Passage Based Questions: Logical Reasoning - 8
Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions. Try yourself: Consider the following statements and answer accordingly
In a recent debate in Parliament BJP MP from Bhopal Pragya Singh Thakur suggested that Nathuram Godse-Mahatma Gandhi's murderer-was a deshbhakt or 'nationalist'. Pragya's Godse -bhakti has led to outrage. An embarrassed BJP has called her views 'condemnable'. The party seems to have coerced her into giving an apology and she's been dropped from a parliamentary panel on defence.
Yet the Pragya brand of strident Hindutva nationalism has been mainstreamed over the years. Large sections of voters endorse this way of thinking without realising the price they are paying in terms of their own personal liberties by doing so .After all, hard Hindutva brooks no dissent nor does it tolerate disagreement. It is focussed on a perpetual search for the 'enemy' both real and imaginary, a mindset which suppresses the free-spiritedness of spiritual Hinduism.
Today a vote bank driven electoral process is creating communalism and communal thinking. Over the years the Hindu vote bank has been assiduously cultivated and Pragya is only a visible example of what is increasingly considered an acceptable version of 'nationalism'. In spite of her views, Pragya won the Bhopal election by over three lakh votes, defeating two-time former CM Digvijaya Singh.
The BJP leadership's attempts to ostracise Pragya smack of hypocrisy. She was given a ticket to contest from the prestigious Bhopal seat even though at the time she was a terror accused under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, out on bail only on health grounds. Her endorsement of Godse's brand of violent religiosity under the garb of 'nationalism' pre-dates her parliamentary debut. During her campaign too she praised Godse as a true patriot. Responding to that, the PM said he would "never be able to forgive her fully" and party president Amit Shah spoke of disciplinary proceedings. We still don't know what 'disciplinary' action has actually been taken.
Since the Ayodhya agitation those who've spoken the language of militant Hindutva have been consistently rewarded. In the 1990s, Vinay Katiyar was repeatedly chosen by BJP to represent the party. Another hard Hindutva proponent Sakhi Maharaj is a multiple term BJP MP and yet another, Yogi Adityanath now holds the high post of CM. Each of these leaders has been used at various times to spur a sense of Hindu victimhood which effectively translates into majoritarian politics.
Assertion(A) : Pragya is only a visible example of what is increasingly considered an acceptable version of “nationalism”
Reason(R) : Vote bank driven electoral process is creating communalism and communal thinking.
Try yourself: Which of the following statements from the passage support the statement
“Since the Ayodhya agitation those who have spoken the language of militant Hindutva have been consistently rewarded.”
Try yourself: According to the author Hindu victimhood is used as the a card to effectively translate into majoritarian politics. This implies
Try yourself: According to the passage ‘Hard Hindutva is characterised by which of the following’
Try yourself: Consider the following statements from the passage and answer accordingly
Assertion(A) : In a recent debate in Parliament BJP MP from Bhopal Pragya Singh Thakur suggested that Nathuram Godse-Mahatma Gandhi murderer-was a deshbhakt or nationalist.
Reason(R) : Her endorsement of Godse’s brand of violent religiosity under the garb of ‘nationalism’ pre-dates her parliamentary debut.
