As democracy is seeping in slowly all over the world, there is an organization which is monitoring the degree of democracy in the individual countries, The Economist Intelligence Unit. As such in each country there are diverse factors which on one hand work to deepen it, while others weaken it. Overall there is a march from theoretical democracy to substantive one. The substantive democracy will herald not just the formal equality, freedom and community feeling in the country but will be founded on the substantive quality of these values. In India while the introduction of modern education, transport, communication laid the backdrop of beginning of the process, the direction towards deepening of the process begins with Mahatma Gandhi when he led the non-cooperation movement in 1920, in which average people participated. The movement of freedom for India went on to become the ‘greatest ever mass movement’ in the World.
The approval and standards for democracy were enshrined in Indian Constitution, which begins ‘We the people of India’, and was adopted on 26th January 1950. With this Constitution and the policies adopted by Nehru the process of democratization started seeping further, the dreaded Emergency in 1975, which was lifted later restored democratic freedoms in some degree. This process of democratisation is facing an opposition since the decade of 1990s after the launch of Ram Temple agitation, and has seen the further erosion with BJP led Government coming to power in 2014. The state has been proactively attacking civil liberties, pluralism and participative political culture with democracy becoming flawed in a serious way. And this is what got reflected in the slipping of India by ten places, to 51st, in 2019. On the index of democracy India slipped down from the score of 7.23 to 6.90. The impact of sectarian BJP politics is writ on the state of the nation, country.
Ironically this lowering of score has come at a time when the popular protests, the deepening of democracy has been given a boost and is picking up with the Shaheen Bagh protests. The protest which began in Shaheen Bagh, Delhi in the backdrop of this Government getting the Citizenship amendment Bill getting converted into an act and mercilessly attacking the students of Jamia Milia Islamia, Aligarh Muslim University along with high handed approach in Jamia Nagar and neighbouring areas. From 15th December 2019, the laudable protest is on.
It is interesting to note that the lead in this protest has been taken by the Muslim women, from the Burqa-Hijab clad to ‘not looking Muslim’ women and was joined by students and youth from all the communities, and later by the people from all the communities. Interestingly this time around this Muslim women initiated protest has contrast from all the protests which earlier had begun by Muslims. The protests opposing Shah Bano Judgment, the protests opposing entry of women in Haji Ali, the protests opposing the Government move to abolish triple Talaq. So far the maulanas from top were initiating the protests, with beard and skull cap dominating the marches and protests. The protests were by and large for protecting Sharia, Islam and were restricted to Muslim community participating.
This time around while Narendra Modi pronounced that ‘protesters can be identified by their clothes’, those who can be identified by their external appearance are greatly outnumbered by all those identified or not identified by their appearance.
The protests are not to save Islam or any other religion but to protect Indian Constitution. The slogans are structured around ‘Defence of democracy and Indian Constitution’. The theme slogans are not Allahu Akbar’ or Nara-E-Tadbeer’ but around preamble of Indian Constitution. The lead songs have come to be Faiz Ahmad Faiz’s ‘Hum Dekhenge’, a protest against Zia Ul Haq’s attempts to crush democracy in the name of religion. Another leading protest song is from Varun Grover, ‘Tanashah Aayenge…Hum Kagaz nahin Dikhayenge’, a call to civil disobedience against the CAA-NRC exercise and characterising the dictatorial nature of the current ruling regime.
While BJP was telling us that primary problem of Muslim women is Triple talaq, the Muslim women led movements has articulated that primary problem is the very threat to Muslim community. All other communities, cutting across religious lines, those below poverty line, those landless and shelter less people also see that if the citizenship of Muslims can be threatened because of lack of some papers, they will be not far behind in the victimization process being unleashed by this Government.
While CAA-NRC has acted as the precipitating factor, the policies of Modi regime, starting from failure to fulfil the tall promises of bringing back black money, the cruel impact of demonetisation, the rising process of commodities, the rising unemployment, the divisive policies of the ruling dispensation are the base on which these protest movements are standing. The spread of the protest movement, spontaneous but having similar message is remarkable. Shaheen Bagh is no more just a physical space; it’s a symbol of resistance against the divisive policies, against the policies which are increasing the sufferings of poor workers, the farmers and the average sections of society.
What is clear is that as identity issues, emotive issues like Ram Temple, Cow Beef, Love Jihad and Ghar Wapasi aimed to divide the society, Shaheen Bagh is uniting the society like never before. The democratisation process which faced erosion is getting a boost through people coming together around the Preamble of Indian Constitution, singing of Jan Gan Man, waving of tricolour and upholding the national icons like Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, Ambedkar and Maulana Azad. One can feel the sentiments which built India; one can see the courage of people to protect what India’s freedom movement and Indian Constitution gave them.
Surely the communal forces are spreading canards and falsehood against the protests. As such these protests which is a solid foundation of our democracy. The spontaneity of the movement is a strength which needs to be channelized to uphold Indian Constitution and democratic ethos of our beloved country.
Comments
Tipu is one of the few freedom fighter who didnt bow his head to British and fought bravely and died in the battlefield. unlike RSS, VHP who bowed their head to be their slave. Now these little puppies have grown up to speak against Tiger of Mysore forgetting his contribution to the indian freedom struggle. Secondly if Tipu had converted hindus into islam by force then there would have been not a single Hindu left in the country now while Hindus make up 80% of Indian population. Foolish people talk without any logic.
Hindu jaya Gosh (gosh of beef)
who is tippu. he is a crimnal. why shold we celebrate his birthday?
If these goons kill Gandhi the person who gave freedom and did ultimate sacrifice for the nation, then how can we expect these goons will talk fairly.
Now Mr. Jain himself is a Jain and not Hindu. He should set an example by denouncing his religion and should join Hinduism.
About Muslims joining Hinduism,
Mr. Jain come for a healthy debate.
If Hinduism proved to be true, all Muslims will join Hinduism.
Like wise if Hinduism proved to be untrue, you first join Islam and ask your people to accept Islam.
They only calls... but no body listen to them.
Wah Re Wah... What a meaningful statements by Mr Jain, the member of non violent community! Thooo nin janmakkishtu
Jihadist and Bajrangi's mentality are same. Both are terrorist. Please just ignore them.
instead of this time waste, do good to the country, help poor family to come up in life.
Tiger-Tippu is being remembered for his bravery.... and entire country is appreciating for his hard work....he is the only king stood against british rule at that time....these chaddies were supporting british....nobody from chaddies fought for our country for our freedom....they should be ashamed of themselves.....
Creating violence in the peaceful society is their birth right!!
Bap Ray Bap what's going on here and there, Mallu
We need thorough research to unearth the historical truth.
Tipu was never a freedom fighter and was fighting only to save himself and like mentioned to convert to islam. It cannot be condoned that others did so can he. What kind of logic is this to support tyranny. So by default we are agreeing to BJP's ghar vapsi. What wrong VHP is doing if Tipu was right in his actions.
None of the royalty was \freedom fighter\".They were fighting for their own glory and power. The poor faceless people who died for the country after 1857 were \"freedom fighters\""
none of these castes and religions belongs to India. Hindu, Christian, Muslim. All this people are developing wide spread hatred among people. In India we were having Dravida origin people. They may have converted to Buddism or jainism but not on any compulsions from out side Indians but due to the intuitions from the times GURUS like mahavir or buddha. Even before that we had aadi dravida culture. With out having the detailed study or finding on the back history, we are spreading hatred on starting from edges of the last point.It is mere nonsense. Tipu sulthan the great may have committed crime as a king. the christians preachers may have converted people to their religion by force or else. At this point of time study and analysis may favour some historical revelations but creating hatred in the name of religion and causing poor people to lead violance is a ploy that every religion at every time played in and around the world. Israel, Arab countries, US, UK, Australia and even in Africa these game plan works and the loosers are always the down troden common public and the profit makers are always the top leaders of the religion as well the politicians. This is the corrupt intolerance
Nobody is with clean hands. Something or the other is done by everybody in general for their survival. If everybody's history is revealed the person will be caught in somewhere in the middle of his life. There is no any such great person who did all good things for others. So stop this hatredness and let's see how to move forward with the country where there are types of religion, race, community, caste, creed and culture. If this comment goes on with UCA then they are also poking their nose in the issue which is not related to them. Kindly if you are not able to do goodness please do not agitate the country. The seed sowing job is done by the communal parties in the year 2002 by demolishing Babri Masjid and massacring thousands of people from a particular religion. Remember. Don't blame the religion. and UCA and BJP/ VHP/ BAJRANG DAL or so called sangh parivars is going against the Karnataka government and the INDIAN Government decision. We would like to thank to the HONORABLE CM OF KARNATAKA and the Congress leaders who has taken rigid decision to commemorate Tippu Sulthan. Tippu never opposed. In fact he used to work with secularism where in his court he was giving equal position to all. Like Poornaiah, and the list goes on. He fought with the British rulers bravely. They only awarded him as THE TIGER OF MYSORE for his bravery. Even English mothers tried to make the child sleep by saying his bravery. So stop blaming UCA. This UCA should not come into picture. They also joined. Ha ha ha ha ha !!!!!!!
Thanks to our Historians. These historians were patronized by ruling elite, to give us wrong history. We were fooled. Ms.Danya Rajendran had tweeted that she knows a family by name 70s. That is, they are descendants of 70 families, in Mysore, whose males were killed by this Great Tipu. During his period, there were JUST TWO temples in his kingdom. This fact is also known after this Tipu Jayanthi celebrations by Govt.
Instead we should celebrate GODSE jayanthi,
pathetic people, need to revise History again to these people!!!!
We never want to celebrate anybody's birthday. Only God knows what is Tippu's situation now as every soul shall die and will be asked with what he did with the life that God has given us...
Aren't they all have any intellect?
If Tippu did not started the War with the British, we would still be the slaves of the British and their chamchas , the cheddis.
Why the stupids want us to believe what they say without learning the history...
Cheddi leaders have tricked very easily many ignorants...Wow there are so many, who doenst use their God given intellect... and they stand with the LIARS... for petty gains...
Dont worry God is with those who are truthful... As a whole evils will perish one day
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