Syeda Mazhar
India: where law interferes in people’s private life; the government is unable to safeguard the fundamental rights of freedom and dissent, the education system is largely discriminated, the state deliberately jeopardizes the social welfare of the minorities, a government that encourages campaigns like “Ghar Wapasi” and Saffronisation, the women are objectified and humiliated, a country where people are suffering from ever increasing repression against them, where people are victims of state terrorism. India has failed as a democracy.
The question is; why is there more communal violence after the BJP victory? The Central Indian government’s direct and indirect acquiescence to the aggressive stance of the Hindutva frontal organizations is the cause. Government authorities have aggravated communal conflict through government orders empowering Hindus, whereas the orders neglected and/or discriminated against religious minorities. For example, in educational institutions, the Ahmedabad School Board issued a circular directing all schools of the state, including Urdu medium schools, to perform compulsory Hindu religious invocations, the District Educational Officer of Ahmedabad made it mandatory for municipal schools to sing songs that are closely associated with the RSS as part of its morning ritual.
Ban on cow slaughter, anti-conversion laws, and promotion of Saffronisation agenda are other examples of how the government acquiesced to aggravated communal conflict in India. Neglecting religious minorities in India who do not consider a cow to be a sacred animal, the enactment and support for a ban on cow slaughter not only empowered the Hindu fundamentalist cause, but also aggravated the communal violence against the minorities.
The promotion of Saffronisation agenda in terms of education, Indian history, and historical monuments seeks to glorify Hindu culture and history, while deemphasizing the Islamic or Christian contributions. Even though the apparent fabrication of the truth and a secular approach to Indian history was rejected, it made the intentional insult to the minorities.
Hate speeches and inflammatory statements were, increasingly, often made by members of the BJP, the RSS, and the VHP after the BJP came to power in the general election of May 2014. Under the apparent protection of the government, Hindutva outfits have constantly made obnoxious and inflammatory statements targeting religious minorities, and the government condoned and tolerated circulation of such aggressive statements.
Despite the Article 25 of the Constitution of India also enumerates the freedom of conscience and the freedom to profess, practice, and propagate a religion of one’s choice, the government has played an active part in encouraging secular communalism. In addition, Article 15 of the Constitution prohibits discrimination on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth. Moreover, the Constitutional mandate prescribes the protection of the rights of minority communities in India. Minorities, obviously never felt safe in India, even during the Congress rule, but when it comes to BJP rule, they are trying to establish “Ram Raj” in India. And they have given this slogan. Even Congress has given “Ram Raj” slogan in the past but not to this extent.
For those outside the corridors of power the task is to shape the discourse on Indian democracy. Its goal must now be redirected towards human development while ensuring the security of all vulnerable groups. For a democracy to be complete, however, something more than just focus on the individual, however deserving they may be, is necessary as members of a democracy must engage with one another lest remain equal but separated.
There has been far too little effort in Indian public policy to create spaces where citizens may interact freely and peacefully. Instead the Indian government notoriously seeks to embellish Indian history and empower Hinduism, Hindu majoritarian society that disregards contributions of religious minorities has been further promoted. The governmental intervention in the dietary habits of ordinary citizens that favors a particular religious community worsens the already-existing conflicts between religious communities in India. The promotion of Hindu practices and the strict constraining of the religious practices and events of religious minorities further intensifies the communal tension.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has often spoken in global fora of the unacceptability of terrorism. Now the incidents of assault on Dalits in Gujarat, rape of women across the country and intimidation of Muslims in Uttar Pradesh bring home to them the presence of terrorism among them. While some of this predates his arrival in Delhi, there is reason to believe that fascist forces have been encouraged to act with impunity since then.
In its inability to contain these forces, India’s democracy can be seen to be flailing. One can never guarantee their security if one cannot assure that of others. Tired of oppression the minorities will one day finally rise in what was once “the land of Gandhi”. Indians should at least have the decency to acknowledge common humanity. The imperative need to establish mutual respect among the communities is there.
