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Dr. Ambrose Pinto, S.J.
Renovacao
August 16-31, 1999.
Title: Democracy in Danger (Guest Editorial) Author: Dr. Ambrose Pinto, S.J. Publication: Renovacao Date: August 16-31, 1999. We have entitled our newsletter as "SUBALTERNS" from the present issue with reasons. In the vision statement of the Institute, we had committed ourselves as an Institute of Research, Training and Action for the cause of Dalits, Tribals, minorities and Women. These are the subalterns we are committed to and we would like this newsletter to reflect their reality to further their cause. In this issue we want to further reflect on the forthcoming general elections. Elections are important because they decide the political destiny of the nation and shape welfare of citizens. "I have a dream' Martin Luther King said in the course of his remarks "that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave-holders will be able to sit down at the table of brotherhood. That was the vision of the framers of the Constitution. It is the vision of the masses of India as well. Majority of India's population does desire that all people independent of caste, community, creed and race be able to live in harmony and unity. Unfortunately, political parties instead of uniting people into one human community, divide. The frequent violence among social groups - dalit versus other castes, hindus versus muslims, atrocities on minorities and caste war among dominant groups are all indicators of the malaise of the system. The situation has been made worse by the rise of the BJP. With the Ram Rath of Advani, Sangh Parivar raised the spectre of violent communalism. The man along with the Party responsible for the blood of the innocent ruled the country for fifteen months without a parliamentary majority. Like Hitler, who emerged as the Chancellor of Germany, from within the parliamentary system the BJP's emergence is no accident. As the small parties in Germany then backed Hitler so did the seventeen parties backed the BJP. International financiers have generously poured money and backed the party. Their first achievement was the Pokhran blasts which had nothing to do with military or defence strategies. The bombs were meant to quell serious internal unrest within the party by displaying the external face of communalism, to bait Pakistan. The second reason was that the party that had, professed "swadishi" -and had absolutely no trust on it did not know how to handle the MNCs, TNCs and the CTBT. The explosions, the BIP knew would invite sanctions. While placating the swadishis and all "patriotic Indians' the country surrendered to the forces of imperialism. That is what the plan was all about. Within the country the communal forces were let loose. In the fifteen months of BJP led governance, the country witnessed the manic violence of the Bajrangis, the wickedness of Vishwa Hindu Parishad and their sadhus, the viciousness of the RSS, the brutality of the Hindu Jagran Manch and the fanatic and fundamental interpretation of history and reality by Swapan Dasguptas and the Arun Shouries. Citizens were communalised. The country experienced the worst kind of violence on the helpless and the poor. To further make the Kashimiries insecure there was a demand to abrogate article 370, a strong signal that the party will carry on the massacres of Kashimiries on a large scale. WN1e the demand for a uniform civil code and the temple at Ayodhya was meant to terrorise the muslims, proposal to do away with minority commissions at the level of states and centre was aimed at making the minority groups insecure. The party argued for the replacement of the parliamentary system by the Presidential. It is through the parliamentary system that people in India have been politically educated and are still learning to express their resistance to anti-people policies of governments. The idea of the BJP is to work for an authoritarian state with Presidential form and turn India into a fascist-communal political system. With thoroughness the Sangh Parivar has infiltrated every civil and political institution in the last 15 months. It is unfortunate that its fascist ideology is confidently and fearlessly propagated by the media today specially the vernacular creating further divide among communities. Several academic institutions, non-governmental organisations and even a section of the government has provided support to the fascist ideology. That is why these elections are very important to all of us who believe in democratic and secular values. Participation in elections is mandatory to reject the communal forces for the well-being of the subalterns. Fascist parties like the BJP do away with all policies in favour of the poor as they have done. In their regime the SCs/ STs/the minorities, the secularists, the socialists and the progressives have no place. In the situation, we need to draw therefore a line and isolate the fascist BJP as the main enemy of the subalterns and unite with all forces opposed to them. It is essential to take a clear stand to prevent the rise of fascist Sangh Parivar forces by uniting ourselves with all subaltems in the interest of the country and the well being and welfare of the majority. (This Editorial from SUBALTERNS a Quaterly Newsletter of Indian Social Institute, new Delhi, India, is published because of its relevance. Fr Pinto is the Executive Director of the Indian Social Institute - The Editor) Note: Renovacao (Revival) is a publication of the Roman Catholic Church in Goa.
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