PROGRESSIVES, POLARISATION, AND THE POLITICS OF CHANGE IN KARNATAKA

 In Karnataka today, the word “progressive” is no longer a simple description. It has become a political label, often used sarcastically or abusively. Leaders and commentators close to the BJP–RSS frequently use it to attack liberals, secular thinkers, writers, and activists. In response, those criticised wear the label as a shield against what they see as communal and divisive politics. In this back-and-forth, the real meaning of progress and change is getting lost.

At its simplest, being progressive only means being open to change. And change is not something anyone can stop. Society changes with time—how people live, work, worship, communicate, and think. What was normal fifty years ago is not normal today. This is not politics; it is life. No society can remain frozen, and no generation can pass on its values unchanged.

The present hostility to “progressives” must be seen in the political context. The BJP–RSS approach relies strongly on identity—religion, culture, and a shared sense of belonging. Anyone questioning this approach is seen as an enemy. Calling such critics “progressive” is a way of dismissing them as out-of-touch, anti-tradition, or anti-Hindu, instead of responding to their arguments. It turns disagreement into suspicion.

At the same time, liberals and progressives must also look inward. Many ordinary people feel that progressives speak down to them. The language often sounds academic, moralising, and distant from everyday problems. When people’s doubts are brushed aside as ignorance or prejudice, they naturally push back. Change explained patiently is easier to accept than change imposed with superiority which the `progressives’ arrogate to them.

Criticism of progressives, therefore, is not always wrong. What deserves criticism is the belief that everything new is automatically better, or that social change must happen quickly without discussion. People worry about losing traditions, identities, and social balance. These worries may not always be right, but they are real and cannot be mocked away.

The irony is that the right wing also accepts change when it suits it—new technology, digital services, welfare delivery—but resists change in social attitudes and cultural diversity. Tradition itself has always evolved. There was never a single, fixed past.

If public debate in Karnataka is to improve, both sides need to step back from labels. Progress should not mean insulting tradition, and tradition should not mean fearing change. Change is natural. The real task is to manage it with understanding, honesty, and respect for people’s concerns.