The Curious Case of Dynasties in Democracy

By – Diya Ramani

“Most democracies are dynastic; some are more dynastic than others.”

A quick glimpse of the newspapers of the past month would be enough to conclude that the island country Sri Lanka is facing one of the worst economic crises ever witnessed. And while this crisis is a result of various complex factors, it is the Rajapaksa family who is  being blamed for wreaking havoc. For the past 20 years, the Rajapaksa family has had a dominant presence in Sri Lankan politics.  Hence they certainly cannot escape the blame for running a dynastic setup. It is a classic case study to analyze the relation between political dynasties and democracy. But it isn’t the only country to witness this oxymoron; in fact, it is rare that democracies and dynasties don’t share this peculiar relationship. 

Thousands of years ago, Indian king Dhritarashtra, blinded by the affection for his son, named Duryodhana his heir instead of Yudhishthira. And now here we are – a democratic 21st century nation with modern and meritocratic ethos. Or are we? A dozen dynastic families right from Kashmir, Punjab, Bihar, and Maharashtra to Telangana  get elected “democratically” and control all the levers of power. And this takes place in the world’s largest democratic country! Dynastic succession in a democratic nation is a strange irony. Democracy entitles its citizens to choose their leaders based on their capability and achievements. Hence  the very survival of the dynasty seems unlikely. So, how does a dynastic succession last in a democratic country? Why do the people seem so accepting of it? Isn’t such a set-up detrimental to the nation? 

According to an article published by Washington University, political dynasties offer a “brand name advantage”. Be it the Gandhis or the Kennedys, the successors of the family do usually enjoy the power of the name they carry. In the same paper, it was noted that essential indicators like past experience or fundraising for campaigns don’t act as a major differentiating factor between candidates, thus emphasizing the fact that caliber is sometimes side-lined due to the “brand name” advantage.  Moreover, in an imperfect ecosystem where a common man  faces the inability to perform complex analysis of various important factors for selecting a leader –  like job creation, economy, party agenda, etc. –  citizens will retract to finding a familiar and reliable face instead. This natural instinct only gives further rise to political dynasties. 

Another reason for the existence of political dynasties is the experience, mentorship and exposure of the past generation in a political climate. When a politician succeeds, they want their successors to not only reap the benefits of their work, but also continue their legacy. This “inherited incumbency advantage” acts as a primary factor for successors to continue in this profession. And the perks provided by the State to an elected official do play the role of the perfect cherry on the cake.  Statistics from a recent research paper back this fact. According to the paper, the chances of an individual choosing the same occupation as his father is about 5 times. In politics, the odds turned out to be a humongous 110 times. But, democracy is not binary-it is a continuum. Hence, it becomes important to analyze the gradient of the existence of political dynasties all over the world. One also wonders whether a more developed society will be more vigilant towards their extant. Starting with India, although the expectation would have been that political dynasties are on the verge of extinction given that this was one of the primary reasons that the ruling party came into power, such is not the case. Research suggests that the seats occupied by dynasts were 9% more in the Lok Sabha in 2019 compared to 2014. Such examples are seen all over the world as well. The Bush family in America, Trudeaus of Canada, Bismarck’s of Germany, Archer family of Australia, and the Park dynasty of South Korea are very few examples of political families existing in democratic nations. Dynasties are more prevalent in developing countries, election systems that are “candidate-centered”   and where the process of choosing candidates within parties is delegated to local players. But, while their influence might alter over the spectrum, it is still omnipresent. This proves that the dynast-democracy relation is a prominent and ubiquitous one, although its influence varies across countries.  

Now, let’s revert to our case study of Sri Lanka. If political dynasties are indeed ubiquitous, then what went wrong in Sri Lanka? Such dynasties come with their own huge list of cons especially in a democratic set-up since they stand against the moral principles of democracy. But no nation has seen its wrath the way Sri Lanka has. Emergency has been declared in the nation with the inflation reaching 50%, the health system being on the verge of complete breakdown and the country being declared bankrupt. It all started in 2009 when Mahinda Rajapaksa was elected as President and was hailed as a hero by the majority Sinhalese for ending the nearly 30-year civil war. With time, more members of the Rajapaksa clan began to hold major political offices, with Mahinda assuming the role of the patriarch of this dynasty. While the Rajapaksas were accused of grave human rights violations, prejudice against minorities, and assaults on media, the Sinhala majority turned a blind eye to the injustices for several years. It is a classic case – when democracy within political parties is in danger and identity politics takes over other important agendas, it gives birth to a class of politicians both entitled and incompetent. And when actions of political dynasties go unchecked by the voters and are not contested adequately by a strong opposition, the incentive to work for the actual well-being and development no longer exists. This results in a catastrophe. 

Political dynasties will exist in the future as well. Although they oppose what democracy stands for, it is in human nature to promote such a compromise. However, people cannot afford to blindly have faith in a family just because of a name. The opposition also shall raise awareness when dynasties reach a point of comfort. It is indeed a tightrope to walk on, but a vigilant population is the only way to prevent this rope from snapping. 

References

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228256474_The_Dynasty_Advantage_Family_Ties_in_Congressional_Elections

Click to access sid_dynasties_draft_29jan2019.pdf

Dynastic politics: BJP feeds the monster while claiming to spear it

https://blog.finology.in/recent-updates/rise-and-fall-of-rajapaksa-family

https://scroll.in/article/829588/most-political-parties-in-india-are-dynastic-but-some-are-more-dynastic-than-others

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-61411532

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-61295238

Kejriwal – A Man Of Systems

By – Jayishnu Agarwal

The Punjab elections gave India its most successful political startup, making its supremo Arvind Kejriwal one of the most influential and powerful people in India, leaving behind its opponents, clearly becoming the only one to be at least on the same track on its march to the finish line of the 2024 elections.

Kejriwal, an ex-Italian and civil servant, is one of the most educated and learned IItians in the country. He has worked in every system that exists and aspires to change the lives of people in this country, from corporate jobs to NGOs to policymaking. Arvind had been a part of every system, but his constant drive was to change the system. From his days in Parivartan to joining India against corruption, he has blatantly rallied against every political party and ideology and has had a phenomenal role in bringing the importance of the right to information to the public light. 

Arvind’s movement against corruption brought the entire country together, from politicians to writers, actors, businessmen, and even high-profile civil servants, rallying behind him, eventually bringing the Sheila Dixit government in Delhi down. He formed his own party that represented the plight of the common people and called it the Aam Aadmi Party to fight the Delhi elections. He claimed that his party would follow a democratic process, not make individuals into cult figures, promising to be grounded and not include corrupt people in the party, the one thing against which he fought and found his name popular among people. He promised to use the Maruti Wagon, a symbol of the middle class refusing to even have security. Eventually, he even won the elections and formed a government in coalition with the Congress, vowing to pass the Jan Lokpal bill that would make government officials accountable for their work, failing which he even resigned on a record day. He was loved by people for his integrity and was again unanimously elected with a thumping majority in the coming Delhi elections.

He suffered a huge setback when his party members, namely Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav, left the party, which later only cemented his place in the party as the party supremo. He became very popular among young people. His image of a learned, secular, and welfare-oriented administrator screamed for a change in the system that the young had long awaited. He began well, with his policy affecting the lives of the poorest of the poor. He aspired to make new schools and change the existing ones, including the happiness subject, for which he was appreciated across party lines. He seemed a little different from the other politicians who cared for the people and not a career politician who had joined politics to just raise his ranks.

However, things started changing as Kejriwal’s aspirations grew. It began with the onset of the 2017 Punjab elections. Kejriwal started doing things that every ordinary politician did, cemented his position in the party, and removed the rule that limited the number of times a member could be elected president. Next, he started promising things that were neither feasible for the economy nor able to be delivered. With this, he was stuck in a web of lies from which he never came out. He openly lied about the number of jobs delivered, and the number of buses installed, and also lied about the water supply facilities for which he had sold the dream. Even his closest friends in politics left him and were on record accusing him of escalating a riot in Punjab to win an election. 

In an interview, he went so far as to question the integrity of the RTI act. His politics now seemed to be that of a football match where he was just passing the blame and moving forward, playing the victim card time and again to gain public sympathy. He went so deep into vote bank politics that his image of a secular leader now seemed like that of a tourist agent offering free religious travel to the people of his state. After gaining complete control of the police in the state of Punjab, he started using his powers to threaten his opponents in the state of Delhi, misusing the public services as a private entity to silence his critics. So much irony for a person who has made his way up to criticising every other politician that has existed in the country. His party members were found guilty of rioting while he was outright defending them. Both the big riots that happened in Delhi in the last few years had AAP leaders at the helm of affairs while the party was still defending them.

The major problem I have with him is that he seemed like a change, a strong force in the political system that would change it forever, but now he seems like every other politician that has ever existed in the country; the same old people that have rotted the public system; a person who could go to any lengths for his personal gains. His actions have not only damaged his reputation but have made sure that no politician is born of a revolt against the system because of the living testimonials that he has provided. He has also crushed the hopes of every little youngster that wanted to join politics because of the dream they were sold off, and the idea that you could change India still remains a distant dream. Nevertheless, it has cemented the one belief that stands the test of time: that in India, politics is not for the common man and that the name “Aam Aadmi Party” is the biggest irony that has ever been in the modern politics of India. 

Reforms the Government can inculcate

-by Vishakh Garg

I hope my readers are aware of what a government is, how it is elected, what are the duties and functions of a government and why it is an integral part of the nation. Conventionally, a government consists of 2 or more politically very strong unifications called parties. The parties try to diplomatically win over the support of the citizens of the nation. The side earning the maximum votes forms the union government. The new government now allocates different portfolios to varied leaders and regulates policies.
According to me, the highlighted drawback to this present system of Indian politics is the fact that many strong, educated, and logical leaders from the opposition side are at a loss which not only affects their credibility but also results in the depreciation of the post and the duties they would have undertaken. Under the pretext of Anti-Defection Law, a legislator can be disqualified under the scenario of defamation against their party also if they voluntarily decide to opt-out from the party itself. One can also be charged under the circumstances of noncompliance with the methodology or intentions of a party. Therefore, many progressive and challenging politicians are devoid of having an opinion of their own.
The stature of the particular portfolio assigned minister is questioned if he/she is competent enough to be designated or not. As citizens, we are not aware of the ministers and the post they will hold post-victory. Hence, because you call it deceptiveness or corruption, a lot of angst and disappointment is unleashed intra-borders.
An alternative outlook to this problem that I cater to is that instead of giving the power of decision to the residing government, the ministers should contest for a particular position. The candidature of the fellow candidates is out in the open for the nation to see and judge. It provides a level playing field for both the applicants to win over their mettle. Going further ado with my theory, I certainly feel that the whole concept of battling two or more parties is rigorous and lacks integrity. To become a Member of the Parliament, a minister must join either party. It does not matter whether he/she gels with the ideas of that particular party.
Another flaw that we generally overlook is that when a party fills in the government, only a few political leaders, especially those from the winning side, cuts. The other leaders, especially the worthy ones from the opposite side, are left with a per-say on any public matter. To cite an example, Shashi Tharoor, a member of the Parliament from the opposition side, is a very knowledgeable and skilled leader. Apart from his knack for writing and passion for the English language, which is often both appreciated and trolled, he is a commendable diplomat and had formerly held that portfolio. If he is given an equal opportunity as the current external affairs minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, he would prove his worth and be an efficient diplomat.
If you see the current finance minister, Mrs Nirmala Sitharam, is from an economic background, with being appointed as Assistant Economists in the Agricultural Engineers Association in the UK. Although she is highly educated and experienced in the field, some fiscal policies pressed upon by her were ineffective and baseless, which also received a massive backlash from the citizens. It was during her reign the GDP of the country went down from 6 to 5. Once in the lower house of the Parliament, Lok Sabha, she claimed to come from a background where they do not prefer Onion and garlic in their food, hinting that the rising prices do not affect her much. Coming back to the point, had a contest been held between 2 specific politicians irrespective of whether they belong to a particular party or not, she might not have been elected provided that the public knew about the regulations she would bring about.
My next debate is that one does not need to be in opposition if he/she is competing against a body or a single candidate. The current governing system does not give the opportunity, or even if it provides, there is misconduct in communication between the proposition and opposition that hampers the administration overall. Looking at the system as a whole, the motive of the opposition by default becomes to suppress the governmental policies to a large extent. The scope of the government shifted from welfare to soothing their own party member’s egos. The winning side of the elections should always welcome the ideas of the losing side with open arms. Inculcating this method, both sides will work to their full potential with no one feeling dejected or suppressed.
I hope that soon a tide of fresh and youthful minds sweeps the Parliament off their feet to fill in with a revolution of ideas. Many such young leaders already have the support to come forward to give the nation a new trajectory of thought-process it deserves by the masses.
Apart from this, I firmly feel there is a dire need for integrity and honesty in the flag bearers of the nation. Most of them lack these qualities. It is the mundane task to look into the newspaper in the morning and read about a politician caught in a scandal.
Therefore, to conclude the article in a crisp manner, I feel that an individual cannot bring the best out of them when they move in packs. When a minister represents a party, there are an innumerate amount of considerations one has to look into before taking a step. A leader, whichever rank he/she holds, of any nation or party, should always put the need of others first before themselves.

The man in white

-by Devika

It was a regular day. Just as normal as the other days. I came out of my house to meet my friends. But there was a commotion outside and people gathered around. So even I went to see what the commotion was about. It was the man in white. By the man in white I mean, the municipal chairperson. He always wears white kadhi, so I gave him that name. He came to interact with the locals. He goes to a different locality once every week. This week he came to my locality. You might think – why are the people so hyped up? Well, he is a bit different from other politicians we see these days. He made many changes in our municipality. He made our municipality the best in the entire state. He is all ears when people tell him their problems, so they were eager to meet him.

A man approached him and asked something, then he abruptly said “I want you to grab me by the collar and ask me – why aren’t you doing any development to my locality?” I wondered – what is wrong with him? Why is he saying such unusual things? Then the man in white continued, “But you have lost the right to ask me such things because you have sold your vote to me.” I was curious to know what his reply would be. Unsurprisingly, the man agreed that he sold his vote and added that he even took money from the other party. It got me thinking – what did he mean by ‘that statement?’ It was him who bought the votes by distributing money during the election campaign! Why is he making such statements now?

After racking my brain, I understood what he tried to convey by saying so. We do lose our right to ask or question our representatives when we sell our vote instead of casting our vote to those who are best qualified to govern us. Candidates who purchase votes consequently overturn the scale of evaluation – their purchasing power masks their inadequacies. He criticized that man for selling his vote. He wanted us to cast our vote genuinely without selling it or taking freebies from any political party even if we are in dire need of it. He wanted us to realize that our vote is not for sale, but it is there for us to select the best-qualified person to represent us and our interests.

Boycott this, Boycott that: A Suitable (Indian) Boy

Greeting ladies and gentlemen. In today’s episode of Content, Censoring, and Controversies (CCC), we bring to you a book that has seemed to stir conversation around interfaith marriages, 27 years after its release—A Suitable Boy. More than the book, to be honest, it was the mini web series (of the same name) that found itself in the middle of a political broil, roping in the director Mira Nair and certain other executives from Netflix who had produced the show (in India).

The UK mini web-series (which was first broadcasted on BBC) found itself at the receiving ende of demands for an apology by Hindu nationalists of the BJP as they complained about a scene in the series where a young Hindu girl kisses a young Muslim boy in the premises of a Hindu temple.

While several leaders from the party pointed out the explicit act of kissing (which for some reason is regarded as a very gora thing to do in one of the most highly populated countries in the world) in a ground as sacred as the temple, others commented that it encouraged the entire concept, so to say, of “Love Jihad”—an Islamophobic propaganda-pushing strategy put forward by several right-wingers—wherein young and innocent Hindu girls are lured into marriage by the charm and handsomeness of Muslim men, and are then forcefully converted into Islam. An article by The Print even went on to describe “Love Jihad” as follows:

‘Love jihad’ is slowly and steadily turning into the carrot that is leading the donkey towards the formation of a state where politics and religion merge, and the Hindu Rashtra will finally become a reality.

The series starring actors like Tanya Maiktala, Ishan Khatter, Tabu, and Rasika Duggal in pivotal roles was accused of tainting the image and sanctity of the temple. The claim, however, was rubbished when officials pointed out that no part of the kissing scene was actually shot in the premise of a temple. Nevertheless, the scene did seem to provoke anti-Hindu sentiments, according to some officials of the BJP. Narottam Mishra, a member of the B.J.P, and Home Minister in Madhya Pradesh state, had shown displeasure at the kissing scene between the protagonists and had further commented that a case had been filed accordingly.

“To me there is nothing suitable in that. In our temple, if you are filming a kissing scene, Rama music is on in the background, I do not consider it good,” Mr. Mishra said at a news conference on Monday, referring to Hindu devotional music. “For that there are other places.”

However, for what remains something really ironic, the Hindus—at least until before the 13th century—regarded topics related to love, sex, etc. as something really essential and spoke about it in a very liberating manner, and students were extensively taught about it as well. The free conversation about the art behind such “unsuitable” acts can be seen on the walls of famous temples like the Khajuraho Temples in Madhya Pradesh, Sun Temple in Orissa, and Markandeshwar Temple in Maharashtra, among many others, which sculpts all sorts of sexual depictions between all kinds of genders. While there are many theories out there which explain how and why many ancient temples are carved with statues depicting sexual positions that most of India would still feel a little too conserved to strike a conversation about, one theory particularly suggests that the art of lovemaking, in general, was considered a good omen, when performed in the sacred halls of a temple.

The entire debate seems to be ticked on at a time, when the government in four BJP led-states seem to have proposed laws and actions against those who encourage unlawful religious conversion just to stay and get married. The displeasure towards such communions was showcased in a previous episode of our production that covered how a Tanishq store in Gujarat was brought down after the company advertised its product on the theme of blissful interfaith relations.

While most experts suggest that there are very grim chances of Netflix landing in any legal trouble—though if held guilty (chanceless) executives could land in jail for a period of 3 years—the entire debate has at least shone some light on how the freedom to choose a partner might be at risk, and how the dynamics of conversations about various topics have changed in all these years.

Oh, and by the way, for those who haven’t seen A Suitable Boy yet, Netflix will be available for free between the 5^th and 6^th of December.

Just saying.

How much pollution is caused by Diwali?

We’ve all heard in the news, or seen some of our political leaders and celebrities speak about how it is not okay to burn crackers during Diwali. Their simple argument being that it causes massive air pollution which is detrimental to the health of all citizens. Since I come from North India, I will be talking about Diwali’s impact on pollution levels of Delhi as well as the surrounding regions of the NCR, because these are the major places where Diwali is celebrated by burning firecrackers extensively.

First of all, it is important to look at all sources of air pollution. The major cause of pollution in the North during the onset of winters is the burning of rice field stubble by farmers to prepare for the next sowing season in Punjab and Haryana, where agriculture is the most popular industry. What further contributes to pollution is the fact that a dip in wind speed and temperature during the winters makes the air denser. This leads to air trapping more pollutants and consequently increasing pollution levels. Academic studies have proven beyond doubt that the most common cause of pollution is the exhaust emissions from vehicles as well as industrial activities that take place in and around Delhi.

It is an undeniable fact that burning firecrackers causes pollution. In fact, in Hinduism, every element of nature has divinity attached to it which in itself warrants the complete abandonment of firecrackers. Moreover, Diwali is a festival of lights (diyas, candles, and electric lights) and not crackers. But the tradition of burning crackers on Diwali goes back to more than 200 years. Asking the current generation to stop being a part of this century-old living history is unfair, at best. Concerns regarding the surge in air pollution have been cropping up since the 70s, but only in the last decade or so have we started blaming Diwali for it. How long does the pollution caused by Diwali last? Two days, maybe. The point of this article is not to promote crackers, but to bust certain myths surrounding the festival. The notion that Diwali alone is the major reason behind pollution is false. 

There is no indication that non-Diwali celebrating places are any less polluted. Diwali was celebrated this year on 14th November. However, pollution levels reached a record high on 9th, 10th, and 11th November. Talking about major NCR cities, Delhi witnessed an AQI of 620 on the 10th whereas the next morning after Diwali, it was 439. Noida’s AQI reached 708 on the 10th whereas it was 340 after Diwali. Gurgaon saw an AQI of 511 on the 11th, but after Diwali, it was 296. Similarly, Faridabad and Ghaziabad saw AQIs of 762 and 706 on the 9th and the 11th respectively. After Diwali, it was 310 and 469 respectively. Since no firecracker celebrations begin up until a day before Diwali at least, these high pollution levels in the NCR had nothing to do with Diwali. I, for one, stopped burning crackers a long time ago. But asking young children to not burn even smaller crackers and rob them of the joy it gives, is not justified. 

Lastly, like any other activity that takes place in our country, politics comes into play even here. With the elections in Punjab due in early 2022, farmers are a powerful lobby. Jeapordising their vote bank by taking punitive action against the burning of paddy stubble would not be a wise move, politically speaking. 

Industrial plants along Ganga contaminate not just the environment but the river too. The Ganga Action Plan, started in 1986, was a failure and was withdrawn in 2000. A parliamentary committee report in 2017 said that in total, Rs 2.2 lakh crore had been spent over the course of 32 years on cleaning up the river, which takes in more than 2,000 million litres of waste every day. This waste is discharged by industrial plants all around the city. Against these giants, the harm done by Diwali is nothing but a drop in the ocean.

REFERENCES:

https://air-quality.com/place/india/delhi/a32ed7fc?lang=en&standard=aqi_us

https://air-quality.com/place/india/noida/5cd80264?lang=en&standard=aqi_us

https://air-quality.com/place/india/gurugram/d2853e61?lang=en&standard=aqi_us

https://air-quality.com/place/india/faridabad/d8501662?lang=en&standard=aqi_us

https://air-quality.com/place/india/ghaziabad/ca04d2bd?lang=en&standard=aqi_us

THIS IS MY HOUSE. WAIT WHAT?

“I locked my wife in the toilet, and I do not regret it,” says Mr. Naresh, Rati’s husband. An anonymous tip was sent to our NGO via call that a woman is locked up in a bathroom without proper food and water. We thought this is not possible, and how could someone be so ruthless? And Naresh’s family is one of the most respected families in Rishipur, but still, we went to check if the anonymous tip was real or not. But we didn’t know that we would see something so devastating that we wouldn’t sleep for the next two weeks. As we reached the house and told them why we’re here, they tried to push us out of the place. Still, with the police’s help, we entered the house, and throughout the search, her mother-in-law screamed not to let us go to the terrace. When we went to the bathroom on the terrace, we saw a woman in a bathroom confined to a corner with fungi all over her hair and surrounded by her excreta. She started screaming because she didn’t see a ray of light for more than a year. When we pulled her out, she weighed no more than her skeleton, and she wasn’t even able to walk. The bathroom size was so small that the most a person could do in there was stand. 

We washed her hair and then gave her food. The NGO’s volunteers said that she ate eight rotis. We got to know that she was locked inside the bathroom a month after her third delivery. When we asked the family why did they do this, they replied with

“She used to be a very active person. She used to do all the jobs in our house and always be a happy person. Within a few weeks after her delivery, she started to behave differently. She used to cry for no reason and was always sad and nervous and a little paranoid. She would sit with her child and would not let anyone even come near her. She soon started screaming at us. Soon our neighbors began asking about her and why she was so sad and quiet. We thought she is mentally unstable, and we didn’t want anyone to know.  It would tarnish our reputation. We decided to lock her up in the bathroom, and we don’t know what exactly is the mistake. The kids used to cry for her, but we said that she is in her parents’ place.” When we asked if they knew what postpartum depression is, everyone was blank; and when we explained what it is, none agreed. Everyone believed that childbirth brings nothing but happiness to a mother. It is saddening that words like feminism, mental health, depression are just words for more than 65.53 percent of our population, i.e., the rural population. 

When we asked her if she would like to take her kids to her parents’ place, she said no. She further added, “This is my house; where else will I go.” 

The Bihar Elections

Abraham Lincoln had once said, “The ballot is more powerful than the bullet.” And the ballot’s power in the USA was witnessed and celebrated by people all around the globe. In India, we were so busy rejoicing at the victory of Biden that our country’s political happenings were under the radar. The happenings being the elections of Bihar, a state where the bullet precisely has an upper hand to the ballot.

Bihar held elections for the seventeenth Legislative Assembly, from 28th October, 2020 to 7th November, 2020. The current assembly’s tenure is scheduled to end on 29th November 2020. In the previous election, the alliance ‘Mahagathbandhan’, consisting of RJD, JD(U), and INC won against its main opponent, National Democratic Alliance led by BJP. But, in 2017, Nitish Kumar left the MGB and joined the NDA.

There were 60 contesting parties, 3 of them being major  – Rashtriya Janata Dal represented by Tejashwi Yadav, Bharatiya Janata Party represented by Sushil Kumar Modi, and Janata Dal (United) represented by Nitish Kumar.

Before delving into the timeline of the elections, let’s look into the issues which made Bihar Elections a nail-biting topic for the past couple of days.

The major issue was the growing anger due to the decline in jobs and the economy during the pandemic. Bihar has been an economically backward state for a long time and often people from the state migrate to other states in search of jobs. Owing to the pandemic,  many migrant workers had to return to Bihar, which caused them to lose their jobs. Many of these workers blamed the existing government for this loss in jobs, which led to public disapproval towards the incumbent CM, Nitish Kumar. Furthermore, the death of former union cabinet minister, Ram Vilas Paswan, was expected to affect the polling too. Also, as Chirag Paswan, son of Ram Vilas Paswan, supports the BJP but not JD(U), he takes jibes at Nitish Kumar quite often. And even the BJP has refrained from saying anything bad about him, which has led to a certain impression of the CM among the people. 

The entirety of the elections lasted for 3 phases and a total of  243 seats.  The first phase was held on 28th October 2020 and was for 71 seats. A total of 1,066 candidates, including 952 male and 114 female, were contested in the first phase of elections from different constituencies. The maximum number of candidates contesting from one constituency in the first phase was at Gaya city, with 27 candidates, and the minimum at Katoria with 5 candidates in Banka District. In the constituencies voting in the first phase of elections, approximately 2.15 crore registered voters were eligible to exercise their vote, out of which around 1.12 crore were male, 1.01 crore were female and 599 were of a third gender. The recorded voter turnout was 55.68%. Participation in the first phase was appreciable but the elections did not have a smooth start. On 27 October, the first day of elections, three improvised explosive devices were recovered and diffused in Imamganj district. Furthermore, on 28 October, 2 more IEDs were recovered from Dhibra.

This was followed by the second phase, held on 3rd November 2020, for 94 seats. The elections were contested by 1463 candidates, out of which 1315 candidates were male, 147 were female and 1 was from the transgender community. Even the second phase saw good voter participation as the turnout was 55.7%.

In the third and final phase of the elections, which was held for 78 seats, on 7th November, 1094 male candidates and 110 female candidates contested. The participation was the highest as the Voting turnout was recorded to be 59.94%.

Now, while the ballot showed its power, how could the bullet have taken a backseat. Just hours before the counting began, the husband of BJP Mahila Morcha’s city president was shot dead in Ara. Also, a civil court judge, Pritam Narayan Singh was shot and seriously injured, by the same lot of criminals. Fortunately, the two accused were arrested within hours by the Bihar Police.

The counting ended with the result being Nitish Kumar continuing his designation as the CM while Sushil Kumar Modi replaced Tejashwi Yadav as deputy CM. 

Bigotry of the Majority

“Mazhab nahi sikhata, aapas mei bair rakhna”

-Mohammad Iqbal

Let me take the pleasure today of introducing you to the concept of Bigotry of the Week. It’s an easy process- you check your Twitter handle, find the trending topic ( it takes around 1200 tweets from 800 people to trend a tweet), register your dismay on the topic on all your social media platforms and boom! You’re done. You may kindly wait for the next Bigotry of the Week which will come….did you hear the banging at the door?

While the notion of interfaith marriages seems noble and the idea of an ad extolling it horrifies many, we have anklets turning into broken ankles and necklaces turning into strangled necks as a result in most such cases. 

The Tanishq ad should ordinarily warm the cockles of the heart because who doesn’t want to live in a world exempted from radical faiths and where religious supremacy doesn’t tarnish the happiness of marital bliss. So yes, essentially, a liberal heart would always argue that there is nothing wrong with the ad. It has every right to exercise its creative freedom and employ any marketing strategy that it wishes to. It portrayed nothing fraudulent but a voluntary union between an inter-faith nuptial and the in-laws. 

But according to the scrutiny of social media, the advertisement was a method of creative or soft terrorism. The withdrawal of this ad was the only resort for Tanishq. But to be honest, the only real disappointment that this bigotry caused is that it has decelerated the ‘Ekatvam’ campaign which tied up with 1,000 craftsmen across 15 cultures of India to launch a collection for the brand. 

So what is wrong with it?

Indian society has some extremely adamant levels of endogamy when it comes to inter-faith or inter-caste marriages. This narrative of acceptance of cultures does not fit into the mainstream chronicle of irreconcilable differences and perpetual suspicions of motives of someone from a different community, especially Muslims. Although it is a sign of national unity, the idea of “love jihad” has been well-argued for the involvement of criminal elements. 

“Love jihad” is the theory of possible demographic warfare by the means of interfaith marriages between Muslim men and Hindu women. Let’s delve into the reasoning of this theory and debunk the role it plays in this case along with some facts. 

1. Powerful Intersection of Patriarchy and Communalism 

The marriage of Hindu women into another community is considered a calamity and so is the case of Muslim women. It also evokes the deep-seated anxiety of a steady taking over of Hindu women and toppling the majority community through love and marriage. By this warped perception of taking control of a community’s women, one can conclude that a woman has no real choice but to remain shackled by the chains of “community honour”. So, a Hindu woman marrying a Muslim man is a religious victory that asserts Muslim dominance and vice-versa. This inherent sexism generally goes unnoticed.

      2. A woman is reduced to her vagina.

According to this Love Jihad conspiracy theory, a Hindu woman is stereotypically docile and a Muslim man dangerous which gives rise to need of “vigilantism” to “protect” Hindu women from converting to Islam and bear more and more babies so as to propagate Islam.

Surprisingly, countering the dominant perception of the high Muslim fertility and perceived non-acceptance of a small family norm in Muslim families, the Census of 2011 took on to several parameters and recorded the difference in Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of Muslim women as 2.3 and 2.1 for Hindu women.

So, the epithet of “love jihad” is a bit loosely conceptualized. A woman’s acceptance in inter-religion marriages happens only when she carries the family’s heir? What is she? A set of ovaries or a vagina?

       3. Conversion to Islam and Inheritance of Property

According to the SC ruling, the marriage of a Muslim man with an idolater or fire worshipper is irregular where the wife is entitled to get dower (Mehr) but is not entitled to inherit the property of the husband, though, the child born out of such marriages is entitled to inherit the property of the father. So, women usually find themselves in a dilemma and are forced to convert to Islam for financial security, at least in the lower middle classes and poor sects. The law is flawed and unjust on the part of women.

So What happens in real life?

The sad reality of such unions is that it is successful only in the middle class or the well-off upper-middle-class. You will come across a Rahul being murdered for having an affair with a Muslim girl daily, whereas the marriage of Sunil Dutt and Nargis will never bother you.

Mewat, in Haryana, was specifically known for the mingled Hindu-Muslim cultures where Muslims followed Hindu rituals, were gau-rakshaks and had Hindu names. An investigation report by a 4-member team headed by former Justice Pawan Kumar recently asserted that Mewat is gradually turning into a graveyard for Hindus and Dalits. The report confirmed the abduction and rape of Hindu women, the brutal killing of Hindus and thrashing of Dalit residents with impunity and forced religious conversions. Many activists have even called it- “mini-Pakistan”. Not to forget, this is the place where the radicalized Tablighi Jamaat originated. 

This is what happens in real life.

What now?

Manipulation of truth and facts to propagate a false narrative as the more popular truth is a trademark of the Indian politics of our times. India’s “cancel culture” (same as putting boycott Chinese phones messages through Chinese phones) led to an ad with a beautiful message being withdrawn but the polarisation and the burden of secularism being levied on Hindu majority is a question that remains unanswered. The bigotry needs some serious debate. 

References:

These nine incidents since 2017 of rapes, abductions and forced conversions of Hindus characterises Haryana’s Mewat as “Mini-Pakistan”

https://scroll.in/article/975812/tanishq-fracas-offers-clarity-on-hindutva-definition-of-love-jihad-any-inter-faith-marriage

https://www.republicworld.com/business-news/india-business/tanishq-ad-created-a-movement-many-buying-products-to-make-point-a.html

How the Tanishq Advertisement Controversy Shows That We Live in Post-Truth Times

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/Undertheinfluence/moral-of-the-tanishq-ad-row-all-that-glitters-is-just-a-distraction/

Placebo and Politics

I am Upasana, a psychologist turned journalist. Before I start with what I want to say, let me explain where I come from. Every individual in my family is a government servant. Through my school, I learned psychology, pursued it in college, and became a psychotherapist in a private hospital. But after working in this field for 5 years, I decided to be a journalist in TOI, where I got a chance to put my college education to maximum use. All of us hear about journalists, politicians, actors who have been accused of spreading fake news and propaganda. I am not defending them, but let me tell you how this works in politics since I have had more interactions with politicians. It’s called the Placebo Effect. For the people who don’t know what that is, A placebo is a fake or sham treatment designed explicitly without any active element. A placebo can be given in the form of a pill, injection, or even surgery. Placebo is usually given to convince patients to think they are getting the real treatment. For example, let’s take a sample of a case that shook the nation, Sushant Singh Rajput and the Mystery around his death.

Well, do you know that the word mystery is going to be the foundation for this effect! These words act like firewood on which we are actually going to light the bonfire of misinformation and bias. As the initial report suggests, he had severe mental health issues, on which we are not going to pass any comment as that could be true. But when the case gained diminishes, and we started to come to terms with the death and started celebrating the artist’s work, the seed for propaganda was sown. A lawsuit was filed in Bihar, saying that SSR was murdered and can’t commit suicide. Now the word ‘can’t’ comes into play. These are the small firewoods that we fail to see while arranging the firewoods and even after lighting it, but this little firewood can keep the fire last longer than it’s supposed to. After setting all these woods, we light the fire by finding the perfect story. And is there a better story than a murder mystery? The fire blew up so high to the public’s hearts. Seeing this colossal bonfire from a distance comes our beloved Journalists, for a story with the right spice and perfect to be sold for a hefty amount. Little did we know that this fire was not of justice but was of agenda, sympathy votes, and greed. Now all of you are convinced that something good will come out of this and the hashtags trend. Now, this is the onset of placebo where belief overthrows facts. Now that more of these facts are brought back to light by many organizations, they act like the wind that puts  out the fire. As the fire is put off, the ashes are visible. Now there would definitely be some woods that aren’t appropriately burnt, currently taking up the spotlight. Now that’s how the placebo vanishes and reality seeps in. Thank you TEDx for this wonderful opportunity, and thank you so much for listening to me.