On the occasion of the 75th Independence Day of India, it is important to gauge its achievements or deterioration. It is the first time that India instead of happily celebrating its Independence, is mourning the partition. Unfortunate! India and Pakistan got Independence from British rule in 1947. Before British rule, it was ruled by Muslims for almost 800 years.
75 years ago at the time of Independence Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru announced his vision of a socialist, welfare, based on equality, without any discrimination, and a modern state. Jawaharlal Nehru was not just the architect of modern India and the country’s first prime minister. He also played a central role in the discrediting of European imperialism and gave a voice to people across Asia and Africa struggling for self-determination and racial equality. Initially, Nehru’s principal concern was the struggle against European imperialism, especially in Asia. Britain, France, and the Netherlands all reasserted control over their colonial possessions in the region after the Second World War.
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Understanding the matter better
In response, Nehru and Gandhi rallied anti-colonial leaders, holding the Asian Relations Conference in New Delhi in 1947 to chart the way forward for the continent. He believes in democracy and secularism. He made the case for what became known as “non-alignment” — perhaps his greatest contribution to the 20th-century world. To ensure that happened, he served as his own foreign minister and ambassador-at-large. So India was known as the world’s largest democracy and a secular state in the early days of its independence in the international community.
But the days have gone and today India has not only deviated from its original vision, but, has transformed into a fake democracy, and Hindu extremist state under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi.
First, Manmohan Sing the 13th prime minister of India from 2004 to 2014, introduced structural reforms based on Western-style Capitalism. In 1991, Singh, as Finance Minister, abolished the License Raj, the source of slow economic growth and corruption in the Indian economy for decades. He liberalized the Indian economy, allowing it to speed up development dramatically. During his term as Prime Minister, Singh continued to encourage growth in the Indian market, enjoying widespread success in these matters. Singh, along with the former Finance Minister, P. Chidambaram, presided over a period where the Indian economy grew with an 8–9% economic growth rate. In 2007, India achieved its highest GDP growth rate of 9% and became the second fastest-growing major economy in the world.
Singh also worked on reforming the banking and financial sectors, as well as public sector companies. In 2005, Singh’s government introduced the value-added tax, replacing the sales tax. In 2007 and early 2008, the global problem of inflation impacted India adversely. As a result, the corporate sector benefitted and profit margins enhance immensely. Creating a huge gap between poor and rich, the society was visibly divided into extremely rich and extremely poor, eliminating the middle class almost.
Then, Prime Minister Modi, who is a fundamentalist genetically and allegedly involved in the massacre of Muslims in 2002, when he was Chief Minister of Gujrat state, crossed all limits to turn India into a pure Hindu state by eliminating Minorities. He has used all atrocities and brutalities to achieve his dream of a Pure Hindu state.
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As a matter of fact, extremists like RSS was existing in India since the 1920s, but, they were not in power and could not implement their agenda. However, Prime Minister Modi openly supported their agenda and during his election campaign announced their agenda as his manifesto. After winning the elections with the full support of several small extremist political parties, he became Prime Minister of India.
Today’s India is hijacked by Hindu extremists, who wanted to transform India into a “pure Hindu State”. They openly asked all non-Hindus to convert to Hinduism or leave India. They are demanding all Christians go back to Europe and all Muslims to Arab countries. Especially they are targeting Muslims. As the Muslims have rule India for almost eight centuries, so, they hate Muslims and Muslims are the largest minority in India with an estimated population of around 250 million. Although there are also around 150 million Christians and Sikhs each, in addition to several other minorities. Around fifty percent are Hindus, but, the extremists are only a few percent, but are in power and ruling the majority.
In today’s India, extremist has penetrated into legislation, administration, police, judiciary, and media, and controls the all-important position in the government. They are in a position to control the state powers in all respect. And using all atrocities and brutalities to genocide minorities.
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Economically, India has been weakened severely, but, the social fabric has been adversely damaged. It is not a safe place to live. Especially the Indian dream has turned minorities sleepless. Discrimination against minorities has created anxiety and nervousness in minorities. Lives and livelihoods are insecure for minorities and unfortunately, Muslims are the worst victims. The hate prevails in society and damaged the peaceful coexistence of all communities. Insurgencies are growing due to the unequal treatment of minorities.
Nehru’s vision has been completely set aside and today’s India is a typical capitalist, hate society, and majority poverty-hit nation. Its international image deteriorated hugely. From being non-aligned, transformed into an American ally.
Prof. Engr. Zamir Ahmed Awan, Founding Chair GSRRA, Sinologist (ex-Diplomat), Editor, Analyst, Non-Resident Fellow of CCG (Center for China and Globalization). (E-mail: awanzamir@yahoo.com). The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Global Village Space.