HVK Archives: For them secularism is only a slogan to acquire power
For them secularism is only a slogan to acquire power - The Times of India
Subhash Kirpekar
()
18 October 1996
Title : For them secularism is only a slogan to
acquire power
Author : Subhash Kirpekar
Publication : The Times of India
Date : October 18, 1996
That secularism is not a force that binds "secular
forces" is perhaps evident from the shenanigans of the
United Front constituents - the Congress, the Bahujan
Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party - as they try to form
a government In Utter Pradesh, currently in a flux.
It is equally true perhaps that none of the formations
involved is pretentious enough to claim that it will not
"acquire" a majority if installed in the seat of power
and asked to prove its majority on the floor of the
house. A word that would have immediate raised eyebrows
of those wanting transparent and clean being accepted
without demur. The initiative for talking about "acquir-
ing" the requisite support comes from unexpected quarters
: it has spoken of by none other than BJP President L. Y,
Advani. "If acquiring support does not imply allure-
ments, what else does it mean?" asked a Samajwadi Party
functionary.
Rightly or wrongly, the BJP is perceived as a disciplined
party seeking to occupy the high moral ground, a party
that can do no wrong, a party that is quite different
from the "manipulative and corrupt" Congress or any other
political party that sees no wrung in buying up legisla-
tors. Yet, the position taken by the BJP is no different
from that of those it often accuses of immorality in
politics and leaves little to commend. This cannot
absolve the BJP of the "guilt' that the Congress has to
bear.
Right now, with little time left before it becomes im-
perative for the U.P. governor to re-promulgate Presi-
dent's rule, the key players are slugging it out.
Congress president Sitaram Kesri asserts that the UF must
accept Ms Mayawati as the next chief minister. His view
is that Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav is a stumbling block to
the unity of secular forces. The UF rejects his conten-
tion. Mr Kesri retorts that the Congress will have to
reconsider Its support to the UF at the Centre If the UF
does not toe the Congress line.
BSP chief Kanshi Ram castigates the Congress for continu-
ing to support the UF at the Centre without being able to
extract its pound of flesh by forcing it to let Ms Maya-
wati become the chief minister.
Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav is firm on not
letting Ms Mayawati get her way and Is telling the Con-
gress to support the UF in U.P. also to keep the BJP out
of power.
And to top it all, the BJP has in a letter to the gover-
nor urged him to Invite It as the single largest party to
form the next ministry. This plea has been rejected on
the ground that BJP's lack of majority will not lead to
stability.
Mr Kesri's argument that most constituents of the UF
have, over the last 30 years, assisted the BJP to enlarge
its base also holds true for the BSP. It was with BJP's
support from outside that Ms Mayawati became the chief
minister for a few months last year.
That is why secularism appears to emerge as a mere slogan
and not a genuine concept. In the name of secularism, a
rag-tag combination like the UF could be installed in a
position of power. Secularism as of today paves the path
to power, bringing with it "good times."
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