How the democratic ground has shifted

Was Rahul Gandhi simply whining or being overly pessimistic or exaggerating when he told his party colleagues that their battle was not just against the BJP or the RSS but the entire apparatus of the State? Are his remarks an attempt to cover up recent electoral failures? The commentariat sanctimoniously told him that he was confusing the government with the state. He had every right, they generously conceded, to oppose the government, but for him to say the Congress party was in a battle with the state was too much.

Let’s start with the context. Rahul Gandhi was addressing Congress party workers at the inauguration of the party’s new headquarters. He was explaining the challenges facing the party and the circumstances under which it is functioning. For Indian democracy, he said, the ground has shifted. Political contests are no longer fair. The Congress is no longer fighting just the BJP or RSS; it is up against almost every state institution. This is no longer a normal democratic contest.

Was Rahul Gandhi wrong? Is there no truth in his statement that the Opposition today faces resistance not only from the BJP but also from the State? And what does he mean by ‘the State’?

He is referring to the bureaucracy, the police, the central investigative agencies, the defence services, the election commission and other such bodies. Add to this educational institutions. Our courts should also feature on the list.

A democracy can function smoothly only when these institutions work independently and do not align themselves with political power. Ideally, they should not act as protectors or propagandists for the ruling party. Add to this mix the media and industry, what we usually refer to as the corporate sector—they all play a part. Civil society is equally vital; in a democracy, its active engagement supports both the government and the opposition.

Do we really need examples to prove that over the past decade, these institutions have lost their autonomy and have effectively turned into BJP departments? Don’t we know of innumerable cases where investigative agencies raided Opposition leaders, filed cases against them — and then went soft on them or dropped cases as soon as these leaders joined the BJP? These agencies were under no compulsion to do so.

To argue they were acting under pressure is wrong — they chose to behave this way. The same applies to the police and the bureaucracy. If they treat the Opposition and critics of the government like enemies, it’s a deliberate decision to obstruct the Opposition. If today the army chief publicly performs Hindu rituals alongside a BJP minister, or military officers make statements echoing the government’s ideology, they are not performing their assigned roles but acting as allies of the BJP.

Most educational institutions now function as extensions of the BJP-RSS propaganda machine. The media isn’t merely supporting the government— it’s actively maligning the opposition and spreading hate against it, voluntarily and enthusiastically.

Parliamentary democracy requires free and fair elections, where the ruling party enjoys no undue advantage. The Election Commission is supposed to ensure this, but what has it been doing?

Take Delhi, for example. Preparations are underway for elections on 5 February. The model code of conduct is in force. And yet BJP leaders and candidates have openly distributed cash, saris and shoes, as pre-poll blandishments. Has the election commission taken any action?

The BJP’s audacity knows no bounds. In previous elections— whether for state assemblies or Parliament — BJP leaders have flouted the model code of conduct with impunity while the ECI remained a deaf-mute witness. The prime minister and nearly all BJP leaders delivered hate speeches to polarise voters on religious lines, and the poll panel did not act.

Accusations of tampering with voter rolls have surfaced repeatedly. Maharashtra recently witnessed allegations of an unusual spike in voter numbers. Names being arbitrarily deleted from electoral rolls in several states is another recurring issue — all reportedly at the BJP’s behest. Yet, the Commission remains defiantly silent.

Even when Opposition parties manage to form governments despite these machinations, the BJP finds ways to topple them. Courts observe all this quietly.

This has happened over and over again in the past decade. The message is clear: no matter the mandate, the BJP will manipulate its way to power. In these circumstances, elections become meaningless.

The media celebrates the BJP’s manoeuvres as master strokes while mocking the Opposition. Civil society, whose active engagement is critical to keep the democratic spirit alive, has been dismantled over the last decade. To expect the Opposition to compete on an equal footing with the BJP under these conditions is not just naïve, it is absurd.

Rahul Gandhi has been saying this for years: the Opposition is up against not just the BJP or RSS but the entire State machinery.

Muslims and Christians in India have been saying this for even longer. They not only face attacks from the BJP and RSS but also systematic oppression from the State. The police and bureaucracy also target them, and the judiciary, where some judges openly spew anti-Muslim venom, offers them no solace.

Rahul Gandhi was merely stating a fact: the character of the Indian state has changed fundamentally. Why should this offend anyone? Don’t his critics already know this?

APOORVANAND teaches Hindi at Delhi University. This article was originally published in Hindi by thewirehindi.com and is reproduced here with permission