More dangerous enemies of Indian democracy are within
In a democracy, laws are made only with the consent of the majority of the elected representatives of people. A pre-requisite is open discussion on the provisions of the proposed legislation in the legislature but once it has been passed by the majority, it should be accepted by all. There can not be a decision which is acceptable to each and every citizen.
Unfortunately, in our country, this basic condition of democracy is not acceptable to most of the opposition parties. They want decisions to be taken not by majority but only when they agree. If they do not like any Bill or have objection to any decision or action of the government, instead of peaceful discussion, they shout inside legislature, tear copies of bill, jump in the well of the house and do not allow the ruling side to speak.
After such a bill is passed by the majority, they take their battle to the streets. There too, instead of making peaceful protests they indulge in violence, destroy properties and make life of common people miserable.
Unfavourable court verdicts also meet the fate of unfavourable legislations.
Ever since Prime Minister Modi has got second term, he has been coming with new legislations to remove anomalies and injustices. Naturally, the enemies of democracy and secularism are very upset. They have become very active. They are more active within the country and also outside. The enemies within are more dangerous than external enemies. They are making the task of external enemies easier. They are using all the issues, minor or measure, available to launch agitations, destroy properties, create fear in the minds of people, discourage tourists, discourage investors planning to invest in India, etc. etc.
The enemies of Indian democracy and secularism have interpreted three recent legislations and one Supreme Court verdict as against the interest of Muslims, Indians as well as those who have come from other countries and and illegally staying in India: abolition of triple talaq, abolition of Article 370, Supreme Court verdict on Ayodhya and now Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). I am not saying that only Muslims are protesting. Even Hindu leaders of different political parties are also inciting them. We all know that most of the Indian Muslims want to live in peace with the majority community but that is not acceptable to the mischievous politicians.
It appears as if all the enemies of Modi have formed a “United Front” to launch protests, sometimes violent, in the name of protecting Muslims. There is a long list of the members of the “United front”. There are Pakistan, AAP, AIMIM, AIMPLB, AMU, BSP, Communists, Congress, DMK, “Intellectuals”, IUML, JD(S), JNU, JMI (Jamia Millia Islamia), JNU, NC, PDP, RJD, SP, TRS, and now Shiv Sena.
Protests against abolition Triple Talaq
None of the four developments mentioned earlier are really adversely affecting Indian Muslims. Abolition of triple talaq actually protects the interest of vast number of Muslim women who were divorced by their irresponsible husbands on flimsy pretexts just by saying “talaq” three times even on phone or WhatsApp or through letters and left without financial support. Several Islamic countries have abolished triple talaq but Indian Muslims and those exploiting them for vote bank started crying that the abolition was unacceptable under sharia in India.
Protests against abolition of Article 370
Article 370 in the Indian Constitution was a temporary provision though those who had vested interest in it had come to believe that no government would have the courage to abolish it. When Prime Minister Modi showed the courage to abolish it and also to create the union territories in place of one state, Jammu & Kashmir, they again lost their cool. It was a sudden end to the empire of Abdullahs, Muftis and Congress. Communists who have no presence in Jammu & Kashmir also jumped in the fray just to show that they are still existing in the country. The protesters attacked Modi and BJP and cried that Indian secularism was in danger, without explaining how. To maintain peace in the region, the government had no option but to deploy armed forces and keep the troublemakers like Abdullahs and Muftis in safe custody. The supporters of Article 370 are very upset that there were no violent protests in the valley and the police had never to open fire to maintain law & order.
Protests against Supreme Court Verdict on Ayodhya
Supreme Court verdict on Ayodhya settled a very old source of Hindu-Muslim friction. Several Muslim countries demolish mosques for non-religious purposes without protests. But in India, the Supreme Court order giving a piece of land, believed by more than a billion Hindus as the birthplace of Lord Rama but where once a masjid had been built, for the construction of Ram temple angered the “United front” (excluding the latest member) so much that they lost their mental balance. They launched nationwide protests, rushed to Supreme Court for review. Mercifully, after the Supreme Court dismissed all the review petitions, for the present they are quite.
Violent protests against Citizenship Amendment Act
Protests by Congress in Delhi
Protests in London
Violent protests in North-East
Violent protests in Delhi
The worst and latest reaction of the “United Front” is to the CAA. All those including the opponents who have read the Act or the Bill, know that it in no way affects Indian citizens including Muslims. However, they are angry that it covers only the non-Muslim refugees. It does not bother them that in all the three neighbouring countries the minorities were persecuted and humiliated, their houses were burnt, their daughters were raped, all on religious grounds and they were being forced to accept Islam. Their argument is that some Muslims are also being persecuted in those and other countries. Well, many people are persecuted in different countries of the world. India has not taken responsibility to bring all of them and take care of them. No country in the world can do that. China is persecuting Muslims, not even allowing them to practice their own religion, but no country of the world, not even Pakistan or any other Islamic country, has come forward to invite them to come and settle.
Violence against CAA (earlier against CAB) first erupted in north-west with the help of illegal immigrants and then travelled to West Bengal, a state with a large number of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. There are reasons to believe that the political leaders supporting the illegal immigrants are behind it.
Yesterday (December 15, 2019), suddenly violence erupted in several parts of Delhi. After a provocative speech by AAP MLA Amanatulla before a huge crowd near Jamia Millia, violent crowds set buses, cars and a police station on fire. Shockingly, while anti-India forces were indulging in violence, on TV channels, irresponsible Communists, so-called political analysts and others were blaming the RSS for creating atmosphere of hatred and blaming the Central government for not maintaining law and order!
Later, the students of Jamia Millia University started violent protests against CAA. According to the Delhi police, in a pre-planned move, protesting students torched public buses and police vehicles, pelted stones at police standing outside the university gate to control violent mob. When police resorted to law to charge and used tear gas, they withdrew inside the campus and started pelting stones from there. The police had to enter the campus to control them.
The sympathisers of violent students rushed to their support. This morning (December 16) The University’s Vice Chancellor condemned the entry of the police without her permission but did not bother to condemn her students who resorted to violence without her permission. Irresponsible leaders of Congress and CPM rushed to enquire about their welfare and sympathise with them. Student bodies rushed to the Supreme Court to demand enquiry into police action. The Chief Justice of India rightly condemned violence by students. ‘You’re being a student does not give you the right to become violent’. He warned that the court would not intervene unless the violence ended. Till the writing of this paragraph (11.5 4 AM) violence has not ended.
Violent protests have erupted in the neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh. The students of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) have also started protests against the CAA.
As stated earlier, the CAA has nothing to do with the Indian Muslims but irresponsible elements among them as well as in several political parties think that they have got a golden opportunity to register their hatred against Modi and his government.
All these developments are bad omen for democracy and secularism in India. One can understand Pakistan’s interest in creating troubles in India. But when the Indian members of the “United Front” behave like Pakistan, speak the language of Pakistan and work on Pakistan’s agenda in their own country just because they think that their political future is bleak as long as Modi is in power, they don’t realise that they’re playing with fire. Threat to democracy and secularism is threat to their existence as well. Modi or no Modi, if democracy and secularism become bleak, future of all political parties will become bleak.
Blinded by hatred and frustrated by the fear of bleak prospects in Indian politics, right now, their motto seems to be that ‘If our political future is bleak, we don’t care for the country. If our political future is bleak, we will not hesitate to set India on fire.”
How to deal with the situation
It is the responsibility of the intelligence agencies of the country to nab all the kingpins who deserve to be punished to save democracy and secularism. In my personal opinion, these enemies of democracy cannot be dealt with by purely democratic means. Some innovative methods are needed.
Pakistan will continue to do what it is doing. There are ways to deal with that country but more important is to deal with the enemies within who are more dangerous because they are moving freely among us.
I want to ask a question that has been haunting me: Is there no sensible leader in any opposition party who can talk sense to the violent protestors?
The answer is a BIG NO. All have a vested interest in a weak central government and ultimately in disintegration of India.
Devendra Narain
December 16, 2019
PS
Read “Prophetic warning of Dr. Ambedkar in the Constituent Assembly”
https://www.devendranarain.com/prophetic-warnin…stituentassembly/
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