Invoking Cultural Utopia

Never short of cultural-mythical euphemisms, invocations of cultural analogies in Indian politics come almost instinctually to the nativists seeking to draw an indigenous parallel to the mode of modern political governance. It serves as veritable testimony of the profound cultural complex with western political ideologies among the political conservatives, but it also reflects their deep anxiety and political will to negotiate with western political ideologies in autochthonous cultural terms. ‘Ram Rajya’, the most compelling among the political-cultural analogies for an ideal political rule in terms of indigeneity, outshines all others. Its mere allusion conjures up a cultural utopia to recreate a mythic political state and carries force to enchant the political conservatives who seek the essence of utopian political ideals that could subsume all politically correct ideologies of modern times.