The fast-changing socio-political dynamics and efforts for uniformity in every domain is very likely to alter the script of the idea of India and unity in diversity. The writings on the wall and the prevailing atmosphere in the country compel us to believe that India today is at the crossroads socially, economically and politically. The big question: Is India at the crossroads or more than what meet the eye?
Will the slogan of unity and diversity, Sab ka Saath sab ka Vikas fade away or overshadowed by the rhetoric of uniformity and cultural dominance in the political corridors? Will India respect The G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration, agreed on Saturday (9 September last year) which reiterates the group’s commitment to promoting respect for all religions and condemns all acts of religious hatred, including those committed against holy texts and symbols? Experts are also apprehensive that from here onwards will the Constitution continue to guide our political leaders or will it be reduced to a mere document.
The Declaration noted the July 25 United Nations General Assembly resolution on “promoting interreligious and intercultural dialogue and tolerance in countering hate speech” and stated: “In this regard, we strongly deplore all acts of religious hatred against persons, as well as those of a symbolic nature without prejudice to domestic legal frameworks, including against religious and holy books.”
According to VVP Sharma, Opinion Editor, thesouthfirst.com, “India is at several crossroads economically, politically and socially. These are directly attributed to skewed governance by the Centre which pursues a non-inclusive agenda. However, the real danger to the country comes from three directions. One is the deliberate and sustained campaigns to denigrate and degrade democratic institutions. The second is the imploding concept of a united opposition. The final one relates to the citizenry’s continued indifference that tends to see rationality suffer at the altar of regressive attitudes.”
He adds, “The policies of the government are no longer debated in Parliament but on social media where they are blindly endorsed as a contrived vengeance for the “ills” of the last 70 years. If Nehru is to be blamed for anything considered wrong in India, the country cannot afford for longer to look to the future by living in the past. Inquisition and power are the current currency.”
Syed Ali Nadeem Rezavi, Professor of History, AMU and Secretary of Indian History Congress, while sharing his perspective said, “I don’t know whether India is at a “crossroads” or not, it definitely is at the edge of a deep muck pit into which it is very rapidly descending! Perhaps this is something which has never been experienced by India at such a scale. We have had our share of aberrations, social conflicts, in our past. But this is something unprecedented and insane. But should we lose hope? Perhaps not: such situations when encountered before by many other nations and civilisations entrapped in such cesspools were always temporary and they did manage to get out of them.”
Professor Rezavi adds, “Let us not forget, Germany, Italy and some others were in such unhappy situations, with madmen driving them down paths of hatred and revenge for perceived past wrongs, but after some serious damage to their societies, they ultimately managed to walk away, back to sanity and healings.”
“More than a crossroad, India seems to be at the edge of an abyss, apparently eager and ready to toss all those in who do not follow the Hindutva ideology as propagated by those in power. We were nearing the crossroads in 2014, were at it in 2019 and then the people decided to continue moving in the direction of this great divide. Today, the very same diversity that made our culture and heritage so rich, finds itself persona non grata. The coming general elections will truly decide the fate of the largest democracy in the world,” said Michael Williams, founder and president of the United Christians Forum.
The fast-changing socio-political scenario is beyond doubt going to impact Muslims more than anyone. All the laws designed, reviewed or implemented are being designed to hurt the Muslims the most which becomes clear from the Uniform Civil Code in Uttarakhand. If others can be exempted, why not Muslims? Why the bulldozer (in)justice is applied only towards Muslims?Are they only not law-abiding citizens? Or are they only encroachers? When will the Supreme Court really intervene against Bulldozer (in)justice? The Supreme Court’s judgements against hate speech, lynching are violated every day.
Noble Laureate, Professor Amartya Sen, in an interview in 2019 on the health of Indian democracy, said, “The big thing that we know from John Stuart Mill is that democracy is government by discussion, and, if you make discussion fearful, you are not going to get a democracy, no matter how you count the votes. And that is massively true now. People are afraid now. I have never seen this before.”
- Raja, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India, during a program in the national capital, said, “The Constitution defines that India should be a secular democratic republic. It should never become a theocracy. Ambedkar rejected the idea of theocracy. Ambedkar warned, if at all, the Hindu Rashtra becomes reality, it will be the calamity for the nation. That is why Ambedkar said India should remain a secular democratic republic. No theocracy in Indian politics. If theocracy emerges, democracy will die. Now the present government is really building a theocratic state, undeclared theocratic state. The Prime Minister himself leading that and this is what we should understand.”
In his book, Being Muslims in Hindu India, ZiyaUsSalam has reasonably argued, “Being a Muslim in India today is not easy. It is often a test of your own imaan and also a test of your faith in the Constitution of the country, in the government of the day. Things have been deteriorating virtually by the day; often it seems a large part of the society is hostile to a Muslim today.”