently, in West Bengal, Dalits have voted in large numbers for BJP due to CAA.  The hope of a Dalit-Muslim alliance has faded away. High Caste Chanakyas like Varma are considered useless because they are out of touch with the masses.

Worse still, these St. Stephanians aren't really particularly good at English. They aren't smart, they aren't sophisticated, they haven't made any real money or acquired genuine power. Who cares if they say 'Indian education is colonial. Students read Shakespeare not Kalidas. '? Modi doesn't have that education. Indeed, nobody bothers with either Shakespeare of Kalidas unless, like Varma, they have been reduced to being Professors at some private University like 'Symbiosis'. Indians have long held non-STEM subject education to be stupid shite you have to mug up to get a clerical job. But sycophancy is the skill you need to rise once you hit that meagre jackpot. Varma, like many ex-diplomats, had a swollen head. This prevented him from inserting his tongue up Nitish's backside in a deft and dexterous manner. That is why the poor fellow is now out in the cold. 

 Meanwhile some of Varma's colleagues, who deliberately kept in the background, have amassed wealth and influence by sticking to the time honored tradition of the Babu class. Varma feels left out. Thus he has published a book on Hinduism which pretends that Hindutva is its enemy. Tharoor has also done this but Tharoor can't attack Nehru. Varma can. But he is not able to point to any political force which represents Hindu civilization other than the BJP. Thus his book is self-defeating.

Karan Thapar has interviewed Varma for the Wire. 

In an interview to mark the publication of his new book The Great Hindu Civilisation, Pavan Varma has launched one of the strongest criticisms of the BJP and RSS claiming: “The top BJP and RSS leadership…have been complicit and collusive in seriously eroding India’s commitment to pluralism, religious harmony, respect for all faiths, civilised dialogue and rule of law.”

Hindu civilization was committed to Hinduism. The British, however, were committed to non-interference with religion and to upholding  'the rule of law' so Commerce might flourish.

 In 1946, Hindus voted overwhelmingly for Congress and Muslims voted overwhelmingly for the Muslim League which was committed to the creation of Pakistan. Thus when India became independent, Muslims were given short shrift. Muslims were stripped of reservations and affirmative action. Hindi written in Devanagari was made the official language. Muslims who had crossed the border in panic were denied citizenship. Cow protection was made a Directive Principle. Junagadh and Hyderabad were incorporated into India against the wishes of their rulers. Indian troops protected the Muslims of the Valley from the rapists and looters that the Pakistanis had sent in. 

Far from there being 'religious harmony', Nehru presided over the biggest pogrom of Muslims in the history of the country. The Custodian of Evacuee (later Enemy) Property continued to harass wealthy Muslims till they left for Pakistan. The one or two token Muslims in the Cabinet were powerless. 

It was only after the rise of regional parties that Indira took trouble to secure the Muslim vote. But, initially this was a Brahmin-Harijan-Muslim strategy with Brahmins getting the power and perks. Once Indira felt Muslims were voting for other parties she took harsh action against them. Vajpayee and Advani knew very well that Indira- and later Rajiv- had stolen their clothes. They expected Rajiv to build the Ram Temple thus securing his dynasty's hold on the Hindus of the cow belt. The reason they launched Rath Yatra was so as to prevent their own political extinction. 

The former Rajya Sabha MP and diplomat says the BJP and RSS have “Talibanised Hinduism”. 

The RSS was set up by a Doctor in imitation of the Congress Seva Dal set up by a more prominent Doctor. Mahatma Gandhi 'Talibanised' Hinduism. Pundit Nehru reaped the reward. Indira was considered Durga. Rajiv was seen as Lord Ram. Sonia genuinely was a 'pativrata'. Sadly, she listened to some stupid Leftists. It was they who gave Congress an anti-Hindu image. Imprisoning Sadhvis on bogus charges didn't help. 

Varma is also sharply critical of India’s elite who he says are both ignorant of and unconcerned about India’s great Hindu culture and civilisation. He also criticises Amartya Sen and Romila Thapar for not accepting that India’s great past is a product of its Hindu faith and for their refusal to accept the term “Hindu civilisation”.

Thapar is a Khattri. Sen is a Baidya. They naturally resent Hinduism because Brahmins have had a bigger role in it. 

Finally, Pavan Varma is also deeply critical of Jawaharlal Nehru. In Varma’s interpretation, Nehru’s understanding and appreciation of India’s culture and civilisation was more romanticised than based on actual knowledge. He says: “Nehru’s view of India’s past was of dismissal and impatience”. He says Nehru showed “a deliberate disdain of Indian culture and specifically of Hindu civilisation”.

That may be. But in the Fifties, Socialism was the fashion. Everybody was pretending that Religion is the Opium of the masses. 

In a 40-minute interview to Karan Thapar for The Wire, Varma says the BJP and RSS’s Hindutva “has given the leadership of the great Hindu civilisation to the rabble,

Varma feels he belongs to a superior caste and class than the P.M or the President. This 'Chanakya' is as stupid as shit. How can you prevent merit rising to the top if there is equality before the law?

 and unleashed the forces that in their misplaced evangelism are trampling with impunity upon the delicate and refined tapestry and enormous wisdoms of the very faith and civilisation such forces claim to defend.”

The fact is India's caste system made it militarily weak. The Kshatriyas may have been brave warriors but they kept fighting among themselves. Thus the 'delicate and refined tapestry' of Casteist stupidity led to India's conquest by people of an alien faith. If India is to rise up, it must trample that shite just as England trampled the 'Norman-Saxon' caste division and the French trampled the 'Frank-Gaul' distinction and so on and so forth. 

Hindutva means the 'tattva' (essence) of Hinduism- i.e. what is true of the Religion in all possible worlds. We can easily imagine a world where there is no discrimination on the basis of birth or gender. The Hinduism which would obtain there is 'Hindutva'. It can easily defend itself because all of the people will fight for it. It can raise up the country educationally and economically because all of the people benefit equally.  Religion is a social phenomenon whose job is to make life better for its votaries.

All this is obvious to even a small child. But Varma needs very special education. 

In the interview (and in his book) he identifies 10 serious consequences of this lumpen Hindu leadership.

The only one he cares about is the fact that a 'lumpen' Ghanchi and a Dalit are Prime Minister and President respectively. Nitish is Kurmi. He was sensible enough to get rid of a stupid 'Chanakya'. 

 Four are of particular importance. First, “it has no compunction in resorting to violence to impose its views”. 

Very true. IFS officers were constantly saying 'we must appease Pakistan. We should have more 'Confidence Building Talks'. Then Modi bombed a Terrorist training camp on their side of the border. Suddenly, Pakistan accepted the Indian view on cross-border terrorism. 

It may be that people of a particular religion believe God wants them to wage war on those of other faiths. However this duty only arises if the other side won't fight back. According to Religious law, it is perfectly okay to make a truce if the other side is likely to win.

Second, “the dominant emotion is hatred of the ‘other’,

Varma, by contrast wants to give terrorists lots of hugs and kisses. But his hatred for Modi is genuine enough.

 others being defined as primarily muslims”. 

Though the vast majority of terrorists are Episcopalians while the remainder are Quakers.

Third, “it has scant regard for the rule of law”. 

Varma thinks the law should prevent 'lumpen' Ghanchis and Dalits from holding high office. 

Fourth, “it has little problem in conflating religion with patriotism”.

Gandhi in 1939 said 'Congress is a Hindu party'. Yet he demanded that Congress alone decide the future of the country.

Varma says this has seriously damaged India’s democracy and secularism and that behind the claim of promoting Hinduism and Hindu culture, the BJP has actually ended up distorting and hollowing it out.

Because Hindu culture is completely hollow if Varma is not recognized as a brilliant 'Chanakya'. 

 He specifically and repeatedly calls this “the Talibanisation of Hinduism”.

This cretin doesn't seem to understand that the Taliban has defeated America and taken control of Afghanistan. Mahatma Gandhi 'Talibanized' India. That's why the Brits had to leave. 

As a result, Varma says Hinduism and Hindu civilisation face a crisis today. As he puts it: “…Instead of the genuine Hindu renaissance that should have unfolded, 

One in which Varma would be recognized not just as the Chanakya of the Age but also the Kalidasa. The fact is Varma is a product of Nehruvian India. He knows shit about Hinduism. 

we are witnessing the hate-filled trivialisation of that great legacy.”

One which you can only learn by studying with Upadhyays and Acharyas.

Varma also launches a strong critique of India’s elite. He says they are ignorant of the country’s rich Hindu culture and civilisation.

He certainly is.

 The school syllabus does not teach it and, he says, Indians are more familiar with Shakespeare and Dickens than Kalidasa.

Very true. Go into any jhuggi or jhompdi and you will hear the poor people who live there quoting Shakespeare in between reading Dickens. This stupid cretin does not get that English people are only familiar with Shakespeare and Dickens because they wrote in the modern version of the language. They can't read the Dream of the Rood because it is written in archaic language. 

Speaking about Amartya Sen and Romila Thapar he says they are two examples of scholars who are extremely knowledgeable of India’s history, culture and civilisation but have deliberately and consciously chosen to deny its Hindu origin, and thus call it a Hindu civilisation, because they are apprehensive that if they do so it will encourage majoritarian tendencies and Hindu revivalism.

No. It is because they are Leftists in a country which has learned the hard way that Leftists are shit. The plain fact is the word Hindu is more closely associated with Brahmins than 'kshatriyas' (like Thapar) whereas Buddhism can be passed off as an anti-Brahmin revolt led by those Princes. Sen's Baidya caste had the highest literacy in English of any group save Eurasians in the Nineteen Thirties. But most considered the Brahmo sect to be a separate religion. Sadly, Courts have refused to uphold their demand to be classed as a minority religion. In any case, the sect has practically disappeared. 

In Jawaharlal Nehru’s case, Varma argues that the first prime minister romanticised India’s great past but did not know very much about it. In the interview he gives details and examples of how Nehru’s books are more knowledgeable about the Mughals than the earlier preceding Hindu period. He quotes sentences from The Discovery of India to suggest Nehru was dismissive of India’s Hindu past. Two of those sentences are: “India must break with much of her past and not allow it to dominate the present … our lives are encumbered with the dead wood of the past; all that is dead and has served its purpose must go.”

This was perfectly reasonable. Motilal Nehru had helped break the 'kala pani' taboo for his community. But his daughter was not allowed to marry a Muslim. It should be noted that Nehru's family had been Persian scholars who served the Mughals. Thus it was natural for him to know more about that period. However, his brother-in-law was a fine Sanskrit scholar who translated Kalhan.

In the interview (and his book) Pavan Varma is also searingly critical of the Islamic conquest. He writes: “Hindu civilisation had never seen conquerors like the Islamic Turkic invaders, who were so blindly committed to the destruction of a culture, so fanatically driven by a belief in the superiority of their religion, so unrelenting in their hatred for those not belonging to it and so passionate about the need to convert unbelievers.”

Conversions and ethnic cleansing is still happening. Fire can only be fought with fire. The Taliban have won in Afghanistan because they were fighting an elderly academic who, ludicrously, was an expert on 'failed states'. 

In response to questions from The Wire that this is how all conquerors in every part of the world and every period of history have behaved, Varma insists that even if that is true, then Hindu civilisation had never faced anything like this before.

This is proved by the fact that it has all but disappeared in Pakistan.

In The Wire interview it is pointed out to Varma that Pushpamitra Shunga in the 2nd century BC also destroyed hundreds if not thousands of monasteries and killed thousands of monks in an attempt to eradicate Buddhism.

According to texts which say he was supported by demons of various sorts. However every actual monastery was saved by a miracle. This explained why no ruined monasteries could be found (demons must have eaten them) while all ancient monasteries showed no sign of damage whatsoever. 

 Varma claims that the Islamic conquest was worse in terms of degree. He does not accept that the truth could be we know more about the atrocities of the Muslim/Mughal period and a lot less about Pushpamitra Shunga because the former is a lot closer in time and better recorded.

These cretins don't get that Buddhism survived in India till the Muslims destroyed their monasteries. Hindus simply hadn't harmed Buddhism in any way because it was the ambition of every smart high caste lad to go study at their Universities. To this day, Buddhist Kings employ Brahmin priests. They can intermarry with Hindu princesses and worship in Hindu Temples and vice versa. 

Finally, Varma said knowledgeable commentators have deliberately suppressed knowledge and details of the atrocities that occurred right through the years of Muslim rule. He says: “The suppression of historical truth…was part of a planned design by a combination of politicians, historians and commentators for decades after 1947.”

That's true enough. Sadly, Varma is too ignorant to prove his point.

However, when questioned what proof Varma has of such “a planned design”, which is tantamount to a conspiracy, he says this is his interpretation and he has every right to make it.

He also had the right to do some proper research before shooting his mouth off.

Varma, like many diplomats, overestimated the power and influence of elites. Look at what happened in Afghanistan. Diplomats were impressed by Ghani's erudition. They believed that elites in Kabul must have some secret plan to neutralize the Taliban. They were wrong. Elites are useless. Only the 'lumpen' masses can save a country from alien rule. Elites may find this vulgar, but there is no alternative. The problem with Nehru was that he chose 'begging bowl' diplomacy rather than trusting the Indian peasant to grow food. His elite chums had 'export pessimism'- i.e. thought the Indian businessman was no match for the foreign entrepreneur. Nehru's elite wouldn't even let Indian airpower be used against the Chinese nor to permit a mass insurgency in Tibet. 

You must trust your own people otherwise, in a democracy, you will be rudely shouldered aside so that the 'lumpen element' can raise up the country. Valmiki was lumpen. So was Kalidasa. That is one reason they didn't just rise to greatness but pulled up the people along with them.