Rise above parochial issues

India is a country of disparities and complexities. The diversity in the society which undoubtedly lends a unique image to it is the very thing that throws up several colossal challenges and puts spokes in its growth wheel.

No model of good governance can efficiently function and yield desirable results unless every thread of this varied social structure is interwoven in a unified whole and the basic needs of all groups are meticulously taken care of.

It is the duty of every elected regime to usher in such a growth model that does not exclude any minority community. Our multiethnic, multilingual, and multicultural society has suffered countless injuries due to communal discords. Thus, the disruptive forces have not only dissipated nation’s strength but also caused many gruesome episodes of bloodshed.

The indelible imprints of one of the deadliest carnages that the history of India ever witnessed and which dismembered our nation with the inception of an antagonistic neighbour Pakistan can never be erased. Apart from umpteen exterior factors and the ulterior motives of the British, the class and caste divide have been the fundamentally driving faces that gave birth to the desperate demand for a separate land for the Muslims.

Consequently, after a bloody massacre, the state of Pakistan was carved out. Though this newly created theocratic state is also marred with the scourge of racial clashes, the sorry state of affairs in terms of communal divide is more unsettling in India. On regular intervals, the rioters spill horror by cutting short innocent lives. The monster men are raping women and anarchy is let loose everywhere. In the entire length and breadth of the country, geopolitical aspirations are riding high and wicked people who have been harbouring divisive ideologies, keep fuelling the fires of communal hatred with the sinister designs of usurping power.

The growth model adopted by the governments has always been lopsided which has driven a big wedge between the resourceful and the resourceless, resulting in certain sections becoming highly affluent with luxuries at their disposal.

Our politicians are also the offspring of this privileged strata. Whereas they are offered delicious meals on subsidised rates in Parliament, the ordinary people have to slog hard to eke out their bare minimal sustenance as the prices of even the common commodities like onion have begun to burn big holes in their small pockets.

Is this the growth model for which the governments of different times pat their back? The political personas only love to indulge in rhetoric and go to polls making fake promises which they seldom intend to deliver.

Under such a scenario with the shockingly uneven development, how can peace prevail? An empty stomach will certainly turn violent. History bears witness that it is the oppressed and the deprived class that has taken to the arms to claim their legitimate positions and socio-economic rights. Hunger definitely gives birth to revolts and uprisings.

Undoubtedly, in the recent few decades, the pace of development has gained momentum but its beneficiaries are only a handful of sections. Evidently, India cannot have a classless society due to its inherent social diversity. Neither is the Marxist model applicable here. The Nehruvian socialist state model has also disappointed in protecting the interests of the downtrodden as still, many sections have not been included to the mainstream.

Resentment in hearts

They are languishing on the fringe with resentment in hearts. Undeniably, restoration of faith of the minorities in the impartial functioning of the state is the acid test for any government in which Team Modi has not got through successfully thus far. The practice of forceful conversions and the propagation of fanatic model of Hindutva have dented the image of the present government and one gathers the impression that the BJP government is brazenly attempting to saffornise the country by jeopardising the secular ethos. Such fissiparous tactics can be potentially dangerous and cause sectarian conflicts which, in fact, should not have any room in a truly secular state.

The wings of the entrenched bodies like RSS and other dogmatic outfits must be clipped as their rising clout and exasperating interference in the political matters of the country has done enough damage. Under no circumstances, these medieval-minded organisations be allowed to call the shots. Neither should they be given the latitude to rule the roost on issues pertaining to the national interest. If Prime Minister Narendra Modi has the real intent to deliver the goods and fulfil the promise of ‘Achche Din’, he should restructure the development model and set a precedent by including all the communities without any sort of discrimination. Modi should not forget that he is the prime minister of all the people of India and not of a single community.

It will not make any difference if Aurangzeb Road remains Aurangzeb Road and Allahabad is called Allahabad not Prayagraj. There are other matters of mammoth import to be addressed on priority basis than mere mandir-masjid politics.

(The writer is Head, Dept of English Language and Linguistics, Dev Samaj PG College For Women, Ferozepur, Punjab)