BJP’s tenure: Symbolic nationalism amid continued leftist policies
There must be some limit to duplicity, self-delusion, and self-deception.
What matters is what a political party does after it attains power, not what it professes while in opposition.
Notably, Article 14 of the Indian Constitution mandates the “Right to Equality before the Law“. Additionally, Article 15(1) prohibits discrimination against any citizen.
While in opposition, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was a staunch critic of Congress-led governments’ leftist and minority-appeasing policies. The BJP’s motto was “Justice to all, and appeasement of none,” with the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code as its mission.
Disgusted with Congress-led governments’ discriminatory laws and appeasement policies, countless patriots worked tirelessly to bring the BJP to power in 2014. However, after assuming power, the BJP government fell into the same trap of leftist minority appeasement and has not broken free from it.
Although the BJP is widely celebrated as a right-wing party committed to nationalism and national integration, its long tenure from 2014 to 2024 shows that, apart from symbolic gestures toward nationalism, it has continued Congress-era leftist, pseudo-secular laws and expanded minority appeasement policies, thereby causing significant damage to Hindu civilization:
Continuation of leftist laws
BJP government has continued the Congress-led government’s “National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992” through which the nation got divided into majority and minority with Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Zoroastrians being notified as minorities in October 1993, and Jains in January 2014.
Besides, the BJP has continued the Congress-led government pseudo-secular laws like the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, Wakf Act, 1995, and The National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions Act, 2004.
BJP has also continued the Congress-led government’s “Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009” which puts the government’s absolute control over Hindu-run schools while Minority-run schools are exempt from it.
This Act requires Hindu-run schools to provide free education (with negligible compensation from the government) to at least 25 percent of students from weaker sections and to satisfy many other conditions which has made the cost of Hindu-run schools prohibitive shutting down thousands of Hindu-run schools all over the country.
Moreover, BJP did nothing to free Hindu temples from government control by amending or repealing “The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HRCE) Act 1951” which allows state governments to control Hindu temples and their properties whereas minorities’ places of worship are free from such control.
Furthermore, the BJP government did not pass Dr. Satya Pal Singh’s Bill Number 226 of 2016 and Bill No. 205 of 2019 (in Lok Sabha) which sought the same religious, educational,l and cultural rights for Hindus as are given to minorities.
Expansion of appeasement policies
The Congress-led government formed the Sachar Committee and the Ministry of Minority Affairs in 2006. Sachar Committee recommended scholarships, educational and financial incentives, loans, and special schemes for minorities.
As the opposition party, BJP had lambasted the Sachar Committee and Minority Affairs Ministry as communal, divisive, and “appeasement” of minorities. However, the BJP government has not abolished the Minority Affairs Ministry though it can be abolished immediately just by an Executive Order/ Notification.
Rather, the BJP has vastly expanded minority appeasing policies.
Some of the new schemes launched by the BJP for minorities are “Nai Udaan”, “Naya Savera”, “Shadi Shagun”, Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram, “Padho Pardesh” etc.
The BJP government is allocating thousands of crores of rupees every year for minorities.
Immediately after winning the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP government declared five crore scholarships for minorities in June 2019.
BJP’s National Education Policy, 2020 further expanded minority appeasement in the field of education by creating Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Groups (S.E.D.G.s) and including minorities also in “S.E.D.G.s” for special treatment.
The pathetic plight of the “Uniform Civil Code”
BJP had promised to implement the Uniform Civil Code in its Election Manifestoes of 2009, 2014, 2019, and 2024.
Besides, in many of its judgments, the Supreme Court has suggested its implementation by the Parliament. And Article 44 of the Indian Constitution also wants the government to implement it.
Still, the BJP has not implemented the Uniform Civil Code which would have stopped Congress-led governments’ discriminatory laws and policies by ensuring the same laws and same rights for all Indian citizens.
Path forward
The above-described discrimination does not exist against any section and any society in any other democratic country of the world.
This deplorable discrimination has crippled Hindu society; and has deeply damaged Hindu civilization which must be nurtured and nourished for its survival. But problems being faced by Hindu civilization are political problems that can be solved only politically.
Both Congress and BJP, the country’s main political parties, are Gandhian, pseudo-secular, status-quoist, and minority-appeasing. Other political parties either follow pseudo-secularism or have a negligible presence.
Thus, the choice before Indian voters is between the Congress Party’s leftist agenda and BJP’s leftist agenda.
Accordingly, the only way forward is that patriots must stop wailing; and must start forming a new and strong political party to implement the nationalist agenda. The new party would dismantle the leftist, divisive, and discriminatory pseudo-secular edifice.
This party would also fulfill the constitutional obligation of implementing the Uniform Civil Code as per Article 44 of the Indian Constitution. It would abolish the Ministry of Minority Affairs; and help all deserving Indian citizens irrespective of their religion.
In the non-discriminatory polity, there would be no concept of majority and minority as all citizens would be governed by the same laws, and would enjoy the same rights to transform India into a strong, equitable, really secular, united, and egalitarian nation.
And all this would ensure that the all-embracing Hindu civilization seeking happiness and welfare of entire humanity (“Sarve bhavantu sukhinah”) survives, and the nation’s hopes and dreams get fulfilled.
However, till such a political party is formed, people should oppose discriminatory laws and policies, and they should keep on requesting the government to implement a Uniform Civil Code to guarantee the same laws and same rights for all Indian citizens.
Remaining silent over this deeply damaging discrimination would be self-sabotage.
As per Eleanor Roosevelt’s terse statement, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent”.
Note:
1. Text in Blue points to additional data on the topic.
2. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.
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M.A. LL.M., Advocate
- Rightist BJP implementing leftist agenda - December 17, 2024
- “Uniform Civil Code” will save the country - July 29, 2023
- Can Hindu civilization survive so much discrimination? - February 2, 2023
It is a superb article championing the cause of “same laws and same rights” for all Indian citizens. The solution of “same laws and same rights” for all Indian citizens is do-able, and it deserves to be implemented at the earliest.
Shri Arora has done a brilliant service to the BharatNation through this authentic, logical and powerful reflection on the policies of BJP. It is amply clear that the non-fulfillment of its promises and creating even new damaging policies to the integrity and unity of the nation. And this a serious deception which is hurting badly the Hindu population as well as sacred civilizational ethos.
Arora Ji has also made some strong political, legal and moral recommendations for the government to follow. Launching a new party that is most sincerely committed to uphold the Constitution in its all aspects is the absolute necessity for Hindu civilization to survive and flourish to achieve its lost glory.
My humble appreciation and respect to Arora Ji for his most sincere and reflective and constructive criticism of the current state of BJP’s national damaging political agendas.
Excellent article. Policies of the present BJP Government are much more damaging to Hindus than of all the previous governments since independence. The present Government is pursuing appeasement policies with much more vigour than the previous governments. Since 2014 they have implemented 45 minority appeasement schemes some of which are a big burden on national economy. In 2018 the BJP Government introduced Urdu and Islamic Studies as a subject in UPSC exam wherein Urdu is the language to write the answers with the result that number of Urdu speaking candidates has drastically increased in selection of I.A.S. and I.P.S. candidates from earlier 4-5 to now 48-50 candidates. This action is a big stab in the back of Hindus. Such policies must be opposed.
Same rights and same laws for all citizens irrespective of their religion is the basic feature of all democratic countries of the world.
Accordingly, it is the primary and fundamental requirement that Indian government must implement this basic requirement of Uniform Civil Code as early as possible.
New Education policy is long due for implementation. Tax regime is killing middle class salaried hindus
New Education policy is long overdue for implementation. Tax regime is just killing salaried class Hindus.
Again an excellent analysis and conclusion suggesting a positive direction for the protection of our civilizational values moving forward.
Campaign for UCC, implementing equality under the law per our constitution. Vote bank politics has implied ever more special treatment, additional concessions, and unprecedented privileges, all listed by Arora-ji, to the called minority though GENERAL CATEGORY is the real minority [BSP = majority]. BJP offering excessive gifts to paki cousins is no way justified or justiciable, being against the constitution.
I conclude occupied India is a constipated INDIA making it a banana republic.
Again an excellent analysis and conclusion suggesting a positive direction for the protection of our civilizational values moving forward.
Campaign for UCC, implementing equality under the law per our constitution. Vote bank politics has implied ever more special treatment, additional concessions, unprecedented privileges, all listed by Arora-ji, to the called minority though GENERAL CATEGORY is the real minority [BSP = majority]. BJP offering excessive gifts to paki cousins is no way justified or justiciable, being against the constitution.
I conclude occupied India is a constipated INDIA making it a banana republic.
Very knowledgeable Article. We should share this link to our known. We must support this type of law.
This is an excellent and a valuable write-up.
It makes a humble request to Indian government to implement the same laws and same rights for all Indian citizens irrespective of their religion.
This is a perfectly doable and a fully acceptable submission for the sake of equity and justice.
All justice-loving people must support this reasonable request.