Inspired By The Constitution

India these days is witnessing the largest student protest after some decades in the country. The students are protesting against the new citizenship law in India.  The demand of protesters is that India shouldn’t be converted into a democracy where discrimination and a sense of fear prevail. Further, it is demanded that anyone shouldn’t be excluded on the basis of their identity. Every movement has a shape and in this case the students who feel insecure under the political leaders are on roads to create a moral and institutional regeneration among the political class of the country. These students appear to be fed up with poisonous public discourse which is sowing hatred in the minds of the people. 

Weak institutions and leaders of the country with divisive passions are among some challenges the country is facing right now. In the past, during the emergency period also the country faced challenges. During that time, the fight was for the restoration of democracy but these days there are two fights. Firstly, for democratic rights and secondly against the rising communalism supported by the political circles of our country. The citizenship amendment act (CAA) has divided the society and given a signal that minorities in the country are second class citizens. From CAA to common civil code to population control everything will pose a moral challenge in our society. The minority and majority communities will be put to competition in the country as this all is being pushed within the political circles of India.

These all issues including the announcement of updating the national population register (NPR) are furthering the fight over CAA. There are also speculations that the new NPR form will have some new questions which could later become a database for the national register of citizens (NRC). This all reflects more division in Indian society in the upcoming years. This situation we are witnessing is just on roads and soon will make way in our families and even friend circles. The streets would not witness this all if the political forces haven’t let us down on all basic constitutional principles. We shouldn’t forget that prejudice when nurtured in political circles always sends a significant message and many social movements could join against it. Then there comes risks which are inherent in any social movement. Although every country has the power to suppress any such movement but when the situation implodes under such movements then all participants are tagged as anti nationals. And use of arbitrary power increases which we are witnessing in protests against CAA.

Let’s not forget that India gained its Independence through Satyagraha and violence has never helped in any cause which is pro-country. Even though there is fear of being discriminated against in future yet we need to exercise control and this has to be conveyed to protesting masses in the shape of some sound reassurance from the government. But the Prime Minister made a public speech blaming the protesters amid the number of brutal measures against them. The building of detention centers in Assam cannot be ignored in this ongoing debate. The contrary statements from Prime Minister and Home Minister on CAA, NRC reflects that something is surely fishy. Even the President of India in his address to the Parliament this year has mentioned about NRC. We have witnessed earlier also how Aadhar was allowed for voluntary use and later was made mandatory for many things. 

What is happening is not good for democracy and BJP shouldn’t do everything in the name of mandate. All Indians even after the elections have a right to decide how they would like to live in this country. The Constitution should always remain the most important document for the country and because of this fact the minorities are openly being supported by the majority community in this fight.  The fight is about the soul of India - the Constitution. The BJP needs to answer why such deep fissures have come out in our social system. Introspection is needed and during this ongoing unrest it is also important to focus on the job of opposition parties, as they have a big role in several states. All governments led by opposition parties have to ensure that nothing happens overtly or covertly against the country because large numbers of Indians have shown that they continue to be inspired by the constitution.

Few Options

Last week more than 30 Kashmir-centric leaders were shifted from Centaur hotel to MLA hostel by the Jammu & Kashmir administration in Srinagar. Now this new development has many connotations and one is that the centre government is still not in a mood to release these leaders soon. This is also becoming an emotional nightmare for friends and family members of all these detained leaders. In fact, it has created a worrisome situation in the entire Jammu and Kashmir and triggered some social pressure too. In the social circles of Jammu & Kashmir, especially the Jammu region, the debate has started as to what was lost and what was gained after centre reorganized Jammu & Kashmir on 5th August this year. On this all, BJP appears firm that this step is a sign of the upcoming positive situation in Jammu and Kashmir. However, I believe shutting eyes to all these new building narratives in Jammu post 5th August isn’t good for the BJP led centre government. Moreover, by answering everything in the name of law and order problems to Jammuites won’t take them far. Besides, it is in total an adventurism added with political emotion and this may give rise to new shape of politics in Jammu as was witnessed decades back in Kashmir.

It was known from the beginning that taking any extreme step on Jammu and Kashmir would pose serious problems. So, keeping three former Chief Ministers of the erstwhile state of J&K into preventive custody for almost four months is not the solution to the problem. Initially, it was believed that these leaders would be set free within a few weeks but it has not happened. Their detention appears to have been prolonged may be because these leaders might be continuing to remain rigid with their demands. After being shifted from a hotel to a hostel there is a possibility that they could further be shifted to jails if the government wants to pressurize them on its own terms. I think all these leaders have to realize that the situation has entirely changed for Jammu and Kashmir under the Indian constitution and undoing it won’t be easy for any political party. These leaders now onwards cannot formulate the terms on their own, for dealing with the centre government which is already devising methods to defend its step on Jammu and Kashmir with every passing day. 

Of all what has happened since 5th August the biggest problem is the political vacuum which has been created in Jammu and Kashmir. I feel the hardened stance adopted by BJP won’t dilute soon and if Kashmiri leaders don't show flexibility then they may have to spend more months in confinement. It is all because these conditions totally suit the working of the BJP led centre government. Since the days of Satyapal Malik, the centre government has made it clear that all those who challenge the centre government won’t be tolerated and all doors of talks with them are closed. For me, the leaders in Kashmir especially of mainstream political parties are now left with very few options. They all have to re-strategize if they want to remain relevant in the politics of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and take on BJP in the political circles of Jammu and Kashmir. The best example for all of them is the newly formed Sena-NCP-Congress alliance in Maharashtra.

Presently, the country is being run on the spirit of nationalism and keeping all such leaders under detention who oppose BJP helps BJP politically. So clearly for its own political interest BJP won’t shy to keep all these leaders in jails. In the new Jammu and Kashmir the political system has changed with the end of special status, so it is clear that politicians too have to change in order to survive. All leaders here in Jammu and Kashmir have to mend their ways and run with the national mainstream to take on BJP which has shattered their political interests. If they don’t end the conventional methods then jail terms won’t end. The BJP is politically claiming the whole of Jammu and Kashmir and it’s high time for these politicians to come out to end the political crisis in this part of the democratic country.