The Supreme Court s judgement that religion and caste cannot be used by politicians is perhaps the best judgement that could be announced before the upcoming elections. For decades we have been divided and ruled by politicians playing the caste or religion card.
It is like a breathe of fresh air to know that in future the politicians will not be able to play identity politics. Caste and religion has played havoc with our politics and country. Take Mamata Banerjee for instance she plays to religion card, while in Bihar and UP the Yadavs rule. This has neither benefitted the religion or the caste but we are one of the few countrys in the world where a democracy is divided by caste and religion.
The Prime Minister came in with the words development for all and he won. The Supreme Courts judgement that religion and caste cannot be mentioned in elections puts our regional politicians in a pretty pickle.
People are wondering if Hindutva is a religion. What if a Hindu politician talks about the Hindu religion which is amorphous and all encompassing? It is simply a philosophy and even now is being debated by agnostics. The politicians who talk about Hindu philosophy in elections or even out of it are only degrading it. Since for 5000 years every religion and every refugee seeking asylum against religious bias were welcomed in India, such as the Parsees and the Syrian Christians.
India is a secular state and its constitution demands it therefore what the Supreme Court has done is to warn politicians that while electioneering they must abide by the constitution. No caste, creed or religion can be invoked.
This is a real game changer and I salute the Supreme Court for finally making it a law. If politicians invoke religion or caste they can be disqualified by the Election Commission. Finally, India will be a real democracy judged by what a politician does and not the huge caste following he has.
This will be difficult to change, it has become endemic in our elections. Even if the politicians dont speak about caste or religion the mindset is difficult to change. But politicians will have to be careful not to speak openly about caste or religion.
Will Indian elections change overnight? No. But the writing is on the wall and the elections soon to proceed in the states will tell us how much the verdict has been imbibed by the politician and the people. For too long India has been divided by religion, caste and creed. This is one change that brings every politician on a level playing field.
It is time that India moved into the 21st Century not only as rising power but as a truly secular nation where every citizen votes not because he or she is of a religion or caste but what the politician will deliver and holds his feet to the fire.
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