End the Deep State Withen: Government Must Stop Lending Credibility to Those Who Despise India

 

AIBF 2024: A Troubling Indicator of Negligence

The Ahmedabad International Book Festival (AIBF) 2024 has once again highlighted a disturbing trend within the government: the failure to adequately vet guests invited to official events. Organized by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) in collaboration with the Union Education Ministry and the National Book Trust (NBT), AIBF showcased speakers and authors who actively disparage Indian values, propagate divisive narratives, and ridicule the government.

Prominent invitees such as William Dalrymple, Savie Karnel, and Kiran Manral exemplify this issue. Dalrymple, notorious for his Hindutva criticism, previously pressured Bloomsbury to withdraw the book Delhi Riots 2020: The Untold Story. Karnel’s book The Nameless God perpetuates a faux-secularist perspective on the Babri Masjid demolition, while Manral’s social media activity consistently aligns with narratives that demean India’s democratic institutions and cultural resurgence.

A simple web search would have exposed these invitees’ problematic positions. Yet, the event proceeded, showcasing a severe lapse in judgment by the organizers.

Persistent Lapses in Government Events

The AIBF debacle is not an isolated incident. Similar controversies have plagued government-sponsored events in recent years:

• Devdutt Pattanaik at Sahitya Akademi: In November 2024, Pattanaik was invited to inaugurate a seminar despite his consistent anti-Hindu rhetoric. Social media outrage eventually led to the event’s cancellation.
• Nadav Lapid at IFFI: In 2022, the Israeli filmmaker disparaged The Kashmir Files as "vulgar propaganda" while serving as the IFFI jury head.
• Yoga Diluted by AYUSH Ministry: Yoga was reduced to a "glow-up ritual," distancing it from its Hindu spiritual origins. Similarly, Ira Trivedi, an advocate for beef consumption, hosted a yoga show on Doordarshan.

These repeated failures suggest systemic issues within cultural ministries and their affiliated bodies, raising serious concerns about accountability and competence.

Consequences of Poor Cultural Policies

The government’s consistent oversight in aligning cultural policies with public sentiment has long-term consequences:

1. Erosion of Cultural Identity: By platforming individuals hostile to Indian values, the state alienates its nationalist base and emboldens critics who undermine India’s heritage.
2. Impact on Collective Psyche: The younger generation, influenced by distorted narratives, risks internalizing biases that disconnect them from their roots, leaving them culturally adrift.
3. Perception of Complacency: The absence of accountability fosters a culture of impunity, where officials face no repercussions for repeated blunders.

The Path Forward: Structured Vetting and Accountability

To address these recurring issues, a comprehensive and structured approach is necessary:

1. Establish Cultural Gatekeepers

Each ministry should engage a panel of advisors with expertise in Indian culture, history, and ideology. These advisors would ensure that platforms funded by the state remain free from distorted agendas.

2. Introduce a Rigorous Vetting Process

A transparent system to scrutinize invitees’ backgrounds and alignments is essential. This would prevent individuals with conflicting ideologies from dominating significant cultural platforms.

3. Enforce Accountability

Officials who repeatedly fail to perform due diligence should face tangible consequences. This would foster a culture of responsibility and reduce instances of negligence.

4. Prioritize Ideological Clarity

The government must ensure that its cultural policies resonate with the aspirations of its supporters. Initiatives such as revising NCERT textbooks and addressing historical apologia perpetuated by institutions like the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) must be expedited.

Time Is Running Out

The government’s inability to course-correct risks alienating its core supporters and losing the cultural mandate it has worked hard to build. The window for implementing meaningful changes is narrowing, and failure to act decisively will have lasting repercussions. Cultural events, textbooks, websites, and media—all must align with the ethos of the nation to nurture a generation that values its heritage.

The battle for the nation’s cultural and ideological identity cannot be fought indefinitely at the base level. It is time to build upon the foundation and secure the legacy for future generations. The stakes are too high for complacency or negligence.