Pranab Mukherjee lauds 'largely peaceful' anti-CAA protest, says it will help 'deepen roots of democracy'

Former President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, on Thursday said that the protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act across the country had been “largely peaceful” and would help deepen roots of democracy.

“Indian Democracy has been tested time and again,” Mukherjee said, delivering the inaugural Sukumar Sen Memorial Lecture instituted by Election Commission of India as a tribute to the first Chief Election Commissioner of the country. “The last few months have witnessed people come out on the streets in large numbers, particularly the young to voice out their views on issues which in their opinion are important,” he said, dismissing not-so-subtly the criticism by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against the nationwide agitation demanding withdrawal of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or the CAA.

“Their (the protesters') assertion and belief in the Constitution of India is particularly heartening to see,” the 84-year-old leader said. He was apparently referring to reading of Preamble of the Constitution of India by the people protesting against the CAA across the country. “I believe the present wave of largely peaceful protests that have gripped the country shall once again enable the further deepening of our democratic roots,” he said. "I believe the present wave of largely peaceful protests that have gripped the country shall once again enable the further deepening of our democratic roots," he said.

He also sent out a subtle message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Government.

“Consensus is the lifeblood of Democracy. Democracy thrives on listening, deliberating, discussing, arguing and even dissent,” said Mukherjee, whom Modi Government in August 2019 bestowed with the country's highest civilian award - “Bharat Ratna”.

Mukherjee was a stalwart of the Congress for the most of his five-decade-long career in politics – till he resigned as the Finance Minister of the erstwhile United Progressive Alliance Government in 2012 to contest the presidential election as a candidate of his party and its allies. He won and took over as the 13th President of India on July 25, 2012.

He had a good rapport with Modi ever since the latter took over as Prime Minister in May 2014.

His visit to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in June 2018 on an invitation from the ideological mentor of the ruling BJP had raised many eyebrows in the Congress.

Mukherjee, whom the current Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora greeted as a “savant” and “Raj-Rishi”, said on Thursday that democracy in India had given rise to identity based politics. “Inequalities in a society exacerbate the need to assert identity. Unfortunately, the societal texture of India has given rise to groups and communities to assert their democratic rights to bargain with the State for political power,” he said. “Purely from the lens of deepening democracy, I see this as a positive development because it leads to wider representation”.

“However,” he added, “the rise of identity-based politics has at the same time diluted the very representative aspect of the Parliament. An electorate divided on caste and community lines throws up a polarised mandate. This is ultimately reflected in the functioning of the Parliament which rather than pursuing a national agenda ends up pursuing sectarian interests”.

The lecture former President of India delivered on Thursday was instituted by the Election Commission in memory of Sukumar Sen, who, as the first Chief Election Commissioner, had led the panel to conduct the first two parliamentary polls of the country – in 1952 and in 1957.

“Election Commission like its peers in other fields has served its purpose accordingly well, and any attempt at its denigration will amount to denigrating the electoral process itself,” said Mukherjee. “There can be no room for speculation that challenges the very basis of our democracy. People's mandate is sacrosanct and has to be above any iota of reasonable doubt. A firm believer in our institutions, it is my considered opinion that it is the 'workmen' who decide how the institutional 'tools' perform,” he said, without directly referring to the criticism by the opposition parties against the Election Commission for alleged bias for the ruling BJP as well as the controversies over the credibility of the Electronic Voting Machines.

“The onus of ensuring institutional integrity in this case lies with the Election Commission of India.

They must do so and put any speculations to rest,” said the octogenarian statesman.