Justice & Indian Politics
By Dhurjati Mukherjee
All political parties, not just in India but the world over, talk of justice, interpreting it in various ways. Obviously, in a country like India, where a significant section of the population is either poor or belongs to low-income groups, the need for social and economic justice can’t be overemphasised. Questions arise whether political parties are really interested in imparting justice to all citizens, specially those who are struggling for a dignified existence.
The aggregate push for a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and the controversial reform package for Wakf institutions underline the fact that the ruling BJP would evoke Hindutva as a defining feature of its policies in the very near future. The INDIA grouping, on the other hand, has highlighted justice as a metaphor for politics and this is going to electoral configurations in the coming states’ elections.
The non-BJP parties are, however, not fully confident in asserting social and economic justice as a future agenda for electoral mobilisation. As a result, the BJP wants to go back to its basics – the Indianisation of Muslims to revive Hindutva while the Opposition is going to rely on the conventional unproblematic and safe discourse of social justice, simply to avoid any direct ideological confrontation with the BJP.
As per CSDS-Lokniti post-poll surveys, issues such as nationalism, national pride and the need for a decisive leader continued to survive at the grassroots level in the recent election. However, socio-economic disparities and caste-based exploitation emerged as determining factors for the average voter. It means that the people at the bottom tiers of society expect the political class to produce a discourse of inclusive nationalism, which can ameliorate the problems of livelihood, injustice and inequality. But this unfortunately is not happening.
It must also be noted that the non-BJP parties do not have a clear political stand on minorities. They evoke the term, Hinduism to reject Hindutva as an exclusive political project of the BJP. This line of thinking indirectly talks of secularism and embracing unity of all religions in line with Swami Vivekananda’s thinking and propagated by many other philosophers of the Ramakrishna Mission. This has great acceptance in West Bengal, Odisha and some southern states, mainly Tamil Nadu but not in the northern states.
Regarding the sub-categorisation of castes as well as the creamy layer, the Congress has opposed both. The party has also alleged that the BJP wants to finish reservation for Dalits. However, the grand old party’s calculated response to the recent Supreme Court judgment does not go well with the social justice scheme, which it means to develop as an alternative narrative of present-day politics. The purpose of a caste census, broadly speaking, is to find out the most backward and marginalised social groups for the sake of affirmative action. It goes without saying that such a census is a necessary precondition for any possible restructuring of the affirmative action framework.
While there is much talk in recent times of social justice, which includes the need for a caste census to give adequate opportunities to the most backward and neglected sections among SCs, in reality not much progress is manifest. It needs to be pointed out that the recent judgment of the country’s top court upheld the principled validity of a preference given to Balmikis and Mazahabis Sikhs, two specific scheduled castes, in 50 percent of the total seats reserved for all SC castes in Punjab. Though in government jobs and educational institutions, preference in Article 16(4) and 15(4) is given to backward classes, obviously keeping in view help ameliorate backwardness, this has possibly not had its desired effect.
Moreover, gender justice is a key issue in this connection where rape and murders are continuing, the most recent example being of RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata. Women’s security is lacking, even in institutions and organisations where the opposite sex work and are immune to different sorts of harassment.
And while we hear much about social justice, it is quite evident that though Dalits make up 250 million to 300 million of India’s 1.4 billion population, a recent study found they face a stigma that is attached to them as persons and is perpetuated in social interactions. However, the study revealed that human capital, measured through school and college education, provided as much benefit on income to Dalit business owners as to other business owners. But, by and large, majority of the community continued to languish.
Regarding economic justice, the less said the better. The policies of the government are aimed at making life easier and better for the upper echelons of society in various ways without much concern for the backward districts and whether the population there get proper education and healthcare. Even in metros, the hospitals are overcrowded but nobody is bothered as the middle class get themselves treated in private nursing homes.
The crux of the education policy is to upgrade standards at the IITs, IIMs and universities in the metros without caring for the universities in remote areas of the country. Thus, the focus is on an urban-oriented middle class to whom quality education has to be imparted. Despite recommendations of Oxfam, there is no special taxation on the superrich to impart better facilities in the realm of education and health to the poor and the economically weaker sections. Where is economic justice when the masses are deprived of good education and healthcare, only because they live in backward areas and do not have the means to avail the right facilities?
Justice denotes happiness and communitarian bondage, which unfortunately is missing in our society today though the political leaders talk about our tradition and heritage. The lack of equality in society – and equality from all standpoints — is due to lack of justice reaching the citizens of this country. However much the leaders may talk of economic goals in the near future – by 2047 to be exact – this will not usher real justice and equality. The entire strategy of our progress must be reshaped, keeping in view the needs and aspirations of the struggling masses and to upgrade their standard of living. — INFA