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Events and Issues
Banswara ‘Hate Speech’ : EC NOTICE TO NADDA, NOT MODI!, By Insaf, 27 April 2024 |
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Round The States
New Delhi, 27 April 2024 Banswara ‘Hate Speech’
EC NOTICE TO NADDA, NOT MODI!
By Insaf
As Rajasthan
goes to the polls among 13 States for 89 seats in the second phase of the 2024
battle, Banswara may go down in electoral history. Prime Minister Modi’s campaign
speech in the city viewed as ‘malicious’, ‘divisive’, targeting a particular
religious community, going viral on
social media, hitting headlines and editorials saying ‘No, Prime Minister’ et
al, did get the Election Commission to break its silence, but its action
remains hushed. Importantly, while it's for the first time it took cognisance
of a complaint against a Prime Minister for violating the MCC, it’s also a first
when it changes the rules of the game. It doesn’t issue a notice to Modi but to
BJP President Nadda, seeking his response by Monday. The so-called blow is
softened as it simultaneously issues a notice to Congress President Kharge on complaint
filed by BJP alleging violation by him and Rahul Gandhi, for ‘creating
linguistic and cultural divide.’ While it justifies its directives saying the
party Presidents must bring to the notice of all his party star campaigners to
set high standards of political discourse and observe provisions of MCC in
letter and spirit and that campaign speeches made by those holding high
positions have more serious consequences, there are few takers. Of course, Congress
has given it a thumbs down saying the step is reflective of the ‘inhibition’ and
‘fear’ on Nirvachan Sadan’s part to act against the PM.
Indeed,
the Commission doesn’t name Modi, but its letter to Nadda contains the
complaints filed by Congress, Left parties and civil society groups. So, the
public needs to join the dots. What is of concern is a clear shift in EC’s standard
response; it used to take up complaints against individuals, even ‘star campaigners’
and leaders. A former Election Commissioner is quoted to have said, the EC’s
move is fraught. “If you issue a notice to a party for comments of a leader, how
much of a room do you have to act against the leader?” And the next question
would be if the party gives an unsatisfactory reply, what action will the
Commission take against the party? The Opposition sees the EC’s stand as weak, taken
under ‘public pressure’. But EC insists ‘it has taken a view that while
individual star campaigners would continue to remain responsible for speeches
made by them, the Commission will address party chiefs ‘on a case-to-case basis.’
Will it make BJP’s ‘star campaigner’ responsible, or let the dust settle down
in the Banswara case? No need for a guessing game.
* * * *
Delhi’s
New Victim
Delhi’s
ongoing political tussle in an outside Tihar jail has a new victim. Elections
to MCD’s posts of mayor and deputy mayor, to be held on Friday stand deferred.
Lt Governor V K Saxena in a letter to Chief Secretary a day before said “These
are peculiar and unprecedented circumstances where the serving Chief Minister
(Arvind Kejriwal) is under judicial custody as an undertrial prisoner involving
a corruption case and therefore cannot discharge his constitutionally obligated
functions.” The appointment of a ‘presiding officer, he added couldn’t be made
in the absence of inputs from CM, who is lodged in Tihar Jail, ‘coupled with
the factum that the minister is making wild and baseless allegations…’
Therefore, incumbent Mayor and Dy Mayor will continue to hold their positions
till elections can be held in terms of legal provisions. AAP predictably says
it’s at ‘BJP’s behest, which doesn’t want a Dalit mayor; the Centre was
hatching a conspiracy to halt these polls and oust AAP from MCD.’ In fact, it
may be more than meets the eye— a step towards the big question whether a CM
can constitutionally continue to run the government from jail!
* * * *
Surat
Outcry
BJP’s
Surat candidate Mukesh Dalal, being declared elected unopposed has raised a hornet’s
nest. While the BJP sees it as first victory towards its goal of 400 plus
seats, Congress and AAP who have an alliance in Gujarat have termed it as
‘match fixing’ The sequence of events are telling: Congress candidate’s nomination is declared void as the four
proposers names are said to be forged, the party’s ‘substitute’ candidate’s
papers are invalidated and four Independents,
three from smaller parties and BSP candidate withdraw their nominations! “Our
elections, our democracy, Ambedkar’s Constitution -- all are under a
generational threat,” said a livid Congress and complained to EC alleging it
was done by exerting “wrong and undue influence”. It demanded the poll process
in that seat be restarted. It’s partner, AAP which did not put up a candidate put
its demand that EC register a case against Congress candidate: either he be
booked on charges of forgery or his proposers be booked for giving false
declaration on oath. This would help to get to the bottom of this electoral
scam. Sooner the better.
* * * *
WB
Gets On Offensive
A
belligerent West Bengal government takes pot shots at the judiciary. “Illegal,
gross injustice, a ploy by the BJP…”, are words chosen by Chief Minister Mamata
Banerjee in her reaction to the Calcutta High Court’s Monday order declaring ‘null
and void’ all (25,753) appointments of teachers and non-teaching staff through
State Level Selection Test-2016 (SLST) in government-sponsored and aided
schools, and directing them to return their salaries with interest as well as
asking state School Service Commission to initiate a fresh recruitment process.
The division bench, set up on Supreme Court’s instructions, also ordered CBI to
further probe the appointment process and submit a report within 3 months.
Recall, former state education minister Partha Chatterjee and some
functionaries, were arrested by CBI for alleged anomalies in recruitment,
wherein over 23 lakh candidates had appeared for the test for 24,640 vacant
posts. While the petitioners were thrilled, TMC leader Abhishek trashed the order
saying “Just as we've heard of match-fixing in cricket, what is happening now
is ‘fixing of orders’, a collaboration between a certain section of judiciary
and BJP to inflict suffering on people…’ The government has petitioned the top
court and even said it will continue to give wages to the staff till its
verdict! Guess, TMC believes in the idiom: best defence is a good offense!
* * * *
Voting Akin to Attending Wedding!
Turning
polling day into something like attending a wedding is Haryana’s way, among
others to enthuse voters. The idea is of state CEO whose office shall be
sending out an ‘invitation’, designed like a wedding card, to every family
urging the voter not to forget to cast his/her vote. The invites, 50-lakh odd,
will also have a voter slip and guidelines and booth level officials will
receive the voters. Other measures include: posters at schools wherein kids are
given a pamphlet to encourage their parents, neighbours to vote and a link on
its website for successful kids to later upload selfies with parents; an
c-VIGIL mobile app to keep a close watch on MCC violations and voters
complaints shall be resolved in 100 minutes; an app ‘Voters-in-Queue’, shall
provide information about the queue at polling centres so that they can go to
vote as the crowd thins out. Will the concept get 75% voter turnout instead of
70.36% five years ago? Well, the CEO, like the bride’s family, will be waiting
anxiously on d-day, May 25 for the baratis! ---INFA
(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)
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Indian Parliamentary Elections: REBUTTING WESTERN MEDIA, By Prof. (Dr.) D.K. Giri, 26 April 2024 |
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Round The World
New Delhi, 26 April 2024
Indian Parliamentary Elections
REBUTTING WESTERN MEDIA
By Prof. (Dr.) D.K. Giri
(Secretary General, Assn for Democratic Socialism)
Indian elections are seldom influenced by
international issues or reactions. But this time around, there is quite a bit
of engagement with the western media and international institutions especially
by India’s External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar. The EAM, coming from
the Upper House, is not fighting the current elections but is stoutly defending
India’s electoral process and its enduring democracy.
He is doing it with a twin-strategy, one
is to fulfil his mandate as the Foreign Minister, and second is to prevent the
opposition parties from taking electoral advantage of the reactions from
overseas. The silver lining in such debates on democracy is perhaps that India
is taken more seriously than before by world powers.
Let us note that there are three
international agencies which occasionally assess democracies across the world
and rank the countries in terms of their performance. One is the Economic
Intelligence Unit of the leading media house of Britain, ‘The Economist Group’.
It ranks democracies into three categories – fair, flawed and hybrid. India has
been put as a flawed democracy.
The second agency is V-Dem (Varieties of
Democracy) located in Gothenburg, Sweden which had called India, “An electoral
autocracy”. The third one is Freedom House, a non-profit organisation based in
Washington D.C. which assesses maintenance of civil rights and liberties. It
had ranked India ‘low’ in terms of upholding various freedoms.
India’s ruling regime had reacted
strongly to these observations. Now the Foreign Minister is engaging with these
agencies and others on India’s democracy. In particular, he is extensively
talking about the remarks made by spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, for the UN
Secretary General, “What we very much hope that in India, as in any country
that is having elections that everyone’s rights are protected, including
political and civil rights, and everyone is able to vote in an atmosphere that
is free and fair”.
The spokesperson said this in response to
questions about political unrest in India ahead of the upcoming national
elections, namely the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the
freezing of Congress Party’s bank accounts. Jaishankar strongly responded to
these remarks, “I do not need the United Nations to tell me our elections
should be free and fair. I have the people of India. The people of India will
ensure that elections are free and fair. So, don’t worry about it.”
Jaishankar was campaigning for his
ministerial colleague and BJP candidate Rajeev Chandrashekhar in Thiruvananthapuram,
Kerala’s capital. Addressing a forum of nationalist thinkers, Jaishankar tore
into the western media, saying, “I get a lot of these noises from the western
press. If they criticise our democracy, it is not because they lack
information. It is because they think they are also political players in our
elections”.
Admittedly, there are different versions
and standards of democracies across the world. One can list the major ones –
representative democracy, people’s democracy, socialist democracy, guided
democracy, basic democracy and direct democracy (this is no longer in
practice). Therefore, the parameters of democracy for each country may vary.
So, it is easy to criticise one democracy by the other. One may also disagree
with the variables that constitute an evaluation matrix used by above-said
agencies. The buzz is that India might come up with its own evaluation criteria
for democracies in the Global South.
At any rate, let us engage with at least
seven points Jaishankar makes in reference to the remarks on Indian democracy.
One, he says these are on our domestic politics which is going global. The
global politics feels they must now interfere in our electoral process. They
think they ought to know who rules India. It is an open secret that the world
powers try to influence the government formation in other countries. The gossip
is that rich countries in the Middle-East finance those who seek to destabilise
democracies. Jaishankar’s complaint is not misplaced.
Second, “the west actually thinks they
are part of our electorate. I think it is time today that we disabuse them and
the best way to do that is by our self-confidence”. This seems to be an
overreaction. The west has a condescending attitude towards Global South. But
their comments on our democracy need not be overplayed.
Third, “we need to stand up to these
kinds of attacks and criticisms, and rankings and reports because they will
question everything”. This is a display of cynicism. We cannot dismiss all
rankings and reports. We need to be sensitive to them and use them as
self-introspection.
Fourth, “they will question our election
system, our EVM, our Election Commission even the weather”. No international
agency has commented on any of these so far. It is the opposition parties which
are raising these doubts and questions. The main agency ECI is responsible for
our elections including the use of EVM. Only they can clear these doubts and
answer these questions.
Fifth, “one complaint is …. The BJP is so
unfair, the BJP thinks it is going to win very big”. One can sympathise with
EAM’s angst on this. It could be politics of envy. At the same time, it could
also be considered as politics of arrogance as BJP initially claimed to cross
400 MPs in Lok Sabha.
Sixth, the EAM said the decisions, this
government will be making are not just for the five years, and will give India,
its society, and the coming generations a very big vote of confidence. This is
a statesman-like statement. The saying goes that a politician looks at next
election whereas a statesman looks at the next generation. So, Jaishankar’s
assertion is worthy of appreciation.
Seventh, “it is the guarantee. The
guarantee is an expression of confidence. It is an expression of confidence
based on what we have delivered for the last ten years”. This is the politician
Jaishankar speaking. Although, he is not a career politician, he has picked up
some of the political lingua in the last ten years.
Guarantee in the strict sense of the term
is an irrevocable commitment. When you purchase a product in the market, there
is a guarantee on it. If the product does not work, it is returnable. Will that
work with the Prime Minister? If a certain promise is not delivered, will he
resign?
Coming back to the international
criticism on our democracy and Jaishankar’s allegation of western press and
powers wanting to influence our elections, it is not new. It has been happening
one way or the other since elections began in India. Instead of being defensive,
we should deepen our democracy to silence the critics.
Any remark on democracy in any country is
a matter of international concern. The corollary to democracy is solidarity
within the country and across the world, of course while isolating the vested
interests. India stands out in Asia for sustaining its democracy. Indians have
proved time and again that they will not compromise on their democracy and
diversity. ---INFA
(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)
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A NEW WAY TO COMBAT CORRUPTION, By Inder Jit, 25 April 2024 |
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REWIND
New Delhi, 25 April
2024
A NEW WAY TO COMBAT
CORRUPTION
By Inder Jit
(Released on 10
October 1989)
Corruption continues to grow --- and the corrupt continue to
flourish and prosper. Each succeeding day spotlights some new scandal. Corruption
is thus poised to become one of the major issues in the forthcoming poll
battle, if not the principal issue. Not a few people in New Delhi disagree.
They argue: “Most of our voters in the villages have not heard of Bofors,
contrary to claims. In any case, few see anything wrong in the present day
Rajas making money. Who else would? But those who have their ears to the ground
are equally clear. The common man, they assert, is greatly agitated over mounting
corruption, which has seeped down to the grassroots and is now pushing up
prices. In fact, this point was boldly made at a recent meeting of the
Congress-I Working Committee by a top State leader whose warning in regard to
the 1977 poll proved prophetic. He told Mr. Rajiv Gandhi: “Bhrashtachar will be the main issue. We must have our answers.”
This raises a question which all of us and, more especially, those
who swore loudly by Mahatma Gandhi last week need to ask: How would Bapu have
reacted to the present state of corruption in the country and, equally
importantly, to the present five-star life style and culture of the ruling
classes? How would the Mahatma have tackled the problem of corruption? Alas,
the thought does not seem to have occurred at all to those who made it a point
to be seen at Raj Ghat (courtesy Doordarshan) or to speak at one meeting or
another in Gandhian accents and idiom. Equally distressingly, few have come to
give attention to another cancerous growth in India’s body politic: increasing
criminalisation of public life. This raises one other question. What would Bapu
have done to stop known criminals and convicts from taking India towards
Pindari raj and destroying everything that the Father of the Nation and his
chosen instrument, Nehru, espoused and stood for?
The Mahatma was fully conscious of the pitfalls ahead. Indeed, he
not only advocated simple living for the Ministers and a salary of Rs 500/-
p.m. but virtually outlined a code of conduct for them in his writings from
1937 to 1948. He wanted the Ministers to be watchful both of their personal and
public conduct and said that “they have to be, like Ceaser’s wife, above
suspicion in everything.” Offices must be held in the Government “with the
spirit of service” without the slightest expectation of private gain for
themselves or for their relations or friends. “There is beauty and an art in
simplicity,” he said and added: “It does not require money to be neat, clean
and dignified. Pomp and pageantry are often synonymous with vulgarity.” He
wanted Ministership to be viewed as a crown of thorns, not one of jewels.
Tragically, the Mahatma was snatched away before he could get free India’s new
rulers to accept and practise his ideas.
Nehru and Lal Bahadur Shastri favoured a comprehensive code of democratic
functioning and set up the Santhanam Committee on Prevention of Corruption,
which submitted its report on March 31, 1964. In pursuance of this report, the
Shastri Government announced in October 1964 a code for Central and State
Ministers. This provided, inter alia, for furnishing to the Prime
Minister/Chief Minister at the initial appointment and subsequently every year
by a minister a declaration showing the details of the assets and liabilities
and business interests of the minister and dependent relations of his family
(wife or husband, minor children and dependent relations.) The details to be
disclosed were to consist of particulars of all immovable property and the
total approximate value of (a) shares and debentures (b) cash holding and (c)
jewellery. But this has been implemented more in its breach. Few Ministers have
cared to file any such return over the past decade.
The situation could have been transformed dramatically if Mr Rajiv
Gandhi had accepted a suggestion made to him early in 1985 requiring himself and
his Ministerial colleagues at the Centre and the Chief Minister and his team in
the States as also all MPs and MLAs to declare their movable and immovable
assets to Parliament and the State Assemblies respectively at the outset and
annually thereafter. Benami assets
were almost certain to be a problem. But this could be largely tackled by
requiring the Ministers also to declare the assets of their sons, daughters,
sons-in-law and other members of the family. True, Ministers at the Centre and
in various States are already required to furnish a list of their assets to the
Prime Minister or the Chief Minister respectively in accordance with the
aforementioned code. But this has at best served the personal interest of the
leader by enhancing his capacity to control and manipulate his colleagues and
not the interest of the party or the nation.
Japan has succeeded where we in India have failed. It has
eloquently and admirably shown the way of firmly tackling the ogre of public
corruption. Two Prime Ministers have already had to quit -- Mr Tanaka in the
shocking Lockheed affair and Mr Takeshita in the Recruit scandal. All this has
been made possible by a firm commitment to certain minimum norms of public
morality. At the same time, meaningful steps have been taken to ensure clean
public life. Not many in India are aware that Japan gave itself in 1984 a new
practice whereunder Cabinet and other Ministers in the Government are required
to make public their assets in the form of land, houses, deposits, stocks and so
on shortly after they take office. Since June this year, the Ministers are also
required to declare the assets owned by their family members. Further, they are
now required to disclose the amount of cash and other tangible assets held by
them when they leave office!
Importantly, the declaration of assets by the Ministers in Japan is
given wide publicity through a Government report. Some of the information made
available by Kyodo news agency last week deserves to be shared with the reader.
The Prime Minister, Mr Kaifu, and his wife hold assets worth 107 million yen
(Rs 1.78 crores), placing him eighth among 21 Cabinet Ministers. (Mr Kaifu's
house in Tokyo is now worth approximately 730 million yen, according to real
estate sources. The Foreign Minister, Mr Nakayama, is the wealthiest member of
Mr Kaifu's Cabinet. He and his family owned assets of over 666 million yen (Rs
7.16 crores) when he assumed the position on August 10 last. (The value of real
estate and stock shares is calculated on the basis of official real estate
register and face value of shares, which are substantially lower than the
market prices.) The number of Ministers who reported more than 100 million yen
in assets was eight, down from 12 in Uno’s Cabinet.
Can something be done at this stage? The answer is still a loud yes.
Public opinion should require every candidate to declare his assets in a sworn
affidavit and thereby come clean before the voters. Those failing to do so
should be openly spurned and rejected. Some unscrupulous candidates might feel
tempted to mislead. But this problem could be tackled by requiring every
successful candidate to lay his affidavit on the table of the Lok Sabha. Public
opinion could, in addition, require all the political parties to spell out
their commitment to combating corruption. As proof of their bona fides, they
should not only get their candidates to declare their assets but also to
include in their respective poll manifestos a specific commitment to make three
things obligatory for their Ministers: (i) declaration of assets on taking
office; (ii) declaration to include assets owned by family members and (iii)
declaration of cash and other assets at the time of leaving office.
Likewise, there is urgent need to get all the registered political
parties to make certain specific commitments to prevent what is described as “criminalisation
of politics.” All persons guilty of crimes and convicted so must be refused
tickets. Equally, tickets should also be refused to those under a cloud in the
public life for alleged crimes or otherwise. (Experience in Britain shows it is
not always easy to get known criminals or corrupt publicmen convicted.)
Provision should also be made for a candidate to secure more than half the
votes polled to get elected. There should be provision too for a negative vote
entitling a voter to cast his ballot against all the candidates listed. All in
all, steps need to be taken in the next few weeks to combat both corruption and
criminalisation of politics. Time is running out. Double talk and deception
have been allowed to go on for too long. INFA
(Copyright, India
News and Feature Alliance)
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BJP’s Corruption Mantra: WILL IT WIN POPULAR SUPPORT?, By Dhurjati Mukherjee, 24 April 2024 |
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Open
Forum
New
Delhi, 24 April 2024
BJP’s Corruption Mantra
WILL IT WIN POPULAR SUPPORT?
By Dhurjati Mukherjee
The
first phase of polling over,it’s getting increasingly interesting to watch how
far BJP and its star campaigner Prime Minister Modi will go to press the corruption
button against the opposition, particularly the Congress. His crusade against
corruption which he’s been emphasising at various election meetings across the country
has apparently evoked cheers among the crowds,though targeting the Opposition
leaders only would be viewed as ‘political vendetta’ sharpened this election
season.
Importantly,
a recent interview with Asianet Newswas well utilised by Modi to flog
the issue and give it some credence by focussing on the performance of the
Enforcement Directorate (ED) before and after 2014, since NDA came to power. He
said: “Until 2014, under PMLA, only 1,800 cases were registered. In the last 10
years, 4,700 cases have been registered." And while assets worth
only ₹5,000 crore were attached until 2014, this figure has surged to
over ₹1 lakh crore in the past decade.
Moreover,
the Prime Minister stated that before 2014, ED had seized only ₹34 lakh in
cash, while under our government it has seized more than ₹2,200 crore in
cash. “Imagine, if this money was invested in welfare schemes for the poor, how
many people would have benefited, how many opportunities could have been
created for the youth”.
Modi acknowledged
that such "exemplary work" is bound to cause problems for some
individuals and entities. Taking a swipe at opposition parties critical of the
ED's actions, he remarked, "And for the same reason, they are engaged in
abusing Modi day and night. He further accused the opposition of "weaving
dreams by calculating on paper," while asserting that his government has
transcended mere dreams and delivered on guarantees.
It may
be interesting to note according to Modi only 3 per cent of the cases being
probed by the ED are of politicians though, however, around 90 per cent of
these are politicians from the Opposition parties. In response the INDIA bloc
points out to BJP’s scam of electoral bonds as well as the disproportionate
action against the opposition leaders in contrast to those who switched sides,
joined the BJP, or allied with it. It has for example hit out at the closure of
the corruption case against NCP leader, Praful Patel after he along with
some others joined the BJP-led alliance.
However,
an important question arises what will be done with the money seized by the ED?
Will it be used for the welfare of the poor or in building infrastructure that
is used mainly by the rich and the upper middle-income sections? As Modi himself
maintained, if the money seized is invested in welfare schemes, monitored
strictly at the grass-root level, there would be considerable improvement in
the lives of the poor and the underprivileged.
While
analysts are busy assessing how much the corruption issue will impact the
possibility of Modi returning to power for the third term, some other
developments need to be analysed. Firstly, whether BJP’s ‘Sankalp Patra’, which
builds on Modi’s vision of India becoming a developed country by 2047 through
acceleration of infrastructure creation in diverse ways such as expansion of
bullet train network, launch of ‘new age’ trains and modern airports,
construction of more expressways apart from developing the country into a
global manufacturing powerhouse, would impress the masses.
Though
all these are mostly related to business activities, thereare points that have
been aimed at the poor: (i) free ration to be continued for five years, (ii)
free drinking water in all villages, towns and cities and (iii) free
electricity to poor households under PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana. But
these get diminished in comparison to the charge of corruption levelled against
the rivals. Even the resolve of creating more IITs, IIMs AIIMS and making available
affordable houses for the middle-class by lowering construction and
registration costs and strengthening RERA does not really touch the lower
echelons of society.
Considering
the need to focus on the poor and marginalised sections and create jobs and
opportunities, the political parties need to talk about changing strategy if brought
to power where national income and wealth should not be concentrated by 5 or 10
per cent of the population. Besides, what about imposing a one per cent wealth
tax to fund education and health in backward regions where lower castes and the
extremely poor struggle for existence, as suggested by several experts and also
by Oxfam.
The
issues no doubt will attract a sizeable section of voters, though as days pass
analysts are of the opinion that Modi’s run will not be as easy as it was
thought at the initial stages. As has been advocated by most political
analysts, the pro-business attitude of Modi and his party has been well
manifest with the opposition criticising him for the government’s failure to
deliver on its past promises. Congress is flogging the point: “What
happened to the promise of two crore jobs annually, doubling farmers’ income,
giving MSP as per the formula of the Swaminathan commission, depositing Rs 15
lakh in every account”.
However,
it remains to be said that infrastructure development which has been moving at
a fast pace under the present dispensation is no doubt noteworthy. Moreover,
indigenisation has led to spurt in business of organisations like Hindustan
Aeronautics ltd. {HAL}, Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd. (GRSE),
RVNL, IRCON etc. and it is expected that in the third term, the pace would
continue unhindered.
At the
same time, what needs attention is more funds for welfare and a rural focus to
the new government’s plans and programmes. Education and health have to be
taken up by the government in the right spirit with adequate funds so that the
backward districts are not devoid of functional health centres, higher
secondary schools and colleges. This must be the primary focus of the next Modi
government, if it comes back to power.
It is
here that Modi’s chief adversary, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, through his
yatras across the country has highlighted --the problems of the common man in
the light of rising prices and costs of living. The situation is obviously more
pathetic in rural areas. Rahul’s simple style of message may have an impact to
a select section, specially the educated ones, but Modi’s over-powering
rhetoric and mannerisms with the strong cadre base of the BJP clearly putsBJP in
an advantageous position.
Finally,
the present policy of authoritarianism, spread of hate and bigotry and lack of
civility, compassion and fellow feeling among individuals due to perversion and
jealousy in society has to change. BJP has been critical of parivarvadbut
authoritarianism, as being increasingly feared,is not healthy for a vibrant
society. There’s need for correction, particularly in public life as country’s social
fabric and relationships between individuals and communities are unfortunately
steadily eroding.----INFA
(Copyright, India news & Feature Alliance
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Love Jihad: HOLIER THAN THOU POLL WAR By Poonam I Kaushish, 23 April 2024 |
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Political Diary
New Delhi,
23 April 2024
Love Jihad
HOLIER THAN THOU POLL
WAR
By Poonam I Kaushish
In this heated poll
season, India is once again caught in a battle royale between the Gods, another Love Jihad (LJ) which is raising temperatures. LJ, a convenient
political tool and de rigueur wrapped
in welfare schemes and development that helped bring BJP to power at the Centre
twice over. Whereby, ishq-mohabat-shaadi
cutting across caste and religious boundaries inter-meshed with forced
conversions churned the political cauldron resulting in an unholy clash between
the ‘holier than thou’!
The latest Love Jihad outcry has its genesis in murder of a Karnataka
college girl by her former classmate in Hubballi which has ignited a political
firestorm in the State, with the girl’s family alleging the accused had been pressuring her to religiously convert and marry him.
Naturally, the BJP termed it a case of ‘love jihad,’ hitting out at the
Siddaramaiah-led Government, accusing it of playing politics of appeasement at
the expense of law and order. With the ruling Congress staunchly denying the
allegation, asserting “it was a mutual relationship.” Thereby, reopening the can of worms of the old familiar enemy, country
wide.
Resulting in the Hindutva brigade bandying Bahu-Beti
Bachao Sangharsh Samitis and unleashing an aggressive, systematic campaign
to create “awareness” and combat LJ with the BJP being the driving force behind
anti love-jihadists legislations across States ruled by it. Wherein, any action
taken against the perpetrators is justified, even if it means taking law into
their hands. Said UP Chief Minister Yogi, “those who conceal their identity and
play with the honour of our sisters and daughters, if you don’t mend your ways,
your ‘Ram naam satya’ journey (final
trip) will begin.”
Congress accuses BJP
for engineering Hindu majoritarian communal style of politics by using tactics
like attempting to electorally marginalise Muslims to patronising communal
violence, especially around the emotive ‘love jihad’ issue and bringing
anti-conversion laws in States ruled by it.
The BJP retaliates by
blaming Congress and its State Government of failing to take action against the
Muslim boy slamming it as a ‘Muslim Party’ part of the “tukde-tukde gang” which protects terrorists and follows politics
of appeasement “working on Pakistan’s agenda.”
As for other Opposition
Parties despite taking the Hindutva brigade to task over their anti-minority
plank and opposing aggressive Hindutva consolidation, they do not want to be
labeled as “pro-Muslim.” Reading the ‘Muslim mind’ as an anti-BJP phenomenon on
which they base their political strategy.
Who does one fault?
Given our netas have perfected
intemperate language to inject poison in society over the years. Alas, politics
has meandered into narrow confines of polarisation and appeasement rhetoric,
rabble rousing abusive, devoid of any substance, spreading hatred but also
tilted towards widening the communal divide pitting Hindus against Muslims.
All to sway sentiments
before elections in all religions whereby every Party is stoking the fire,
hoping it would gain dividends underscoring the games politicians play at the
altar of political expediency. To keep their gullible vote-banks emotionally
charged so that their own ulterior motives are well-served.
Undeniably, post its
defeat in the State Assembly polls, BJP is using its new Hindutva rajneeti post Ayodhya consecration and Hindu
cultural renaissance to make inroads into areas and regions even with little or
no significant minority presence as it revolves around its pet slogan Sab Ka Saaath, Sab Ka Vikas, Sab Ka Vishwas
es baar 400 paar. Yet it realizes the ‘Muslim mind’ is still
problematic.
Last year various
right-wing outfits undertook Hindu Jan
Akrosh rallies to press for laws against ‘love jihad,’ ‘land jihad’ and
‘Hindutva is in danger’ card. Opposition Parties accuse the Saffron Sangh of
playing out divisive issues: how Muslim population’s growth rate threatens the
primacy of the “Hindu” nation with a cynical eye on electoral gains.
Notwithstanding, this dog whistle politics spells bad news for communal
harmony.
Not many are aware the LJ programme started in 1996 with
blessings of some Muslim organizations in Kerala, though the term was first
heard in the State’s Pathanamthitta district in September 2009 and used in a
Kerala High Court judgment three months later. Dubbing it ‘an alleged Muslim
plot to forcefully convert young brilliant Hindu girls to Islam by having
Muslim boys entrap them in love affairs’, it asked the State Government to
consider enacting a law to prohibit such “deceptive acts of LoveJihad”.
Notwithstanding denials by Islamic fundamentalist outfits
like National Democratic Front (NDF) and ‘Campus Front’ of Popular Front of
India (PFI), the Kerala Government said that 2,667 women had converted to Islam
in the State since 2006. Police figures on the other hand total over 8000
conversions in the last four years alone. Add to this another 60,000 girls have
been converted in Karnataka alone according to the Hindu Janajagruti
Samiti. In the last six months UP registered over 20 LJ cases.
Turn North, South, East or West, the story is the same.
Religion is turning out to be a question of money, big money. Recall, flush
with funds from their headquarters in the US, a number of church groups
allegedly converted hundreds of Hindus to Christianity in Tamil Nadu, Kerala,
Andhra Pradesh, Kashmir and Karnataka by giving them money and jobs in the
decades post Independence.
On the flip side, the VHP and Bajrang Dal too established
groups of armed youth, called Raksha Sena,
in every village of Chhattisgarh, in order to stop conversions to
Christianity. And where conversions had
taken place another movement called the Ghar
Wapsi (“Return Home”) was launched in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan,
Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Gujarat and Orissa for reconverting the tribal Christian
back to Hinduism.
To put an end to this five States: Rajasthan, Orissa,
Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat have enacted anti-conversion laws
that bar conversions but allow re-conversions to Hinduism. Jharkhand has
declared its intention to enact a similar law.
Fortunately, the
Supreme Court settled this matter in 1973 wherein it distinguished between the
right to proselytize and the right to convert. Upholding the Constitutional
validity on anti-conversion laws enacted by Orissa and Madhya Pradesh in
1967-68, it ruled: “What the Constitution grants is not the right to convert
another person to one’s own religion, but to transmit or spread one’s religion
by an exposition of its tenders.” The Court also observed that organized
conversion was anti-secular and that respect for all religions was the essence
of India’s secularism.
It is time now for our
leaders to spare a thought for all those who have lost their lives in the
meaningless Love Jihad over the years
and delink religion and divisive grammar from politics, consider a ban on
divisive politics and open a “mohabbat ki
dukan in a nafrat ka bazaar.”
Importantly, they need
to understand that by playing Hindus and Muslims against each other they are
only serving their vested interests. The aim should be to raise the bar on
public discourse, not lower it any more. Parties and fringe elements need to
realize the collateral damage it causes will be permanent. Neither Lord Ram nor
will Allah forgive the polity for playing havoc in its name.
Let us not reduce LJ to a political gimmick. Our leaders
need to do a cost-benefit analysis and put a stop to
converting religious gush into political slush. True Love Jihad, anyone? ----- INFA
(Copyright India
News & Feature Alliance)
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