- R. Khanna a former judge of the Indian Supreme Court has said that the rise in secessionist tendencies in India is due to the frequent use of article 356 of the Constitution by the central government. This article gives power to Delhi to dismiss state governments. The President’s rule was imposed on 10 occasions between 1950 and 1966 26 times during 1966-74 periods and 52 times between 1975 and 1993. Khanna also bemoaned the degeneration of parliamentary standards. Unless we develop a democratic temper we still have democracy only in name but without its soul and essence he said.
The former judge’s analysis of the Indian situation is substantially correct however there are other factors too in operation to give strength to the secessionist ideas Such as the historical reasons. Punjab has been fighting for centuries for independence. So has Kashmir the eastern Indian states have never been a part of India in the recorded history except for very brief periods. There are also differences in facial characteristics as between the people of Punjab Kashmir and the eastern states and the rest of India particularly the Hindi headland which traditionally controls the country’s polity.
The statistics cited by Khanna are revealing. Dismissal of state governments by the central Indian government has been much more frequent during the past two decades when Mrs.Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi were at the helin of affairs. These two members of the Nehru dynasty really gave a new direction to the Indian state It became more and more authoritarian. It was intolerant of dissent by the federal units. The worst anti-democratic laws were enacted during this period.
The Indian state became much more hamhanded. India emerged as a major military power and virtually a police station during this period. Not only at home but also in its foreign policy India became ‘a threat to world peace. The big towards militarization police state and fascism continues unabated Inevitably there has been a big step up in the violation of human rights by the trigger-happy Indian armed forces India has become a symbol of repression of its people To counter globalization of anti-India protests Delhi has chosen to blame Pakistan and other small neighbors for the ills of its own making.
At present the temper of Indian polity is governed by the Brahminic ideology of intolerance backed by militarization. This ideology seeks to convert India into a unitary state and decimate any diversity ‘of religion and customs. The use of article 356 is in pursuance of this ideology. Any talk of misuse of the article in question is irrelevant so long as the Indian state allows its incorporation in the Constitution ‘The former supreme court judge docs not question the article itself He merely bemoans its misuse. Even more remarkable is the practice of democracy in India In states like Kashmir and Punjab the Indian armed forces do not allow free voting Particularly in Kashmir elections have all along been a farce so planned by India’s prime minister herself or himself. More than 80% electorates boycotted the Punjab election. Yet the Indian government not only allowed to function but really glorified its puppet government headed by Beant Singh. In the eastern states the army and the police presence has been a permanent feature almost since 1947 Even today there is talk of the Punjab police battalions being sent to Assam to suppress ULFA freedom-fighters.
Khanna regretted the absence of democratic temper in India. This is wholly correct The Indian state has been using force against the people of Punjab Kashmir and the eastern states rather than bringing about certain political reforms to meet their aspirations at least half way. In fact the Indian polity does not allow for any meaningful reforms either in Kashmir or elsewhere. No wonder the Indo-Pak talks ‘on Kashmir have never produced any results. The tragedy is that the enlightened Indian Hindus like Justice Khanna himself a few years ago had pleaded for armed suppression of Sikh dissent in Punjab.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 11, 1994
