There is a popular belief in India that whenever the BJP led NDA alliance comes to power the graph of communal violence and religious intolerance shoots up, mostly because the govt. is then helping to propagate their Hindutva brand of politics led by BJP’s ideological wing RSS agenda of Hinduism (Hindutva) and hard nationalism, which is mostly certified by the “Ghar wapsi” and Babri Masjid. On the other hand the Congress led UPA alliance is more of a secular minded political class which rejects the Hindutva brand and adopt a more socialist approach when it comes to Indian politics. But those who know well will say that Congress too is not a secular party, if we strictly adhere to the dictionary meaning of the word. According to the Oxford dictionary ‘secular’ means, ‘not adhering to religious or spiritual matters’. Congress leaders however frequently invoke religious symbols and idioms when it suits their purpose.
So why is it that we believe that while comparing these two parties Congress appears to be the secular and the left wing types while the BJP is more of a Hindu Nationalist right wing anti-minorities political class. Is it because Indian National Congress was formed during the days of freedom struggle from the British raj.? And most of Its leaders were those who later became the founding fathers of our very own Republic Of India, including those who wrote our constitution and shaped the very basic principles of India as a nation.
While many people believes that BJP is a Political Party dominated by Upper caste Hindus and congress party is the real messiah of lower castes and the minorities, this is more of a divide and rule policy adopted by the British. What we see is a blackmail for secularism which is exercised by the congress to gain popularity among the lower castes and minorities “Vote for us if you do not want BJP to rule because thing are going to be worse for you under them”. By trying to part and marginalise the people on the basis of their castes and then announcing the reservation just before the elections.
It is true that congress corrupt leaders plays the dirty game of using reservation as a tool to draw votebanks. What we have seen 60 years after the independence is extremely corrupt regimes who will overlook its people for pleasing foreign powers and the power concentrated to just one family.
Though we have the highest regards for those congress leaders who fought for this country’s independence and set the foundation of India becoming a self-sustained world largest democracy which is together stronger even after it’s immense diversity, the congress of today is far away from the one that once fought for our freedom.
