Ganesh Chaturthi must be an event of faith, festivity, and cultural harmony and not yet another battleground of political contestation. It is hence pertinent that the accusation made by Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar against the BJP of making Ganesh Chaturthi a communal affair is taken seriously into consideration. As per Shivakumar, processions of Ganesh will be allowed, but they will be peaceful.
The more pressing question is whether such religious festivals are being transformed into a means of political mobilisation. While the BJP has defined itself as a national political party on the basis of Hindutva, there is a significant difference between the celebration of Hindu culture and the use of religion as a tool for political polarisation. The government of Karnataka is quite correct in insisting that these celebrations remain peaceful, so long as such a condition is uniformly enforced without infringing on religious freedom.
This criticism is also rooted in history. The last BJP government in Karnataka witnessed controversies over the changing of textbooks, which resulted in demonstrations by writers, academics, Dalits and religious groups. These changes were seen as an imposition of Hindutva through the altering or omission of content and inclusion of a speech by an RSS founder.
This is why the present political stand-off is even more critical. If the BJP is serious about there being unjust restraints on Ganesh Chaturthi processions, then it needs to fight it out legally. However, every administrative row being turned into one between Hindus and the government can only mean that devotion is being used as a political weapon.
It is for this reason that the present political struggle holds great significance. If the BJP leaders feel that the Ganesh Chaturthi processions are restricted in an unjust manner, they can use democratic means to contest those restrictions. But politicizing every administrative issue in the form of a struggle between Hindus and the government will only turn devotion into a political weapon.
