National parties need to be fully aware of regional aspirations
Picture for representational purpose only. Photo - AP.
My grandfather was the last Congress Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. He lost the election to the Tamil Nadu Assembly in 1967, and since then there has never been a Congress government in Tamil Nadu, nor even a government where the Congress was a member. The last Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government was given outside support by the Congress, but the party did not participate in the government.
In 1967, I remember standing on the verandah of my grandfather’s house while the then commissioner of police begged him to move to a safer location, as a huge mob was reputedly converging upon the house to lynch him, in the anti-Hindi frenzy which was at that time spearheaded by the DMK. My grandfather refused to budge an inch, and said his family and he would stand or fall on principle.
That year, the DMK swept to power in Tamil Nadu, on the crest of the anti-Hindi movement — perhaps the first time that an election had been won on the plank of regional language. My grandfather firmly stuck to the All-India Congress stand of a three-language formula, comprising Hindi, English and the regional language for the entire nation, but the DMK successfully used the linguistic pride of the Tamil people and converted it into a mass movement against the Congress government.
Much water has flown down the Cooum since those days, and today the scramble for admission in English-medium and CBSE schools is inconvertible proof of the fact that people of all classes and sections — despite their love of Tamil, and pride in their language — still want to integrate into the national and international mainstream to get good jobs and to lead better lives. The principles my grandfather stood for and lost have made their way back into people’s lives, of their own choice, and for reasons of enlightened self-interest.
By the same token, as an MP from Tamil Nadu, I have often been enraged by the facile indifference shown by many to the vital concerns and emotions of people living south of the Vindhyas. Truly, the words Dilli door ast ring true for many of us today. And often have I raised my voice in loud protest in Parliament against this indifference.
This Lok Sabha elections has been discussed to bits. There have been some hugely unwelcome firsts as well — physical molestation of women, and men, in different ways for different reasons, the attempt to create a personality cult and convert the festival of Indian elections into a vote for one person. However, more important is what has not been sufficiently discussed — namely the role of regional parties in a national election.
It appears pretty much taken for granted that there will be a coalition government at the Centre, but apart from superficial discussion, the role and aspirations of these regional parties, and the people they represent, has simply not been adequately discussed.
Regional parties have emerged for very obvious reasons. Beyond the middle space occupied briefly by caste and communal polarisation, regional parties have decisively emerged in several states because they are closer to the people there and categorically articulate their aspirations in a way that national parties cannot do — perhaps because of the constraints of their pan-India nature, or perhaps their structure, organisation and impetus are directed by a leadership which is present and immediately available.
Indeed, many view regional parties as a welcome development because they deepen the representative character of our democracy and give voice and space to regional aspirations. Further, the protagonists of regional parties feel that there is no reason why the political map of India should not be as diverse as the social configurations, and why that diversity should not be properly represented in our Parliament.
The obvious issues of regional parties finding difficulty in articulating a truly national vision has been the main concern of those who support a more centralist Central government. Undoubtedly, foreign policy, the economy and defence need to be guided by a strong Central hand. India’s defence and foreign policy have to be a continuing process informed by national considerations.
However, the views of the people of states or regions should never be forgotten. As an Indian, and as a Tamilian, I feel anguished by doubts that our foreign policy as evidenced by our latest abstention against the resolution on Sri Lanka simply does not reflect the views of the people of Tamil Nadu, especially after we had earlier voted twice in favour of the resolution.
For me, and for many Tamilians, this is not by any means an election issue, but a major issue of principle based upon an umbilical connection with the civilian Tamils of Sri Lanka. It is inexplicable why our external affairs mandarins in South Block decided to abstain this time — with no discussion or explanation whatsoever. Good neighbourly relations are a catch-all explanation and open to great debate, but that is another article.
There can be no doubt that national parties, to be truly representative, need to be fully aware of regional aspirations in every state in our country. One-size-fits-all simply will not work in our country, far less the jingoistic homogeneity so beloved of the Bharatiya Janata Party. India cannot and will not be put into one huge pigeonhole, neatly labelled under any dictated religion, language, culture or creed. Unless we recognise this, our democracy stands gravely imperiled.
Regional parties ought to be informed by national aspirations and they need to shed their regional parochialism in important areas of national interest — sharing of river waters and natural resources, for example — and adopt a harmonious national perspective. These elections will hopefully throw up a genuinely national government strong in fundamentals, but at the same time representative of the plurality and diversity of India.
Political discourse is dynamic and ever changing, and therefore this is the opportunity for national parties to prove their umbrella character, for regional parties to prove their inclusive nationalist credentials, and for the two to interlock in a manner that takes us forward on the path of a strong, resurgent India that is united, powerful and inclusive. Every vote towards this counts!
The author is a
political activist, and the views expressed in this column are her own
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