By Anwarulhaq Baig
NEW DELHI—As India’s hard-fought 18th Lok Sabha elections are nearly at its end, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) President Syed Sadatullah Husaini sounded an alarm over the blatant violation of three major electoral traditions – moral degradation, communal polarization, and the collapse of democratic institutions.
Presiding over a program titled “How Traditional and Unusual is the Current 18th Parliamentary Election?” organized by JIH at its headquarters, the JIH president expressed grave concerns over how these factors have marred the electoral process.
Commenting on the first tradition related to morality and character, the JIH chief stated, “National leaders have always maintained the decorum of their status and conducted electioneering within the bounds of morality. However, this distinction between local and national elections has been erased in 2024.” He lamented the rampant use of false statements, lies, frauds, fake news, abusive language, and allegations by political parties, expressing disappointment that even high-ranking leaders of the ruling party resorted to such tactics.
Turning to the second major aspect, communal polarization, Mr. Husaini condemned the overt use of communal and sectarian slurs during the campaigning. “Not only veiled or gesturing language but very openly and in a very clear manner, communal and bigoted slurs and language have been used in these elections,” he remarked.
The JIH President also highlighted the third major issue – the complete collapse of the country’s democratic institutions, including the election commission, judiciary, media, Enforcement Directorate, and the Central Bureau of Investigation. “Political analysts are saying that all these institutions played a political role in these elections, which is highly deplorable,” he stated.
While acknowledging the efforts made to politically marginalize Muslims and the apparent success of communal elements, the Muslim leader urged the community to introspect and address their weaknesses. He emphasized the need to foil the conspiracies of opponents and rivals, who aim to isolate Muslims, by focusing on the mainstream agenda of the country’s progress.
“We should have an agenda on how to elevate the economy of the country, how to uphold justice in a better way, how Dalits, tribals, and backward classes can get equality, how to reform the police system, how the judiciary of the country can be improved, etc.,” the Islamic scholar said, advocating for negotiations with political parties based on this agenda.
Despite the challenges, the JIH leader struck an optimistic note, expressing hope that these elections would bring positive changes to the country’s adverse situation. He highlighted signs of change in the attitudes and characters of both countrymen and Muslims, urging the community to play a vital role in the mainstream rather than living in isolation. Mr. Husaini also discussed the integrity of the electoral process and the need for reforms to uphold democratic values and principles in India’s vibrant democracy.
As the nation grappled with the 18th Lok Sabha elections, the JIH’s call for upholding moral standards, combating communal rhetoric, and safeguarding democratic institutions added a significant voice to the ongoing discourse on preserving the sanctity of India’s electoral process.
Senior Journalist Laments Lack of Muslim Representation in Lok Sabha; Urges Conditional Voting
Delivering a speech on the topic of this program, Abdul Majid Nizami, group editor of the Urdu daily Roznama Rashtriya Sahara, called upon the Muslim community to form a pressure group or think tank to negotiate their demands with political parties before casting their vote conditionally.
Reflecting on the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Nizami stated that it was different and more significant than all previous parliamentary polls. He accused the BJP and RSS of making every possible effort since 2014 to diminish the importance of Muslims, which resulted in secular parties also distancing themselves from the community, even denying them tickets proportionate to their population.
The group editor of the renowned Urdu daily lamented the marginalization of Muslim issues and the decreasing ratio of Muslim MPs in parliament. Despite the community’s significant contributions to India’s freedom struggle, Nizami expressed disappointment with the current state of affairs, where minority rights and concerns had taken a backseat.
Concerted Efforts to Diminish the Impact of Muslim Voters
According to Nizami, Muslim voters have historically played a crucial role in government formation. This reality prompted the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to make concerted efforts to diminish the impact of Muslim votes in elections.
Highlighting the evolving dynamics of communal politics in India’s electoral landscape, Nizami asserted that during the Vajpayee-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, the BJP was often labelled as a proponent of “soft Hindutva.” However, the 2014 general elections witnessed a strategic shift, with the party embracing a hardline Hindutva agenda, prominently projecting party hardliners as its top faces. According to Nizami, consequently, the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections were widely regarded as the most overtly communal elections in independent India’s history, with campaigns heavily centred around polarizing narratives, targeting the Muslim minority.
“The anti-Muslim propaganda that the RSS and the saffron party had intensely started since the last elections has now influenced secular parties to the extent that they have left talking about the minority community and their rights or issues, which is the biggest ill effect of this propaganda,” Nizami stated.
He pointed out that Muslim leaders and personalities were increasingly being sidelined from the stages of even secular parties, fearing a backlash from their Hindu vote bank. Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad recently criticized the Congress for embracing “soft Hindutva,” denying him and other Muslim leaders a platform due to apprehensions over angering Hindu voters.
Initial Two Phases of 2024 Elections Less Communal
However, in the initial phases of the ongoing 2024 elections, Nizami said the Muslim community adopted a tactical approach of restraint, consciously avoiding provocations or reactions to inflammatory speeches or issues, initially appearing to steer the electoral discourse away from communal fault lines and towards addressing broader issues of concern.
Nizami observed that the BJP seemed to be on the backfoot during this phase, prompting the saffron party’s leadership to swiftly shift gears and reignite communal rhetoric. This strategic move, according to Nizami, aimed to force once again make Muslims the focal point of Indian politics, a development he warned could prove dangerous for the country.
Efforts to Communally Polarize in Later Phases
Responding to a question about the unusual features of the current poll campaigns compared to all 17 Lok Sabha elections in the past, Abdul Majid Nizami replied, “We had felt that the Ram Mandir issue would be the main political issue in this election, but it was not taken up much by the saffron party. Instead, the PM uttered defaming words about the Muslim community like ‘infiltrators’ and ‘giving birth to ample kids,’ echoing former PM Manmohan Singh’s old speech about the Muslim minority and Dalits out of context, taking the poll campaign to such a low level.”
Lamenting the degradation of the current political discourse, Nizami remarked, “We cannot imagine that a prime minister of the country will use such low-level language, which is one of the unusual features of the current elections.”
However, he acknowledged that the opposition parties had managed to counter the ruling party’s narrative, giving the impression that they were losing ground in the elections.
Muslim Representation in Parliament Declines
Abdul Majid Nizami cited Arun Poorie, who wrote in his India Today editorial, “But post the 2019 general election, studies show a distinct shift towards consolidation and strategic voting by the Muslim community. An analysis of Muslim voting patterns in recent assembly polls by the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) is revealing. Some 77 percent of the Muslim vote went towards the mahagathbandhan in Bihar in 2020. Around 75 percent favoured the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal’s 2021 polls, up from 51 percent in 2016. And 79 percent stood with the Samajwadi Party in UP in 2022, up from 46 percent in 2017. There is every likelihood that the trend of unified voting is continuing in Election 2024.”
Despite this, Poorie further writes, “This time, their share (Muslims) in the Congress list has dropped from 35 to 19 (as of May 3), partly because it is fighting only 330 seats as compared to 421. But all other big INDIA parties together have only 13 Muslim candidates.”
Nizami’s concerns extended to the allocation of tickets to Muslim candidates by major parties, a longstanding issue that has contributed to the declining representation of the community in Parliament. In the previous Lok Sabha, only 28 Muslim MPs were elected out of 119 Muslim candidates fielded by major parties. This time, the number of Muslim candidates given tickets by these parties has dropped to a mere 78.
“The ratio of Muslim MPs in the Parliament is continuously decreasing sharply in every Lok Sabha poll because they are not being given as many tickets as they should be. The decreasing ratio of Muslim MPs is a big question for the big secular parties,” Nizami emphasized.
Nizami emphasized that there are approximately 86 Lok Sabha seats with over 20% Muslim voters and 20 seats where Muslims constitute more than 50% of the electorate, yet they are not being adequately represented on these constituencies or they are not given tickets on such seats by secular parties.
Call for Conditional Voting and Pressure Group
Emphasizing the present poll strategy by saffron parties to render the collective voting might of Muslims irrelevant, the senior journalist gave some practical solutions, including setting up a pressure group or common platform like a think tank to make political and social strategies for the community.
Stressing the need to make secular parties accountable related to Muslim issues, especially for allotting tickets to Muslim candidates from Muslim-dominated constituencies, Nizami called for a comprehensive poll strategy based on workouts throughout the five years for preparing guidelines in such situations to ensure the community’s interests are safeguarded. He called on all concerned persons and Muslim groups to put pressure on the secular parties for giving representation according to their ratio in the population and implement a formula to allocate the share of representation as per the ratio of the community’s population.
“In my opinion, Muslims should not vote unconditionally for any political party,” Nizami asserted.
To address this challenge, the senior Urdu journalist proposed the establishment of a pressure group or common platform akin to a think tank. This group would be dedicated to formulating political and social strategies for the Muslim community, engaging with secular parties, and negotiating for adequate representation based on the community’s population ratio.
“We should negotiate with those secular parties and not accept their excuses regarding Muslim issues or allocating adequate tickets to Muslim candidates. Otherwise, we should warn those secular parties that there is no difference for us whether they or others form a government,” Nizami stated.
The proposed think tank would work towards studying the real issues faced by the community, consulting with the public, and compiling an agenda for action. It would then negotiate with political parties to resolve these issues based on the agreed-upon agenda. If a party fails to implement the agenda, Nizami suggested boycotting that party in the subsequent elections.
“Without it, we as a community cannot elevate ourselves to a position to make pressure or negotiate with the parties to force them to solve the problems of Muslims,” he asserted, emphasizing the need for collective bargaining power in a political system where “heads are counted.”
He pointed out, “In a political system where heads are counted, if you are not in a position to blow parties, so you cannot negotiate with anyone.”
Nizami lamented that if our forefathers had shown some greater maturity and foresight, the rights of minorities and disadvantaged communities could have been better secured. The largest minority, who contributed far more than others in the freedom struggle, would not be facing their current hardships.
Commending Muslim Community’s Maturity Amid Rising communal polarization
Despite the challenges, Nizami commended the Muslim community’s unwavering commitment to upholding India’s plural character and avoiding any negative reactions that could play into the hands of communal forces. “The Muslim community has demonstrated remarkable resilience, political maturity, and unity in these elections,” Nizami said, highlighting the community’s efforts to strengthen parties dedicated to protecting the Constitution and its spirit.
Abdul Majid Nizami praised the resilience and political maturity displayed by India’s Muslim minority in the face of provocative statements and attacks from communal forces.
Despite the lack of confidence and effective action from opposition parties, Nizami stated, “The Muslim minority in India has shown remarkable restraint and political maturity.” He commended the community for refraining from reacting in ways that would play into the hands of communal groups, instead demonstrating commendable patience and seeking solutions to their problems within the framework of the constitution.
Nizami highlighted the Shaheen Bagh protests, led by Muslim women, as a pivotal moment in the community’s political awakening. “The culmination of communal politics led to significant political awareness within the Muslim community, exemplified by the Shaheen Bagh protests. These peaceful protests became a global symbol of resistance,” he said.
According to Nizami, this experience has not instilled fear but has sparked a consciousness within the community to defend their political, economic, social, cultural, and civil rights through constitutional means. He pointed to the 2024 general elections as evidence of this political awakening.
Nizami also praised the efforts of the Muslim community to resolve internal differences and unify their various organizations, leading to a strategic approach to guide the community effectively. He noted that Muslim political parties have worked diligently to prevent the fragmentation of the Muslim vote, a marked improvement over past elections.
Despite facing accusations, Nizami emphasized that the Muslim community has consistently contributed to maintaining the plural fabric of the country and has avoided negative reactions, leading to frustration among sectarian political leaders who are struggling to manipulate voter divisions based on sectarian lines.
The group editor of the Urdu daily cited an analytical piece by Lal Mani Verma in The Indian Express on May 18, which highlighted how all political parties have been complicit in reducing Muslim political representation, effectively treating Muslims as political outcasts.
However, Nizami expressed hope that Muslim political parties can transform themselves into robust political forces by strengthening their organizational structures, clarifying their political positions, and strategically utilizing resources to create actionable plans. He stressed the importance of effectively integrating the issues of weaker societal sections and other minorities with Muslim concerns, presenting a cohesive and compelling political force.
Nizami warned that the suffocating atmosphere created by communal politics threatens to stifle the democracy of the world’s largest democratic nation, a situation that would be detrimental to all. He concluded by stating that the resilience and political acumen demonstrated by the Muslim community have fortified India’s democracy, providing a hopeful outlook amid rising communal tensions.
Concerns Over Erosion of Democratic Norms and Institutions
Expressing concerns over the erosion of democratic norms and institutions in India, Nizami lauded the Muslim community’s political maturity and resilience in the face of communal polarization during the Lok Sabha elections.
As the nation awaited the results on June 4, Nizami questioned whether India’s democracy still commanded the same global respect as it did before 2014, citing the rise of divisive Hindutva politics and its impact on the country’s ethos.
“It is not a personal grievance or disagreement with the Hindutva ideology,” Nizami clarified, “but analyses by national and international think tanks, as well as writings by political experts, clearly show that the current government has not only failed to protect the constitutional rights of the Muslim minority but has also attempted to impose restrictions on their religious freedom.”
Nizami highlighted the systematic targeting of Muslims’ way of life, clothing, beliefs, and thoughts by Hindutva politics, and the campaign to isolate them from public and political spheres, which has apparently succeeded.
In the aftermath of the 2014 elections, some Muslim intellectuals were so influenced by the anti-Muslim propaganda that they advised the community to relinquish their right to vote to avoid BJP attacks, reflecting a deep-rooted psychology of fear and ignorance of the community’s resilience, Nizami noted.
Opposition Parties Blamed Muslims for Electoral Setbacks
Opposition parties, too, fell victim to this divisive politics, with the Congress party appointing a committee under A.K. Antony to investigate their 2014 defeat. The committee squarely blamed Muslims for the party’s failure, alleging that the BJP had successfully portrayed Congress as a “Muslim party,” although political observers attribute the loss to internal dissent and policy paralysis within the party.
The Congress was not alone in blaming Muslims for its electoral setbacks, with Mayawati of the Bahujan Samaj Party also expressing similar views in the past, Nizami pointed out.
“Such an attitude of opposition parties crumbling in the face of divisive Hindutva politics and blaming the very community targeted by the ruling party cannot be a hallmark of a successful democracy,” Nizami asserted. He urged opposition parties to ensure the protection of the legitimate constitutional rights of minorities, especially Muslims, and defend them against unjustified targeting.
Nizami also drew attention to the increasing role of social media in electioneering and the Election Commission of India’s decision to disclose booth-wise voter turnout data under Form 17C, expressing concern over the opposition parties’ silence on the latter issue.
Nizami called upon Muslim political parties to make concerted efforts to transform themselves into a formidable political force by strengthening their organizational structure, clarifying their political stance, and presenting a viable roadmap for implementation. He suggested that by effectively addressing the issues of marginalized sections and minorities alongside Muslim concerns, these parties could emerge as a credible alternative. As the country grapples with the threat of divisive politics eroding its democratic fabric, Nizami underscored the need for inclusive and responsible leadership to uphold the nation’s pluralistic ethos and safeguard its democratic institutions.
