National spokesperson of Rashtriya Janata Dal Manoj Jha criticised secular political parties for failing to popularise the idea of secularism, justice and equality among people. He was addressing a public meet on ‘India Today and Tomorrow’ at the headquarters of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind in New Delhi on 25 March.
Jha, who is also a professor at Delhi University, said this country came into existence on the basis of some parameters such as Freedom, Justice, Equality and Secularism. Why the entire struggle for secularism has been left upon Muslims? Secularism is not the matter of only Muslims. Secularism is the matter of three-fourth Hindus as well. After Nehru, people separated secularism from justice. Equality has been also separated from Secularism. This was done by our own people. It is easy to say that BJP and Sangh have done these things. We never expected the message of love from them. But what about our own people? What happens to their message of love?
He further said that he had no problem with BJP and RSS. But he had problem with our own people and friends. We were not divided even at the time of Partition as we are today. We all are responsible for all that. He said he was watching that the country has changed in a moment. Over the issues, we used to take to streets, now we don’t even discuss it. There is no one solution to this situation. We will have to think altogether over times to overcome this situation.
Jha furthermore said that in 1980s, dominant caste Yadav and Kurmi colluding with minority had opened a battle against the communalism of majority. It was called rainbow coalition. Of those colours of rainbow, only one colour remained. What happened to Muslim’s colour? What happened to most backward castes? All the political parties have become the machines of fighting election. If the parties who are fighting elections among live people wake up only during election time, then there is no meaning of waking up. You they keep sleeping, those with whom you are fighting remain awakened 24 hours and 7 days.
Urging secular parties to think beyond election fighting, he said that happiness of winning elections should not be celebrated or we should also not be sad over the defeat. We should win in ideas. The problem is that the idea of BJP is winning. He said he always said that love has to be loved and hate has to be hated. Never hate to love or love to hate. He said he does not believe in EVM problem but something is going underground. They keep going to Dalit areas and lure them. But our people were away from those areas.