And the Kulkarni treatment
It was inevitable for Modi’s style of governance to encourage extreme-right tendencies in the mainstream, especially those based on anti-Pakistan sentiment. But, more seriously, the debate on Indian media suggests that cancelling Pakistani artists’ concerts, killing for cow slaughter, and indeed the Sudheendra Kulkarni episode, might just be the tip of the iceberg. Some of the press, especially the English part, was put off by the threats to Kasuri and black paint thrown on Kulkarni, and called it a blot on democracy, alongside reports that Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray defended and honoured the paint-throwers at his residence.
It makes matters worse that the Indian government chooses to remain quiet about such incidents. BJP had reason to come out in defnce of Kulkarni, which is why a small part of it did. He was one of the core members of the Vajpayee team, even wrote most of the prime minister’s speeches back in the day. Of late, though, he’s had issues with the party driving a little too much to the right-of-centre as it came to power again. And those differences have now earned him the Shiv Sena attributed title of Pakistan ka chamcha, which comes with its share of threats, of course.
This means, unfortunately, that those in charge in India are fine with the public discourse drifting further to the right. The government, supposedly duty bound to check abuse of freedom of speech and protest, seems in no mood to intervene. If anything, it is widely seen as cheer-leading the anti-Pakistan bandwagon, which has a visible political and economic spillover. Yet both Kasuri and Kulkarni must be appreciated for taking the bull by the horns, and refusing to cave in despite the despicable show by Shiv Sena, and the authorities’ complete inability to stop the attack. They are right that eventually both sides will have to talk out their differences. Till then, the more they posture towards confrontation, the more they only delay the inevitable return to negotiations. And only extremists like Shiv Sena win in the meantime.