While vote bank politics and anti-communal activities may generate enough propaganda to ensure a victory to the political party concerned in the near future, the disadvantages of submitting to a governance which utilises these divisive tactics are disastrous for our nation in the long run The Constitution of India has declared the nation as secular, with the term assuming...
While vote bank politics and anti-communal activities may generate enough propaganda to ensure a victory to the political party concerned in the near future, the disadvantages of submitting to a governance which utilises these divisive tactics are disastrous for our nation in the long run
The Constitution of India has declared the nation as secular, with the term assuming political significance through its insertion by the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976. Articles 25 to 28 contained in this supreme charter further envision the concept of a nation wherein every individual and / or group of individuals is guaranteed the fundamental right to pursue a religion of his / their choice.
Further, the concept of a Uniform Civil Code has been envisioned by the founding fathers of our great Constitution as the eventual aim of our nation. Since time immemorial, this nation has been widely recognised as a land with people as diverse as its geography, with clans of every caste and creed existing together under one gigantic umbrella of cultural diversity.
The advent of the British Rule in India and the subsequent 'divide and rule' policy followed by them has culminated in consistent communal clashes between the members of these clans. Such circumstances have occasionally resulted in a battle for survival between communities of different religions and races in a bid to overcome their opponents and emerge as superior.
Our political leaders too have played an admirable part in such affairs with their political speeches aimed at reflecting their religious views for electoral gains rather than their electoral agenda for the nation as a whole. Such communal practices on the part of our government have inevitably raised a doubt in the minds of the Indian citizens regarding the genuineness with which our government is pursuing the ideals stipulated by the Constitution.
With the passage of time and the advancement of education, the participation of our political leaders to indulge in religious propaganda designed to fester political advantages is now, sure enough, being questioned and hailed by our literate classes as anti - secular.
The Indian Elections of 2014, while being termed as the most important and groundbreaking elections yet, have further been adversely labelled as the most communally intrusive. Political parties have spared no cost and effort to ensure a political victory and an electoral seat in the Lok Sabha, stretching their objectives to display a complete disregard for the sentiments of the various religious sects existing in India.
The clashes between members of the Hindu and Muslim communities, while prevalent and exhibited in India since decades, have been significantly cashed upon by political leaders in a desperate and indifferent attempt to garner votes. Vote bank politics is the current flavour of this electoral season, with leaders striving to pit one religious community against another.
The recent comments passed by certain prominent politicians containing an anti–secular character have caused a political furore in the country. Voters and political leaders across the nation are opening their eyes and minds to the true agenda displayed by these parties and demanding severe sanctions towards persons portraying a political agenda to an extent this large.
While this is a progressive step forward, these religious games create an adverse political impact in the mind of the illiterate voter, who displays his brand of religion by voting for a party which supports the religion propagated by him at the expense of the political ideals of the other religious sects.
It is time our electoral bank truly contemplates and comprehends the genuine objectives of our political leaders and steps up to exercise its vote in a manner that benefits the nation as a whole, instead of solely a group of communal individuals who are striving to ensure that the world forgets what the Indian community stands for.
While vote bank politics and anti–communal activities may generate enough propaganda to ensure a victory to the political party concerned in the near future, the disadvantages of submitting to a governance which utilises these divisive tactics are disastrous for our nation in the long run.
A structure that thrives on segregating the Indian community is one which functions at the expense of a peaceful democracy and is one which threatens the very fundamentals upon which our great Constitution is based. A government functioning by these immoral "morals" destroys the very ideals by which our great nation is so widely recognised and upheld and will prove a bigger bane than boon for our future generations.
While it is agreed upon that the ultimate objective of the establishment of a Uniform Civil Code for all Indians is a terribly cumbersome and uphill task requiring tact and extreme caution on the part of the leaders governing India, it is also strongly stipulated that our next government would be well advised to adhere to the fundamentals and objectives regarded as supreme in the Indian Constitution and thereby recognise India for what it truly is, which is, a land of multicultural and religious ethnicity, providing an equal opportunity of freedom to every constituency and group comprising it, a ray of hope for those wishing to enter this great nation and a symbol, standing tall and true, for the very ideals a genuine democracy embodies.
Disclaimer – The views expressed in this article are the personal views of the author and are purely informative in nature.