‘The BJP wants to consolidate Hindu vote bank... to divide, create, rupture’

Sitaram Yechury

was the students’ union president of JNU in 1977-78. Now he’s the Marxist chief, lashing out at the Narendra Modi government and its attempt to whip up nationalism like ‘Hitler and Mussolini’. The CPI(M) general-secretary speaks to

Sanjay Basak

and

Namrata Biji Ahuja

on the government crackdown on JNU.

Do you support anti-national slogans raised in the Jawaharlal Nehru University

From day one we have been saying that you identify the culprits and take necessary action under law based on credible evidence. But, it seems, even the so-called evidence is fabricated. So what is the game What is happening

If you have credible evidence of anti-national activities then, by all means, take action. Instead, you are whipping up jingoism and trying to create a feeling of hatred against that university. And, mind you, it is not only restricted to the JNU; this is just the beginning.

Are some external forces controlling the government I believe this government — with directions from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh — has unleashed an insurrection against the constitutional republic of India.

Can you elaborate The Film and Television Institute of India, the Hyderabad Central University They are not merely targeting the autonomy, but also playing caste politics. In Hyderabad the target was dalit students and one of them was forced to take the extreme step of committing suicide. The same thing is now happening in Jadavpur University. This is a design to transform the education system and create an ideological prop to change secular, democratic republic of India into a rabidly intolerant fascist Hindu rashtra.

It’s being said that the JNU is becoming a hub of anti-national activity. That’s what the government is claiming. We are asking them to show the evidence The evidence is all doctored and it is being proved now. It is only using the JNU as a peg to attack every force in the country that has a potential to stand up against it.

Now what is this JNU being the hub of anti-national activities

Today the top bureaucrats, the heads of Prime Minister’s “Make in India” project are from the JNU, the head of the Institute for Defence and Strategic Analysis — a think tank for defence establishment — is from JNU. Look at the Indian Foreign Service, Indian Administrative Service and Indian Police Service, look at the media, look at public life, look at the research institutions and look at the academia, majority of the people in these fields are from JNU. This is what Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel called the steel frame that keeps our country together and the protected.

Nationalism is one of the characteristics of fascism. Do you think the government is going in that direction That’s exactly what we are saying. It’s a replay of how nationalism and jingoism used by Hitler. Recall the name of Hitler’s party — the Nationalist Socialist party. Today, in Europe, nationalism is not a good word; it’s used by the most reactionary of the reactionary forces. This is precisely what is happening in India. It’s like those who are with us are nationalists and those who are against are anti-national. It’s a “we” and “them” divide that’s being created.

What’s wrong if the government talks about nationalism Like Hitler and Mussolini, the government is now playing the nationalism card. This government has two objectives. One is to transform our education system. Blend Indian history with Indian mythology and replace Indian philosophy with theology.

The second objective is to divert people’s attention from its all-round failure. There have been abject failures in all areas — be it the economy, the foreign policy, or managing our relations with the neighbours.

Do you oppose hoisting of the tricolour on Central universities The human resources and development minister, Smriti Irani, said that the government would hoist 207-foot huge tricolours in Central universities. I say please do but remember the size of the tricolour in our heart is much bigger and larger than the largest thing they can find.

There has been criticism that the Left parties were not coming out on the streets but merely giving statements. The first day the protest began we went to JNU. We started this whole movement. On Thursday, February 18, the students’ march against the crackdown on JNU virtually shook the throne of the rulers. Nobody had seen anything like this before. Thousands of students came out on the streets holding roses. Now there is no need to say it’s a Left movement or the movement of any other party. It has become a movement of the people.

Who all have come out in your support On Saturday we met the President to raise the JNU issue. The Janata Dal (United), the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Nationalist Congress Party, the Aam Aadmi Party all of them were with us. Rahul Gandhi came with me to JNU.

Do you think this is a strategy of the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the Assembly polls in crucial states — West Bengal, Assam and later Uttar Pradesh Absolutely. The BJP’s only political weapon to get votes is to whip up jingoism and communal passion. Unless you spread the poison of communalism and communal discord, the BJP does not get any weightage. It is playing the worst kind of politics right now. It is hoping that such polarisation on the basis of communalism and jingoism will help the BJP in Assam, West Bengal and Kerala that have a large chunk of Muslim population. They want to consolidate the Hindu vote bank. The attempt is to divide, create and rupture.

If one has to choose between extreme nationalism and corruption, what should one do Who is saying that nationalist jingoism is free from corruption Within its first six months, the National Democratic Alliance government faced charges of corruption — the Indian Premier League scandal, Vyapam case, rice scam in Chhattisgarh, scams in Maharashtra — they all are tumbling out of the saffron cupboard.

In Parliament, I told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he has even beaten the record of Dr Manmohan Singh. All corruption scams hit the United Progressive Alliance after the seventh year of its rule. Corruption and scams hit the NDA in seven months! Therefore, it is not corruption versus nationalistic jingoism but nationalistic jingoism and corruption and anti-people economic policies all rolled into one.

Do you think it is Mr Modi’s failure to rein in saffron fringe elements Nothing could have happened without the government’s patronage. The Modi government is the political arm of the RSS.