Is this something any religion really emphasises upon: to vote for the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) or non-BJP parties? Let’s be clear about one thing—no religion talks about elections or the ‘first-past-the-post’ system.
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The dogma of religion? Let me expand on this thought through this piece.
“Jo Jinnah se kare pyaar, Pakistan se kaise kare inkaar (those who love Jinnah, how can they refuse Pakistan)?” This was written in the thumbnail of a video put out by some news channel. The anchor’s voice was so aggressive that the manipulated junta (citizens) could only stare.
This led me to ponder over the present structure of our republic and the election doctrine. There seems to be a sort of responsibility thrust upon the larger population to carry forward the values of a religious, traditional front, by voting for the BJP.
As political theorist Rajeev Bhargava shows, caste politics is enrooted in the soil of India. But now, the flow of the air has changed its route by holding religion as the central theme, as can be seen in the upcoming state assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh etc.
From where is this dormant seed taking fruit: that the Hindus have to protect their religion by voting for the BJP, and that the Muslims have to save their religion by voting for non-BJP candidates. Is this something any religion really emphasises upon: to vote for the BJP or non-BJP parties?
Let’s be clear about one thing—no religion talks about elections or the ‘first-past-the-post’ system.
So, if no religion talks about your political duties or the right to vote, then, on what basis are we obliged to choose religion as a parameter to pick our representative? So, in a democracy, what should be the parameters instead?
To protect our tolerant culture, we need to technically defy the non-Gandhian ideology of “we are making a Haj house, we are making a dharma sabha” etc. Rather, the one line parameter should be roti, kapda aur makan (food, clothes and house). Link this with employment, health infrastructure, education and more, to preserve Gandhi’s land.