-Ramesh Chander 

(Samaj Weekly)- The largest democracy of the world – India that is Bharat is, it seems, finding itself on cross roads. It has come a long way since independence 75 years ago. The constitution of India, it is for certain, has stood the test of time – personality cult in the early years in PM Jawaharlal Nehru’s time, abrasions like emergency imposed by PM Indira Gandhi , opposition unity of motley crowd in 1977 under Jai Prakash Narayan and change of guard, sudden elimination of PM Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi in violence, Mandal-Kamandal slugfest, demolition of Babri Masjid and construction of Ram Janambhoomi Mandir, Wars with China in 1962 and with Pakistan in 1965, 1971, 1999 (Kargil), demonetization, fight with Covid pandemic were some of the challenging situations but we remained on track as a vibrant democratic nation. Thanks to the constitution. India has arrived, no doubt. We are on the way to realize and redeem our pledge of ‘Tryst with Destiny”. The warnings of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar to ward off dangers to our newly earned independence which he sounded in his last speech in the Constituent Assembly on November 25, 1949 still ring bells which we must listen if want to reach our destination – a Vikshit Bharat. I am reminded of a poetic assertion of Allma Iqbal to get alerted to respond to the ground realities and the challenges ahead:-

Chupa Kar Asteen Mein Bijliyan Rakhi Hain Gardoon Ne
Anadil Bagh Ke Ghafil Na Baithen Ashiyon Mein

(The sky has kept thunderbolts concealed up its sleeve
Garden’s nightingales should not slumber in their nests)

Generally, the constitution has kept us as a nation on the march. Of late, it has been observed that some superfluous tendencies have crept in which tended to upset the social and political fabric of the country. These uncalled for tendencies, ethnic and religious polarization and dictatorial behavior, not only negate the basic and fundamentals of the constitution but also hit the moral and humanistic aspects of the society. It seems that we have started placing our personal and narrow agenda above the national interest.

It will be fool-hardy not to revisit Babasaheb Ambedkar and learn. On November 25, 1949, he spoke of the need to give up the grammar of anarchy, to avoid hero-worship, and to work towards a social – not just a political – democracy and added, “Will history repeat itself? It is this thought which fills me with anxiety. This anxiety is deepened by the realization of the fact that in addition to our old enemies in the form of castes and creeds we are going to have many political parties with diverse and opposing political creeds. Will Indians place the country above their creed or will they place creed above country? I do not know. But this much is certain that if the parties place creed above country, our independence will be put in jeopardy a second time and probably be lost forever. This eventuality we must all resolutely guard against. We must be determined to defend our independence with the last drop of our blood.”

 We subscribed to parliamentary form of government in which the Executive powers are vested in President with his Council of Ministers headed by Prime Minister as first among equals. But in practice, the things have tended to go the other way, powers concentrating with the PM – Jawaharlal Nehru-Indira Gandhi- Narander Modi, which has led to ‘personality cult’, a sure way to dictatorship which is an anti-thesis to democracy. Yet another gem from the visionary leader, Dr. Ambedkar is as relevant today as it was before. He said, “This democratic system India lost. Will she lose it a second time? I do not know. But it is quite possible in a country like India – where democracy from its long disuse must be regarded as something quite new – there is danger of democracy giving place to dictatorship. It is quite possible for this new born democracy to retain its form but give place to dictatorship in fact. If there is a landslide, the danger of the second possibility becoming actuality is much greater.”

Barring early years of our independence when the political system tried to evolve some sort of polarization of political forces and players on the basis of ideology and rightly so – Congress Party and his allies as the Centre – Jan Sangh, Hindu Maha Sabha, Swatantra Party etc. as the Right of Centre and Socialists and Left parties as the Left of the Centre. Even Babasaheb Ambedkar wanted to launch a Pan-India party as a viable opposition to all powerful Congress but that was not to be as he passed away in 1956. We lost the way, in the process, and could not get, unfortunately, polarization of political forces, the first requisite of a democracy. Political parties increasingly became a ‘motley crowd’ of vested and sectarian interests bereft of any ideology. Aya Ram Gya Ram syndrome over took the system. Parties like BSP, Samajwadi Party, RJD, JDU, Samta Party, Lok Dal, NCP, TMC, AAP and many more cropped up with limited influence in various states and regions with no distinct and alternate agenda. Moreover, over the years, regional parties like SAD, DMK, AIDMK, Shiv Sena, BJD among others increasingly became vocal and strong in their respective states. With these developments, political polarization on the basis of ideology got further hit which was not good for the health of democratic polity. Political morality which is the most important unwritten ingredient for the success of democracy got diluted. All this resulted in uncalled for situation in a secular and democratic edifice of the country as visualized by our forefathers – religious polarization, ethnic strife, majoritarianism, minority syndrome, intolerance, dictatorial approaches and such other negative phenomenon which negated the lofty ideals of ‘Equality, Liberty, Justice and Fraternity’ so nicely enshrined in our constitution.

With this background, let us proceed further. Congress Party lost its steam and got pulled down from the podium, beginning 2014. NCP, TMC etc. broke away from the Congress and formed splinter groups, Samajwadis got divided into various groups like SP, RJD, JDU etc.

, BSP, Kanshi Ram’s outfit to reckon with, lost its way under the weight of its own self-centered leadership, the left and communists, it seems have lost their relevance in the changed national and international scene. BJP exploited this divisive scenario with their exclusive agenda of ethnic polarization with ‘Hindutava and Nationalism’ as under-current of their liberal face. Hindu-Muslim divide helped them in furtherance of their vested design of ‘divide and rule’. The same mantra was deployed to ‘divide and fragment’ dalit vote banks and bring them to naught.  As of now in 2022 and in the run up to elections in 2024, the polity and society is totally divided and fragmented and opposition has been successfully marginalized. It is a challenging scenario with no light at the end of the tunnel.

What is the way out to save the country, diverse and multi-racial and multi-cultural, and its political democracy so laboriously built and nurtured in 75 years of freedom. What should we do to save ourselves from entering the phase of ‘Grammar of Anarchy’ as warned by the chief architect of our constitution, Babasaheb Ambedkar? I venture to undertake here an off the cuff analysis not as an expert but as a concerned citizen of India that is Bharat. I start from the premise that the Hindu society, the majority community, will remain divided and fragmented on the basis of Manuwadi thinking and the caste system as followed and practiced, consciously or otherwise, by the BJP and its mentors in the RSS and its affiliates like VHP and Bajrang Dal etc. It suits their political agenda to polarize the Hindu society. The second premise is that the chasm between the majority Hindus and minority Muslims, Christians and Sikhs would get widened in the coming years. The third one is dalits would get ‘Educated, Organized and Agitated’ to demand their due share and space in the political and economic structures of the country as ordained by their icons Babasaheb Ambedkar and Babu Kanshi Ram.  With this, I see no political polarization on the basis of ideology and agenda which is ideally needed for the success of democracy. Given the ground reality, there would be a new paradigm – polarization of political forces not on the desired basis but otherwise on socio-cultural and ethnic basis, in the coming years. Will it be for the good or otherwise, it is difficult to say as of now? I will share here what the emerging situation dictates, to my mind.

All said and done, there would be or should be three major political formations – i) Centre – United Progressive Alliance (UPA) led by Congress Party with likeminded outfits like NCP, TMC, AAP, Socialists (representing OBCs of upper crust (landowners), ii) National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by BJP with Socialists (representing OBCs of upper crust (landowners) and other Hindu nationalists as Right of the Centre and  iii) Third Front – comprising of Socialists, Communists, BSP, Outfits representing minorities (Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, OBCs (landless/Ati-shudras) and dalits who do not profess to be Hindus as Left of the Centre. I have, it may be observed, bifurcated OBCs into the Upper crust and landless Ati-Shudras  as the ‘Bahujan’ concept of Babu Kanshi Ram and Samajwadis have almost failed. In the villages, OBCs of Upper crust category are equally casteist and target dalits and poor OBCs like Manuwadis. The fourth pillar of the political spectrum would be the regional parties like Shiv Sena, BJD, SAD, DMK, AIDMK, NCP, PDP and other splinter groups in various states. They will remain and cannot be wished away. Political polarization is much neededrequisite for the functioning of our political democracy but not on the basis of religion and ethnicity. But it could not happen. The divisive and fissiparous tendencies, getting strength from the on-going Hindu-Muslim, Hindu-Christian, Sikh-Hindu, Sikh-Christian religious slugfest, would remain for a long time to come, given the current scenario purposely and willfully designed and created by the vested interests to carry forward their political agenda over and above the national interests. That is why, I have taken the liberty of suggesting a functional and pragmatic political approach which may seem a utopia to many but there is no way out, to my mind. With the suggested political polarization, the likely government formation would be – i) UPA with the Third Front and some of the regional outfits or ii) NDA with the Third Front or iii) Third Front either with UPA or NDA with some of the regional parties.

We the people of India must think and act, sooner the better. The apprehensions expressed by Babasaheb Ambedkar, a visionary leader ring in my ears and I get frightened. He said, “On 26th January 1950, India will be an independent country. What would happen to her independence? Will she maintain her independence or will she lose it again? This is the first thought that comes to my mind. It is not that India was never an independent country. The point is that she once lost the independence she had. Will she lose it a second time? It is this thought which makes me most anxious for the future. What perturbs me greatly is the fact that not only India has once before lost her independence, but she lost it by the infidelity and treachery of some of her own people.”

Watan Ki Fikar Kar Nadan! Musibat Ane Wali Hai
Teri Barbadiyon Ke Mashware Hain Asmanon Mein
(Think of the homeland, O ignorant one! Hard times are coming
Conspiracies for your destruction are afoot in the heavens)

Na Samjho Ge To Mit Jao Ge Ae Hindustanon Walo !
Tumhari Dastan Tak Bhi Na Ho Gi Daston Mein
(You will be annihilated if you do not understand, O people of India!
Even your tales will disappear from the world’s chronicles)