Our country is facing the most challenging times since independence. All the basic democratic institutions are under threat from the ruling corporate communal authoritarian nexus. The Parliamentary procedures are made a mockery since the last more than 9 years. The laws are made and changed by the ruling dispensation, without any discussions in the Parliament. These laws are basically of two natures; one – to allow the corporates to take over the natural resources, public assets, companies and services without any hindrance; second – to give unhindered power to the ruling dispensation, to suppress all democratic rights of the people and any voice of dissent.
At the same time, RSS led communal forces in collusion with the BJP governments have been unleashing institutional hate crimes and riots at various places in the country, in a frantic effort to retain power. The communal violence happened a few days ago in Nuh and neighboring areas in Haryana, taking six precious lives, is a typical example of what they are planning in the coming days.
In spite of demands from various quarters, including the MLA, to stop it and having complaints about provocative hate speeches and videos including that of Monu Manesar, a Bajrang Dal cow vigilante and one of the kingpins in the most gruesome murder of Junaid and Nasir, the police administration had given permission for an aggressive communally charged armed procession in the guise of religion. The widespread use of arms and the arson in the procession is indicative of a well pre – planned communal riot. Shops were looted, vehicles and shops set ablaze and the violence spread to nearby areas. The police and administration of the BJP led Haryana Government were giving political patronage to the illegal ‘cow protection task force’ – network of armed private gangs in making the background for this mayhem. What followed the violence was something unbelievable in any democracy – bulldozing of all the buildings – residential and commercial, around 350 of them of an entire area, targeting the Muslims by the government. The Minister publically declared this as part of ‘ilaj’ or treatment. This heinous act has invited the High court intervention asking whether this is an ‘ethnic cleansing’ of a community by the state, while ordering an immediate stoppage of the bulldozing.
Such incidents have become frequent and there is news of many, small and big, in the making. What is more disturbing and of serious concern is the making of social ‘consent’ to such crimes. This consent is created by spreading communal hatred through continuously engaging in false propaganda and spreading of hate within the society between communities. It is most serious that the youth are largely being used in these crimes. It is a matter of serious concern that the masses including women are being drawn into such hate mobs engaging in violence, even sexual assaults and rapes against their neighbors. Years of hate campaign, falsification of history, distortion of facts, propogating retrograde values and ideology, meticulously planned using the latest technology, the Hindutva majoritarian forces could make inroads among the people to some extent. This is the biggest challenge faced by us, endangering the nation and democracy, how to detoxify the society.
This can only be countered by mobilizing the masses on real issues, exposing the hate and falsehood, unifying people for common causes. The women workers have to play a major role in countering these communal anti national forces among the people.
The massive campaign and programmes to be taken up by the All India Convention of Workers and farmers to be held on 24 August by the Platform of CTUs and the SKM will be crucial towards this direction to Save our Nation.
