---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Irfan Engineer <[email protected]> Date: Wed, Apr 8, 2009 at 5:49 PM Subject: [Secular Perspective] Defeat communal forces in the 15th Lok Sabha elections To: [email protected]
General Elections for the 15th Lok Sabha People of India will be electing the 15th Lok Sabha. The elections have been staggered from April-May2009. General elections are time when political parties form new alliances and ideologies and test their strength. BJP was upbeat after its performance in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly elections. However its enthusiasm dampened after it failed to win in Delhi and Rajasthan Assembly elections. The BJP hoped to politically exploit the issue terrorism, demanding an authoritarian POTA like legislation to tackle terrorism. The 26/11 terrorist attack on Mumbai and the subsequent events proved that more than an authoritarian legislation and politicization of problem of terrorism, what was needed was hard efforts to bring the accused to justice. Hard evidence and thorough investigation that convinces the whole world regarding the culpability of the terrorist outfits and dismantling of terrorist infrastructure – wherever they were operating is more important tool in tacking terrorism rather than an authoritarian law that gives unbridled and unaccountable powers to the police. The issue of terrorism didn’t help BJP garner votes in Delhi and Rajasthan Assembly elections. The BJP then half heartedly focused on its Hindutva agenda and included the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya, repeal of Article 370 of the Constitution, withdrawal of Sethusamudram project and Uniform Civil Code in its Manifesto. Apprehensive that the Hindutva agenda would not receive popular support from the electorate, BJP also included populist measures like providing cheap foodgrains grant of 1.5 lakhs to every girl child etc, borrowing from and even competing with the Congress Party in promising poll sops. In its electoral campaign, the BJP indulged in every possible corrupt electoral practices, including distribution of cash by Jaswant Singh in his son’s election campaign, using divisive agenda and playing provocative CDs like “Mandir Wahi Banayenge” (Ram temple will be constructed on the same spot where Babri Masjid stood) which even led to rioting in Pusad (Yavatmal) in Maharashtra. Varun Gandhi used threatening language against Muslims and Sikhs threatening to cut the hands that are raised against Hindus. After initially condemning the contents of the speech, seeing electoral benefits of divisive agenda, the BJP rallied around Varun Gandhi. Varun Gandhi’s speech invoked the core Hindutva agenda of relegating the minorities to second class citizens enjoying no rights, and not even security until they entertain no thoughts but the glory of Hindu rashtra and Hindu traditions (read select upper caste patriarchal traditions). BJP remembers Human riots selectively only when the likes of Sadhvi Pragnya Singh Thakur and Varun Gandhi are arrested. We have seen the effect of BJP coming to power, even as a coalition partner – textbooks in Rajasthan and Gujarat praising the historical role of Hitler, teaching communalised history and praising the role of RSS leaders who never participated in the independence of the country. Whenever in power or sharing power in any coalition government, the BJP uses its influence in the govt. to protect its footloose ideologically driven cadre to target minorities and thereby othering and second classing them. The othering and second classing of minorities produces and reproduces communal identities and political mobilisation is then based only on communal identities. After Gujarat 2002, where over two thousand people were brutally killed and a lakh people were displaced and cannot even now return to their homes, 2008 witnessed brutal violence in Kandhmal where about hundred people were killed and 50,000 people, whose only fault was that they professed Christian faith, were displaced and forced to stay in relief camps. Anti-Christian riots continued for over 5-6 months with state just playing the role of an onlooker. Villages after villages were attacked with impunity by followers of Hindutva and they succeeded in pitting Hindu adivasis and dalits against Christian adivasis and dalits. The traders and other upper caste Hindus who are considered outsiders as they have settled in Kandhamal only in the recent past, were always considered as exploiters of Kondh adivasis and Pano dalits. The traders are now enjoying their new social hegemony, grabbing land and other resources. Taking advantage of power, many Hindutva organisations masquerading as civil society organisations receive shot in their arms with huge government funds at their disposal. They are able to penetrate bureaucracy, Military and police forces and spread their divisive ideology and post their followers in key positions, particularly in the intelligence wings. These elements continue to serve the agenda of second classing minorities and privileging upper caste male even when BJP is not in power. Congress’ secularism is nothing to talk about. Rather than making identities irrelevant to the politics of the country, Congress and other so called well wishers of minorities like Laloo Prasad, Mulayam Singh and company give in to the demands of political Islamists to sustain the Muslim political identity which underprivileges the women and the socially and economically backward among the Muslims. Sustaining Political Muslim identity helps the so called secular parties garner the minority votes without doing anything for them, in fact keeping them insecure, backwards and discriminating against them in economic fields and other opportunities and benefits. About 35,000 people have been killed in communal riots and even today hardly any one responsible for those murders fears the law. This is the season of chosing lesser evil. Hence any secular and peace loving citizen of the country will easily agree that political priority is to defeat communal forces and their allies in this election. Irfan A. Engineer, -- http://venukm.blogspot.com/ --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. 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