By Justice Markandey Katju–
(Justice Markandey Katju is a former Judge, Supreme Court of India, and former Chairman of Press Council of India. The views expressed are his own)
The ongoing Indian parliamentary election is seemingly just another election, but it cannot be gainsaid that it has a profound historical significance; not just for India, but for the entire world. Let me explain.
The aim of the Indian people must be to transform their region into a mighty industrial giant, like the US or China, with citizens enjoying a high standard of living. This can be achieved only after a protracted struggle led by modern-minded leaders; like Mustafa Kemal of Turkey in the 1920s, or the leaders of Japan after the Meiji Restoration of 1868.
For the last 10 years, India is under the grip of a right-wing theocratic government led by the Hindu-oriented BJP. It has polarized Indian society on religious lines in order to obtain votes. The BJP has a clear majority in the Lok Sabha (the lower House of the Indian Parliament), with 303 out of the total 545 seats. With its alliance partners its tally goes up to a mighty 353 seats.
The Central government, using its security and intelligence agencies, could crush any struggle before it could become any threat. Therefore, no powerful people’s struggle for the emancipation of India from poverty, unemployment, hunger, lack of healthcare, etc, and for making India a modern, highly industrialized state, could arise.
The situation has now changed, and the Modi charisma has gone. Some opinion polls suggest that BJP’s seats could reduce. Others predict that though the NDA alliance may have a bare majority in the House, the BJP by itself will not. Some have indicated that the NDA alliance and the opposition I.N.D.I.A. alliance will each have up to 250 seats, with the BJP winning only 210-220 seats. In fact, some say that there is an anti-Modi wave.
The correct picture will, of course, emerge on June 4 when the results will be declared. However, there is no doubt that Modi and the BJP, even if returned to power, will be considerably weaker than before.
This may lay the groundwork for a people’s struggle led by patriotic modern minded leaders to arise in India. This struggle will be long and arduous, probably lasting 10-15 years, in which tremendous sacrifices will have to be made, before tasting success.
By itself, the current election will have no immediate impact on the lives of the people, but its significance lies in the fact the process of India’s transformation into a modern, highly-industrialized state by a mighty people’s struggle will have begun.
Once India becomes a highly industrialized giant, the global scenario will change (as Napoleon said about China).
