SECULARISM VERSUS DEMOCRACY

We have quite a few icons of secularism in our country. They wear skull caps as occasion warrants, put on Arab sacrves around their shoulders, mingle freely with Maulanas and Moulvis, mouth rhetoric that will be mostly anti-Hindu and they are the champions of Indian brand of secularism. They are very uncomfortable in the company of Hindu saints and seers. It is not that they have genuine love for the minorities of our land. They trade on the votes of minorities. You can find them in most of the so-called secular parties. You have Mulayam in Samajwadi party, Lalu Prasad in RJD, Ram Vilas Paswan in Lok Janshakti party, Deve Gowda in JD(S), Sharad Pawar in NCP, Chandrababu in TDP. For the sake of secularism, they would be prepared to dispense with democracy. In a battle between secularism and democracy, they stand by the former. Democracy can be trampled with in the interest of secularism.

Otherwise, how do you explain the silence over the shocking statement of Samajwadi chief Mulayam that he would support any party that dismisses Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh? Whether one is in agreement with the style of functioning of Mayawati or not, she is an elected chief minister and people of UP gave her a very clear and unambiguous mandate in 2007, not that she cobbled up a majority after a fractured verdict, and how dare Mulayam says that her government should be dislodged in return for his support. Is this the way champions of secularism uphold democracy and nurture democratic traditions? Is this not worse than the alleged hate speech of Varun Gandhi? There is deafening silence on the part of the media as well which went overboard with Varun’s statement.

Though the political equations and scenario are entirely different in the case of Narendra Modi, had he made similar statement, there would have been an uproar in the country and he would have been condemned in the most harshest language. But, Mualayam is, after all, a secular man. For the sake of secularism, he should be dealt with kid gloves. Moreover, desperate Congress needs his numbers, whatever the number. There is no guarantee that the Congress may not oblige him by granting his wish. If Mayawati goes with the Third Front, shedding her ambivalence, Congress may need Mualyam and there are enough noises from both sides. So, why bother about democracy or democratic spirit?

Next in the line is AIADMK’s Jayalalithaa. If Mulayam is out to finish Maywatai by hook or by crook, Jaya is for the jugular of ageing and sickly Karunanidhi. She will also extend her support to whoever promises to go for the kill. The job relatively becomes easier in Tamil Nadu, as the minority government of Karuna is surviving on the outside support of the Congress unlike in UP where Maya enjoys absolute majority on her own.

Loyalty is a dirty word in politics, especially when you are after power. Was Karuna loyal to any one party or alliance, he was with VP Singh govt, Deve Gowda/Gujral govt, most loyal supporter of NDA and now UPA. Congress hobnobbed with both the Dravidian parties. While one section of the Congressmen, especially Sheela Dixit is eyeing for the support of Jayalalithaa, Gulam Nabi Azad swears by the DMK exposing in the process the confusion and desperation on the part of Congress leadership. Anyway, it is not a new game for the Congress to ditch allies as occasion warrants or to dismiss governments in an extra-Constitutional manner.

The cacophony of voices that comes out from Congress warlords makes it abundantly clear that it is losing the battle. What makes it worse for the party is that its allies also are in a bad shape in Bihar, Tamil Nadu and possibly Maharashtra. That explains the persistent attempts to woo Nitish Kumar and Jaya, who might together get 50 – 60 seats which is quite a substantial number whoever wants to form the government. So, every Congress spokesperson carries a magnifying glass these days to magnify every word uttered by Nitish or Jaya. Though Nitish has been saying that JD(U) is with NDA and the party would like to see Advani as the PM and that there is no confusion on this stand, Sheela Dixist quotes Nitish as having said in an interview that everything will become clear after May 16. She interprets this statement that he might opt out of the NDA. She has the cheek to say that her high command might be in touch with Nitish though she did not have a word with him. What a trickery!

There is one tie-up with a regional party that was going steady and which would have given some solace for the beleaguered Congress. That was the arrangement with Trinamool Congress and that was spoiled by the party’s crown prince. With his foot-in-the-mouth disease, he said that Congress was quite open for accepting support from the Left. Obviously, this was a red rag for Mamta whose foundation in politics is based on pathological hatred for the Left. Her response to the politically immature statement of heir apparent was instant. She said that she will be out of the alliance with Congress once the latter either extends support to the Left or accept support from it for forming the government.

The rift seems to be complete with RJD and LJP both of whom are very angry with the Congress for sending love signals to Nitish and they expressed their resentment by boycotting the cabinet meet. Congress spokesperson Veerappa Moily says in a pathetic tone that in fact Congress should be angry with those parties as it is they who insulted the Congress by offering a national party like Congress just two seats in Bihar. It looks as if the Congress is going to fall between two stools in Bihar.

There is only one party with which Congress has no open quarrel and that is Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party. But the irony is one does not know which direction he will take on May 16.

The Left is harping on non-Congress secular alternative. It means all non-Congress and non-BJP parties should come together. They are the four Left parties, BJD, TDP,TRS, DMK,AIADMK, PMK, MDMK,NCP,NC, RJD, SP, BSP, LJP, JD(S), TC, PRP, etc. All these parties put together may not cross 200 by a very liberal estimate. Wherefrom they would get the remaining 72 seats to reach the magical figure of 272. Further, will DMK and AIADMK or TC and Left or SP and BSP go together?

In the ultimate analysis, the Left has to either sit with Congress in the Opposition or to extend support to the Congress with other like-minded parties in order to keep communal forces at bay. The Congress also has kept the door open for the Left by hinting that it would not be averse to reworking the nuclear deal in order to give an excuse for the Left to pick up the threads from where it left a few months ago. In such an eventuality, all the three women (Tripura Sundaris) – Jaya, Maya and Mamta - would walk out of the secular camp. Will they go with NDA? You can get an answer to this question only when the EVMs open up on May 16.