Ayodhya Verdict: Faith Is Not a Zero Sum Game
The Lucknow Bench of the Allahbad High Court delivered its verdict on the contentious Ayodhya Entitlement dispute on September 30. It was a rare occasion when the issues of divinity and faith were awaiting clarification by a judicial body. Most Indians were more anxious about the fallout of the judgement rather than the actual verdict. Peace appeals by the Prime Minister and his Cabinet, prominent political figures, leading personalities form the entertainment industry were employed to calm populist tempers before and immediately after the verdict was pronounced. Many had argued that the verdict was an occasion to demonstrate India’s commitment to secularism and respect for Judiciary; an opportunity to show that India had moved beyond 1992. Though disagreements over the judgement abound, the recent verdict has asserted that maximalist positions on religious issues are unacceptable in a multi-religious and multi-cultural country like India.
India, CWG and Beyond
There is no dearth of reports, articles and analysis on India’s preparation or the lack of it for the Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2010. Apart from the Indian news channels inviting ‘experts’ of all hues to comment on what went wrong and the national mission to discover where the ‘buck stops’, criticism in the international media has been equally acute. The level of corruption and delayed preparations are a cause of concern and hopefully the CWG experience will allow the Indian state to get its act together. However the sweeping criticisms have two dimensions which need to be disentangled: what the Indian state is capable of achieving in the context of the country’s social milieu and what the international community expects of India.
Controversy Over Home Minister’s “Saffron Terror” Remark
India’s Home Minister P. Chidambaram during a speech at the conference of State police chiefs and Inspector-Generals of police cautioned against the emerging phenomenon of ‘saffron terror’. The Home Minister’s comments have proved controversial with the Opposition Party, Bharatiya Janata Dal (BJP) demanding an apology. Semantics apart, Home Minister Chidambaram’s comment was not frivolous.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Agriculture, Food Grains and Peepli Live
When Saleem Kidwai, Agriculture Minister of the Union Government, played by Naseeruddin Shah, in the recent Bollywood movie Peepli Live said that the “solution” for increasing number of suicides by farmers was industrialization, the audience laughed at the naïveté of his comment.
Was Saleem Kidwai really naïve or was he stating a fact…or was he drawing our attention to an existing phenomenon?
How Religious Festivities are Becoming Social Fairs in India
Hinduism is a religion of festivities. Pomp, color, dance and music, assortment of delicacies, traditional costumes and merry making are usually associated with most Hindu festivals. Janmashtami- celebration of Lord Krishna’s birth, epitomizing the grandeur of Hindu festivities was observed in India on September 1. The Janmashtami celebrations, like most Hindu festivals, have come to highlight some specific dimensions of Hinduism portraying it as a religion that is ‘modern’ and ‘convenient’. The authenticity of these depictions can be challenged but it is the image of Hinduism as a religion marked by joyful festivities that feeds popular perception. Whether it is the Ganesh festival in Maharashtra or the Durga Puja Pandals in Bengal or the Navratri Dandiya nights in Gujarat, Hinduism is glamorized in the mainstream media.
Civilian Protests in J&K: [A]Part of Struggles in Rest of India?
Struggles for democracy and struggles of democracy may be different but are struggles nonetheless.
The civilian protests in the Kashmir region of the state of Jammu and Kashmir have been accompanied by a proliferation of literature on the intra-national dimension of the dispute, especially the issue of Human Rights. If you happen to read the columns by likes of Pankaj Mishra or Basharat Peer it is likely that your sympathies will lie with the people of Kashmir. Many others are of the opinion that the violent protests should stop to allow the Government to discuss the popular grievances. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has agreed that New Delhi is open to discussing the autonomy issue. Amendment of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act is also under consideration. For the protestors, Prime Minister Singh’s assurance is another addition to similar pledges in the past. The Kashmiri youth demand ‘aazadi’ and refuse to be pacified by piecemeal political and economic packages. The Government fears that accepting the demands of the protestors at this juncture would legitimize violent protests as an instrument of popular pressure. Click to continue…
Will Caste Census Change Anything in India?
The recent approval by the Government of India for caste based census has aroused concerns among political parties as well as social scientists and ethnographers. For the self-proclaimed ‘modernists’ such regressive measures are likely to heighten caste consciousness among Indians. While the pragmatists argue that data on caste can help the government to better target affirmative action policies and thereby address caste differences rationally. The fact however is the that caste as a social reality in India draws succour from multiple sources which will remain untouched by either the proposed census or the resultant official policies. Caste issues influence everyday life of Indians in countless ways.
2010 Commonwealth Games: Has India missed the opportunity?
A day after India celebrates the 141st birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the man who led a non-violent struggle against the British rule, India will showcase her continued nominal ties with the British Empire by hosting the Commonwealth Games (CWG). However, the 2010 CWG have become more an arena of political wrangling and administrative corruption rather than a celebration of Imperial ties or sporting talent. India seems to have greater appetite for sports controversies than actual sports.
Discussing J&K
The street protests in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) are de javu for many locals. It is claimed that a new generation of youth in the state are turning to confrontational tactics as the state continues to define security in strictly militaristic terms. For the Indian side peace in J&K implies ensuring that separatists and militants supported by Pakistan are reined in and ‘democratic’ elections held every five years. The slogans of ‘aazadi’ echoing through the Kashmir Valley are dismissed as the voice of few misguided youth and miscreants supported by ‘foreign’ forces.
Limitations of the vocabulary of western political theory for post-colonial societies have created a dilemma for India and Pakistan. ‘Aazadi’ is interpreted as territorial sovereignty and arguments highlighting the improbability of it for J&K are promptly presented by the Indian side. Pakistan likewise claims to be supporting the Kashmiris in their struggle for self-determination. Looking at the concept of ‘aazadi’ from the perspective of J&K can connote a variety of political arrangements ranging from responsive governance and responsible administration to different degrees of devolution of political authority. The relation between the Indian Federation and its constituent units continues to remain problematic in other areas of the country as well. In the case of J&K, the struggle between the Federation and the units is subsumed in the master narrative constructed in 1947.
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Impressions from the Kashmir Protests
The recent tensions in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir have not surprised many. The nation-wide shut down on July 5th attracted more attention than curfew restrictions in parts of the Kashmir valley. However, the recent protest demonstrations do not strictly fall in the segment of terrorism related issues inflicting the state since the past two decades. A section of the Indian population dissatisfied with the Government is participating in protest demonstrations. At least 11 people have been killed in the Kashmir Valley in firing by security forces on stone-pelting mobs protesting against alleged human rights violations.
[Photo Courtesy: The Hindu]
UPDATE: With four civilians killed in the past 24 hours and 70 others injured as the police opened fire to quell demonstrations in different parts of Srinagar, the Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday sought the Army’s help in tamping down mass protests that have not abated despite several days of curfew.
The Government of India is referring to it as a law and order problem prompted by separatists. The incident and follow up official reaction indicates that the Government’s priorities in the state are more security oriented than conditioned by requirements of ensuring stability. Maintenance of law and order and prevalence of armed forces can ensure security. Good governance and winning the ‘hearts and minds’ of the local population warrants stability.