India pompously calls itself a secular, socialist republic and is often called the world’s largest democracy. Nothing could be farther from the truth than these lies fed to the gullible west.
The recent elections were a case in point. Haryana state, where the chief minister is the Deputy Prime Minister’s son saw large scale rigging and violence which was not unusual. It was atypical in that only 10 persons died. Coersion by murder as example has been a fixture in all Indian elections.
What is new is the flexing of the cow-belt Bhhaiya’s muscle. The Congress I successfully played divide and rule for four decades; Hindus against Muslims, Hindus against Sikhs even Sikh against Sikh, and when all was said and done, the majority Hindus could twist the rulers around to their line. They did it to Indira Gandhi. The situation now is that the Hindu fundamentalist though not in power can break the Govt at will. The BJP sits on VP Singh’s shoulder cloven hoof, pointed tail and all. Without BJP support the Govt does not have the requisite majority in Parliament.
The BJP also made impressive gains in the recent state assembly polls. The closer the Hindus get to assuming total power the bigger the danger for Sikhs, Muslims and other minorities. Going by present trends this should not take long and when that happens even a leader like Bal Thackery could prove to be the Hitler of the latter half of the 20th century.
Also the BJP in the best traditions of Chanakya, who could have taught Machiavelli a trick or two in statecraft, wants to and is in the best position now to damage minority interests.
The way things are, the Sikhs are liable to get caught napping again. They have been lulled into a false sense of security by the government’s false promises, whitewash and press agentry. No one has been punished for the anti-Sikh mayhem of 1984. No steps have been taken to resolve any of the Sikhs demands.
For the first time in 43 years there is no Sikh in the cabinet of ministers. There are none left in any position of authority or responsibility and none can hope to achieve such positions anymore.
All minorities must join hands against the many headed monster threatening to devour them. The Sikhs and Kashmiris in particular have a very good opportunity to cast off this diseased and mangy pack from their midst’s. If they will not do it now, they will have no one else to blame but themselves.
Admittedly, the Sikhs and Kashmiri Muslims did not make the right moves in the early 1940’s or were led astray by scheming Hindu politicians like Patel and Nehru. In any case, forty odd years are but an instant in the history of nations and we are at that point in time where we want to undo the mistakes of the past and start afresh. And in this new beginning the last thing we want is to be cluttered with the ruins of a decadent nation.
We are at a crucial crossroad in our history. The struggle for independence has to be intensified.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 23, 1990
