Opposition-fissure: A boon from the blue for the BJP

(The writer can be reached at jyotiprasad11@rediffmail.com)

The fledgling regional parties mainly the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) and Raijar Dal (RD) in Assam naturally raised high hope and optimism that these two parties will be able to safeguard the regional entity of composite Assamese nation which has been threatened in recent time by some overriding aggressive measures adopted by the ruling BJP-led NDA government at the Centre with tacit and overt support of the Assam government. In this respect mention may be made inter alia of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

But certain acts and statements made by the leaders of these two parties which lacked political pragmatism and maturity are belying the hope and expectation generated in the minds of the people. Even to a novice having preliminary ideas of demographic structure of the population in Assam, it is crystal clear that only an absolute unity of all anti-BJP parties can think of throwing a formidable challenge to the ruling BJP. Now it is even difficult - nay risky to say categorically if such a united front will be able to defeat the BJP. Such a united front must include all anti-BJP parties, including the INC and the AIUDF so that there is not the slightest chance of division and deviation of anti-BJP votes.

But is this going to happen? As things stand today it is not going to happen much to the hidden glee of the BJP. The AJP's stance not to have any truck with 'communal' AIUDF and nationalist INC and RD's aversion to have any alliance with the 'communal' AIUDF will benefit whom? The answer is as clear as daylight. This stance of the AJP and RD far from placing a formidable challenge to the ruling BJP will replenish only the already well-stocked arsenal of the BJP in consolidating further its already strong foothold in politics in this region.

In politics it is not pragmatic to consider any political entity untouchable on some pre-conceived notions or on the basis of religion or for other affiliation or belonging. Doing this only means jettisoning the wisdom culled from lessons of history. There are umpteen instances of such wisdom. To vindicate my point it suffices to cite just one such classical instance. The perennial enmity between the Capitalist countries of the West and socialist Soviet union is too well known but they also realized that to defeat their common enemy Germany they must cooperate by forming an alliance and they did it. Without such an alliance and cooperation it would not have been possible to defeat Hitler's Germany in World War II.

Secondly, it is political pragmatism not to categorize all the adversaries in one rank and to know how to take crucial decisions in keeping with the changing spirit and temper of time. To categorize all adversaries in one rank and to consider them as equal adversaries is unwise and suicidal in politics. Unfortunately the fledgling regional parties of Assam have failed to realize this vital point. The similarity in tone, tenor, temper and spirit of the criticism against the AIUDF by the AJP, RD and the BJP has been a big political conundrum for the common people creating a confusion in their mind much to the advantage of the ruling BJP. Because of this many even dared to call AJP and RD as 'B' teams of BJP.

The BJP is accusing the AJP and the RD as creation of Congress and AIUDF while the Congress and the AIDUF are blaming the AJP and the RD as BJP's 'B' team. What a gargantuan trust-deficit for these two fledgling new parties at the nascent stage of their birth. Compare this trust-deficit with the mammoth public support enjoyed in the late seventies and eighties and the early part of the nineties of the last century i.e. during and during the post-Assam agitation period by the leaders of Assam agitation spearheaded by the AASU (All Assam Students' Union).

Thirdly, AJP's stance not to have any relation/cooperation/alliance with nationalist parties is a bizarre, unrealistic and absurd proposition. India which is a vast country inhabited by more than 1.30 billion people belonging to umpteen caste, creed, religion and ethnic groups and speaking many languages and dialects needs a cementing factor to maintain her integrity and sovereignty. Such cementing factor is provided by nationalist political parties with pan-Indian presence like the INC and the BJP. Is Congress 'untouchable' for winning freedom for the country? Or, is BJP 'untouchable' for defeating the Congress for its failure? For successful functioning of our federal democratic set-up presence of parties of pan-Indian presence like Congress and BJP is indispensible.

Further India is a democratic country with federal characteristics. To maintain this basic characteristics of our polity and particularly for successful functioning of our democratic system of governance political parties of pan-Indian presence is a must. In such a system the role of the ruling party and the role of opposition parties are equally important and relevant. We have now an alliance government with a conglomeration of a number of small and smaller parties led by the BJP, a nationalist party with pan-Indian presence. Previously we had UPA government with a number of small and smaller regional parties led by the Congress, also another nationalist party with pan-Indian presence. If one alliance government fails to deliver the good the people have the option to throw out such a government led either by the BJP or the Congress. The party thrown out of power BJP or the Congress will play the role of opposition putting the functioning of the ruling party under its scanner. This is how democracy functions and gets strengthened. How such nationalist parties with pan-Indian presence can be 'untouchable' is beyond comprehension even to a layman of average intelligence.

Suppose one day regional parties with heterogeneous regional interest come to power at the Centre without presence of any national parry with pan-Indian presence then who will lead such parties to make and ensure a stable government? The concept of regionalism insulated from nationalism for a country like India is a dangerous one. Regionalism and nationalism must complement and supplement each other for success and development of a federal democratic country like India.

If good days come for Assam and a congenial environment is created for repeal or amendment of CAA, then who will do it and where and how? It is surely at Indian Parliament with the support of nationalist parties and other parties, regional or of other hues. If we treat nationalist parties as 'untouchable' and fail to win the goodwill and support of other parties because of inflated ego or overconfidence of our leaders, then how will the problems of Assam be solved? It is absolutely naïve to think of solving the problems of Assam - be it the problem on the issue of our existential crisis or problem of natural calamities like flood or erosion or problems of economic backwardness or unemployment - insulated from the Indian context.

In this background the stance of the AJP and RD devoid of ground realities of politics and universally accepted principles of political philosophy needs mending sooner than later if their real intention is to defeat the BJP. But time is fleeting fast.