Pseudo-secularism vs. Communalism

The year 2009 is an election year and this will be the first Lok Sabha elections in my adulthood. So it is only fitting that I write my first post in 2009 about it. Post 26/11 attacks, the right-wing have already started campaigning against the soft stand of the Congress-led UPA government on terrorism. Terrorism will be one of the major election issues for the BJP. The campaign is not without substance as pseudo-secularism was seen in its worst forms during the UPA government’s tenure. The government has failed on many counts but most visibly it has failed to protect us from the constant lingering threat of terrorism. They certainly don’t deserve to get a new term. If not the UPA, who else? The China-empathizing Left are far worse in such issues. So will the BJP-led NDA provide a more credible government? Not really, if the BJP suddenly realizes out of the blue just before the elections that they have a Ram Mandir to be built.

The leftist or left of centre parties denigrate the right-wing organizations by saying that terrorism has no religion and sympathize with the innocent muslims, who at times are targetted because of the mistakes of a few in their community. But when some of these parties also support the fanatic muslim organizations in an attempt to woo the muslim votebank, it enters into the territory of pseudo-secularism. Pseudo-secularism can be said to be a form of communalism. These parties can go to any extent to preserve the muslim votebank.

On the other hand the right-wingers may feel that the liberal media unfairly label activities by any fanatic who happened to be a hindu as hindu terrorism and don’t follow the same yardstick for muslim fanatics. While the media do have their biases, some of the right-wing supporters in the online fora also have a tendency to call anyone opposing them as pseudo-seculars or the now fashionable term “sickulars”. While the political parties have votes to be won by appeasing the minority and people related to these parties have lots to benefit, common people who have nothing to do with politics have no such incentive. Such rants only show the frustration of some of the right-wingers. They believe that hindutva will help tackle the problem of pseudo-seculars and bring justice to the majority population. However such a pro-hindu attitude only alienates the muslims making them prone to pseudo-secularism, which the pseudo-secular parties easily exploit. Thus pseudo-secularism only increases. It would do a lot good to its credibility if the BJP can dissociate itself from the far right. The people support the concept of hindu rashtra anyway have no other alternative in mainstream Indian politics. But the hindus who are more casual about their religion will actually be able to relate with BJP as a party with a difference as compared to the dynastic Congress.

Most of the inclinations towards a party are developed not because of good governance and policies shown by the party but rather because of hatred towards the ideology shown by the other party. In this respect pseudo-secular and communal parties feed over each other. One wouldn’t have existed if not for the other. While people can argue which is reactionary, it’s like arguing the chicken came first or the egg. And let us assume if one can be established as reactionary, even then can it be justified?

The sad fact is that today there is no secular party in mainstream Indian polity. For many, it becomes a case of supporting the lesser evil. To oppose pseudo-secular parties, people support communal parties and vice-versa. Those who claim to be secular would invariably have some other votebank to appease based on region or caste, if not religion. However we must realize that it is we who make the votebank. During election time the parties get into campaigning for their votebanks because votebank politics succeeds. How many would be able to overcome their party loyalties and vote for the party that may be presenting with the right issue? How many would be willing to support Congress in one state and BJP in the other depending on the performance? The onus is only on us to vote on real issues.