How India has been divided on basis of social parameters and shrinking idealogy of political parties in India. An insight

1. Divided We Stand @ 62: An Insight
Dr. Prashant Mehta
Assistant Professor, National Law University, Jodhpur
Email: prashantmehta1@rediffmail.com
If we scan through the past history of India we will find that from Kings and their
Kingdoms, Invaders, Occupiers, ruling British, and our own democratically elected
governments in free India have progressed by single ideology of dividing the social
fabric of our society by segregating Indians on the basis of majority, minority,
religion, caste, schedule caste, schedule tribe, OBC, and very recently on the basis of
regional interests like telengana or demand for other smaller states. Thus the very
framework of democracy which united the country under one constitution years ago
has failed to provide a strong ideology or pragmatic view point on issues of
regionalism. Instead we are fast degenerating into a country where anything can be
done at anytime anywhere by anyone as far as its suits its political ambitions and adds
numbers to its vote bank. Thus the probable question before each one of us today is
United INDIA or UNITED STATES OF INDIA?
If the present state of affairs continue with growing menace of regional parties and
the subsequent breed of Indian politicians who propagate hatred the degenerative
policy of ‘divide and win elections’ the day is not far when questions asked above
would become a reality. It goes to the negative mindset and ideology of Indian
politicians, political parties, and political system during last 62 years that none of
them have ever taken an initiative to present bill on the floor of the parliament which
will treat all Indians as equals. At the same time political parties are eager and ready
to take credit for the preambles to divide Indians on the basis of region (issue of
telengana or division of Uttar Pradesh), religion, and even castes (like recent Gujjar
agitation in Rajasthan).
Not only this, the very concepts of minorities and secularism adopted from western
democratic systems are creating havoc on the social fabric of the society and Indian
as single nation is challenged as never before. The largest democracy in the world
growing at rate of 08% GDP is at crossroads because of such divisive interdependent
opportunist political framework like UPA or NDA. The political parties and breed of
secular politicians in India love to talk about ideology with each political party having
its own ideology. But political parties today have became more opportunist, have
even dumped there ideology, and made compulsive compromise in era of multiparty
rule which in today scenario is only limited in most of the cases is to win elections and
stay in power. The present breed of politicians who would go any length to win the
elections be it MNS in Maharashtra, Trinumool Congress in West Bengal, BSP and SP in
UP or DMK in Tamil Nadu and so on.

2. Once elected, these so called ‘secular’ politicians of forget the plight of common man
and vie with one another to get maximum benefit for their religion, family, caste, and
region.
Supreme Court, during upholding of OBC reservation in higher educational institutes
has lamented that caste had divided this country for ages. Justice R.V. Raveendran
reasoning in the main judgment, said: “Caste has divided this country for ages. It has
hampered its growth. To have a casteless society will be realisation of a noble dream.
To start with, the effect of reservation may appear to perpetuate caste. The
immediate effect of caste-based reservation has been rather unfortunate.”
“In the pre-reservation era people wanted to get rid of the backward tag either social
or economical. But post reservation, there is a tendency even among those who are
considered ‘forward,’ to seek the ‘backward’ tag, in the hope of enjoying the
benefits of reservation. When more and more people aspire for ‘backwardness’
instead of ‘forwardness’ the country itself stagnates.
“Reservation as an affirmative action is required only for a limited period to bring
forward the socially and educationally backward classes by giving them a gentle
supportive push. But if there is no review after a reasonable period and if reservation
is continued, the country will become a caste divided society permanently. Instead of
developing a united society with diversity, we will end up as a fractured society for
ever suspicious of each other. While affirmative discrimination is a road to equality,
care should be taken that the road does not become a rut in which the vehicle of
progress gets entrenched and stuck.”
The current politics of divide in India can be overcome only by high degree of
electoral reforms by which the populist politics of divide can be eradicated once for
all from our country. There are certain basic facts about successful nationhood that
many ‘learned’ Indians do not want to accept. One of them is the pride factor about
our own past. In psychology we have established that no human being or nation
without self-respect can become a successful one. Unless and until all Indians,
irrespective of their present status, feel proud about the positive elements of our
5000 or more years old history, India cannot regain its rightful leadership among world
nations and within the country.
A new ideology and a new political party, which will be the torchbearer of the new
ideology, is the need of the hour. As the new ideology and party take shape, we can
either curse our luck for living in this hour of crisis of ideology or we can work for
heralding the new sunrise.