Daily Times

Amidst massive anti-government protests against a contentious new citizenship law Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist party BJP has lost a key state legislature election. The polls at Jharkhand were held amid protests calling for the revocation of the controversial citizenship law, which critics say is the latest effort by Modi’s government to marginalize India’s 200 million Muslims. Resultantly, BJP won only 25 of 81 state legislature seats while the Congress party and its allies won 47 seats, ending the BJP’s five-year rule in the state.

Since December 2018, the BJP has lost power in five states: Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Jharkhand. But Modi won a major victory for his party in May national elections. The BJP came to power in 2014, defeating the Congress party and was reelected in 2019 but its controversial policies have alienated the people from Modi’s Hindutva oriented rule.

The contentious anti-Muslim Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) allows Hindus, Christians and other religious minorities who are in India illegally to become citizens if they can show they were persecuted because of their religion in Muslim-majority Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan. It does not apply to Muslims.

Tens of thousands of protesters have taken to India’s streets to call for the revocation of the law.

Twenty-three people have been killed nationwide since the citizenship law was passed in Parliament earlier in December in protests that represent the first major roadblock for Modi’s Hindu nationalist agenda since his party’s landslide reelection earlier in 2019. Most of the deaths have occurred in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, where 20% of the state’s 200 million people are Muslim. The state government is controlled by Modi’s governing BJP.

State police also stopped Congress party leaders Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi from visiting Meerut, a town in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh that had seen massive clashes between police officers and protesters. They were turned back from the outskirts of Meerut, 75 kilometers (45 miles) northeast of New Delhi.

Authorities across India have taken a hardline approach to quell the protests. They’ve evoked a British colonial-era law banning public gatherings, and internet access has been blocked at times in some states. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has asked broadcasters across the country to refrain from using content that could inflame further violence. The communication shutdown has mostly affected New Delhi, the eastern state of West Bengal, the northern city of Aligarh and the entire northeastern state of Assam.

The rot that has set in, along with Modi’s failing fiscal policies appear set to see the collapse of India. Unfortunately, the band-aids that are being applied to treat the gaping wounds incurred by the blunders committed by India’s financial wizards, will fail to hold the torrent of blood

After it was routed in the 2014 general elections, the Indian National Congress has got its act together. It organized local alliances to defeat BJP. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Congress-led alliance swept the tribal belts in the South Chhotanagpur and Kolhan divisions, and the reserved segments of the Santhal Pargana division. Santhal-dominated districts in the east are a JMM stronghold, but the alliance made significant inroads in districts previously dominated by the BJP, notably the Oraon belt around outcome throw up some interesting data.

In total, the alliance has bagged 25 of the 28 reserved scheduled tribe (ST) seats, against two for the BJP and the lone ST seat won by a Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) , or JVM (P), candidate in Mandar. The JMM has won seven seats in the Santhal Pargana division, eight in the Kolhan division and four in the South Chhotanagpur division, where the Congress won four of its six ST seats.

In 2014, the BJP had won a majority of seats in the South Chhotanagpur division, dominated by the Oraons and Mundas. In 2019, it has been reduced to five seats.

Modi’s pigeons are coming home to roost. He appears hell bent upon implementing his anti-Muslim laws to alienate them. First it was Indian Occupied Kashmir then Assam and now the whole of India is engulfed in the flames of turmoil. Jharkhand loss by BJP is only the tip of the iceberg. The rot that has set in, along with Modi’s failing fiscal policies appear set to see the collapse of India. Unfortunately, the band-aids that are being applied to treat the gaping wounds incurred by the blunders committed by India’s financial wizards, will fail to hold the torrent of blood. History has not been learnt from the mistakes committed by erstwhile USSR and India appears to be doomed to meet a similar fate.

India’s apparent breakup must not be rejoiced by Pakistan. A battered sea of starving humanity comprising India’s teeming millions knocking at its doorsteps will adversely affect Pakistan too. Its feeble economy will not be able to bear the burden of the deluge of people swarming towards Pakistan for want of food.

If only Modi were to remove his hate tinted glasses and perceive the truth, he may be able to stop the decomposition that he has caused to set in through his myopic policies.

The writer is a retired Group Captain of PAF. He is a columnist, analyst and TV talk show host, who has authored six books on current affairs, including three on China