An Inclusive Model for a Secular India

 Since its independence in 1947, the Indian Republic of 1.34 billion comes together to celebrate its constitution, values, culture and above all, its unity on August 15. It is an important day to not only remember the struggles of several freedom fighters who lay the foundation for an Indian Independence, but also celebrate the various regions of this union model, that despite their vast cultural and historical differences, have come to embrace a common national identity. As we approach the 73^rd Independence Day, it is important to reiterate the maxims of our constitution which the current secular India stands on, defying the skepticism of various critics every year who questioned the United India’s longevity.

Toxic fringes in the Indian political circle often falsely project secularism as a ploy by ‘liberals’ to prioritize minority interests in the country, but the term holds quite an opposite importance for India. It is the core component of the constitution that instills tolerance, harmony and promotes progress for people of all colors and religious identity. It also dictates the separation of state and religion, eliminating religious bias in any government action. Being a major player in global affairs, India is also not immune to periodic political or ideological waves that rapidly spread worldwide like wildfire. It is therefore natural for opportunistic figures to ride these waves and gain influence to further their nationalist/communal agenda, like certain extremist-nationalist figures have done successfully since coming into power in 2014. This has concerned not only the opposition, but also the increasingly vulnerable communities and activists, who see the social fabric of the country threatened.

A lack of quality opposition has brought BJP into power again, with uncertainty about government’s plan to revive economic growth and uplift communities left increasingly marginalized over the past five years, through their gradual exclusion and rising communal violence. But actions of certain members do not represent the party’s ideology, and there are sufficient credible leaders at top to mould an inclusive and progressive India. A pragmatic note by Prime Minster Modi in his recent address to elected MPs emphasized on the urgent need to win the trust of Muslims in the country, indicating a clear intent to calm the rising fear among several communities in the second term. Several steps such as GST and introduction of Bankruptcy Code highlight NDA’s intellectual manpower to take the country forward, but with a quickly expanding labor market, more needs to be done to absorb the incoming unemployed youth. This includes an urgent cleanup of the bad bank debts, proactive fiscal policy to boost infrastructure growth and introspection of India’s lukewarm exports and manufacturing sector.

India’s intrinsic issues, however, lie in BJP’s lack of control over its extremist members. No apparent admonition from the central cabinet has fueled further resentment among critics, who understandably interpret this ignorance as a nod to such divisive actions. This resentment has been further exacerbated by rising violence on the ruling party’s critics, including the horrid murder of a prominent journalist in 2017. This rising attack on freedom of expression in the world’s largest democracy has attracted global attention and criticism, with an embarrassing downfall for India in the 2019 World Press Freedom Index. Quality journalism is being constantly threatened, as discussed in my previous blog, an issue that requires urgent fix. Questionable media figures spreading misleading information on mainstream news is bound to negatively sway public minds, many of whom construct their opinion on national priorities and determine the government’s performance through these very sources. Curbing these false sources, including on social media, is a necessary step towards reinstating India’s secular values and creating a coherent national community that through regional efforts ultimately buildings a strong India.

An astonishing amount of time is spent debating the divergence of conservative and liberal values, which is an important component of a healthy democracy. However, to build an inclusive India that we unanimously envision, the 2019 election mandate should be respected and efforts need to be made at an individual level to promote free thinking and constant government accountability.

-Akhil Mathur