Prof. Farooq Fayaz
The recent results of Delhi Assembly Elections, though, surprised almost all political analysts and the leaders of varied political organizations, particularly, at a time when one after other State which went to polls in the recent past, witnessed a commanding win in favor of Bhartiya Janta Party. This favorable political trend indeed, was not the resultant of any glorious past performance of the party, but, it was indeed, the democratic manifestation of people’s anger and protest against the mis-governance of Congress led United Progressive Alliance government. The B.J.P. too, sensing the mood of electorate, did not lay much emphasis on its traditional conservative political philosophy, instead, it focused its structured attention on the elimination of corruption, giving good and responsive governance and ensuring peace and stability in the country. The people of the country, who had become haggard during the decade of paralytic mode of U.P.A’s administrative functioning, saw in Modi, a vibrant, dynamic, articulate and visionary administrator cum politician. People, unmindful of B.J.P’s divisive and reactionary slogans and statements which even went on air during the Parliamentary election in 2014, voted the party to power in a commanding manner which had happened never earlier. The absolute majority in the parliamentary elections and the subsequent success in the assembly elections that followed the parliamentary elections intoxicated its cadres with pride, vanity and arrogance. This stands evidenced from many irresponsible statements given recently by some of the senior party leaders, R.S.S. pracharks and Vishva Hindu Parishad workers. These statements were taken serious note of, by the sensible section of Indian society that doesn’t want the secular fabric of the country and its shared socio- religious ethos be disturbed beyond repairs at a time when the country needs unity and stability.
The hate cultivating remarks and the overpowering electioneering devices, used by BJP workers and its allied cadres to woe the Delhi voters proved counterproductive for the party in the Delhi assembly elections. Delhi, the capital of the world’s largest democracy has served from the remotest times not only the seat of governance but the fountain head of cultural and socio-religious intercourse as well. The debacle of the BJP in Delhi Assembly polls is historic in a sense, that, the Delhi electorate was not swept by the powerful currents of BJP’s electoral wave and didn’t submit silently before it, as it happened in other states recently. The people of Delhi gave their verdict after objectively assessing the ground realities and examining the psycho-political behavior of the leaders of different political parties. This is of-course a glaring reflection of political pragmatism and maturity of people of the country’s capital
India is a country with vast multitude of human resource and wealth, belonging to diverse faiths, cultures, Languages, races, regions and ethnic identities. This unity in diversity has been the distinctive feature of India’s cultural album from the earliest times. The people of India are the stern believers of inter religious cordiality, social harmony and human brotherhood. The pseudo religious fanaticism, generally aired by certain political organizations, particularly, during the times of elections have never received appreciation and applaud from the sensible section of Indian society. The BJP leadership should not lose sight of the truth that its spectacular victory in parliamentary Elections of 2014 was never a mandate for its Hinduta ideology, it was a decisive mandate for effective, vibrant and result oriented governance and development. The need of the hour, therefore, for BJP leadership is to educate its cadres and workers of other likeminded organizations to study the shared political and cultural historical narratives of its glorious past. If BJP continues to cling to its jingoistic and stubborn political propaganda accompanied by authoritative arrogance, the Delhi like results may be in store for her in the future electoral battles
In J&K Legislative Assembly elections held in Nov. Dec. 2014, people of the state preferred PDP and BJP over National Conference-Congress coalition in Kashmir and Jammu regions respectively. It, was never a vote on the basis of regional divide but the core objective before the electorate was to favor the parties that would ensure strong, stable and effective governance. The state as evident had witnessed worst type of political opportunism during NC-Congress combined government and the administrative mismanagement exhibited by the coalition partners during the worst hit September floods exposed the two parties before the masses. To take revenge for this callousness on the part of the democratically elected government, people in two regions of the state voted in favour of the two parties which are going to form government in the couple of days to come.
The two parties BJP and PDP, represent, no-doubt, strikingly opposite political ideologies and their modus operandi also differ markedly given their distinct geographical spaces. The combination, therefore, is not so easy a job to culminate only in a workable formation to give a stable, peaceful and productive government but more important is how the combination sketches its political script that would assure the graceful, glorious and dignified future for the entire state and the people of all the sub-regions of the state. As in the rest of the country, we feel pride in the colorful religious, cultural, linguistic and regional diversities, so in our state too, the unity amid captivating diversity in terms of faith, culture, languages constitute the distinctive feature of our rich history and heritage. This colorful fabric of the state in no case must be disturbed for petty and immediate political gains. Unlike other states of India, Jammu and Kashmir possesses a unique and distinct constitutional and political status. This is the only Muslim majority state in the country which crowns secular fabric of the country in true colour and spirit. Its sensitivities, its collective ethos and its constitutional safeguards are to be taken care-of while scripting the joint agenda of governance. Given the fragile political past, the sensitivities involved, if transported to margins, in the hope of just running the affairs of the state, is sure to generate the seeds of mistrust against the coalition partners. The need of the hour, therefore, is to address these issues with strong political will keeping the larger national interests and human considerations in view. Within the Indian constitutional frame- work there is enough scope to address these issues which come under the internal dimension of the problem. These can be addressed to, when the parties exhibit greater degree of political honesty and trust by providing a respectable space to each other’s sentiments.
The peace, progress and development which constitute new political mantra of Modi led BJP government at Centre is possible in the state only when efforts will be put into operation to do away with the trust deficit that until now plague the political clime of the state. The BJP leadership is required to come out of its narrow political ambit and relook its conventional policy on Kashmir from more a rational and pragmatic stand point.
The PDP leadership has taken a bold step to prefer BJP over Congress and National Conference to form alliance for the formation of government in the state and the party was criticised from cross sections of Kashmiri society for providing, a massive space, first time to right wing political party on the historical canvas of the state. If BJP continues to look at things from its traditional narrow lens, it is certain to create problems in future for the political survival of its alliance partner PDP. Further there is a dire need to apply a break to those elements which are habitual to air hate utterances for petty personal interests to remain in the news. The structured dialogue which is likely to begin within a couple of days as per the media reports and the Consensus if reached at, between the duo over contentious issues, is sure to herald a new era of peace, progress, development and regional co-operation in the state.
Follow our WhatsApp channel