India in a mode of clashes between old and neo elites

India in a mode of clashes between old and neo elites

India is in a mode of clashes between old and neo elites. To me, old elites are those descendants of Hindu-Muslim combination in per-British India. That combination was very much effective and formulated by the Great Mogul Emperor Akbar in the mid 16^th century A.D. Within two generations after Him, this empire on Rajput-Mogul alliance faced various politico-economic problems: corruption, natural disasters, agricultural crisis, and wastage of huge amount of ransom in wars and through conspicuous consumption of luxury items and establishment of mega-structures by the government. Later Moguls therefore held taxation on the rich Hindus involved in businesses and big-scale agricultural production units. Hindus were habituated to offer gold and huge bulk of wealth to their religious organizations that was severely criticized by Islam. Islam was established by the Arabs and they believed in trade oriented economy; so Islam better preferred to rotation of the wealth rather than storing it in religious places. However, the Muslims empowered in India were not the Arabs but they were basically Turk descendants intermingled with Indians, Afghans, Central Asians as well as Mongols. At the time of Mogul Empire, power center in the Islamic World was shifted from Arab World to the Turks who in the post-Crusade Mediterranean enjoyed a huge reputation like the Germans in Europe. Germans did not believe in trade but on production, so was the situation among the Duchy of Poland and Lithuania, Russian Jar (protector of Orthodox Christianity), Mongols and Turk tribes. So, in my opinion, Turks in the South Asian Sub-Continent were Muslims in religion but more production-oriented rather than traders and sailors. That performance brought them closer to the Shiite of Persia and Rajput estate-holders. But, economic crisis made them compelled to put extra pressure on the village economy and that was viewed by many as unethical intervention within the Hindu religious system. The Empire loosed a big quantity of money in taming the international trade routes and cotton-fields of South India. Sri Lanka, Tribankur, Thanjivur, Mysore and Coorg were on their own way; Ahamadnagar, Bijapur, Golkunda, Gulborga, Berar, Bidar, Warangal, Andhra and coast of Vizianagram were undertaken from Shiite and Hindu rulers into the hands of Mogul-Rajput alliance. But they failed to keep the place under their direct control and as a result of that, the post of Nizam was created in Hyderabad Deccan. The extreme south was previously in the hands of Arab rulers and they used the place as a transit route between South East Asia and the Arab world without disturbing the Hindu dominated agrarian social structure. So, the actual opposition was actually felt by the Mogul Padshahi from the localites in North India and Maratha people. Maratha elites had been previously very close to the Shiite rulers of Deccan and some religious movements were happened among these crude-Hindus that brought the lower section nearer to the upper castes. They under Shivaji refused to accept the Rajput-Mogul system over them. After the cleavage between Kolhapur and Pune, the political power was handed from the lower caste groups to the Brahmin Peshwa system. That system made a plan to established another Padshahi but under the supremacy of Hindu Marathas against the Moguls and their Hindu collaborates. They named it as Hindu Pad padshahi. That was again aided by various Estate holders. Of them, major were Sindhia, Holkar and Gaikoar at the trade route between Delhi and Gujarat through Chambal valley. Peshwa himself controlled the region of Marathwara and established an army of local guerillas of Western Ghats and Vindhyachala. That army created terror among the local political establishments of Central India segmented into the jurisdiction of Nabobs of Bhopal and Oudh (Lucknow) and the Nizam. The army often interfered into forest lands of Chhoto Nagpur and hilly Orissa fallen under the governance of Nabob of the Suba-e-Bangal. Those places were mostly populated by tribal groups who always believed in self-dignity, demanded for self-control, strongly denied any kind of foreign intervention and addressed themselves as the aboriginals of South Asia. During that period of economic meltdown, that would be not too wrong to imagine that these people under the sacred land of Gondwana were also faced some economic crises and accepted the protection provided by guerrilla army of Peshwa and other Maratha Lords. Even some Rajputs, local rulers of Gujarat, Jats of Yamuna-Ganges midland as well as Hindu landlords of Bundelkhand, Baghelkhand and North India were also primordially affected by the policies of Maratha rulers. But the Marathas failed to gain a pan-Indian acceptability- they failed to speak out about actually what was necessary to face off the economic challenge. Their system of army to many was less protective and more terror tolerating. However, Marathas were also accepted sovereignty of India and One-India policy drawn by the Mogul-Rajput alliance centering at Delhi and Agra. Nadir Shah of Persia and Abdali of Afghanistan attacked India and the result was loss of dignity of the Mogul throne and sovereignty. These attackers were all Muslims and at one time, many of their geography were within the boundaries of Mogul Empire. These Muslims were basically fragmented into innumerable tribal groups and devoid of their notion of self-control; previously they had to accept the supremacy of Mogul throne. The local chiefs of Sind, Beluchistan and Punjab were now also set free. Upon that situation, Ranjit Singh, a Sikh, tried to unite all the Muslim, Sikh and Hindu fragments in the Indus valley. He unified whole of the western Punjab and established indirect control over Jammu, Kashmir valley, Baltistan, Hunza and Tibet heights. From the historical documents, that could be believed that His Majesty was very much confused about the policies of the Marathas and watched carefully how the Sindhias gradually succeeded to get passive control over Jatland, Agra-Delhi region, Rajputana, Sikh estates of eastern Punjab and Rohilkhand- the gateway to Himachal Pradesh of the present day. For a unified Punjab, that was necessary to establish control over age-old trade routes of Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh with Tibet as well as river courses of Sindh. Central control over the Nabobs at various Subas (Provinces) was much reduced in due course and created various politico-economic problems for themselves. Often they failed to resolve these problems and indulged into self dispute. So, all these people were in my point of view old elites. We often connect them with religious identity; but religion was not everything but the cause and consequence of the economic problems prevailed in India. None of Marathas, Moguls, Ranjit Singh and Tipu Sultan appointed by the ancient royal family Mysore was the actual solution of that severe problem. They might try their best under certain circumstances but not with a pan-Indian vision. That vacuum was therefore filled later on by the foreign companies. They were actually encouraged by the Mogul Sovereignty as one of the various alternatives to revive the economy. Of them, French and British were proved to be the best competitors and afterwards, the British became the decision maker of India. British East India Company never ruled out the hegemony of the Mogul Badshahi and maintained good terms with the Nizam in South as well as various Royal Estates in Rajputna, Gujarat, eastern Punjab, Central India, Mysore, Coorge, Trivankur, Kashmir and North East. They successfully abolished the other outfits like the Marathas, Tipu Sultan and Ranjit Singh. They unified whole of the Indian Sub-Continent and secured all the borders. To do this, they made their policies with Arab countries, Iran, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim, Tibet, Burma and even China. All the gates to Chain such as Himalayan mountain passes, Tibeto-Burmese belt, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Hong Kong were subjected to the British targets. The production-oriented politico-economic Indian could never achieve such goals that the British gave to the region. Only Mauryas, Kushanas, Guptas and Cholas had succeeded to manage such things earlier.

But, the British were also responsible for emergence of the neo elite category that was basically composed of their native collaborators. These groups lived in the cities and acted as the agents of spread of Westernization in Urban India. Their periphery was too small and most of them belonged to the middle class of the society. Some of them were intellectuals and liberal in their views- they were acted as reformers in social life and also conducted various experimentations up on the Great Tradition of India. Some of them were involved in business. They knew very well that how the British in India made money and on the basis of this capital; they succeeded to establish a world-wide colony and industrial revolution. That section of the native urban dwellers was the set of free followers of monetary economy laid by the rationalist British in India and transmitted it into the tribal regions and peasantry. That all money based economy without any proper banking system exerted deleterious impact up on these people and they had no other option other than to agitate against the British. The British perished all those movements, but that created a very bad impact up on their image and probably a wave was created so far in favor of those old elites still anyhow surviving in eastern part of Bengal, remote countryside of North India, Varanasi, parts of Central India, Delhi and the black soil of Marathwara. The neo elites were probably in favor of the British and the wave could perhaps succeed to left any impact up on the mixed economy of the extreme south. Most of the Estates preferred to stay away of that mission. The native soldiers within the company force started that protest. Those people were all from rural backgrounds and their kinsmen were mostly involved anyhow in peasantry. Sikh and Gurkha regiments on the other hand found battling in favor of the British. That was the famous Sepoi Mutiny of 1857 A.D. in India History that has now been tried to show as the first freedom struggle in India. The result was quite interesting: firstly, end to the empowerment of the old elites; secondly, abolition of the company's rule in the Sub-Continent; thirdly, total removal of the Mogul throne; and fourthly, establishment of the British Raj as the symbol of the unified India. In this way, India after 1857 A.D. had officially lost its sovereignty. Gradually, the neo elites started protesting against the British Raj as they saw that the old elites were in a passive condition; secondly, British economy was comparatively at a very good condition as compared to that of Indian Sub-Continent; and thirdly, Indian business houses were on the mercy of the British civilians. Among those neo elites; Hindus were dominant as they remained more attached to the British government in India and the western impact on the urban Indian population- small but very much influential. On the other hand, British authority had learnt from their past experiences that what the minority tribal groups in the forest and neighboring areas could actually do. They granted them autonomy in various parts of the North East, Nagaland, Darjeeling hills, Himachal Pradesh, North West Frontier Province, Beluchistan, Chhoto Nagpur, Central India as well. Later, British authority also promoted various legal aids and constitutional provisions to the oppressed people and scheduled them under the category of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. From that time we could say that seeds of Dalit and caste politics were sown. From the present scenario, that could be said that that was merely not a conspiracy- government had bound to ensure wellbeing of the oppressed sections of the society neglected for such a prolonged period. Indian National Congress was formed in late 19^th Century A.D. with an aim of Home Rule and then total independence. Old elites were also in the course, but they could not get the concept of secularism as manifested by National Congress. That was because of the fact that they were very much religious and only understood some kind of prestigious and equalizing role in the politico-economic ground. They even thought Congress was a pseudo-secular or follower of the secularism concept prevalent within a State in the West with bulk of population believing in certain kind of democracy and relying up on the continuum of capitalism to socialism. But in India, situation was little bit different: people were very much associated with agriculture and related jobs. They were provided with poor quality of technology. Which is why, they were more dependent up on nature and mercy of super nature and therefore very much religious in folk life. They used to live in villages quite isolated and self-sufficient in attitude, but still connected with one another basically by means of their religious sentiments. They had developed their own civilization in a rural set up based on agriculture and finally, that kind of unique civilization had the inner notion of "Unity within Diversity". Sense of Revolution, class struggle, protest by the civil society (middle-class intellectuals), separatist movements, terror strikes, clash with dacoits and such things were also there but failed to hold a strong grip over the ongoing situation. Comparatively, peasant movements were more effective in Indian context and they eventually took the shape of either caste struggle or religious movement. Caste stratification and religious sentiments among the folks were more powerful than the concepts of class, slavery, estate, gender, race, nationality, ethnicity and big religious institutions in India. So, like the old elites of the Sepoi Mutiny of 1857 A.D. the peasant and tribal groups were very much needed by the neo elites. These people were always the backbone of independence movement and exploited the most. Charismatic personality like M.K. Gandhi suited there appropriately.

However, in European politics certain facts were evidenced:

Areas under German supremacy were flooded with concepts of socialism;

Russia underwent with several socialist movements;

Poland was dissected;

Slav nations were affected with nationalist movements;

Modernization was held in the center of Islamic Word- Constantinople of Turkey; etc. Germans were scared of loosing their hegemony in European politics. They might have headache with trading community of the Jews as well as the industrial Western Europe so much wealthy for worldwide colony over sources of raw materials and control on worldwide market system. Germans in order to secure their prestige in Europe since Crusade; had nothing but to tame these capitalists and emerging socialists and nationalists. For that they formed alliance with old friends like Caliph of Turkey, Catholics of Italy and other emerging powers. The result was two World Wars with a gap of two decades. During that gap, world economy was suffered with severe crises that caused a situation nearly similar to that of the old elites during the last phase of Mogul Empire. Old elites among the Muslims could not believe on the policies of Gandhi and Indian national Congress. Gandhi expressed his support to the Caliph during the World War I and in this way; he actually stood by the Germans against both capitalism and socialism. Activities in Germany were much encouraging for the old elites in the Sub-Continent. Hardcore Muslims expressed their notion for a separate country, Pakistan, and hijacked personality like Jinnah from National Congress. Jinnah was a lawyer. His lifestyle was like an average European. He was a believer in secularism and demanded for equal and prestigious reservation for the religious minorities in Parliament. His demands might have a politico-economic background and some sense of reservation also. But he and his Muslim League had on a situation when there was on other option rather than to ask for a separate country. Muslim League actually demanded the valleys of Indus and Brahmaputra-Lower Ganges that were the trade routes of Far East into Arab Sea and Bay of Bengal via Tibet respectively. Minor trade routes like Chitagong, Beluchistan and Nizam's Hyderabad were also targeted. But Jinnah demanded partition of the Sub-Continent on basis of religion and the Princely Provinces had the authority to make their decisions on their own; therefore he failed to gain whole of the "Pakistan" he dreamt off. Old elites of the Hindus had personalities like SP Mukherjee, but that was not enough to challenge the dignity of Gandhi at that time. Ambedkar, the legend for Dalits did not create many problems in front of independence movement led by National Congress. Indian National Congress was famous for its movements on the lines of non-cooperation, non-violence, no taxation, satyagraha and protest against British law. In this way, they were succeeded to grab attention of peasants, tribals, commoners, labor class, middle class employees and so forth. So, independence of present day India in 1947 A.D. was all the credit of neo elites in Indian National Congress. 

Except Jinnah's Muslim League; there was another challenge in front of the National Congress and he was Netaji. He was an eminent member in Congress, but for internal disputes he left the party and with his socialistic motif established Forward Block- a small political party like many others present then India. He was also a Revolutionist and very much motivated by religious reformers. However, in a different situation, he during the World War II made connection with the fascists in Germany and with Japanese force rapidly spreading over the entire Far East and Pacific Ocean attacked India with his force "Azad Hind Army". He was an interesting personality, but severely criticized by National Congress. He was accused of collaborating with fascist; secondly, preparing for making India a junior partner of Germany; and thirdly, bringing back a situation like that of the old elites. If he were succeeded, might partition be never happened, but Indian National Congress would then be ruined. In 1943 A.D.; an artificial famine at the eastern paer of undivided Bengal was organized where near about 6 million people died in few weeks. Perhaps, that was a policy by the British army and neo elites in India so as to defend Azad Hind Army and Japanese force. Japanese were completely defeated by USA and that exerted a very wrong impression up on Netaji's politics. But with end of World War II; the Sub-Continent got independence after experiencing various bloody communal riots during the war. Result was that the independence was served with pieces of Pakistan and India.

After independence and during the long era of Cold War, India decided to take turn to socialist USSR against capitalist world led by USA. India was a believer in existence of Third World beyond socialist and capitalist arena. India spoke out in favor of Mixed Economy, Nationalization, Secularism and Democracy. States were restructured on the basis of linguistic criteria. Congress Government restrained the estates. So, a semi-feudalistic framework was there in the rural sector and peasantry could not enjoy independence in real sense. So, India in the hands of neo elites can never ruled out the sentiments of the old elites. During the period of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Bangladesh was created using the local sentiments in eastern Pakistan; Naxalite movements were emerged out in different parts of India (especially in the state of West Bengal and jungle areas of Central India); Sikhs in Punjab made their demand for independent Khalithan; problems of Jammu and Kashmir were more condensed; border disputes with China on the matter of Tibet remained the same; insurgency in North East within the enclave of Tibeto-Burmese plateau rapidly increased; as well as communist and socialist movements got a new pace. Gandhi had then no option rather than to nationalize the banks for assurance of economic safety to the common Indians. Her strict steps against Khalistan movements, alleged collaboration with USA so as to destroy communist movement in India and declaration for emergency proved that condition of Indian economy was far from the real expectation and also indicated increasing disparity in the society. Problems were also there with Pakistan, increasing power of the Naxalites/Maoists as well as on the question of Tamil Elam in Sri Lanka. Government decided to provide certain constitutional provisions in favor of backward section of the society irrespective of religion. India entered into the domain of liberalization and accepted Global Capitalistic Economy in a unipolar world led by USA in post Cold War Period (1990s). That also ensured a huge amount of corruption. Many of the educated people in urban areas and dominant castes and felicitated people had good amount ransom in their hands. But, still there were people who had no money at all and could not cope up with the new system. They preferred to criticize the whole system, opposed Globalization, favored localization and even went on the lines of terrorism and separatist movement on the basis of various ethnic issues. Soon socialists, leftists and the old elites (mostly Hindus) were made an opposition. That provided the Hindu old elites an opportunity to come into power on the basis of Ram Mandir issue and so forth. But they were criticized as being fascist. Their political party BJP even turned into power of many states itself or in collaboration with others. They also enjoyed the power of Central Government in alliance with other regional parties based on caste equations. But leftists, socialists and National Congress tied among them selves against that alliance in name of secularism. In this way, in Indian politics have created two opposite poles in the names of secularism, but actually this so called bi-party system in my view is a close battle of the old elites and neo elites. However, in this situation, a third alternative is very much required.