Dr. Javed Jamil
THE 2024 Lok Sabha election results have been remarkable in many ways. The voters appear to have realised the dangers associated with divisive politics of any kind. Religious symbolism has been rejected by the masses and they have reposed their strong belief in India’s secularism which entails respect for all religions.
Calls from the highest level to keep Muslims out on the grounds of reservation have also largely been rejected. In effect, this call was meant to be a denial of reservation to Muslims on the grounds of religion. If the election campaign has largely been peaceful, its credit primarily goes to the opposition parties, which refused to get dragged into a communal conundrum.
One person who has attracted the attention of all and sundry has been Rahul Gandhi who has emerged as a true leader of the masses. He has spoken not on behalf of any particular community, caste, or region, but on behalf of the people of the country. He has been highly successful in advancing his socioeconomic ideology, which supports business and growth but rejects the domination of a few corporates. He has clearly understood the fact that now, more than poverty, it is economic inequality at a much greater level, which needs to be addressed.
The truth is that becoming 5th or 3rd biggest economy in the world has no meaning if it is associated with huge economic inequality within the country. If the country has to develop, every single community, every single caste and every single region will have to develop; and this requires a huge shakeup in the economic system. Wealth tax will have to be introduced and expanded, and GST and income taxes need to be lowered. Growth has to be in terms of the goods and services rather than merely in terms of the GDP, in which inflation plays a big part. It is high time Rahul Gandhi embarks upon a national campaign on these issues and opens the way for a grand revolution on these fronts.
I remember having met Rahul Gandhi in 2012 when I was called for a meeting with him. I found him a truly simple man and keen to understand others’ points of view. I gave him a presentation, which had two parts, the first being about the country as a whole, and the second about Muslim empowerment within the secular fabric of the country. Unlike most political leaders, he looked keen to discuss on the issues giving the others time and space to explain their viewpoints. In that very meeting, I was convinced that he would ultimately emerge as the true leader of the nation.
Hopefully, things will start changing now. Hopefully, every political dispensation in the country will realize that unity in diversity needs to be not only fully understood but also applied in every field. India’s secularism, unlike in the West, does not mean the negation of religion. It means equal respect for all religions and equality for all religious communities. Religious as well as political leaders need to realise that all communities need to unite on the grounds of common religious morality rather than hate one another on the grounds of different religious identities. And this bond should be reflected in every field and every region. Hopefully, the future will be safer, healthier and more peaceful and prosperous for every citizen of the country.
* The views expressed here are the author’s own. Clarion India does not necessarily concur with them.
