It is the election fever: But to whom shall we vote?

The Indian political landscape has undergone a sea change particularly in the recent years. Well, earlier it was said that Indians don’t cast their votes but vote their caste. (Political scientist Mr Yogendra Yadav terms it as one of the six myths of Indian Elections. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7973477.stm) Given the rising instances of hate speeches and hate campaigning our political leaders are engaging themselves in, it seems as though the caste factor has been relegated to the periphery. So it is the religion that has become the new avatar in the Indian political scene and has hogged much of the limelight instead of the caste or may be in addition to the caste!

It is not my argument that the people no longer vote their caste. If it were true, the credit would naturally be linked with the increased levels of literacy and development, among other factors. But as we see around, amidst higher literacy rates and the growth rates that this country has witnessed, the caste remains as an important factor in India.

But today, more than ever, it is the religion more than caste that has surfaced into our polity and created unprecedented havoc. The communal tensions have devastated many of the states. Jammu & Kashmir, Orissa, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujrath, Kerala, Tamilnadu, Karnataka are some of the states where the communal riots have been either frequent or large-scale.

So the question today is not whether people are going to vote their castes (this they have always done and they will continue to do to some degree!) but whether they are going to vote their religion at the dictates of the communalists? It would be quite in place to place on record the statements of some political leaders and some religious leaders.

Recently at the Hindu Samajotsava in Mangalore, many religious leaders called for a ‘Hindu vote bank’.

In the last three-four weeks we have repeatedly seen and heard of the drama that has unfolded with Varun Gandhi, who is one of the youth faces of BJP, making a anti- Muslim hate speech at an election rally in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh.

Ananth Kumar Hegde, a BJP candidate from Karwar in Karnataka has been issued a notice by the Election Commission for his anti-minority speech. He is reported to have said that “I have 63 criminal cases against me, and I am not afraid of one more. I don't need a single minority vote to win”

Prof B K Chandrashekar, a Congress Leader in Karnataka recently expressed his unhappiness stating that the Congress had neglected Brahmins by not giving any Lok sabha seats to them. He said that ‘though the Christian population is less than one per cent in Karnataka two LS seats have been given to them but the Brahmins who constitute 4 per cent of the population have not been given a single LS seat’.

And now Mr Ashok Sahu, former Police officer and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate for Orrissa's Kandhamal Lok Sabha constituency has been booked for his hate speeches against minorities. He is apparently untraceable and has gone underground!

Where is this democratic and secular country heading towards? Considering the fan following of communal leaders like Narendra Modi (of Gujarat carnage fame), Lal Krishna Advani (of Babri Masjid demolition fame), Pramod Muthalik, Praveen Togadia, Ashok Singhal, Varun Gandhi and many others, it sends shivers down the spine to imagine the cost of this hate speeches on the secular fabric of India.

The political scenario in Karnataka is most intriguing. The state has seen a steep rise in communal violence. There have been communal clashes in Mangalore, Mysore, Sira, Davanagere, Chikmangalore, Hubli, to name a few. It appears that the BJP has given a free rein to various Sangh Parivar outfits as the various outfits have been engaged, so to say, in a parallel administration. Whether it is conversion or cultural policing or cow slaughter it is these outfits that are on the forefront in ‘nabbing the culprits’. (Recently released report on ‘cultural policing in Dakshina Kannada’ by PUCL exposes the government failure by way of letting loose the various outfits which have brought disgrace to the State of Karnataka)

Even as we discuss about BJP rule being partisan, anti-minority and thus causing many communal disturbances, it is ironic that many leaders from other parties, especially the Congress, are joining BJP! In addition, there are two popular Kannada film actresses, Shruti and Tara, who have been campaigning for BJP! Are these actresses blind to the communal hatred unleashed by the BJP government during its rule in Karnataka or are they trying to adhere to the call given by Swamijis to promote a ‘Hindu vote bank’? 

It is a pity that religion is being pushed to the political sphere and politics is taking center stage in religious discourses. A large number of Indians have become mere spectators to this religious game that is played on the political field and political game that is being played in the religious sphere!

What will the Indian voter do this time around? Is s/he aware of the disturbing and dangerous scenario that is threatening to break the strong walls of Indian Secularism? Or will the communalists succeed in marching towards the portals of the parliament to embarrass Ambedkar, the great architect of our Constitution?

It remains to be seen how long the Indian voter would yield to the communal gimmicks so cleverly employed by the political and religious leaders.

Its a million dollar question indeed! What are the voters going to do this election? Will they cast their votes? Will they vote their caste? Or will they vote their religion?