It was the prime minister’s 11th successive speech on Independence Day, a record of sorts. It was the longest speech that Mr Narendra Modi had delivered from the ramparts of Red Fort (98 minutes). It was at the start of his third term and it was expected that the PM would lay out his vision for the government for the next five years.
The BJP leaders called the speech the unfolding of a bold new vision. If it was, I am afraid it was a vision that targeted a section of the people. The PM said,
“We are marching ahead with resolve, we are going far, but there is another truth – that there are some people who cannot digest India’s progress. Some people cannot visualise good things for India. Because their own vested interests are not served, they don’t like anybody’s progress. There is no dearth of people having such a perverse mindset. The nation must be wary of such people.”
Disdain for democracy
Who are the “some people”? I know of no one who is not proud of India’s progress in agriculture, information technology, nuclear energy, space, etc. Was the PM alluding to the 262 million voters who voted against him and the NDA? Or to the youth who criticise him for the raging unemployment? Or to the homemakers who complain about the burden of rising inflation? Or to the soldiers and ex-servicemen who are perplexed by India’s quiet retreat in the face of China’s brazen occupation of Indian territory? In a speech intended to rally the people around a vision for India, the PM actually aggravated the divisions among the people caused by the wrong policies of his government. To call the opponents of his government “perverse” shows disdain for the democratic verdict.
If we had thought certain issues would be put on the backburner following the reduction of the BJP to 240 seats, we were wrong. Apparently, the PM still swears by the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and the idea of One Nation, One Election (ONOE). He mentioned both in his Independence Day speech. He labeled the current personal law codes as ‘communal civil codes” and said,
“There is no place in a modern society for laws which divide the nation on religious lines and become a basis for class discrimination. I would say, and this is the need of the hour, that there should be a secular civil code in the country. We have spent 75 years under a communal civil code. Now we will have to move towards a secular civil code. Only then will we get relief from the rift due to laws that lead to discrimination on the basis of religion.”
That statement was a mixture of error, poor understanding and bias. Every personal law code is based on religion, including the Hindu codes, but that will not make the code communal. There is a secular code on marriage, namely, the Special Marriage Act, but it is not popular among the people of India. The common man (Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh or Parsi) does not feel ‘discriminated’ because his neighbour is governed by another code. It would be wonderful if all the religious groups and communities can agree on a Uniform Civil Code, but that is easier said than done.
Divisive rhetoric
The very idea of UCC or ONOE rings alarm bells and it is first necessary to allay the fears. I had explained the hidden agenda of UCC and ONOE in a previous column (Cult Worship and Consequences, Indian Express, April 21, 2024). For UCC, it is necessary to hold extensive consultations with all religious groups and communities. For ONOE, it is necessary to make amendments to several Articles of the Constitution. A speech by the PM is not the start or the end of the debate on the issues. On the contrary, it will mean that divisive issues are sought to be raised and legislation pushed through Parliament which may divide the people further.
The LS elections witnessed a lot of divisive rhetoric. Attacking the Congress’ Manifesto 2024, Mr Modi said,
- Congress will distribute the people’s land, gold and other valuables among Muslims;
- Congress will take away your mangalsutra and streedhan and give it to people who have more children.
Mr Amit Shah said, ‘Congress will seize temple properties and distribute them’. Mr Rajnath Singh said, ‘Congress will grab the assets of the people and re-distribute them to infiltrators’. The head-spinner was when Mr Modi warned the people of the coming of an inheritance tax on buffaloes. No one in the media called for a stop to the madness.
The sobering election verdict has not restrained the PM, but the fear of losing power has made his government backtrack on several issues: the indexation benefit for capital gains has been restored, the Wakf Bill has been referred to a Select Committee, the Broadcasting Bill has been withdrawn, and the scheme of lateral entry into central government posts has been shelved. The fear of more divisive ideas will cease only when CAA, UCC and ONOE are withdrawn finally.
A vision can emerge only when BJP’s playbook of division is junked.
