The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) faced a setback in the 2024 parliamentary elections, losing its absolute majority with seats dropping from 303 to 240. Despite predictions of decline, the BJP demonstrated resilience by sweeping subsequent state elections in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Delhi, regaining power after 27 years in the latter. This resurgence is attributed to the BJP’s Hindutva ideology, appealing to India’s 80% Hindu population, while opposition parties struggle to offer a compelling alternative, often perceived as chasing Muslim votes. As long as India’s democratic framework persists, the BJP’s electoral dominance seems likely to continue.
Tag: democracy
Two trains travelling in opposite directions
The other is the train of ground realities–polarisation of Indian society by our crooked and selfish politicians on caste and communal lines, atrocities on minorities, and inciting hatred between communities to secure vote banks for elections, all of which will ensure that India remains poor, backward, and divided.
Justice Markandey Katju on the Illusion of Indian Democracy: Applying Hegel’s Rationality to Current Governance
In his critique, Justice Katju applies Hegel’s dictum “The real is the rational and the rational is the real” to contemporary India, arguing that the current political and constitutional framework has become irrational and, hence, unreal. He points out the failure of democracy, freedom, and judicial independence, suggesting that these have been undermined by caste politics, communalism, and corruption. Katju posits that this system, like the pre-Revolutionary French feudalism, is due for an overhaul. He envisions a future where rapid industrialization and rising living standards would constitute a rational, and thus real, social order.
Justice Katju’s Critique: The Judiciary, Chandrachud, and the Places of Worship Act in Crisis”
The recent controversies surrounding mosque and dargah surveys in India have sparked sharp criticism from Justice Katju, who alleges judicial dishonesty and complicity with the BJP in undermining the Places of Worship Act, 1991. He specifically condemns former CJI Chandrachud’s perceived sleight of hand in allowing such surveys, warning of the socio-political damage these actions may cause. Highlighting the Jama Masjid case in Sambhal, Justice Katju decries the judiciary’s failure to uphold secular principles. He criticizes the Supreme Court’s reluctance to dismiss these cases outright, attributing it to political pressures, and warns of escalating tensions threatening India’s secular fabric.
The Sabarmati Report Declared Tax-Free in Rajasthan after Madhya Pradesh
The government of Rajashtan has declared Vikrant Massey starrer Sabarmati Report, tax-free just like their neighboring state, Madhya Pradesh. The controversial issues on corruption and whistleblowing are narrated by the movie through the journey of an investigative journalist. Conferring to reports, Massey’s power performance combined with realistic narrative has received great acclaim from critics and the audiences alike. Tax-free status also will make the socially relevant film accessible to a much wider audience for discussions on ethics, accountability, and democracy. Sabarmati Report stands out as a cinematic tribute to those who risk everything to expose the truth.