Coalition Government at the Center in India: A perspective
-Dr. Rahul Kumar Balley, MA; PhD-
SAMAJ WEEKLY- 2024 Lok Sabha elections result shocked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which declared publicly that it is going to win more than 400 seats.
The anti- BJP result is because the astute voters thought that the BJP was simply passing time in the past 10 years and polarizing the Indian society, hence dashed the dream of the BJP. The Modi image as crowd puller was dented. The Modi popularity gone done.
Narrative turned against Modi all over India. The International press penned down ton of papers about Modi`s decreasing popularity. Hindus, Muslims, Dalits, Christians, Sikhs or Buddhists collectively gave a clear and loud message to Modi and his BJP that India would remain a secular country with supreme power of the Constitution. They also gave a clear and loud message to BJP/RSS that, come what may, Modi and RSS have to bow their head before Dr. B. R. Ambedkar`s constitution. They also gave a clear and loud message that the country will be run by the Constitution not by the diktats of the Modi/RSS.
The fact of the matter is that the voters in any country of the world are the ultimate decision maker to elect the government or the party. As is evident that the coalition government at the center or the state with the support of one or two or multiple parties is dangerous to the advancement of the country. The Modi government is functioning at the mercy of Janata Dal (United) (JDU) and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) at the center. Both are senior partners and knew very well how to exploit the central government for their respective states. The chief of both parties is expert to exploit the situation for their state as well as for their own political ends. Bihar and Telangana are seeking a substantial amount of budget allocation for their respective states. In the 2024 budget, the central government gave especial financial package to Bihar which raised hue and cry by other states. The step-motherly treatment on the part of the NDA government to other states is going to reduce further trust between the center and the non-BJP ruled states. The consequences of this fatal strategy of the NDA government under the Modi would create a chaos; violence will erupt; arson will take place in the neglected states.
Let us not forget that the BJP is a fast-food franchise. It sells its brands to local agents. Ideology plays no part in the bargaining. It works on strategic calculations on what one can extract from the national party by way of ministerships at the center or subsidies to one`s state. Andre Bouteille, Indian sociologist rightly said, “The current resurgence of identity politics, or the politics of caste and community, is but an expression of the primacy of the group over the individual. it does not august well for liberal democracy in India”.
The litany is that a new phenomenon has emerged in political landscape of Indian democracy under this coalition government. In the past there were coalition governments in India but the situation was not that critical as it is today. The parliament of India has become a fish market. The Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla is behaving like a dictator. However, the opposition has got Leader of Opposition post but in the Parliament the behavior of Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla is partial & prejudiced. He is bent upon protecting his party-the BJP. Come what may, he is not ready to allow time to the opposition leaders to speak out the grievances of the people for which the people of India have elected their representatives. Inside the Parliament, the Prime Minister Modi sits motionless; grins like a Cheshire cat. Whenever he gets opportunity, he debunks all the culpabilities heaped on by the opposition on the NDA government. This trend in the Indian Parliament would set a precedent for the future governments which is not healthy for Indian democracy.
Now the question is: Who will suffer when the ruling and opposition parties fight in the Indian Parliament? The straight answer is: The People of India. Out of 1.4 billon population, a large population would suffer on all fronts such as inflation, unemployment as the blame game will go on. In the past 10 years we witnessed that the BJP gave unbridled financial support to Hindu outfits particularly those which are helping in protecting the BJP and re-establishing the vanished luster of Prime Minister Modi. In that case, a tiny Hindu population will flourish as the BJP would keep pampering this population for future victory in elections. The pro-Hindutva sadhus running NGOs who are promoting the agenda of the BJP would also flourish. One can observe a rich class of Sadhus are satisfied what Modi is doing. They would never criticize high inflation, skyrocketing unemployment as their financial needs are taken care of by the BJP/RSS. A tiny section of Sadhus who are opposing the actions of the Modi would either be penalized or cut to sizes.
The BJP either alone or with the support of any political party at the center is quite capable to manage the business class. The Modi is also capable to handle the rulers of Middle East countries so that they should not raise voice at the international level when Muslims are beaten, killed or tortured and their social boycott is declared by the Hindu outfits. So far Dalits, Sikhs and Buddhists are concerned the Modi would suppress them financially by cutting welfare funds. The budgetary cut in education sector by Modi is directly affecting the marginalized sections of the society. The Modi is suffocating the Dalits by doing so. Deep division between Hindu-Muslim created by the BJP/RSS leaders has broken the backbone of social harmony which is leading further to degeneration of Indian society.
The people of India should also keep in mind that the Modi is shameless. He does not bother about the concept of izzat. For him, the chair of Prime Minister is more important than the agony, pain of the people of India. In his speech he lambasted Ambani & Adani but still went to attend Ambani`s son marriage. From this one can gauge that the Modi is not a man of words. In simple words, we can say that he cannot be trusted as Prime minister of India. The reigns of power in hands would destroy the economy, and India`s image. The people of India should also keep in mind that what Modi says in the public he does the opposite. It is his characteristic.
In this critical scenario, the people of India have to exercise their ample wisdom if they want to get rid of Prime Minister Modi. The people of India have to show door to the BJP candidates in the coming state elections then and then only the people of India can save the future of their children. The people of India can only protect social harmony, liberty, fraternity. India needs a government headed by a secular leader; a leader who has no malice towards none.
Dr. Rahul Kumar Balley, Managing Editor, Bheem Patrika. He is PhD in sociology from Jawaharlal Nehru University. He contributes articles on social, political issues. Views expressed are personal.
