Has Bihar voted against polarisation?
Reporters Name | CAMIL PARKHE | Wednesday, 18 November 2015 AT 09:10 AM IST
Sakal Times Pune
http://www.sakaaltimes.com/NewsDetails.aspx?NewsId=5393045696791129537&SectionId=4861338933482912746&SectionName=Blog&NewsTitle=Has%20Bihar%20voted%20against%20polarisation
One of the highlights of the recent Bihar assembly poll is that the voters have completely rejected attempts of polarisation on communal grounds. The number of Muslim MLAs has risen from 19 of the previous house to 24 but a party which wants to identify itself as one with minority community politics has been rejected by the people. What is most striking is that of these 22 belong to the JDU, Lalu Prasad Yadav’s RJD and the Congress while the BJP has only one Muslim MLA. The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) led by Asaduddin Owaisi which had fielded its candidates in the Muslim dominant region has failed to make its debut in the Bihar assembly. The AIMIM was hoping to win some seats in the Bihar assembly which would have served as an entry point to the Hindi belt.
Almost all parties in the poll fray had played the caste cards to woo the voters but the Nitish Kumar-led Grand Alliance has outsmarted the rivals. Some parties, in addition, had also tried various games to bring in communal polarisation to improve its seats tally.
Bringing in the Pakistan factor and pulling in the cow in the election arena were expected to divide the electorates on communal grounds and thus ensure the BJP victory in many constituencies. If the AIMIM were to be prominent player in the polls, the BJP would have been a beneficiary of this outcome. Both Hindu and Muslim voters refused to bite the bait and instead preferred to vote for centrist parties like JD (U), LJP and Congress.
In the recent few years, the AIMIM has been harping that all parties like the Congress, Samajwadi Party, JD (U) or RJD are taking this community for a ride and that only a Muslim party would safeguard the interests of the Muslims. This campaign had succeeded in Maharashtra with AIMIM winning two seats in Maharashtra assembly and securing sizeable votes in some other constituencies. Then why did this party failed to make inroads in Muslim dominant region of Bihar?
Obviously, the Muslim voters in Bihar did not feel the need of supporting a party with a certain communal identity or certain leaders to protect their interests and felt secure supporting JD (U), RJD and Congress. The majority Hindu voters, too, rejected BJP’s attempts to divide the electorates on communal lines to win the poll and instead voted in favour of the Nitish Kumar-led Grand Alliance which had put up the agenda of development and good governance.
India’s secular credentials were best proved when Manmohan Singh, a member of a minuscule minority Sikh community, was elected Prime Minister in 2004 and five years later his government was voted back to power for a second term. The victory of certain parties in Bihar polls would have boosted the growth of this party and would have sent an ominous signal. By refusing to be carried away by vicious communal propaganda, both Hindu and Muslim voters in Bihar have proved their political maturity.
Almost all parties in the poll fray had played the caste cards to woo the voters but the Nitish Kumar-led Grand Alliance has outsmarted the rivals. Some parties, in addition, had also tried various games to bring in communal polarisation to improve its seats tally.
Bringing in the Pakistan factor and pulling in the cow in the election arena were expected to divide the electorates on communal grounds and thus ensure the BJP victory in many constituencies. If the AIMIM were to be prominent player in the polls, the BJP would have been a beneficiary of this outcome. Both Hindu and Muslim voters refused to bite the bait and instead preferred to vote for centrist parties like JD (U), LJP and Congress.
In the recent few years, the AIMIM has been harping that all parties like the Congress, Samajwadi Party, JD (U) or RJD are taking this community for a ride and that only a Muslim party would safeguard the interests of the Muslims. This campaign had succeeded in Maharashtra with AIMIM winning two seats in Maharashtra assembly and securing sizeable votes in some other constituencies. Then why did this party failed to make inroads in Muslim dominant region of Bihar?
Obviously, the Muslim voters in Bihar did not feel the need of supporting a party with a certain communal identity or certain leaders to protect their interests and felt secure supporting JD (U), RJD and Congress. The majority Hindu voters, too, rejected BJP’s attempts to divide the electorates on communal lines to win the poll and instead voted in favour of the Nitish Kumar-led Grand Alliance which had put up the agenda of development and good governance.
India’s secular credentials were best proved when Manmohan Singh, a member of a minuscule minority Sikh community, was elected Prime Minister in 2004 and five years later his government was voted back to power for a second term. The victory of certain parties in Bihar polls would have boosted the growth of this party and would have sent an ominous signal. By refusing to be carried away by vicious communal propaganda, both Hindu and Muslim voters in Bihar have proved their political maturity.
Comments
Fr. Anil Chakranarayan, SJ - Saturday, 21 November 2015 AT 02:51 PM IST
U r right. Njoyed the article. Secular India wud continue ruling Indians despite caste, creed, language, Ilks, fraternity, Wings, Outfits, Fringes, u name it. *Muslim ministers in BJP didn't raise an alarm@the riot, massacre in Muzafarnagar, later Dadri killing, other attacks, inflammatory mouthings against Muslims. Muslims mite'v thot that their own brother-ministers in BJP, joyously sang the same fascist song that BJP & their ilks sing. 'Two legs good 4 legs bad". Thus Muslim too'v realized that 'Known devils are better than unknown angels'. *Latin adage:'Homo homini lupus'.What happens in Syria, in Ireland, corruption is done by a religious minority against their own majority poor. It’s happening all the time in the world. So called 'our own'(same religion, caste) can persecute us. Why elect them? *Humans r’nt fools. But Politicians like to think so. They don't learn. voters tot them ‘Those who live by violence will die by ‘no-votes’.
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