Shams Ur Rehman Alavi
The inability and indifference of Congress and other secular parties' wings to confront or at least take stand against right-wing groups' excesses, is one of the reasons for the imbalance in society.
Politics is about power and clout. If you fail to even wield clout on the streets or society, and don't even take stand, your voter ultimately loses confidence in you. Besides, you help opponents keep gaining strength on ground as well as in public perception.
In the latest incident, two couples went from Indore to Khargone. Hindu Jagran Manch (HJM) men heckled the couples, informed police that the boys were molesting the girls, then cops booked the boys (Muslim) for kidnapping, molesting and forcing to convert under sections of Freedom of Religions Act, 2020.
Besides, in another example, a five-day drama event of IPTA was called of after right-wing groups including VHP opposed the drama 'Jati hi puchho sadhu ki...', claiming that it was provocative and against sentiments. The district administration cancelled the event.
Then, in yet another case this week, principal of a missionary school, Sister Bhagya was booked under anti-conversion law in Chhatarpur after a woman claimed that she was being asked to convert. Principal said that she had just passsed intermediate, lied about her graduation and after a year, she was sacked due to this reason.
WINGS OF SECULAR PARTIES AND MISUSE OF LAWS, CIVIL LIBERTIES
Unfortunate that wings of other parties don't even issue statement or meet officials to oppose street thuggery, false cases by RW groups. If NSUI, YC, Mahila Congress or Sewa Dal workers don't act, wield clout, how would they attain trust and power in society. BD can get anyone booked.
You, at least, oppose! If you don't want to fight, don't want to take stand--either its moral policing, false cases, how can people come to you? You aren't just for fixing few things at college, university level. This is the reason people get fed up, look out for other parties, fresh option, new cadre.
In bipolar states like Madhya Pradesh, Congress' multiple wings--Women's Wing, YC, NSUI, Sewa Dal, they just never bother. If you don't have clout, you gain it by taking a stand, holding a demo, meeting Collector-SP over certain action that you find biased or one-sided. But no!!!
You don't even do the least--'confronting by issuing statement'. Then, your leaders tell victims later--'Our only request you, don't let THAT party enter the state'. You don't at all intervene & despite the decay, you are inert. What's your politics, after all!
HOW THEY ACQUIRE SO MUCH POWER IN THE SOCIETY
Has a single Congress leader thought of writing an open letter to DGP, asking how Bajrang Dal can get any event stopped, create ruckus anywhere, then get FIR registered against others, people framed under harsh laws, police too act as per them. Are the cops functioning under them?
Congress or other parties' wings keep themselves away from these issues. And as a result, even in states that are bipolar, people want an option. BJP's youth wing is BJYM. ABVP is not students' wing of BJP, rather, they claim they are independent, and are actually allied to Sangh Parivar. Bajrang Dal and VHP are wings of the RSS.
How these groups acquired so much power that cops almost take instructions from them! It took years--from the eighties, it's been going on. Yet this all goes unchallenged. Any group involved in lawlessness, disruption, gets innocents framed, lives destroyed. And no one bothers!
This article needs to be understood in context of incidents mentioned in the post below. Click the link to read and get a sense of how things get complicated, despite the 'rule of law'. There is no counter, no checks and balances. The result is collapse in law-and-order.
If there is a moral policing or case of excesses--false case registered due to right-wing groups' pressure, you can do the least by going to officials, taking delegations and ensure that the officials feel there is a force in the society that stands against lawlessness.
Several officials too want this to tell their political bosses about 'resentment' over one-sided action, but when no political party will bother to even take stand or go to streets or meet Minister, State police chief, City officials, what will happen?
If any group is indulging in lawlessness, you must raise this issue, question government over its failure in reining them in. But the silence is painful. In a way, it's unbelievable how active parties' youth and other wings can get so insulated, inert.
If any party that wishes to have space and hold in society, it has to take stand, must rise against injustice & at least speak up for victims. If you can't do even this much, you can't remain strong. Many are closet RWs but other party leaders, workers, heads of the party wings must realise.
You hurt your own cause, the result is people no longer consider you as strong political force, not even taking seriously. Just a few cases that occurred within a week have been mentioned, otherwise, there are many such incidents. LINK, LINK & LINK
READ: Bajrang Dal raids, police register case under harsh sections, people go to jail