The election atmosphere in India is getting hotter every day, with various political parties trying to woo voters in their own ways. The Bharatiya Janata Party has clearly stated in its election manifesto, which it calls Sankalp Patra, that it will work for the upliftment of all sections of society. The party’s main focus is on India’s youth, women, poor, and farmers. When other political parties, including the Congress, were demanding a caste-based census, Prime Minister Narendra Modi clearly said that dividing the country in the name of caste is a “sin”. He also said that for him, the four biggest castes were the youth, women, poor and farmers, and his party would work toward their betterment.
During the past 10 years of Modi’s tenure as PM, there has never been any discrimination on the basis of caste and religion. Meanwhile, the government provided subsidies for houses for the poor, free ration, free gas connection under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), toilets, electricity, water facilities for the poor or direct benefit transfers (DBTs). Government assistance was provided to everyone on the basis of their economic status, and not caste or religion.
But the repeated mention of caste census reeks of the fact that these political parties aren’t working for the upliftment of the backward sections, but rather want to use them as a vote bank.
Congress’ promises
At a rally in Hyderabad, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hinted that if the Congress is voted to power, the party would undertake an economic resetting of the country’s wealth, jobs, and other welfare schemes after a promised caste survey. “We will do a caste census so that the backwards, SCs, STs, poor of general castes and minorities know how much (in terms of numbers) they account for in the country. Thereafter, a financial and institutional survey to find who holds the country’s wealth will be taken up. We will give you whatever is your right,” he reportedly said.
Though the word redistribution has not been used, the implication is clear: ‘greater the population, more the rights’. How? The party’s intention becomes clear on four counts: First, the size of different castes and minorities will be estimated. Second, financial and institutional surveys will find out who has how much property. Third, they will do revolutionary work and give everyone their rights. Fourth, there is also clarity about who will get how much — ‘jitni abaadi utna haq’ — that is, rights in proportion to the population.
Former PM Manmohan Singh of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had said something similar in 2006. Although some political experts are defending the former PM, arguing that he never said Muslims have the first right on the country’s resources, we should get into the depth of what he did say. “I believe our collective priorities are clear: agriculture, irrigation and water resources, health, education, critical investment in rural infrastructure, and the essential public investment needs of general infrastructure, along with programmes for the upliftment of SC/STs, other backward classes, minorities and women and children. The component plans for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes will need to be revitalised. We will have to devise innovative plans to ensure that minorities, particularly the Muslim minority, are empowered to share equitably in the fruits of development. They must have the first claim on resources,” he had said.
Although Singh talked about policies meant for the upliftment of SCs and STs, he mentioned Muslims separately. This was prominently published in the newspapers of the time. Since this was a written speech, there can be no excuse for a slip of the tongue.
It is not about Rahul Gandhi or Manmohan Singh but about garnering votes by making tempting promises to people of different castes and religions. It is clearly stated in the Constitution that the government will treat every section of the country equally. But in the race to garner the votes of minorities, political parties forget their duty toward society and the Constitution.
Also read: Rajeev Chandrashekhar is modern, moderate. But tragically loyal to bigoted BJP
What did Modi say?
Congress has also said that after the caste census, they will conduct a financial and institutional survey in the country to assess wealth and jobs following which it will take ‘revolutionary’ steps and give everyone their rights, which will be according to their population.
PM Modi was citing Manmohan Singh from 2006 and explaining the Congress’ Nyay Patra. According to him, Congress would distribute the wealth to Muslims, people with more children, infiltrators (“ghuspaithiye”). The Indian Muslim population increased from 9.9 per cent in 1951 to 14.2 per cent in 2011.
It is beyond comprehension why political commentators, who are trying to put the PM in the dock for his statement, are silent on the Congress’ ‘revolutionary’ promise if it comes to power. The PM cannot be charged with trying to divide the country on the basis of religion; guilty are those who see caste/religion through the lens of vote bank politics to make political gains.
Ashwani Mahajan is a professor at PGDAV College, University of Delhi. He tweets @ashwani_mahajan. Views are personal.
(Edited by Humra Laeeq)
It is cheap politics to talk about Manmohan Singh’s speech now! PMO clarified that time itself as mentioned in the link provided in this article. The speech was in 2006, Manmohan Singh was the PM for 8 more years after that speech. It makes more sense to talk about how he implemented the speech, as per his intentions or as per the misinterpretation by BJP! One can talk about his actions, if any, that were helping only Muslims and not other backward classes. Remember, people re-elected him after that speech. Talking about his misinterpreted speech now is pure divisive politics with no substance to support! An issue for EC to look into, if they are not already doing it.