By Barnes Mawrie
The complete defeat of BJP in the recent Delhi Assembly election is a manifestation of the wisdom of Indian voters. The message is clear that the people of India are peace loving, tolerant and open to each other’s cultures and religion; that we still believe in the unique character of our nation, “unity in diversity”. Whenever some insane leaders and governments come up with hate policies based on ethnicity or religion, the public have always reacted through the ballot. The atrocities of the Sangh Parivars against the minority groups like the Christians by vandalizing their sacred places and objects did not go unnoticed in the eyes of good citizens. The Delhi people have spoken loudly against such divisive elements that attempt to disrupt peace and harmony. In the 70’s the Janata Party led by Moraji Desai tried to tamper with religious issues and they soon succumbed to defeat. This is another hard lesson for the BJP Government that if they meddle with religious matters, they are going to face the unavoidable consequences.
Secularism is at the heart of Indian society. It has kept our country united in spite of its diversities. Gandhiji, the Father of our nation, was the most vociferous proponent of secularism. It is in fact very alarming to see that the present Government is speaking in terms of doing away with the word “secular” from our Constitutions. This would be an outrageous blunder they could ever commit. Our constituent fathers in their wisdom and insight have incorporated this term in order to safeguard peace and harmony because they believed that India is an open country, broad in its outlook and policies. True to the age-old values of tolerance and ahimsa, our Constitution reflects the magnanimity of our Indian nation. As an Indian I am first and foremost proud of the secularism that we uphold because it has earned us respect in the world community.
I certainly admire the political prowess and leadership qualities of Mr. Narendra Modi our Prime Minister, but when he chose to be silent about atrocities that were being committed by the Sangh Parivar against minorities, I begun to lose my respect for him. It is evident that he is afraid to hurt the sentiments of these Hindu radicals (perhaps because they were largely responsible for his landslide victory in the last general election). The latest vandalization of Auxilium School in New Delhi again indicates persecution of minority groups. It is shocking to see how the BJP spokespersons tried arrogantly to defend their wrong doings during the television panel discussions. It is an undeniable fact that the complete routing of the BJP in the Delhi election was a vindication against their sectarian policy. The people of Delhi have given a clear verdict of their disapproval for any form of intolerance.
Majority of the Indian people believe in secularism as enshrined in our Constitutions. They uphold scrupulously the age-old Indian values of non-violence, tolerance and respect for other cultures and religions. It is good for the BJP to remember that in the last general election, the Indian people have voted for development and never for religious intolerance. The BJP would be highly presumptuous to think that they have been given license to wreak communalism. If they truly respect the voters’ sentiments they should preoccupy themselves with nation building and not destroy it with their sectarian policies. As of now we have not seen any tangible difference in developmental pursuits between them and the Congress government. It looks like the present government is competent merely in sloganeering. We have heard ad nauseam slogans like Swachh Bharat or Beti Bacchau, Beti Pardhau but the ground reality remains the same. When will they stop playing to the gallery and start doing something concrete.
What we see in the offing today is the ugly head of communalism. Since the day the BJP has come into power, communal forces are becoming more daring. I may not be wrong to say that communalism is more dangerous than corruption. While corruption may affect the development and prosperity of a nation, communalism instead can destroy the very fabric of a nation. India, where diversity is so characteristic, cannot afford to be ruled along communal lines. Communalism must be kept at bay at all costs if we do not desire to see our country breaking down. The present policy of religious intolerance and discrimination of people on religious grounds is the worst form of communalism. Perhaps it benefits us to remember the words of Gandhiji who said: “If I were a dictator, religion and state would be separate. I swear by my religion. I will die for it. But it is my personal affair. The state has nothing to do with it. The state would look after your secular welfare, health, communications, foreign relations, currency and so on, but not your or my religion. That is everybody’s personal concern!” These are words of a wise Indian who has witnessed and also suffered socio-cultural and religious discrimination himself.
Preserving and defending the secular nature of our country is the duty of every government in power and of every citizen as well. Let us not forget that the first most important gift that any government can offer to its citizens is freedom and not wealth and riches. And of all freedoms, the freedom of conscience is uppermost. Our Prime Minister has remarked “I am a Hindu nationalist and there’s nothing wrong about it”. We have no objection to that but when they try to condition other people’s existence then the problem arises. Why can’t we also accept the reality of Muslim nationalists, Buddhist nationalists or Christian nationalists? Does a Muslim, Buddhist or Christian love India less than a Hindu?