Indian Elections (1952-2024)
Trends, Games & Lessons
After completion of 18th election in India or Bharat it is high time to revisit post independence Indian Election history, analysis trends, power politics, nation building challenges, election process, electoral democracy and lessons. Its important to understand why Congress who won 10 out of 18 elections in last 77 years including 5 consecutive victories till 1978, failed in defeating BJP 3rd time. Its 2nd time that BJP won 3 consecutive elections. The pertinent issue is not victory of any party but presence of narrow nationalism not only in India but also in the region.Why we have narrow nationalists like Modi/BJP/RSS in India and Taliban & others in Pakistan? Large number of Hindus left Bangladesh since its birth is a case we often missed due to other priorities.It is essential to understand rise of narrow nationalism based on religion. Is it due to post 1947 nation building rhetoric adopted and build against ''Others''in the region.
Interestingly, Pakistan and India adopted British styled parliamentary democracy and adult franchise from the beginning but both were less prepared for electoral reforms. Since late 1980s Indian Election Commission got powers yet in recent election it failed to check hate speech. Since last two elections many Indians raised voices against EC, its neutrality etc yet Congress is also responsible for that weakness of EC too.
Till today, Congress did not accept its faults started from rejection of the CMP & demand for communal partition of the Punjab & Bengal to use of RSS first against Portuguese in 1950s and than against Pakistan especially after 1965, it is a reality that Anti India campaigns in Pakistan and Anti Pakistan campaigns in India strengthen the narrow nationalism based on religion extensively across borders.
Its also a fact that both countries due to different reasons ignored the impact of communal partition of the Punjab (almost 80% causalities', displacement, abductions recorded in the British Punjab's 10 to 11 districts). It was not partition of India but it was Partition of the Punjab yet due to the absence of the core issue, it remains hard to resolve Pak India conflict in general. it is also important to check the fact that at federal level unlike Pakistan, why India always have a weak opposition? in 77 years. What happened before 1947 is important yet what we did under nation building project after 1947 in last 77 years is more vital to revisit. Any way, listen the program yourself
RSS banned after killing of Mahatma Gandhi in 1948 but ban lifted next year when a high powered commision said that RSS was not involved. It means that either Congress played with the issue or the RSS had roots in Indian establishment. Interestingly RSS was banned thrice but due to its inroads within establishment or due to its supporters within Congress it recovered again and again.
It was banned at 24 Jan 1947 for only four days by the weak, rather A-political congress supported Premier of Punjab Khizar Hayat Tiwana along with Muslim National Guard and then thrice by the post-independence Indian governments, first in 1948 when Nathuram Godse, an erstwhile member of RSS, assassinated Mahatma Gandhi; then during the Emergency (1975–1977); and for a third time after the demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992. In the 21st century, it is the world's largest far-right organisation by membership. Like jihadis in Pakistan, RSS had a special position in Indian statecraft. But till today Congress and its so-called intellectuals cum promoters are largely in the state of denial regarding that naked truth.
The RSS opposed Tri color national flag and demanded saffron Bhagwa Dhwaj then RSS opposed Indian constitution too but soon the same party got attention against Portuguese by powerful circles. The capture of Dadra and Nagar Haveli (Maharashtra) gave a boost to the movement against Portuguese colonial rule in the Indian subcontinent. In 1955, RSS leaders demanded the end of Portuguese rule in Goa and its integration into India. Finally after a military action the Governor of Portuguese India signed the Instrument of Surrender on 19 December 1961, Resolving border issues in such way promoted narrow nationalism too.
A video of protest against Portuguese 1955
Link of the complete radio program, Click & Listen it
Pakistan India Bangladesh are electoral democracies in general where hate speech and narrow nationalisms are order of the day. There is less room for equal citizenship rights. Their economies are largely dependent on undocumented wealth and on top of it these issues are absent in the politics.
