Political Diary
New Delhi, 17 January 2017
Court Gets It Right
NETAS: HOW DO I GET VOTES?
By Poonam I Kaushish
What is with us Indians? Why are we so blasé’ about
secularism or pseudo-secularism? Why do we always believe our polity’s
definition of it? Why are we so hypocritical and helpless? Questions which
bombard us like staccato gunshots when we talk of caste and creed.
Not any more. Three cheers for the Supreme Court for
upholding the secular ethos of the Indian Constitution by saying that politicians
can't use religion, caste, creed or language for seeking votes. In its landmark
4:3 judgment Monday last the Constitution Bench said, “No politician can seek
vote in the name of caste, creed, or religion.
“The electoral processes are secular in nature and
individual preferences and choices are guaranteed under Article 25 have nothing
to do with secular activities such as elections.” Adding, religion can’t affect the purity of
the electoral process as the relationship between man and God is individual
choice; and the State is forbidden to interfere in such an activity.
Further, the seven-judge Bench headed by ex-Chief Justice
Thakur ruled that if a candidate and their agents etc were found to be seeking
votes in the name of religion or caste, it would be considered a corrupt
practice under Section 123(3) Representation of People's Act and if found
guilty a candidate could be disqualified.
In fact, the Court revisited its 1995 ‘Hindutva’ judgment
wherein the question before the three-judge Bench headed by ex-Chief Justice
Verma was whether the use of terms such as Hindutva or Hinduism per se would amount to such practice.
The Bench had ruled that a mere reference to Hindutva or Hinduism wasn't a
corrupt practice, as Hinduism was not a religion but a way of life in India.
True, the pseudo-secular wheel seems to have turned a full
circle and with the Apex Court playing party popper it remains to be seen how
this judgment affects the forthcoming Assembly polls in five States particularly
UP where religion and caste is expected to play a big role in canvassing for
votes.
Will it change the way our netagan and Parties do politics? Probably not specially against the
backdrop that election after election our leaders carefully craft their
strategy according to the right caste and communal combinations to win a State
or romp home at the Centre.
Nothing showcases this shameless, ugly and raw exercise for
power than the ongoing shenanigans in UP activated by the ruling Samajwadi,
BJP, BSP and Congress. All distributing tickets to candidates according to
their religion and right castes or sub-caste combinations in keeping with a
constituency’s demography. For whoever sits on the State gaddi would be the ‘game-changer’ for the Rajya Sabha’s composition
and poll 2019.
Remember, the 2015 Bihar
poll wherein both Nitish-Lalu’s Grand Alliance and Modi’s NDA promised more caste
quotas if elected in education and jobs, merit be damned! And Andhra’s MIM MLA
Owaisi callous two-hour long tirade full of hatred calling the Hindus
“impotent” in 2013, “Remove the police for 15 minutes, we 25 crore Muslims will
finish off the 100 crore Hindus,”
thereby exposing the pseudo-secularism espoused by various Parties!
And, the UP Minister who promised a reward of Rs 50 lakhs to
anyone who beheaded the Danish cartoonist who showed the Prophet in bad light.
Why were our secular leaders mum? Recall also, the hullaballoo by the Samajwadi
known for its soft corner for the minority community calling the killing of the
Indian Mujahideen terrorists in 2008 by a police braveheart as a ‘fake
encounter’?
Alas, it failed to evoke strong reactions from various
Parties. Succinctly, because the language used was no different from what many netas have said before. Remember, the
Hindutva-driven communalism championed by the likes of Bajrang Dal leader
Togadia, Lok Sabha MP Adityanath, VHP leaders like Sadhvi Ritambhara, Shiv
Sena’s Udhav Thackeray, and his cousin MNS’s Raj et al.
Clearly, we are watching cut-throat communalism at work.
Whereby, our netas have made caste
and creed the tour de force of Indian
politics. Thus, in a milieu of competitive democracy which blots pledges of
development, if caste politics ensures convergence of electoral booty and
politics based on religion has better chances of polarising voters via vicious
speeches inducing raw emotions of hostility and hate, so be it.
Who cares if it is destructive and stokes communal violence
and sows the seeds of rabid communalism. And no matter the nation is getting
sucked into the vortex of centrifugal bickerings.
Indeed, communal and caste politics would be good if it
ensured better quality of life for the members of a particular community.
However, it invariably turns into hate politics. This has been India’s
experience over the last many decades and the consequence of such politics has
been disastrous.
Needless to say, this ping-pong over who is secular, who a
communal and casteist is scary. When selfish vote banks politics dictate our
polity’s political ideology and their attitude and stance is fashioned
according to the electorate’s diktat then
all stand tarred by the same brush.
Importantly, no quarter should be given to those who fan
hatred among people, castes and communities. Be it a Brahmin, Kshatriya, Jain,
Dalit, a Hindu fundamentalist or a Muslim militant. All are destroyers of the
State, which has no religious and caste entity. Thus, our moral angst cannot be
selective but should be just, honourable and equal.
Secularism cannot be a one-way street. Said Nehru, “The combination
of politics and religion, resulting in communal politics, is a most dangerous
combination, and must be put an end to”. Alas, Parties and successive
Governments have failed to draw a distinction between politics, caste and
religion.
Worse, the tragedy of India is that its political class
wants the present show to go on. Forgetting that there is no mysticism in the
secular character of the State. The
State is neither anti-God nor pro-God. It is expected to treat all religions
and people alike. But so caught up are all in their frenzied pursuit of
political nirvana through separatism, that they confuse themselves and the
voter – and, indeed, history itself. Converting religions gush into political
slush!
Where do we go from here? It all depends on whether the
Government is willing to get rid of its excess baggage of isms and instead bank
on genuine secularism. The Apex
Court has shown the way once more. The Election
Commission can now fire the gun from its shoulder.
Hence, the time has come to rid Hinduism from the
stranglehold of caste prejudices and separate religion from the State else we
will become another Iran or Saudi Arabia.
Remember, the State is apolitical and has no religion except the Constitution
which grants equal rights to everyone.
In the ultimate our petty-power-at-all-cost polity needs to
think beyond vote-bank politics and look at the perilous implications of their
insidious out-pourings. Realise a nation is primarily a fusion of minds and
hearts and secondarily a geographical entity. India is a big country with enough
room for all to live in peace and goodwill.
Let us not ignore the grim lessons of history. Or we shall
end up condemning ourselves to repeating it. Our polity and aam aadmi need to abide by the Supreme
Court’s diktat and answer one question: Are we Indians? --- INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
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