Marginalia, Nida-e Haq

It would not be an overstatement to say that the 2019 Lok Sabha election verdict and the sheer scale of the National Democratic Alliance’s victory is in large measure a manifestation of the deepening religious divide in the Indian society. The most recent example of this divide or a shift towards majoritarianism was seen earlier this week in the parliament. When Muslim MPs were taking the Oath of Office they were greeted by cries of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’. The most heckled was AIMIM president Barrister Asad Uddin Owaisi, who was greeted with cries of ‘Bande Matram’. Most MPs responded to the sloganeering in their respective style. However, the point is that if lawmakers of the country are going to act in a manner befitting hooligans or lumpen elements, not upholding the prestige and sanctity of the highest house in the country, then what is going to happen in the long run? What is going to happen is that, emboldened by their lawmakers and representatives’, th...

The NRC and the Muslims Asad Mirza The National Register of Citizens and the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill emerged as key issues during the election campaign with both BJP President Amit Shah and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at loggerheads over it. The BJP is pitching the NRC as a strong step against infiltrators and illegal immigrants. Shah, during his rally at Kalimpong, in the hill district of Darjeeling, spoke in favour of the issue, claiming that it does not affect Gorkhas and some ethnic tribes of the region. Through the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, the BJP will look to grant citizenship to religious minorities who have been persecuted in the neighbouring countries. On the other hand, Banerjee has raised objections to both the policies, claiming that several people will lose citizenship and voting rights. What has happened in Assam, with the implementation of NRC is there for every one to see. Scores of people have been labelled ‘foreigners’ and detain...

  Facebook   Twitter   Google +   Stumbleupon   LinkedIn   Pinterest By:  Asad Mirza The election results for the BJP weren’t just a wave, but more like a tsunami or a devastating earthquake that demolished all that stood in its way. The mandate people gave Narendra Modi has dramatically altered the political map of India. It will keep analysts busy for months. Some will keep warning their compatriots about the rise of intolerant fascism, and the Gandhis and others will shout themselves hoarse about the looming threat of a Hindu Rashtra destroying the Nehruvian ‘Idea of India’. Most of the space in print and electronic media has been hogged by the decimation of the Congress and yet another humiliating performance by RaGa. It has distracted our attention from other perhaps even more significant tectonic shifts that have taken place. It’s highly unlikely that Congress will ever rise like the Phoenix in near or distant future, ...

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