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Democracy under threat

Kashmir Times. Dated: 1/27/2015 3:07:47 PM

Time to protect constitution which celebrates diversity, liberty, dialogue and federalism and defend it from internal threats

On the occasion of 65 years of adopting the Indian Constitution on January 26, there is need to resolve to protect India’s character as a sovereign socialist secular democratic republic, as stated in the preamble, in pursuit of securing for all its citizens justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. The resolve is needed more than ever as India stands at the crossroads where the basic essence of the constitution and the country’s democracy stand threatened. There are genuine reasons for such an alarm. The modern constitution drafted by the freedom fighters, members of the constituent assembly and those having a vision for a modern nation-state is under threat from the neo-liberals in connivance with big business corporations and political elites operating with feudal and fascist tendencies with dangerous goals of pursuing the ‘Hindutva’ agenda and corporatizing economy under the farcical banner of ‘development’. The neo-liberal economic policies dictated by a handful of people have created a small minority of wealthy people at the cost of the common masses including the paupers. The marginalised people including Dalits, Adivasis, farmers, women, nomads and urban poor have been driven to commit suicides due to rising debts and increasing cost of living.
Firstly, there is no more ‘public’ in the ‘Indian Republic’ because its leaders have dumped the public in the backyard of the nation to become the rulers of Modern India. The term ‘Socialist’ in the constitution has become a mockery of the Indian people and their aspirations. The Indian state, its politicians, bureaucrats, police and the army solely function for feasting on the public exchequer and thriving on the graveyards and cremation grounds of the ordinary Indian citizens. Ever since riding on statist media, money and corporate wave, BJP coming to power at New Delhi, the idea of a secular country has been thrown to winds and trampled badly under the feet of Sangh Parivar. All those ruling the roost in the corridors of power have made no secret of their intentions to convert this country into ‘Hindu Rashtra’ wherein Muslims, Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs, Christians and any other religious minorities will either have to ‘reconvert’ and profess ‘Hindu religion’ or be treated as second class citizens. On daily basis, the people are witnesses to subversion of the Indian Constitution and non-fulfillment of promises of fundamental rights, social justice, equality, fraternity and democracy to its citizens.
So far as democratic institutions and their sanctity are concerned, even the highest institution of democracy, the Indian parliament has become captive of neo-liberal rich and influential politicians under the BJP-led NDA regime. Adoption of dangerous ordinance route to enact laws with long term bearing on the country and its resources have become order of the day with the present government having issued eight ordinances on important issues in a short duration of 8 months of its existence. The previous procedure of parliamentary approval with participation of elected representatives in the form of debates and discussions on important issues has also been done away with. So far as federalism is concerned, the new powers under BJP want complete hegemony over enactment of laws, use of resources in different states, while doing away with diversity in culture and autonomy in collection of taxes as per the decisions by states. The union government is becoming excessively authoritarian and taking over all powers from the states for all purposes. These powers also want complete ‘homogenization’ of diverse Indian nation hosting thousands of cultural, ethnic, linguistic, regional and religious identities through several brute measures including re-writing of history of India, declaring ‘Gita’ as a ‘national scripture’ and imposing a uniform pattern for learning Hindi and Sanskrit. The perception of civil liberty and fundamental right are under grave threat from these forces, which are becoming enemies of the constitution; needless to remind that prisons all across Indian state are overflowing with Dalits, Muslims and Advasis who are bearing the brunt of racist and discriminatory Indian judicial and security systems. For protecting the constitution cue must be taken from the Indian national movement against British imperialism, a legacy which has bound diverse Indian identities and cultures into one functional union. This freedom and conception of free speech and expression has to be defended at this critical juncture before it is swallowed by any other western imperial power through various intrigues. In doing so, the forces of communalism and imperialism will become a ready party for subverting the Indian constitution and the goals of the freedom struggle. The first battle begins when the struggle for defending the sanctity of the Indian Constitution, its objective and the values it represents is launched.