India’s current government is led by the Bharatiya Janta Party or the BJP. It is also the country’s largest national party. It was formed in 1980, though its origins lie in the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, which was founded in 1951. The Jana Sangh was closely associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu nationalist organization that continues to play a significant role in shaping the BJP’s ideology.
The party first came to power at the center in 1996, but its government lasted only 13 days. It returned to power in 1998, forming a coalition under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), with Atal Bihari Vajpayee as Prime Minister. His tenure saw India conducting nuclear tests in 1998, economic reforms, and a focus on infrastructure development. However, the BJP lost power in 2004 to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA).
The BJP made a historic comeback in 2014 by securing 282 seats out of 543 in the Lok Sabha, with Narendra Modi as India’s prime minister. Major policy changes include the revocation of Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019, and the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019 that criminalized triple talaq in India.
The government’s handling of several protests and crises has faced widespread scrutiny. The 2020–2021 farmer protests, which were sparked by the controversial farm laws that were later repealed, drew significant public attention, with criticism directed at the use of force and the management of the situation. Similarly, the government’s response to the 2019 Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests raised concerns over its handling of dissent, particularly the use of force. The BJP’s management of the COVID-19 pandemic also attracted criticism, especially regarding the lack of transparency around the death toll, shortages of medical resources like oxygen cylinders, and inadequate preparedness during the second wave.
Additionally, the ongoing inter-tribe conflict in Manipur, which erupted in 2023, has faced criticism for the government’s perceived failure to take adequate action, with accusations of poor crisis management and insufficient intervention in addressing the escalating violence.
In Retrospect your 20 years of predictions has unfolded true, nearly….what is your view looking 20 years ahead? Secular would be an alien interpretation or a Functional working of our Republic?
The new minority in India are the forward caste Brahmins!
Successive governments have been only good and quick to dole out sops to Christians, Muslims, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Castes, etc. That leaves nothing to have an egalitarian society in India.
It is quite instructive to read this article. They are the thoughts of a 60 year old man who is unused to the idea of merit. This is the kind of thinking that analyses a cricket team’s XI by their religion and not their achievements or capabilities. The faster we move away from such thoughts. the better it is for New India. I have not seen journalists from USA or France or Australia analysing their Govt by the presence/absence of Hindus or Jews.
You will find that if you look hard enough. Di ersity is an important word now in most Western secular democracies…of course theirs have Christian roots unlike ours.
To answer the question raised in the headline of this article, ‘do minorities matter in India’, yes they do. Being a minority, whether religious, social or economic, does not restrict anyone from holding a top official post. In fact, Indians celebrate when a Dalit, coming from an underprivileged background, rises to become the President of the country.
To be sure, Hamid Ansari’s parting comments were unfair mainly because of the inopportune time they have been unveiled at. He was the Vice President of India for two terms. An obvious question to him in response to his statement will be: what did he do in his time as VP to curb this insecurity among minorities? Why didn’t he raise his voice earlier? And now that he has completed his term, what will he do in the present to achieve the ends he seeks?
Those playing the minority victimisation card will never achieve their ends because Indians have moved on from voting on lines of religion or caste. They have seen coalition governments, with minority ministers, loot the treasury, deprive them of economic development and deliver condolences to the dreams of millions hoping for better living standards. The promise of jobs, the promise of law & order and the promise of clean administration combined is what wins votes today. Not mere lip service to the ideals of secularism or liberty.
Good article sir,I feel that Bjp not giving important portfolios to none of Muslims is due to absence of senior Muslim leaders who are senior to other cabinet members.the first generation Muslim leaders of bjp like sikindar bakht,aeifmohammad are no longer active.yes I agree that vajpayee promoted shahnawaz hussain.he lost elections otherwise he is surely ministerial material.The comparison of India with Israel,pakistan is not appropriate because foundation ethics do matter.lastly Indian trajectory can’t be decided in 1 general elections,5 years rule by Bjp
If India had remained undivided, Muslim population was have been 50+cr. They wd have large share in every thing
You can ignore them at great risk. History repeats
I am a big fan of @ShekharGupta and way he brings his ideas and questions. Completely respect his point of view in this article, however placing people just because of their case, religion or community is not justified. We have moved in new era and have to look for more attributes. I wish competence and capability issues were raised.
India is moving away from failed identity-driven model of politics. Empowerment of Muslims can come from education, utilisation of Waqf resources and such measures. Not tokensim. India had Muslims in almost all major powerful posts. Has it improved their lot ? Can only Muslim safeguard the interests of its community ? I am glad we are moving away from their fossilisied approach.
Second, there is a flawed comparison with Israel or Pakistan. Both of these countries put ideological restrictions because of which their minorities cannot reach to the top. None whatsoever in India.
Third, what Vajpayee raised 2 decades ago stands true even today. Hindus suffer from minority complex. Whether it is RTE, control over temples, rampant conversions, reservations etc. Now when there is any hope that such blatant special priviledges will give way to genuine equality, there will be resistance from vested interests, as Mr Ansari’s comments indicate. This will furthur increase, as we debate about UCC , triple talaq, regulating madrasas etc. So the comparison of ABV and Ansari lacks this undrstanding.
Does one sentence in an interview need so many words to explain?
Typical secular article – make up your mind first then chose the data to support it ignoring uncomfortable data –
Smriti Irani is a parsi – a minority
Kiren Rijiju a Buddhist – a minority
Jual Oram, Adivasi – a minority
Amit Shah – Jain – a minority
Add all these names and article has 0 value!
Two factual errors : Ms. Smriti Irani is a Punjabi – Bengali, married to a Parsi; Shri Amit Shah is not a Jain, he is a Vaishnavite.
Amit shah is a jain not hindu
Comparing apples and oranges. Adivasis are not a religious minority. Typical response to sensible arguments. Confuse and obfuscate.
I am from Orissa. Orissa has never produced any PM, President, VP, Speaker or even a home/finance/defence minister. Orissa doesn’t have representation in Bollywood or music. What could be the reason: (1). Relevant geographic, cultural, linguistic, historical, educational, economic, political factors. or (2) Maybe Orissa is a victim of deliberate conspiracy by non-Oriya people. According to the simple-minded journos, Oriya people should cry victimhood rather than have some self-awareness.
Anyone who saw 9,00,000 silent, resentful, thankfully peaceful, Marathas wend their way through south Mumbai would be hard pressed to make the case that India is shining for the majority, either.
Regrettably, today minority is marginalized in India. This is because, till 2014, they believed that they have the casting vote and thereby created insecurity in majority. Now they have realized that vitebank politics won’t work in their favor. First indication is softening of their unreasonable babri masjid stand. This may also loosen Hindu solidarity against minority in elections. I believe good days are ahead