India is as much a feeling as it is a nation, the same way our democracy is as much an experience as it is our chosen form of governance. India is constantly changing and so is the meaning of democracy for us. We have traversed from a newly independent country with a nascent democracy to a fast growing one with a resilient democracy able to withstand the winds of change, while never forgetting what our founding fathers, especially what Mahatma Gandhiji wanted our nation to stand for. Today, on the 70th year of the Mahatma’s Martyrdom and as the country is irreparably changing, it is worth looking at how close we have come to the Mahatma’s idea of India. The Mahatma, till his last breath, stood for the truth and an inclusive society for all of India’s children, irrespective of caste, creed, colour, gender and economic status. He envisioned a democracy where the minorities enjoyed the same equality as the majority and the historically oppressed were uplifted to be proactive members of a diverse yet united society.
It has been over 6 decades since he was martyred for his beliefs on a united India, the question we must ask is, would he be proud of what the nation of his dreams has become? Would he approve of where our democracy is headed? I think not.
It saddens me to say, but the Mahatma’s idea of India is being buried under a colossal exercise to change what we have historically stood for; a nation of diversity, culture and unity. Thread by thread, the social fabric is being rewoven to push the ideas of secularism and fraternity under the carpet. Now, for the first time since the post-colonial/partition violence, we are seeing polarisation and communal chaos rear its ugly head again in an unprecedented manner, while the men who rule the nation look on or tacitly approve it with their silence. The reasoning behind it may be to do with the ideology of the current government’s parent organisation or merely an election strategy, but the shockwaves it is sending through the psyche of the people is off the scales. Instances of violence, mob justice, excessive state paternalism, rise in crimes against women which are tied to a deep-seated notion of misogyny and patriarchy as well as large scale targeting of minorities, has become common place in what is called “New India”.
As has been obviously noticed, those who rule us are degrading our values of secularism, equality and fraternity, which strikes at the very heart of Gandhi’s dream for a united India, while also ushering in an era of post truth, goebbelsian lies and alternative facts. Intolerance is being bred as a poll agenda, which has seen leaders from the Sangh spew venom against minorities.
Like the intolerance seen during partition, which was further exacerbated by the right wing of yore, we see a growing intolerance towards the minorities perpetuated by the BJP. In my very own state for example, a letter sent by a BJP MP to the Home Minister about Hindu deaths in Karnataka while the state has allegedly remained silent, has been used to fan communal fires in parts of the state. The letter which contained names of 23 RSS/BJP karyakartas who had allegedly died because of “jihadi elements” was all but an entirely fabricated document. Of the alleged deaths, one individual was alive though claimed to be dead and 13 others weren’t killed for the reasons cited above at all. In case of the 9 deaths which had links to communal rivalries, the police department had decisively acted in each case to ensure due process of law. However, the BJP, noticing the dividends these strategies seem to yield across the nation, has used these lies to create a communal divide in the state. We have cracked down on such instances but ensuing violence, fanned by BJP MPs, has taken the lives of people from across religious lines. No life is too trivial and every one of these instances is a reminder of democracy in danger, because such violence is being supported by a democratic political party.
What this attitude tells us is that the BJP, in brazen defiance of the truth, is out to polarize the nation in order to gain electorally. From smashan to kabiristan comments to calling the Karnataka government anti-Hindu, they are not only striking at the heart of a secular democracy, while being a democratically elected party, but also vilifying the minorities to garner majority votes. This is by far the most deplorable means of ensuring democratic progress. This short may help them gain electorally but is breaking society piece by piece, which will have far greater ramifications on the Indian psyche in years to come. We all know the fundamentalist ideology which led to the Mahatma’s assassination. Then, is it not every Indians duty, if they truly believe in Gandhiji’s ideals, to prevent the very same forces from rearing it’s ugly head, which is unfortunately, being legitimised by the States action or inaction in most cases. Are we not failing his idea of India? These ideas of intolerance, ostracism and polarisation have no place in the Mahatma’s India. Today, I do not envision a perfect society, but one which can cope with communal diversity and ensure peace and harmony.
It may be utopia to imagine such a thing, but Gandhiji himself said, “The world of tomorrow will be, must be, a society based on non-violence. That is the first law; out of it all other blessings will flow. It may seem a distant goal, an impractical Utopia. But it is not in the least unobtainable, since it can be worked for here and now.” I am an Indian before a politician and will end by saying that democracy is everyone’s birthright, the BJP has as much a right to stake its claim in it, as the Congress does. However, on this day when the Mahatma breathed his last, I urge them to unite the electorate on the idea of progress and development instead of encouraging draconian divisions and intolerance which have no place in any civilised society. I seek to remind them that Gandhi needs to reside in our hearts to ensure the progress of this country, and not just in the textbooks, which they are trying so hard to change.
