Connecting the 3 M’s
Of the three M’s, Mirabai may be the least familiar name to the younger generation but the other two have been front and center in Bharat (that is India) media. In recent weeks, the three were in the news as a landmark of the Hinduism renaissance and the possible impact on the current political landscape.
The landslide victory in the Hindi heartland, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh, have clearly reinforced Modi Magic. I surmise that the strong BJP win in Rajasthan also has something to do with Mirabai, her birthplace, and devotion to Lord Krishna.
The readers may recall that Modi was in Mathura on November 23 to celebrate the 525th birth anniversary of Mirabai. He released a commemorative stamp and coin in her honor. The ‘numero uno’ political strategist, Modi, never misses an opportunity to achieve his political targets.
Connecting the three M’s, Modi reminded people of Rajasthan from Mathura, “The family of Mirabai and the people of Rajasthan sacrificed everything they had for the protection of our religious sites. The people of Rajasthan stood in between like a wall so that the soul of India could be protected. This event reminds us of that sacrifice and bravery.”
This master stroke served him in at least two ways. An indirect but strategic political campaign directed at Rajasthan from the neighboring state when Rajasthan was off-limits for campaign rallies. Secondly, he sent a deep-rooted message toward the revival of the forgotten Mirabai, a 16th-century Hindu mystic and poetess.
Modi also related Mirabai to women empowerment. He said, “‘Bharat’ has always been a country that worships women. They have not only assumed responsibilities but also guided the society, and Sant Meera Bai is an example of this.” In my informed view, these strategies and narratives paid off in BJP’s victory in Rajasthan. Going forward, Modi will make Mathura’s development and a call for freeing Krishna Janmabhoomi as the strong fixtures in the 2024 parliamentary campaign.
Mirabai, also known as Meera, is widely regarded as one of the greatest saints in the Bhakti movement, expressing her devotion to Lord Krishna through her poetry and songs. I fondly remember her devotional songs as part of the school curriculum in a limited way.
In the post-independent years, the “browns” leading India for decades, discredited Hinduism, Sanatan Dharma, and Hindu icons like Lord Ram and Krishna. The Modi mantra and actions are rooting out anti-Hindu policies one at a time. During his leadership, concerted efforts were underway for the strong revival of devotional and cultural traditions of Hinduism by saints like Mirabai.
Mathura, as we know, is the birthplace of Lord Krishna dating back to 3,228 BCE. Both Mathura and its twin city Vrindavan are historically sacred places of worship with great religious significance in Hinduism. Without going into the sad history of the destruction of numerous Hindu Mandirs by Muslim invaders, litigation is ongoing to get the Mandir land in Mathura vacated which was illegally occupied by Muslims.
The Hindu litigants want Mathura’s glory restored with Krishna’s Janmasthan freed for good. The litigation has many parallels with the Supreme Court’s landmark decision to free the land of Ram Janma Bhoomi in Ayodhya. Hindus are hoping to have a similar landmark decision to free Krishna Janmabhoomi from unlawful possession by Muslims.
I dare add another M for Masjid, many of which were built on Mandir sites and grounds. Regrettably, Masjid are not only the place of prayers for Muslims but also where many hard-core Muslims and their clerics assemble to hatch plans for communal riots, unrest, and anti-Hindu propaganda. These Masjids were built on Mandir grounds and are now being disputed by awakened Hindus.
For example, the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya was disputed which led to a historic legal triumph. The litigation in Varanasi continues to free the Gyanvapi Masjid, illegally occupied by Muslims for generations. Can anyone doubt that Gyanvapi itself is no Urdu word; why would anyone use a Hindi/ Sanskrit name for a masjid? Similarly, the Shahi Eidgah Masjid in Mathura is a source of contention and its fate is in the Court’s hands.
What does the future hold for Bharat? If there was any shadow of doubt for Modi’s third term as Prime Minister, the recent State Assembly polls leave no doubts. The question is what some of the magic mantras and media narratives will be deployed by Modi?
He is sure to continue a campaign for corruption-free and Congress-free Bharat. He will embrace the welfare/ empowerment of four “jatis,” namely the youth, women, poor, and farmers. Modi will strengthen his message of Sab ka saath, vikas, prayas, and vishwas for all. Modi will continually remind of 2047 for the new Bharat to be fully developed, self-reliant, the world’s number one economy, and its preeminence as Vishwa Guru.
He will deploy ED for investigations with greater intensity to bring the guilty to justice and punish to the fullest extent of the law. Likely victims are political big names- the duo of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, Kejriwal with others from his AAP party already behind bars, and Mamata Banerjee and her cronies to name a few. Many others are also under the scanner of ED.
On the political strokes, Modi has already done the background work for the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). Don’t be surprised if UCC becomes a reality and enacted in 2024 similar to CAA in 2019. Bharat needs UCC to root out special privileges for a particular group of people.
Another expectation is to permanently close the PoK chapter and declare undivided Kashmir as a legitimate part of Bharat. The neighbours must come to realize what the new emerging Bharat stands for economically, militarily, and politically. Gone are the days of terrorism from across the border by Pakistan and continuous border skirmishes and attempts of land grab by China.
Mathura and Mirabai are only the conduit for sleepy Hindus to be awakened. Modi, in his third term, with a very strong BJP presence in the State Assemblies, is sure to build a stronger and respected Bharat to reclaim its lost glorious past.
Jai Bharat where Krishna in Mathura, Ram in Ayodhya, and saint like Mirabai walked.
Note:
1. Text in Blue points to additional data on the topic.
2. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.
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Formerly, a researcher in Italy, Japan, and France, he has widely travelled and came to the US in 1978. He was a faculty and academic administrator in several different universities in PA, TX, NJ, MN, WI, and NY, and an Executive Fellow in the White House S&T Policy during the Clinton administration.
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