Skip to main content

Is India under BJP joining the ‘democracy suppressors’ club of Pak, Sri Lanka et al?

By Ram Puniyani* 

The leaders of BJP,  the ruling dispensation, have been claiming to be winning more that 400 (370 BJP + 30 allies) seats in the forthcoming parliamentary elections (Char sau paar) of 2024. This is not based on any psephological analysis but purely propagated for political reasons.
Justifying this ‘char sau par’ the Karnataka BJP MP of long standing Anantkumar Hegde explained the need for such a figure. As per him BJP intends to change the Constitution for which 2/3rd majority is needed. In a public meeting he stated, that the party needs 400 seats to change the Constitution:
“If the Constitution has to be amended -- the Congress fundamentally distorted the Constitution by forcefully filling unnecessary things in it (added, secularism, socialism), especially by bringing in laws that were aimed at suppressing the Hindu society -- if all of this has to be changed, it is not possible with this (current) majority."
BJP distanced itself from this statement of the sitting MP, as if they do not really approve of such a statement. There are some news items saying that due to this statement he may be denied the ticket. Whether he is denied a ticket on this ground or not; one thing is sure that BJP has no aversion to such statements. This MP had said the same thing in 2017, when he was a Central minister in the BJP government. He was duly given the ticket from this party in 2019 General elections by BJP.
Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP, and many others feel that what Hegde is saying is precisely what explains the figure of 400. “The statement of the BJP MP that he needs 400 seats to change the Constitution is a public declaration of the hidden agenda of Narendra Modi and his Sangh Parivar. The ultimate goal of Narendra Modi and the BJP is to destroy Baba Saheb's Constitution. They hate justice, equality, civil rights and democracy,” Rahul Gandhi wrote in Hindi on X (formally Twitter).
The former Congress president also alleged that “by dividing society, guarding the freedom of expression and crippling independent institutions, they want to turn India's great democracy into a narrow dictatorship by conspiring to eliminate the opposition”.
The BJP has a twin track strategy to undermine the democratic values, the values of equality of our Constitution. Its parent organization RSS opposed the constitution right from the beginning. After the Indian Constitution came into being, RSS' unofficial mouthpiece "Organiser" wrote:
“…In our Constitution, there is no mention of that unique constitutional development in ancient Bharat. To this day the laws as enunciated in the Manusmriti excite the admiration of the world and elicit spontaneous obedience and conformity. But to our constitutional pundits that means nothing.”
When BJP came to power as NDA in 1998 one of the first things it did was to appoint a commission to review the Constitution. This Commission’s (Venkatchaliah Commission) report could not be undertaken for implementation as there was a severe opposition to any tampering with our Constitution. From 2014, when BJP has been in power; times and over again it has used the preamble of our Constitution by deleting the words Secular and Socialist.
Prior to this when K Sudarshan became the Chief of RSS in 2000, he frankly stated that the Indian Constitution is based on Western values so should be replaced by one based on Indian holy books. “Sudarshan said the constitution was of no use for the people of the country as it was based on the Government of India Act of 1935… We need not fight shy of altering the constitution completely…"
When BJP came to power as NDA in 1998 one of the first things it did was to appoint a commission to review the Constitution
Not too long ago, the chief of PM’s economic advisory council, Dr Vivek Debroy, had also called for a change of constitution in a lead article in "Livemint" on August 15, 2023. So voices of major stature from within the BJP organization and state officials do keep raising such voices while officially the BJP or BJP led Government makes the show of distancing itself from such utterances.
On another track, since BJP has been in power for the last one decade, what has it done to the core value of the Indian Constitution: Democracy and equality? As far as democracy is concerned, all the pillars of democratic state, Constitutional institutions ED, CBI, IT, EC all are being controlled by the executive and the executive itself is restricted to one person. The Judiciary at various levels has been weakened by various mechanisms. There are numerous examples of this; one such being the detention of Umar Khalid and refusal to hear his bail plea from the last three years.
Freedom of expression is down in the dumps. With the mainstream media under the belt of pro-government corporates, it is the voice of ruling government which is broadcast through major TV channels and newspapers. The independent voices have limited space available to articulate their opinions. Freedom of expression, the major pillar of a democratic society has gone for a toss.
Freedom of religion has been declining with many International indices. ‘India as a country of particular concern,’ is the label for India as per US freedom of religion watchdog. As per V-Dem India ranked 104 on democracy index, between Niger and Ivory Coast! This is what has happened during the last ten years, to practically denigrate the democratic freedoms through executive actions leading to such a drastic fall in democratic index.
Not long ago it was Lal Krishna Advani, who had said that India is living through an undeclared emergency. All the components of freedom have been stifled through the foot soldiers of Hindu nationalists apart from state officials, while the ruling Governments merrily looks the other way around, a clear signal to these elements that this regime grants full impunity to violations of democratic rights of minorities and weaker sections of society.
As such if we look around every ‘religious nationalist’ outfit is averse to democratic freedoms. They do resort to tuning their constitutions in such a direction, also their ground level workers resort to the actions promoting divisive and oppressive politics. India is joining this club of ‘democracy suppressors’ like Pakistan or Sri Lanka. BJP is resorting to twin track politics, aiming for changing the Constitution on one hand and practically undermining it, on the other!
---
*Political commentator. Youtube, Facebook, InstagramTwitterPinterest, My WebsiteMy App

Comments

TRENDING

Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan raises concerns over Jharkhand Adivasis' plight in Assam, BJP policies

By Our Representative  The Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan (Save Democracy Campaign) has issued a pressing call to protect Adivasi rights in Jharkhand, highlighting serious concerns over the treatment of Jharkhandi Adivasis in Assam. During a press conference in Ranchi on November 9, representatives from Assam, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh criticized the current approach of BJP-led governments in these states, arguing it has exacerbated Adivasi struggles for rights, land, and cultural preservation.

Promoting love or instilling hate and fear: Why is RSS seeking a meeting with Rahul Gandhi?

By Ram Puniyani*  India's anti-colonial struggle was marked by a diverse range of social movements, one of the most significant being Hindu-Muslim unity and the emergence of a unified Indian identity among people of all religions. The nationalist, anti-colonial movement championed this unity, best embodied by Mahatma Gandhi, who ultimately gave his life for this cause. Gandhi once wrote, “The union that we want is not a patched-up thing but a union of hearts... Swaraj (self-rule) for India must be an impossible dream without an indissoluble union between the Hindus and Muslims of India. It must not be a mere truce... It must be a partnership between equals, each respecting the religion of the other.”

A Marxist intellectual who dwelt into complex areas of the Indian socio-political landscape

By Harsh Thakor*  Professor Manoranjan Mohanty has been a dedicated advocate for human rights over five decades. His work as a scholar and activist has supported revolutionary democratic movements, navigating complex areas of the Indian socio-political landscape. His balanced, non-partisan approach to human rights and social justice has made his books essential resources for advocates of democracy.

Four J&K MLAs visit Wular lake, pledge support to fisher community, environmental conservation

By Shamim Ahmed*   In a historic meeting that highlighted both environmental and social concerns, four Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) visited Wular Lake to meet with the fisherfolk community, signaling a significant step in addressing their longstanding issues. This gathering, organized with the support of dedicated advocates, marks a strengthening of efforts to both safeguard the lake’s ecosystem and support the community’s welfare.

Supreme Court’s dismissal of PIL on Covid vaccine safety is counter to known science and mathematics

By Bhaskaran Raman*  On 14 Oct 2024, the Supreme Court of India dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on the side-effects of the Covid vaccine. In 2021, the world saw the rollout of various Covid vaccine candidates. In India, Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin and Serum Institute of India’s Covishield were rolled out. Covishield was nothing but Oxford’s AstraZeneca relabelled in India. The importance of open-minded and scientific probe of Covid vaccine safety In 2020/2021, all Covid vaccines were authorized for emergency use, which meant that the necessary efficacy and safety follow-up was incomplete at that time. The originally approved trials – called randomised controlled trials (RCT) had a “vaccine” group and a “placebo” group for comparison. Such experimental comparison/control is the cornerstone of the scientific method – which even children learn in photosynthesis experiments in class-1. The vaccine trials were scheduled to conclude in late 2022/early 2023. For instance, Covax...

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah  The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

Right-arm fast bowler who helped West Indies shape arguably greatest Test team in cricket history

By Harsh Thakor*  Malcolm Marshall redefined what it meant to be a right-arm fast bowler, challenging the traditional laws of biomechanics with his unique skill. As we remember his 25th death anniversary on November 4th, we reflect on the legacy he left behind after his untimely death from colon cancer. For a significant part of his career, Marshall was considered one of the fastest and most formidable bowlers in the world, helping to shape the West Indies into arguably the greatest Test team in cricket history.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Will Left victory in Sri Lanka deliver economic sovereignty plan, go beyond 'tired' IMF agenda?

By Atul Chandra, Vijay Prashad*  On September 22, 2024, the Sri Lankan election authority announced that Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) alliance won the presidential election. Dissanayake, who has been the leader of the left-wing JVP since 2014, defeated 37 other candidates, including the incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe of the United National Party (UNP) and his closest challenger Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya.