2024 Indian General Election and Ambedkarites
by
Sat Pal Muman,
(SAMAJ WEEKLY)- Now that Indian General Election has kicked off on 19th April 2024, the world is watching with interest what the world’s largest democracy comes up with? It’s a cause for reflection!
Political Pundits have already reached an inescapable conclusion of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) victory.
Whether the citizen of India is able to exercise the franchise in a meaningful and productive way is a moot point. Politicians the world over, in electoral democracies at least, by and large, are a discredited lot yet people do go out and vote for them albeit mechanically or through petty bribery as is the case in India.
Politicians over promise and under deliver. It’s a universal phenomenon. The practice is particularly acute in India as most politicians are openly corrupt! Skillfully, they beguile and befool the masses and muddy the waters by pointing fingers at others whilst engaging in malafides themselves. The Indian masses are aware of this trickery yet surrender to their whims. Those who challenge corruption are either locked up or killed. Every town, city, village has a story to tell about this.
The Congress Party which dominated Indian Politics for over 54 years is not only limping into political oblivion but has set its own house on fire by choosing an incompetent leader, namely Rahul Gandhi, to front the election. It sure is a recipe for disaster and once again the congress has shown to be a declining force in Indian politics.
Rahul Gandhi is useless. He is no leader and never was and never will be. He is lacking in simple presentational skills let alone astute political skills. Why highly mature and educated leaders within the Congress Party cannot break away from the stranglehold of Nehru/Gandhi dynasty to nurture and put faith in new young leaders remains a mystery. It is a deliberate act of folly and political suicide!
Congress Party being the main national opposition party is demonstrably incompetent which has paved the way for an autocratic and authoritarian regime like the BJP.
BJP bestrides Hindu Chauvinism with deliberate Muslim bashing; Christan beating and burning, silencing dissent; control of media and influence over every public institution: Income Tax; Enforcement Directorate, Police; Judiciary. This far-reaching authoritarian control proved to be a winning formula for the BJP since it has been in power. The noose will be tightened even more on civil society in which political leaders, free thinkers, independent journalists, dissenters, justice seekers and lovers of free speech will witness as India slips deeper into autocratic rule.
Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Jayanti each year demonstrates how widely his ideas are reaching every echelon of society from a poor destitute woman sitting in her mud-hut holding onto a portrait of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar as her saviour to eminent Professors of world’s coveted universities quoting and reciting Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. Every Human Rights activist recalls his inspiring words.
Thousands of Ambedkarite organisations are founded in every nook and corner not only of India but now throughout the world. Isn’t it time to build solidarities of Ambedkarites to create an all embracing secular political movement that taps into the enormous ‘Ambedkarite’ resource that exists? Perhaps, it is a group to provide a glimmer of hope and shine a chink of light into a dark room now that is India.
