The manner in which central agencies namely CBI, ED/IT, Election Commission etc. are using coercive methods against opposition ruled state governments. The days are not far that the basis federal structure of the nation would crumbled down & that would be a very fatal blow.
The history of present geographical nationalism is not very long. Prior to British occupation India was assortment of different Desh having some common features of religion & culture where diversity was predominant over commonality. Mughals and Britishers united those diversities from administration point of view.
The Independence movement and largely Congress provided binding glue to this agglomeration and very carefully created a unique kind of nationalism and in place of its inherent weakness the diversity was rightly projected as its strength.
The rise of far right tore apart this social diversity. The other governments in the past were also blamed for misuse of government machinery but still there were institutions to take care. For example, Indira Gandhi did so but the Allahabad High Court was there to displace her and quashed her election remember she was highly popular and powerful Prime Minister. The then CECMr.Shyam Lal Shakdhar appointed by Mr. Gandhi created a level playing field so that Janta Party trounced ruling Congress in post emergency historic elections. By any stretch of imagination can any central agency or even statuary agency at present go against dictatorial attitude of Narendra Modi.
But the real danger is not at this level; the ED is taking security from Central forces in place of state police during its raids on people close to opposition leaders. It means that the fences are already drawn between states and centre. It needs to be kept in mind that both states and centre are bound to uphold the same constitution and same set of rules framed there under.
God forbids does it beyond perception that a time would come when both state and central forces would come in front of each other with their arms and ammunition and start an arm conflict. Who will be responsible for this highly alarming situation; surely the all strong centre by virtue of its constitutional position would be blamed solely.
Similar is the danger of drawing military in our daily political chores. Pakistan is an example for us. Apolitical military in a developing country is an exception; and Indian polity feel proud on it; however, BJP is insensitive to this danger also and doesn’t realise that once tasted power military would ruin our hard earned democracy.
Time has come that all non-BJP political parties meet the President of India who is the supreme commander of our Armed Forces and submit a memorandum. At the same time a one-day fast shall be organised at Gandhi Samadhi to save our secular democracy.
Dr. Anwar Khursheed
Professor of Environmental Engineering
Coordinator AMU Centres,
Vice-Chairman AMU Alumni Committee
Former Principal FCI & Director Computer Centre
Former University Engineer
Department of Civil Engineering
Z. H. College of Engineering & Technology
AMU, Aligarh-202 002, India
Very nice & thought provoking.
Bioused statements if congress uses govt.agencies ,then it’s OK ,and now when agencies are freed from govt,then only few intellectual { so called } have problems.