Why BJP MP Gave ‘1984’ Bag to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra?

Politicians Dehumanise Communal Violence

December 21, 2024

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra with Rahul Gandhi (Left) (Creative Commons)

A member of parliament from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) reportedly handed a bag with “1984” written on it to Congress party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Parliament on Dec. 20. The gesture evoked the 1984 anti-Sikh violence, during which Congress workers faced severe allegations of orchestrating mob violence. As neither party has a clean record, this incident demonstrates how communal tragedies—where ordinary citizens like you and I suffer—are used as political ammunition.

Vadra accepted the bag from Odisha’s BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi and simply walked away, as reported by The Indian Express.

As intended, newspapers are now mentioning the tragic and condemnable 1984 violence that erupted following Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination. However, equally condemnable are the 2002 Gujarat violence against Muslims, the exacerbation of tensions following the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri-Masjid demolition, the incitement of violence against Christians in Kandhamal, Odisha, during 2007-2008, and several other incidents of communal violence for which the BJP has faced allegations.

As the suspected role of both parties is in public domain, what may have given Sarangi the audacity to point fingers at Vadra?

It’s a classic example of political parties viewing communal violence through the lens of party politics—the competition for votes between the BJP and the Congress party—assuming that ordinary citizens are willing to engage in proxy battles on behalf of their respective parties. Politicians provide their supporters with ammunition to attack the opposing party and its supporters.

It reflects an unfortunate reality: political parties have dragged us, the common people, into their battles. It’s a vicious cycle. First, we allow politicians to incite violence, resulting in lost lives—our lives—and the disruption of our businesses and daily routines. Then, as we engage in proxy political battles over these incidents of violence, we risk our quality of life through deepened social divisions. These divisions create conditions for more violence, while the politicians themselves remain unaffected.

Furthermore, communal violence and issues divert attention from current governance issues, as politicians rally the base through historical grievances. What is the fundamental responsibility of a government if not effective governance—providing education, healthcare, water and electricity, maintaining law and order, and building roads and infrastructure? When was the last time a political party lost an election due to their failure to deliver these essential services? Each time, they successfully divert our attention away from questions about governance.

The real tragedy lies in how this manipulation distorts public perception. Communal violence, a severe humanitarian crisis, is reduced to a political chess piece. The focus shifts from healing and reconciliation to blame games and partisan battles.

As citizens, we must reclaim the narrative.

Communal incidents must be evaluated through the lens of human suffering and societal impact, rather than for political leverage, regardless of which party is being accused or which community is affected.