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by Lynn Ockersz

The intensifying opposition faced by Indian Prime Minister Atal Beharee Vajpayee to his renewed efforts to improve Indo-Pakistani relations is a measure of the extent to which the Indian State is being pressurised by Hindu ultra-nationalist groups to compromise its secular founding ideals.

Pravin Tagodia, described as a senior leader of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad or World Hindu Council, which was accused last year of being closely linked to the Hindu-Moslem riots in India's Gujarat state which claimed some 2000 persons, was quoted as saying that the peace initiative by the Indian government, "comes as a body-blow to the brave personnel of the security forces who are daily sacrificing their lives to defend the country against Pakistan's evil designs."

Rejecting the Vajpayee administration's efforts to seek a constructive engagement with Pakistan to de-escalate Indo-Pakistani tensions, Tagodia further said that, "Time has now come for India to decide whether it should surrender its children, innocent civilians and soldiers to the Pak-sponsored AK-47s or take the Jehadi Pakistan and terror network head on." These comments also come at a time when India has decided, for the first time, to hold talks with Kashmir's main separatist alliance.

To the credit of the Vajpayee government it should be said that it has thus far, refused to fall in line with right-wing Hindu demands and has managed to perpetuate the multi-religious, multi-ethnic and non-sectarian character of the Indian State, although right wing Hindu groups, such as the VHP, are portrayed as close to the ruling BJP.

There is, however a substantial difference between secular, democratic governance, which involves governments in holding the scales evenly between a country's ethnic groups and their competing demands and politicking for power, which may compel power aspirants to build their support bases by pandering to ethnic prejudices and populist sentiments.

The BJP finds itself in the former position, whatever its past relations may have been with right-wing Hindu interests. When it comes to governance in the Indian context, no ruling political party could be seen as placating one cultural or religious group at the excessive expense of the other.

Besides the secular foundations of the Indian State, pragmatic, power calculations prevent a ruling party from pandering too much to the demands of a particular pressure group (s) because this would erode its support base among other social groups and forces. The BJP government finds itself in this position but this situation serves the cause of Indian unity quite well.

On the other hand, the VHP's demand that the State refrains from following reconciliation measures with Pakistan, points to the persisting pressure for the relentless ethnicization and religious colouration of Indian politics.

If hardline pressure groups such as the VHP, are to remain in contention, Pakistan needs to be continuously portrayed as India's archetypal enemy. For, these groups, draw their support and sustenance from the agenda of projecting Pakistan and the Moslem community at home as the "enemies" of the Hindus.

Regional peace and domestic ethnic and religious accord are sacrificed on the altar of political expedience and survival.

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