Divided We Stand @ 62: An Insight

Divided We Stand @ 62: An Insight Dr. Prashant Mehta Assistant Professor, National Law University, Jodhpur Email: prashantmehta1@rediffmail.com If we scan through the past history of India we will find that from Kings and their Kingdoms, Invaders, Occupiers, ruling British, and our own democratically elected governments in free India have progressed by single ideology of dividing the social fabric of our society by segregating Indians on the basis of majority, minority, religion, caste, schedule caste, schedule tribe, OBC, and very recently on the basis of regional interests like telengana or demand for other smaller states. Thus the very framework of democracy which united the country under one constitution years ago has failed to provide a strong ideology or pragmatic view point on issues of regionalism. Instead we are fast degenerating into a country where anything can be done at anytime anywhere by anyone as far as its suits its political ambitions and adds numbers to its vote bank. Thus the probable question before each one of us today is United INDIA or UNITED STATES OF INDIA? If the present state of affairs continue with growing menace of regional parties and the subsequent breed of Indian politicians who propagate hatred the degenerative policy of ‘divide and win elections’ the day is not far when questions asked above would become a reality. It goes to the negative mindset and ideology of Indian politicians, political parties, and political system during last 62 years that none of them have ever taken an initiative to present bill on the floor of the parliament which will treat all Indians as equals. At the same time political parties are eager and ready to take credit for the preambles to divide Indians on the basis of region (issue of telengana or division of Uttar Pradesh), religion, and even castes (like recent Gujjar agitation in Rajasthan). Not only this, the very concepts of minorities and secularism adopted from western democratic systems are creating havoc on the social fabric of the society and Indian as single nation is challenged as never before. The largest democracy in the world growing at rate of 08% GDP is at crossroads because of such divisive interdependent opportunist political framework like UPA or NDA. The political parties and breed of secular politicians in India love to talk about ideology with each political party having its own ideology. But political parties today have became more opportunist, have even dumped there ideology, and made compulsive compromise in era of multiparty rule which in today scenario is only limited in most of the cases is to win elections and stay in power. The present breed of politicians who would go any length to win the elections be it MNS in Maharashtra, Trinumool Congress in West Bengal, BSP and SP in UP or DMK in Tamil Nadu and so on.

Once elected, these so called ‘secular’ politicians of forget the plight of common man and vie with one another to get maximum benefit for their religion, family, caste, and region. Supreme Court, during upholding of OBC reservation in higher educational institutes has lamented that caste had divided this country for ages. Justice R.V. Raveendran reasoning in the main judgment, said: “Caste has divided this country for ages. It has hampered its growth. To have a casteless society will be realisation of a noble dream. To start with, the effect of reservation may appear to perpetuate caste. The immediate effect of caste-based reservation has been rather unfortunate.” “In the pre-reservation era people wanted to get rid of the backward tag either social or economical. But post reservation, there is a tendency even among those who are considered ‘forward,’ to seek the ‘backward’ tag, in the hope of enjoying the benefits of reservation. When more and more people aspire for ‘backwardness’ instead of ‘forwardness’ the country itself stagnates. “Reservation as an affirmative action is required only for a limited period to bring forward the socially and educationally backward classes by giving them a gentle supportive push. But if there is no review after a reasonable period and if reservation is continued, the country will become a caste divided society permanently. Instead of developing a united society with diversity, we will end up as a fractured society for ever suspicious of each other. While affirmative discrimination is a road to equality, care should be taken that the road does not become a rut in which the vehicle of progress gets entrenched and stuck.” The current politics of divide in India can be overcome only by high degree of electoral reforms by which the populist politics of divide can be eradicated once for all from our country. There are certain basic facts about successful nationhood that many ‘learned’ Indians do not want to accept. One of them is the pride factor about our own past. In psychology we have established that no human being or nation without self-respect can become a successful one. Unless and until all Indians, irrespective of their present status, feel proud about the positive elements of our 5000 or more years old history, India cannot regain its rightful leadership among world nations and within the country. A new ideology and a new political party, which will be the torchbearer of the new ideology, is the need of the hour. As the new ideology and party take shape, we can either curse our luck for living in this hour of crisis of ideology or we can work for heralding the new sunrise.

Divided We Stand @ 62: An Insight

by Prashant Mehta on Jan 22, 2010

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Divided We Stand @ 62: An Insight — Document Transcript