The Deadly Democracy

The Deadly Democracy
by M. A. Muqtedar Khan (USA)

India just completed its third national elections in three years. And the interim results are
not
unusual: 90 plus dead and a few hundred injured. It is amazing how election after
election,
scores of people are killed, injured or rendered homeless and there is no soul searching,
no
resolve, not even talk of ensuring that the next elections will be bloodless. This time,
much of
the violence was courtesy of Marxist "guerrillas" struggling for a peaceful and just India.
Those
not killed by Marxist revolutionary bombs were shot dead by "government security
personnel,"
commissioned to provide security and a democratic/oppression free environment for
India’s
citizens. In Kashmir, security personnel shot and killed four people who refused to go and
vote!

Such violence, besides being egregious in itself, raises serious questions about India’s
practice
of democracy. Among others things, democracy is also a peaceful means of transferring
power
from one legitimate agent to another legitimate agent of sovereign peoples. The
concomitant
violence in Indian elections at least negates this purpose of democracy. What is more
disturbing is that, "forceful intimidation," by interest groups and the state machinery, has
become a regular feature of the "democratic process." In other words, democracy and
everything else that is not democratic go hand-in-hand. Its like drinking a cocktail
composed of
venom and its antidote. The problem with this diet is that with each intake, the
effectiveness of
the antidote diminishes and the body’s tolerance for the venom increases. With each
violent
election, democracy is weakened and intolerance strengthened.

Besides the violence in the elections, there are other disturbing trends that are
outrageous. In
1992, the entire state machinery watched perhaps one of the most dastardly acts of
vandalism
in India’s history. Thousands of fanatic and frenzied followers of the Hindutva movement
razed
a Muslim mosque to the ground, claiming that it was the birth place of a God. The ungodly
act
at the birth place of the Hindu God Ram was immediately followed with a pogrom of
violence,
arson, rape and pillage that killed over 3,000 Muslims in Bombay alone. All this while the
democratic state of India watched, unwilling to protect or rescue its citizens and their
properties. To this day, none of the culprits have been brought to justice. Incidences like
these,
though in smaller magnitude, have now become routine.

The hatred, intolerance and persecution of minorities in collusion with the state has
become a
political norm. In April an Australian missionary who had spent over two decades serving
the
discarded and uncared for lepers in India was burned alive with his teenage sons as a
mob of
hundreds watched in glee, shouting glory to India and Hindutva. Once again the state has
failed
to act. Just last month a Muslim businessman was burned alive in a market place in Orissa
state, once again hundreds watched, but no justice has been done. While the enmity
between
various religious communities, even violence, is not new to India, the active collusion of
the
state, especially through inaction, is a new phenomenon. This state sponsored insecurity
of the
minorities is the gift of Hindu nationalism to India’s secular democracy.

When a clearly prejudiced political party assumes power, it sends a message to the
bureaucracies, the civil services, police and other security agencies, that the violation of
the
human rights of minorities will be overlooked, even encouraged. For example, in states
like
Rajasthan, where anti-Christian violence was once unheard of, it has now become quite
frequent since the state came under the rule of BJP, a Hindu nationalist party.

Since the rise of Hindutva all minorities are at extreme risk in India. In some cities, the
gerrymandering of constituencies is done through the use of police forces which evict
poor
members of the minority communities from their homes. In other cities, minority
businesses
are burned or looted while police remain inactive even when the perpetrators are known
and
recognized. Violence is used in elections to discourage minorities from voting. In some
places
like Kashmir violence was actually used to encourage voting.

What can remedy this gradually deteriorating scenario? Ironically a full term government
of
Hindu nationalists may actually help. For decades they were out of power and were
frustrated.
Power at any cost, even at the cost of India’s secular and democratic foundations, seems
to
have been their motto. Now that BJP has won a clear majority this time, they may give
some
thought to what is really good for India and not just their party. And hopefully they will
come
up with the answer -- genuine democracy with freedom and security for all.

In reality I do not expect the BJP to do significantly better than the Congress with regards
to
improving the material conditions of the poor masses. This may enable the Hindutva
supporters
to realize that India’s problems are not its minorities, but its culture of intolerance, over-
population, meager resources, corrupt politicians and officials, and poor work ethic. But
until
then, India’s minorities, particularly Indian Muslims, will have to nurture India’s future
with their
blood and their properties.

Dr. M. A. Muqtedar Khan
Assistant Professor of Political Science
Director International Studies Program
Adrian College, MI

Ph.D. (International Relations) May, 2000 Department of Government, Georgetown
University,
Washington D.C., U.S.A.


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