(Harish Khare is a senior journalist, commentator and a research scholar)Only three months ago, Uttar Pradesh overwhelmingly voted for a "development" platform. Its presumably enlightened voters were applauded for turning their backs on the two sectarian political formations, Mulayam Singh Yadav's Samjavadi Party and Ms. Mayawati's Bhaujan Samaj Party. Expectations were that the largest and perhaps the most backward state in the country too would get initiated into the new grammar of "vikas."
Instead, the state has been hosting an old fashioned, simmering, low-intensity dance of communal violence week after week. Its political high priests pretend not to have noticed all the success of rhetoric of "vikas". It is no coincidence that the violence is more noticeable in the areas which are due for assembly by-polls.
At one level, it would appear that the cities and towns in Uttar Pradesh have remained frozen in the same divisive religious idiom that was prevalent 50 years ago. The same familiar petty provocations, the same predictable arguments that were heard in the 1950s and the 1960s are being bandied about in 2014. The only change is the availability of social media tools for religious mobilization.
For all our celebration of "civic society" and our fondness for the new slogans of "empowerment", communal animosities remain unresolved and implacable. All that is required for a communal eruption is a political signal.
At another level, it would appear that political leaders across the party divide continue to believe that they can instigate and calibrate tension, and, if necessary, violence. Things have never worked out the unenlightened politician's way.
For the moment, Uttar Pradesh is caught in a peculiar political dilemma. This is first time since 1952 that Uttar Pradesh has failed to elect a single Muslim to the Lok Sabha. This is a political abnormality and its significance cannot be wished away - by both the communities.
Unfortunately, Uttar Pradesh is governed by a political dispensation that finds itself trapped in its own narrow social base. Desperate to ensure that its state government remains in saddle, the Samajvadi Party leadership has forgotten its basic obligation: provide firm and fair administration.
On the other hand, the BJP's new national leadership has made its intentions very loud and very clear: UP has to be reclaimed. And, if this means a deliberate re-kindling of the communal tensions to keep the majority community on the edge, so be it. If a soft-communal campaign could fetch it more than 73 Lok Sabha seats in the state, then it would be too unrealistic to expect the BJP's new leadership to shun the communal card in the run-up to the state elections, still two years down the line.
All these narrow political calculations may well squeeze the Congress party out of the electoral equations. But these stratagems will also produce conflagration. And then violence will acquire its own momentum.
The new central government may well find that bad news of violence and ethnic clashes in Uttar Pradesh can easily ruin its global party. Bad images and bad reputations can be easily earned but not all that easily cast aside. And surely Prime Minister Modi cannot possibly allow the international community to revisit its old prejudices about him. In any case, a wise Prime Minister can never become oblivious to his basic duty: produce and protect social harmony.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. NDTV is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this article. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts or opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.