Decolonising Indology

On a recent visit to the Asiatic Society in Mumbai, Home Minister Amit Shah noted that Indology has been more a colonial narrative of India and less about the country’s true cultural and historical roots. He referred to the change in government in the state and the new committee at the Asiatic Society and expressed confidence that the storehouse of knowledge at the institution will be used for the welfare of the country and society. This, he said, is the responsibility of the institution’s new managing committee which has former Rajya Sabha member and senior BJP leader Vinay Sahasrabuddhe as president. According to Sahasrabuddhe, the institution needs to avoid an ivory tower character and needs to connect with youth over subjects like “Marathashahi” and other aspects of culture and history. Decolonisation is not the erasure of history, said Shah. Rather, it means placing history before the people in a complete, authentic manner and from an Indian perspective.

Gor’s Travels

Sergio Gor’s visit to Manipur when the BRICS summit was taking place disappointed the naysayer brigade as the US ambassador met BJP Chief Minister Yumnam Singh without apparent qualms, ignoring the narrative about suppression of non-Meiteis. He then visited Mumbai’s famous Lalbaugcha Raja Ganesha puja which went down poorly with the same anti-Hindutva brigade.

Lankan Sojourn

On his recent visit to Sri Lanka, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh emphasised India will stand with the island nation in any crisis, but he spoke at length about the strength of the Indian economy and the opportunities for trade and commerce. The message, it would seem, was carefully curated, intended to remind his audience about India’s proximity and its economic resilience as well as the implied comparison to China. At the height of the Lankan economic crisis, Indian assistance had come without strings attached while the Chinese took their time in agreeing to an IMF package.

Muted Allies

The reservations expressed by BJP allies JD(U), TDP and LJP over Home Minister Amit Shah’s comment that 21 NDA-ruled states would implement the Uniform Civil Code before the 2029 polls stand in contrast to the situation when the Vajpayee government was in office. NDA “partners”, including TDP, would practically issue diktats. The offer to “discuss” matters as offered by JD(U) is quite a change. TDP and LJP are equally careful, aware that the experiment that began in Uttarakhand is working well.

Rajasthan Civic Polls

The results of the Rajasthan municipal council polls demonstrate BJP’s continued lead over Congress after the Cockroach Janta Party unrest in June. Independents are the second-largest bloc but are hardly a consolidated entity. With BJP widening its lead over Congress, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma has received a shot in the arm.

Seva Teerth

BJP’s campaign to observe Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 76th birthday will emphasise welfare schemes which have been part of his governance philosophy. BJP President Nitin Nabin set the tone on the “service” element that reminds people of Modi as “Pradhan Sevak”.

Missing Photograph

Full-page advertisements about Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar completing 100 days in office could be seen as a routine PR exercise but the more discerning detected some noteworthy details. While paying due regard to his predecessor Siddaramaiah, the chief minister indicated a subtle shift towards a less caste-driven agenda while hailing social justice goals. For another, while images of Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara and Siddaramaiah were evident, that of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was absent.