On the eve of the results of the Indian elections, Rajagopal PV, leader of the voiceless peasant movement Ekta Parishad, takes stock of the explosive political context of an election in which the big favorite was the outgoing Prime Minister, the Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi.
Rajagopal has been fighting for decades for non-violence and a development model favorable to all, in particular small farmers in rural areas, largely forgotten by Indian modernization. At the origin of large non-violent marches in line with Gandhi, the Indian activist had organized the “Jai Jagat”, a march, starting from Delhi in October 2019, which was to reach the United Nations headquarters in Geneva in September 20202 and which the pandemic had interrupted. He will be visiting Geneva in June. Interview.
What was the general context of these elections?
Rajagopal PV: Two blocs clashed: on one side, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) dominated by the far-right nationalist party in power, the BJP of Narendra Modi and, on the other, the India coalition around the party of Rahul Gandhi Congress. The substantive questions were not addressed as the political field is so polarized, as during the 2019 elections. The campaign focused on questions of religious communities. For example, last January, there was this very controversial inauguration of a Hindu temple in Ayodhya which mainly aimed to win the vote of this community. There was no political debate but two camps which promised free access to a certain number of goods. We are the opposite of the philosophy of Gandhi who dreamed of a self-sufficient Indian population.
Promises as programs
Being the one who promises the most in order to hope to collect the most votes: the phenomenon has always existed in India, but it has taken on crazy proportions in recent times. There was absolutely no talk of a vision or program for the country. This is a painful situation for democracy, which can also be observed in the United States. I would really like us to have real political debates for the future of my country.
In 2020, hundreds of thousands of farmers mobilized to obtain from the government of Narendra Modi the repeal of its agrarian reform. Protests resumed earlier this year. Where we are?
The major demonstrations of 2020-2021 had succeeded in obtaining the withdrawal of the much-criticized laws because the peasants were together, very largely united and relayed by unions and parties. This time, it was mainly farmers from the states of Punjab and Haryana who took to the road, without any real national scope. Which also exposed the divisions within the Indian agricultural world. Usually during an election period, the government prefers to discuss. This time, he did not even speak to the peasants and tried to crush their mobilization. This demonstrates that the Modi government is not willing to give in to the demands of farmers, especially on ensuring minimum support price for agricultural produce. Instead, he prefers to grant subsidies to agro-industrial firms, an old habit of Indian politicians.
And regarding the problem of land grabbing, a huge subject in India?
The issue of small landless farmers, and in particular peasant women, was not addressed during the campaign. On the social aspect, the BJP rather counted on the results of the “housing for all” program. (Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana) worn by Modi. They tried to make it appear that the Prime Minister had provided housing for millions of people by playing on the numbers. A bit like they did on the issue of toilets, results that are often unverifiable in terms of actual use.
The Congress party has no record to defend and they have talked about what they would do if they win, especially in terms of employment, because that is a huge challenge in our country. Congress promised parity in access to employment, a minimum income for each unemployed young person before their first job, etc. People seemed enthusiastic during the meetings, but little more, most of them knowing what to expect in terms of promises.
And you, the Ekta Parishad organization, were you involved in the electoral process?
The issue of landlessness and land grabbing has actually been completely absent from the campaign, so we are trying to put it at the heart of the political agenda by launching a new civil society platform based on the idea of Janadesh. But our presence was limited to 45 electoral districts out of 543.
NGOs become cautious
The government monitors civil society very closely and few NGOs want to take the risk of getting involved in the political field, fearing that their FCRA accreditation allowing them to receive funds from abroad will be revoked. So they have become much more cautious than before and are now limited to encouraging people to vote.
The Prime Minister only seems concerned with questions of religious communities and has notably increased discriminatory statements against Muslims. So you pit 80% of the population against the remaining 20%, dividing society between Hindus, Muslims, Christians, etc. It is very worrying, for all those who, like me, have fought for years for peace and harmony between communities, to see that hatred and discrimination are used to win elections. We know what will happen in the next five years if the BJP wins again.
There are still many people who do not want to see their country fractured by these divisions, wishing for community harmony and rejecting corruption for more democracy. It is on this line that the opposition coalition could take the advantage. But this is probably not what will happen, given the immense amount of money that has been invested by the current government to win, or the way in which the electoral commission and other organs of power have been exploited. Faced with this announced victory, it is difficult to reverse the situation. But if it ever did, in a world sliding irrevocably to the far right, it would be a relief in India and everywhere else.
You had planned to come to the UN in Geneva in September 2020 to promote non-violence as an instrument for implementing the 2030 Agenda for sustainability. In view of international news – wars in Ukraine, Gaza, etc. – and the fact that you will soon be visiting Europe, what message would you like to send to the international community?
I believe that we are experiencing an extremely perilous period of collective madness. Whether it is Ukraine, Palestine, but also less publicized conflicts like that in Myanmar, many seem to be sinking into a form of ideological madness, with humanity seeming to want to test all the weapons it has. The whole world is gradually being contaminated by far-right ideology.
In this moment of great tension, we need more than ever to strengthen non-violence. The number of people involved in nonviolent actions must increase. It is THE fundamental challenge. Most people I meet want a peaceful world. There is therefore immense space for peace and social movements for change. People simply need to do more to prove that nonviolence works. This is why I come to Europe, to participate in meetings and concretely consider how to mobilize as many people as possible using the tools of non-violence. Instead of staying at home moping, you need to get out and start taking action to change things.
