Political Diary

New Delhi, 19 April 2022

Bulldozer Politics

WHOSE AFRAID OF IT?

By Poonam I Kaushish

As temperatures rise across the country the heat is searing through political Ulta Pulta UP and Madhya Pradesh over it new-fangled and unprecedented Bulldozer Politics. This gigantic machine has become one of the biggest electoral tools for our leaders to win elections. Whereby, a Government is judged as strong and decisive not on development work but by the number of bulldozers it uses to demolish citizens’ houses. Thereby, turning rule of law into rule by law!

Conceptualised and patented by BJP’s UP Chief Minister Yogi who was bestowed the sobriquet “Bulldozer Baba” as a jibe by rival Samajwadi Party during the recent elections, the Party adopted the moniker and endorsed it as an affirmation of State policy by using it to raze illegal properties of criminals and rapists to instill the fear of law.

This muscular politics of ‘might is right’ has now been adopted by neighbour Madhya Pradesh whose Chief Minister Chouhan liberally ordered destruction of rioters properties, crimes against women and violence as punishment earning the nickname Bulldozer Mama. Last week even as over 50 houses of alleged rioters involved in Khargone violence during a Ram Navami procession were demolished, he made plain, “Beti ki suraksha mein jo banega rora, mama ka bulldozer banega hathora!”

Predictably, this bulldozer politics perfected by BJP’s two popular heartland leaders has sparked off a major controversy with the Opposition yelling “mockery of Constitution”. India’s pluralist edifice built with blood, sweat and tears of nationalists, is being bulldozed brick by brick. This muscular politics is unhealthy for our secular democratic body politic.

Raising a moot point: Is this display of political muscle power and dadagiri at its crassiest best? Or is it legal and a deterrent against rioting?

True, in a narrow political sense, rioters can take umbrage that it invades their privacy, imperils their safety and reeks of vindictiveness as they are being vilified as “anti-nationals”, thereby, underlining the Baba-Mama Governments intolerance towards the minority community. Besides, how can they be held guilty without a trial and without demonstrating that the accused persons committed legal offences through their actions? In fact the State’s power to maintain law and order, however broad, cannot be permitted to violate Fundamental Rights.

Counters Congress’ Rahul, “instead of bulldozing inflation and unemployment the BJP’s bulldozer is ridden by hate and fear.” Not even offenders of serious crime are subject to such treatment as has been meted against these people accused of vandalism. The motive strikingly appears to be that of vengeance. No State Administration should pursue these steps to achieve moral ends of effective deterrence, he adds.

Not a few argue this template of justice has neither respect nor the time for due process. This institutional thuggery can only threaten the rule of law. Employing strong-arm tactics goes against the imperatives of democratic ethics and civil liberty. True our judicial process is very time consuming and progress’ at a snail’s pace but that does not merit taking law into one’s hand as this would result in a collapse of law and order and breakdown of the law enforcing machinery.

Adding, while an individual could commit any act that is not prohibited by law, a State could take only actions that are expressly sanctioned by law. Underscoring, this was a crucial aspect of the rule of law to protect the individual from the might of the State apparatus and no democracy can afford to punish people without a due process of law.

Legal experts wonder how Government can bulldoze property before the court holds anyone guilty. If Government doles out ‘justice’ on the basis of its likes and dislikes, what are courts for? It must not act as court and jury. This ‘bulldozer politics’ is the beginning of a dangerous trend and instead of instilling fear in criminals minds, laws needs to be tightened not bypassed.

The State Government in its defence asserts that “illegal structures” encroaching on public land and belonging to citizens who committed public nuisance were razed as “punishment”. “They set ablaze houses of poor and Scheduled Castes why shouldn’t we take action against these people?” Shouldn't bulldozers be used against those who trouble them?” defends Chouhan.  

Moreover, action is taken under relevant sections of law and court should not interfere in such matters as the accused created a nuisance and damaged public. This not only instills fear of financial losses and act as a deterrent for the future but also strengthens the ‘strongman’' image of our leaders to provide development-oriented administration.

Also, in 2009 Supreme Court in a “suo motu” judgment averred property destruction as collective punishment of rioters. “If some destruction of property happened in a protest, and you were present, your property could get attached without needing to show you were responsible in any way.”

Either which way bulldozer politics heralds a paradigm shift in political thinking. Whereby, the Government has intertwined a citizen’s responsibilities with his fundamental duties to the State, protecting the sovereignty and integrity of India, duties towards fellow citizens and society, adhering to spirit of common brotherhood, preserving composite culture and safeguarding public property to ensure he does not take refuge under his rights to commit various acts of misdemeanor in the public domain. 

Consequently, in a milieu where good governance and accountability is the hallmark of Government, it stands to reason when the State highlights that citizenry too has responsibilities, duties and obligations towards the nation. It is a vital component of strengthening roots of society at the grass root level.

Furthermore, in an era of omnipresent social media which can be judgmental and vicious it has created a new sort of fear psychosis.  Bringing things to such a pass, that this tit-for-tat politics has resulted in many BJP Chief Ministers jostling to join the ‘muscular club’. From Assam’s Himanta Biswa to Karnataka’s Bommai.

Sure, one can protest against State actions but it should be peaceful. One certainly cannot run riot and destroy public property at will. After all, everything belongs to the public as a whole.  Clearly, the country needs to find a fine balance between street power and duties and responsibility.

Bluntly, rioters should not be allowed to go unpunished. The time for citizens to change their mindset and realize alongside Fundamental Rights we also have our duties to the State.  We need to cry a halt to increasing degradation by conducting our own due diligence, else we lay the foundation for a weak and pliable nation.

Both Bulldozer Baba and Bulldozer Mama have shown the way to hold rioters and criminals accountable for their violence. A first towards a peaceful free India where it’s democracy comes first. Can anyone argue with this? ----- INFA.

(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)