SYYED MANSOOR AGHA analyses the recent political developments and how it is going to impact our socio-political fabric of our country in the days to be ensued
The first VP of India from BJP cadre, Mr. M. Venkaiah Naidu while delivering the Annual Lecture at the occasion of International Minorities Day, under NCM in New Delhi said “the notion of pluralism; inclusion and peaceful co-existence have to be the cornerstones of our governance.” He further stressed upon “inclusive growth ensuring the benefits of democracy reaches to the left out sections.”
The VP also said that India is built on the four pillars given by our Constitution – Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, and that, the strength of these pillars determines the strength of India we are building. The role of minority groups in nation building has been phenomenal and they could do this because they gave predominance to their “identity as Indians”, he added. He further said that “equal opportunity must be given for everyone to learn, earn and grow into active citizens is crucial.” He added, “One must introspect and identify divisive, destructive, demeaning tendencies and aberrations.”
We respect the office of he occupies, but it does make him immune of questioning. Sir, where rests the “Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity” in the political philosophy which make you grow to this office? And, where exist “the notion of pluralism; inclusion and peaceful co-existence” in the “governance”, of which you were an active part till recently? Lastly, who is destroying these “cornerstones”? These questions are crucial for the day you were celebrating. Not an oratory will help but a realistic appraisal, introspection and suitable remedial action, as he exhorted, “one must introspect and identify divisive, destructive, demeaning tendencies and aberrations.”
No one can deny the need, but we are sorry to say this sermon was addressed to wrong audience. Minorities are not any hurdle in “the inclusive and peaceful co-existence”, they are not threatening “pluralism” and not hampering “equal opportunity” for all. Instead they are crying for the same ideal to be implemented. They are not a threat but a threatened lot. The minorities also do not need to assure day and night of their “Indian-ness”. India is our rightful home. We are not Indians by chance, but by our free choice. We have always been dutiful in serving our nation and fighters for the freedom of India. Our past rulers including Aurangzeb Alamgir, Tipu Sultan and others worked to unite India and established the rule of secular polity which is the call of the faith we follow. They did not harass anybody for his faith and practice but gave every native his due, without any biases. During their rule nothing was converted in to black money and parked in foreign banks. They respected the religious sentiments of all and never interfered in family and social life of non-Muslim subjects. They stopped cow slaughtering without spreading the culture of lynching people.
Was Mr. Narendra Modi not dishonoring the very sprit of our constitution and attacking the corner stones of “Equality and Fraternity” when he brought in the name of Ahmed Patel during recent Gujarat election? Was it not evoking the poison of communalism that has been injected in the minds of non-minorities? How justice is denied and being denied to minorities need not to be counted here. Recent history of India is full of distortions. The graph is going upward with the deceitful rise of the philosophy, the rulers adheres to. The President of BJP, Amit Shah was jittery to the presence of Muslims in Hardik’s rally. Why? Have others than Hindus do not have constitutional right and duty to participate in political process? We register our objection to the politics and the governance which is destroying the very “cornerstones” Honorable VP mentioned.
As Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), has recently pointed out, “country is being polarised due to religious affiliations”. Referring Satna incident, he said, “Attack on the priests and the seminaries and the state government’s move to file cases against the priests, arresting the poor and the innocent instead of finding the culprits, do not help us to keep our confidence in the government intact. We are losing our confidence in the government.” Be alarmed, the growing unrest in minorities, SCs and STs and Tribals is destructive to “peaceful co-existence and inclusiveness.” However if anybody thinks that opium of false religiosity and distorted notion of nationalism will long last, he need to be awakened and learn the history of world dictators.
The Gujarat elections show that people are now recognizing the deadly poison, injected in the political body. So the vote share of ruling party, which rose to 60% in 2014, has dipped by 11% in 2017. The rhetoric of Hindutva, the political weapon of BJP did not worked and Congress vote share rose from 33% in 2014 to 41.4% in 2017. Rahul Gandhi rightly claimed, “Prime Minister Modi’s much talked-about Gujarat development model was debunked during the polls.” It happened because, “it was a clear lie.” The people said, “There is no model,” “what is going on is stealing of people’s resources and allotting to the big corporates.”
This model has created huge disparities in between rural and urban areas. The cities are shining and villages are crying for basic facilities. The awakening in the state resulted in a big loss of face for ruling party. The party top brass made all out efforts, ModiJi bring in, un-substantiated theory of Pakistan interference, but the tally of party fell from 115 members (in 2012) to 99 (in 2017) while the target of party president was 150. He also had totally written off the congress as any political force in the state and had said; hardly 15-20 seats will go to Cong. The result tore apart his claim. The number of opposition Congress rose from 51 to 80 (including 3 party supported independents). During his visit to Gujarat on 23rd Dec, Rahul Gandhi was right to say, “State Congress leaders were only 70 per cent confident of winning the polls” and “There is a difference of only 10 seats (between the BJP and the Congress).”
Noted journalist and one time close aide to Mr. L K Advani, Mr. Sudheendra Kulkarni saw in Rahul Gandhi, the Pappu in the eyes of Modi, “the next prime minister of India.” He commented after Gujarat elections, “He is the leader India needs”. And, “A leader with a new – truly Gandhian – philosophy of politics, politics of idealism, of love, of service, of inclusion, of dialogue.” In fact it is not showering praises on opposition leader but a blunt criticism on present day leaders and their politics. This also shows the direction of the political winds blowing in India.
Mr. Modi and his party captured power in the center on the boggy of “corruption in UPA”. Issue of 2G spectrum was more scandalize and much mud was thrown on this illusionary issue. Day after the Gujarat Elections, the verdict of Special CBI debunked all allegations. The court said, “I have absolutely no hesitation in holding that the prosecution has miserably failed to prove any charge against any of the accused, made in its well-choreographed charge sheet.” “There is no evidence on the record produced before the court indicating any criminality in the acts allegedly committed by the accused persons.” “The chargesheet is based mainly on misreading, selective reading, non-reading and out of context reading of the official record.” “I may add that many facts recorded in the chargesheet are factually incorrect.” The judge said that in seven years of daily hearings, he had waited in vain for ‘legally admissible evidence’. Nobody had come to him with it so he had no choice but to acquit all those accused of bribery and corruption in the 2G scam.”
Now this “scam” look like a story of conspiracy against the then Government. It not only caused damage to Dr. Manmohan Singh and his government but also damaged the image of the nation and its economy. The former CAG, Vinod Rai, who presumed a loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore to the nation, was rewarded by Modi Government with the prestigious “Padma Bhushan Award” for Civil Service in 2016 and given important postings. The court judgment has made all allegations rubbished and acquitted all accused. Now another general election is close, and judging by Gujarat, there is huge unhappiness not just among young voters but also among farmers and small businessmen. The youth are demanding jobs, jobs, jobs. And the demonetisation has crippled the job market badly.
Commenting on the developments, the US based senior journalist, Talveen Singh said, “What a very bad week it has been for Modi. First came that ‘victory in Gujarat’ that felt more like a defeat, and then came the news that the 2G scam may not have actually been a scam. The prime minister put on a brave face, but he must secretly not be happy at all.”
Referring tall claims of BJP victory, she wrote, “We who analysed the twists and turns of the results knew that the PM would have been seriously worried that there were moments that day when it seemed as if the Congress was going to win his home state.” “Political pundits in US concluded, if it had not been for the exceptional services rendered to him by Mani Shankar Aiyar and KapilSibal, he may not have been able to turn looming defeat into a fragile victory.”
She declared, that PM’s claim of Indian economy being “on the path to growth and glory is not true at all. He also miserably failed in his slogan, “Na khaoonga, nakhaanedoonga” as corruption on ground level has many fold increased in last three years. There is serious lack of transparency in governance, and there is no indication the states can change it before the 2019 general election? So the some very bad days await the BJP.
The situation is very worrisome for the nation. Parties may come and go. But has to survive and stand up. The situation will not change until the people at the helm of affair, “introspect and identify divisive, destructive, demeaning tendencies and aberrations” and check their rank and file from vitiating the “notion of pluralism; inclusion and peaceful co-existence.” The self-proclaimed “Nationalists” who are diehard to color the whole country in one color and want to enforce people to follow their faulty ideals, are not the friends of the country. But they are being promoted. This needs to be changed for the good of our beloved country.
Writer is a Delhi based Journalist