Shafeeq R. Mahajir
Science. Requires observation, experimentation; experience leading to conclusion.Politics. Activities involved in (what ought to be) governance.The Science of Politics. Observing elected representatives, testing their performance, deciding whether to continue with or change them.The Art of Politics. Perpetuate oneself in power, and to hell with those who elected one.Quote : “The illegal we do as a matter of course.
The unconstitutional takes a little more time.”Taking oath on the Constitution, then doing your best to dismantle it, does take time! Therefore the rush. Tomorrow, the game may be up. Tomorrow, people may sweep away the dust, straw and feathers. Therefore, block the truth. How? Elementary, my dear Watson! Create diversions.
Volte face! Change positions, regardless of whatever one may have said, 2013 to 2019.2013 PM-hopeful Modi speaks against NRC, asking whether people want Bangladeshi GHUSBAITTHIs to acquire citizenship and one day become ministers, even PM! “Mujhe aap ka jawaab chaahiye, HAAN ya NAA”, he thunders.
Come 2019, Amit Shah announces the government is committed to give citizenship to every Hindu… from Bangladesh! Saw verbal sleight-of-hand in re the “tukde-tukde” gang ? Now, extrapolate.Lies: statements that are not true, spoken to mislead, to deceive. Contract Act: fraud includes “any act fitted to deceive”. Leaders do not deceive, or mislead. Or, ought not to.
To deceive is to commit fraud. Parliament makes laws against fraudsters. Fraudsters, therefore, do not belong in public life, or in Parliament. They belong elsewhere.
Or do they?Shift focus to 05-07-2013: Supreme Court in Balaji vs. Tamil Nadu (2013) 9 SCC 659, CA 5130/2013 out of SLP C) 21455/2008 relies on what Lord Denning observed (Bromley London Borough Council vs. Greater London Council 1982(1)All.ELR129) : “…manifesto issued by political party in order to get votes is not to be taken as gospel. It often contains promises or proposals …unworkable or impossible of attainment,” a shattering observation followed by High Court (Queen’s Bench Division Administrative Court in R (Island Farm Development Ltd.) vs Bridgend County Borough Council [2006]EWHC2189(Admin) and decides :
“…this Court has limited power to issue directions to the legislature to legislate …However, Election Commission, to ensure level playing field …in elections …to see purity of election process is not vitiated… Article 324 of the Constitution.. but EC cannot issue such orders as subject matter covered by legislative measure.
We hereby direct EC to frame guidelines for the same in consultation with all recognized political parties …be included in Model Code of Conduct for Guidance of Political Parties & Candidates… election manifesto is directly associated with the election process.
We hereby direct EC to take up this task as early as possible owing to its utmost importance. We also record need for separate legislation by the legislature in this regard for governing the political parties.”That was 2013.
We had elections in 2014. SC said it cannot direct making of legislation. EC did not frame guidelines SC had directed it to. Politicians were given licence to lie, lie they did, and rode to power on lies.Recall. 1920s, Hindus and Muslims together were arrayed against the Brits. Together, as one.
What was the slogan? Jai Hind. Again? Bharat chhoddo. Hind. Bharat. When Hindus and Muslims worked together, that was when the seeds of exclusion were sown by one radicalised group: a Central Hindu Military Education Society was thought up. Not Hindustani. Not Indian.
Not Bhartiya. Not Rashtriya. Hindu. The die was cast by them, the radicalised ones, creating an us and a them. Non-radicalised citizens (Hindus-Muslims, Sikhs-Christians, Jains-Parsis, Buddhists-atheists, all, still carry the load, JNU, AMU, Shaheen Bagh or any gallee or koocha. A Military School, run by the same group, graduated to an Academy.
These institutions “groom” students for NDA and IMA, to make Indian soldiers. Indian. Not Hindu. Their commandant (coincidence?) sported headgear carrying the Swastika. Candidates were doubtless indoctrinated and (to draw on Rawat’s terminology) indoctrinated people are “radicalised”. Radicalised individuals getting into armed forces, impacts secular orientation of such forces.
Over time, of these individuals, some reach high positions. They leave their imprimatur on organisations, shaping policies and inevitably, a tipping point is reached.Diversifying via education, radicalised groups have branches, tentacles growing in other directions… Via political networks in covert progress, canards are spread, historical events given specific slants, history books distorted, names of heroes of one community erased, their contribution to freedom and nation-building obliterated, names of roads and cities changed… hataao, chhupaaao, mitaao !Radicalised allegations start… family links with relations in Pakistan become “extra-territorial loyalties”, sparking accusations: “anti-national”… fabricated false cases follow… bogus “sedition, waging war” charges ensure denial of bails…long horrific incarcerations… systemic judicial failures …systematic demonisation… vigilantes allowed free runs by the State… lynchings… victims figuring in FIRs, perpetrators roaming free…CAA. NRC. Camouflaged NRC-CAA, pseudonym NPR.
An ominous advert from banks: thou shalt state thy religion! Citizens, worried at religion-specific exclusions, protest, only to learn about detention centres. Citizens then rise up against that, to be met by a Chief of Defence Services announcement. CDS considers anti-CAA protesters bad chaps, disturbance creators, obstacles to something (never mind what thing).
R 21 Army Rules ? Arre bewaqoof, jab Constitution se khelthe hain toh yeh rule kyaa hai re?!Then CDS announces: de-radicalisation camps being run to de-radicalise “radicalised” youngsters. And yes, he added (justification was needed, apparently) that even Pakistan has de-radicalisation camps!
Does Pakistan constitute example we follow to formulate policies?!)Radical: person who advocates thorough or complete political or social reform.In high places, what is not said is as important as what is. So we proceed to learn who is “radicalised” among students, leaders, politicians, ministers, police officials… all categories.
CDS is right on target. Bulls-eye. We do need camps to de-radicalise people.Listen carefully: CDS said “de-radicalisation camps to de-radicalise” youngsters, even children, but did not say who they were.How do we learn? Science. Requires observation, experimentation; experience leading to conclusion.
Which radicalised type lynches? Which radicalised type frames minorities in false cases? Which radicalised type concocts attacks on army columns? Which radicalised type wields sledge-hammers and sticks? Which radicalised type demands death to minorities, threatens to rid India of minorities, demands all who want to live in India to follow one majoritarian culture, screams Pakistan or Kabristan?
Which radicalised type forces attack victims to chant certain slogans? Which type radicalises students in Vidya Bhavans? Which radicalised officers have been arrested for fake encounters? Which radicalised type of politician denigrates the Constitution, flouts rule of law? Which radicalised type has been blown up making bombs? Which radicalised type celebrates perpetrators of murder and mayhem with garlands and processions? Which radicalised type threatens Muslims from public platforms?
Which radicalised type denigrates Ambedkar and Gandhi, and eulogises Godse? Which radicalised type removes hijab-wearing girls from convocations, stops qawwalis from programmes? Which radicalised type refers to people upholding Constitutional values as tukde-tukde gang…Which radicalised type seeks to appoint as Governors only people with certain views, and is the primary cause of today’s industrial slowdowns, job losses, unemployment levels, fast falling GDP, loss of India’s image internationally…?
We don’t want our nation on a backward march. CDS sees need for de-radicalisation camps. Good idea. Question is, for whom ?! Judges, the readers.
Shafeeq R. Mahajir is a well-known lawyer based in Hyderabad