India: A secular nation or a fake democracy?

When Jawaharlal Nehru delivered a freedom speech at the stroke of midnight on 15th August, 1947 from the Red Fort little did he know that the India they had claimed back from the British rule would again be captured and ruled this time, though by its own citizens. Perhaps it was his prescient nature or good understanding of the human psyche that led Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar to include a clause in the constitution stating that any citizen of India can migrate and settle in any part of the country and earn his livelihood. Had it not been for this one statement the country would have never achieved the status of being a secular state. With perhaps the most varied nature of population, India is a country that can proudly boast of having absorbed any and every culture that has ever existed on its land. It is this preservation of cultures since ages that has made it the oldest civilization that has survived on the Earth.

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While the whole country has equally accommodated any caste, creed or race, it is the city of Mumbai that has earned itself the respect of being the melting pot of India. It is this city that has absorbed in itself anyone who has come to it providing at the same time ample opportunities for the person to succeed. It has been, since ages the representative of India for the world which is the reason many foreign tourists prefer coming to Mumbai rather than Delhi. This is also perhaps the reason why the fashion, film and business industry have thrived and prospered here in a way they have no where else. In a city with such a rich history to its credit, when some political leader for his own selfish interests talks of driving away the so- called ‘outsiders’ from Mumbai all one can do is laugh at the childish nature of the talks. Though, these are only turned more grave in nature than being a laughing matter.

From beating up people from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar to now demanding 80% job reservation in industries for Marathi sons-of-soil, Raj Thackeray has come a long way in raising an issue to garner votes in the elections. In the past Maharashtra has witnessed similar protests against the non-Marathis from the Shiv Sena, which gave up on this issue after joining hands with the BJP. Though, the issue has been only restarted by the MNS when it had no other issue to gather votes. The job reservation is a ridiculous attempt to cheap campaigning by the MNS officials who have issued notices to the industrialists. The government has now taken steps to ensure that the threats that Raj Thackeray has issued if the job reservation clause is not followed isn’t successful. It should be understood by Raj Thackeray that recruitments in industries or any other firm is basically on the basis of merit and not the surnames that the candidates attach to their names. This kind of compulsion to reserve positions will only encourage communal disharmony and a feeling of alienation by the citizens in their own country.

Image Credit: union.rpi