Secularism mandates giving equal dignity and respect to all religions – thus inclusive development in India and for that matter in any country alone is the path to prosperity. It is an undeniable truth and needs to be irrevocably accepted by all in India, namely that minorities, Muslims and Christians are not outsiders. They are an integral part of India
Justice (Rt) Rajindar Sachar
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]wo years ago when Modi swept the Parliamentary Elections, the Corporate Sector, especially big ones went agog — their enthusiasm and hopes were unbounded. They went on to imagine a free rein to expand in the way it likes.
The young generation went dancing on the streets and dreamt of immediate boom and the expansion of economy.
The minorities legitimately were in panic considering the anti-minority role of Modi starting from 2002 Gujarat killings and the continuance of anti-Minority expression and the policies carried out as Chief Minister of Gujarat.
Any Prime Minister with Modi’s background should have started his term by assuring the minorities that there will be no discrimination against them and he accepts that all people of whatever religion enjoy the same rights and will be treated equally.
Apart from being practical wisdom of a politician, this assurance was necessary in the context of preamble of our Constitution that we have resolved to constitute India into a Sovereign, Socialist and Secular …… Republic……..also it is accepted wisdom, “that in any country the faith and the confidence of the minorities in the impartial and even functioning of the State is the acid test of being a civilized State”.
But ironically now even corporate sector is openly saying that policies of growth are mere chimera. That is why it is pressing for a free hand and asking for further dilution of workers rights. But for obvious reasons there are limits to which even Modi can ignore workers rights and dilution of them will lead straightaway to a collision course.
There is unexplained silence in explaining 5 Lakh crores bad loans (of course inherited partly from UPA government). Deliberate propaganda is being done that disclosing the names of the defaulters will harm economy. How deceitful – rather disclosure may prevent innocent public from being cheated by those very Corporates and also expose the political parties which may have benefited in the matter of donations made to them for elections.
I do not mind confessing that I feel disappointed with the organized Labor which is not taking an aggressive stand against these anti Working Class Policies. I have not seen any strong stand taken by Railway Unions against Bullet Train madness. Nor is there any plan to stop industrial corridors of Delhi — Bombay, Amritsar — Calcutta to be built on Railway land which requires diversion of the railway line resulting in crores worth of wasteful expense and ruination of farmers. Of course it was approved by UPA Government – is Modi comfortable to be in the same muddy swamp as the congress. The choice is his.
I am however, seriously concerned that in two years the confidence of minorities in even-handed treatment by the state is diminishing, if not almost vanished.
Secularism mandates giving equal dignity and respect to all religions – thus inclusive development in India and for that matter in any country alone is the path to prosperity. It is an undeniable truth and needs to be irrevocably accepted by all in India, namely that minorities, Muslims and Christians are not outsiders. They are an integral part of India.
Swami Vivekanand in fact profusely praised Islam and in a letter to his friend Mohammed Sarfraz Hussain (10th June 1898) without any hesitation wrote “therefore I am firmly persuaded that without the help of practical Islam, theories of vedantism, however fine and wonderful they may be are entirely valueless to the vast mass of mankind. For our own motherland a junction of the two great systems Hinduism and Islam – Vedanta brain and Islam body – is the only hope……. the future perfect India.” There thus can be no real progress in India which does not include minorities, Muslims, Christians as equal stakeholders.
Also in the Report of UN Human Right Council Forum for minorities has mandated thus; “Consequently, the right of minorities to participate effectively in economic life must be fully taken into account by governments seeking to promote equality at every level. From implementing non – discrimination in employment Governments can consider both targeted and inclusive approaches to addressing the economic and social exclusion of minorities.”
It was encouraging to read the speech made by Modi on September 15, 2015 while speaking at the Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan, the PM said, “The confluence of Indian and Islamic civilisation took place in Central Asia. We enriched each other in spiritual thought, but also in medicine, science, mathematics and astronomy.”
“The Islamic heritage of both India and Central Asia is defined by the highest ideals of Islam knowledge, piety, compassion and welfare. This is a heritage founded on the principle of love and devotion. And, it has always rejected the forces of extremism,” he added. [Emphasis added.]
But no effective steps have been taken by Modi to assure the minority by concrete acts, in the spirit of speech above. Dr. Lohia the great Socialist Party leader always condemned this dishonest separation of speech from deeds. He always maintained that honest politics mandates that there should be equivalence of words and deeds in politics – would Modi follow Dr. Lohia’s advice.
The recent elections to various State Assemblies no doubt have dealt a possibly irrevocable blow to Congress. But to interpret this as a victory for BJP (excepting in Assam) would be totally misreading the political situation I am worried that BJP is going to increase communal pressure in the garb of illegal Immigrants in Assam. This danger must receive immediate attention of all human rights organizations. Modi, if he wishes to quicken the development in the country cannot do so without utilizing the natural resources of Assam.
The danger to development plan by Modi is the strong lobby of RSS with its congenital antipathy to the Minorities especially Muslims. U.P. Governor recently criticized the State Government which banned and arrested a group of V.H.P. who were, making preparation to play a mischief by maliciously provoking Muslims on the building of Ram Temple issue (to me the question of building Ram temple at the Babri Masjid site can never arise as it is an act of treason to even think of it). But the Governor of the State Mr. Naik has again embarrassed Modi publically by saying that this group was only learning self defence – should a Governor criticize publically the State Government on an action totally within the jurisdiction of State Government. The least that Modi can do is to transfer Naik to some other State.
