RESULTS of Indian Lok Sabha Elections-2024 were a great surprise for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the right-wing conservative Indian political alliance. Indeed, this BJP led alliance expected to attain a landmark victory by securing over 400 seats under the famous and perhaps an ambitious slogan; “Abkibaar, 400 paar”. The Exit Poll predictions of a decisive win for BJP also proved wrong and so were many analyses at social and political level. BJP could not secure a simple majority, thus had to bank on the support of NDA. The BJP-led NDA has already nominated Modi as Prime Minister for the third time. Modi will run this term with a weak political and moral support and with a weak body language. On the contrary, the Congress-led “Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) achieved unexpected gain by securing 223 seats. This is a clear indication that there is a change in the thinking process of the Indian masses.
Unlike the results of previous two Lok Sabha elections (2013 and 2019), results of elections 2024 are being viewed and analyzed from two perspectives. One perspective is, people of India realized that the BJP under Modi is pushing India towards extreme radicalization where there is acceptability for upper class Hindus only and lower cost Hindus and other minorities have no place. They felt that such an extreme Hindutva ideology will lead towards an ultimate downfall of Indian society. The same class of Indian society realized that extreme steps like Citizenship Amendment Act-2019, undoing special status of India-occupied Jammu and Kashmir and marginalization of minorities are violations of Indian Constitution, thus voted against the BJP-led NDA.
These elections were decisive for India in three ways: (a) Indian masses were to decide whether to continue with a Hindu nationalist government under BJP and RSS, (b) whether minorities in India should continue to be exploited as done since 2014, and most significantly (c) should India present itself as a security threat to all neighbours. The policies of BJP have brought India to a state which is a dangerous place for all minorities within India and a state which has threatened the security of all South Asian States and South-Eastern States. Under BJP, India has a hostile attitude with all neighbours and even with its people having identity other than BJP or RSS. According to a Pew Research Centre analysis, out of 198 countries, India ranks as the fourth worst in the world for religious intolerance. Through a massive campaign against Muslims, the major minority group in India, forming over 15% of total population, Indian Muslims were discriminated against, humiliated and forced to convert to Hinduism or else leave India. The New York Times in its Opinion Page of August 17, 2017 wrote an article, entitled, “India’s Muslims and the Price of Partition”. The prestigious newspaper mentioned salient Indian policies towards Indian Muslims. As per the contents of this article, Modi’s India demands Muslims that “they should reconvert to Hinduism” this is a unanimous call from the Hindus, the BJP and its militant wing, the RSS in particular.
It is worth mentioning that Pew analyzed cases that involved hate crimes, mob violence, communal violence, religion-related terror and the use of force to prevent religious practice, the harassment of women for not conforming to religious dress codes and violence over conversion or proselytizing. In the last nine years, BJP exploited almost all communities including Dalit community of low cost Hindu. The communal poison that the BJP and RSS have spread over the last nine years is now seen in hate crimes against innocent train passengers and against innocent school children. Indeed, BJP is quite vulnerable in almost all parts of India with a lot of flaws in their governance system in last one decade. Being ardent believer in populist vote BJP intends to bolster its domestic politics by indulging in activities to win it cheap popularity. Saner elements of society dislike the communal division of society BJP stands for. Intellectuals/critics have been decrying BJP’s communal politics.
The Second perspective is; there is a deep-state working within the Indian establishment. This establishment got some of the un-expected and daunting jobs done by the BJP Government, which no other political party could dare to undertake. The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act-2019, CAA-2019, construction of Ram Temple, promoting Indian nationalism under the ideology of Hindutva and putting minorities at bay for a foreseeable time period. Analysts view that, since all the major and difficult jobs have been done under BJP with Modi as the chief executive, it is time to slowly and gradually disembark this political outfit to give way to a soft faced political party/ alliance. Indeed, Indian radicalization and militant mindset under BJP has brought a bad name for India, which traditionally claimed itself as a secular state. Regionally and globally, India has become an extremist state whose operatives and covert officials were involved in spreading religious bigotry/ hatred, social discrimination, radical mindset and intolerance for others. Covert Indian spying officials of RAW found killings of Indian minority classes who even sought nationalities of other countries. The Indian Diaspora has become a mafia by taking over key positions at global level.
The Indian deep-state desired to get India out from this overt international defamation where countries like US, Canada and even EU states were raising their concerns over the role of the Indian state and its Diaspora. In a way this poll is an opening for the Congress led INDIA to gradually restore the image of a secular India. Nevertheless, it will be difficult for Congress led INDIA to restore domestic cohesion and secular image of Indian in the presence of a dominating Hindutva led Indian nationalism which has progressed under BJP and RSS in last two decades.
— The writer is Professor of Politics and IR at International Islamic University, Islamabad.
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