June 25, 2019

Communal Dog-Whistling Arrives In India’s Parliament

located:	India
editor:	Tish Sanghera

Parliaments are rowdy places, filled with raucous debate and political jousting. Thriving in such a setting often means deploying quick-wit and banter to drive an argument home.

But events in India’s Parliament took a nastier turn this week, as light-hearted jest made way for targeted abuse during the swearing-in ceremony for newly elected MPs.

As Asaduddin Owaisi, a Muslim MP from Hyderabad, approached the stage to take his oath, MPs from the BJP, the ruling party, shouted chants of ‘Jai Shree Ram’ or ‘Long Live Ram/God’ – a phrase which in recent times has been used as a forceful assertion of Hindu nationalism. To be clear, while the slogan itself is not communal, choosing to shout the line only at Muslim MPs undoubtedly is.

Some might ask, is this not a matter of free speech? Well, as a secular country, Parliament is not the place for religious sloganeering to begin with. Owaisi himself responded by adding ‘Allahu Akbar’ to the end of his oath, which also adds to the divisive discourse emerging in India’s parliament, drawing religious lines between groups.

The targeting of a religious minority by BJP MPs, who hold an overwhelming majority of seats, is tantamount to bullying. It also raises questions about how these MPs will fairly govern over India’s significant Muslim population (15%). Indeed we saw what religious bias in governance could look like during the recent election period. Maneka Gandhi, a long-standing BJP politician, threatened her Muslim constituents with the withdrawal of social support if they did not vote for her.

The growing hostility towards India’s Muslims was further highlighted this week in a US State Department report. Analysts highlighted the prevalence of ‘religiously motivated killings, assaults, riots, discrimination, vandalism, and actions restricting the right of individuals to practice their religious beliefs and proselytize’, all of which the Indian government has denied.

Prime Minister Modi called for parliamentary ‘unity’ in his opening address. Whether this is a token reference or serious wish remains to be seen. But to be sure, there are multiple challenges facing the country that call for apolitical action. These include an economic slow-down, a creaking healthcare system and the alarming reality that 21 Indian cities will run out of water by 2020.

The government therefore must not let communal strife flourish and cause distractions. The PM should follow through on his words and stem the childish jeering of his party’s MPs. By acting like bullies the BJP MPs have hinted at what the next five years of ‘New India’ could represent: bullying, intimidation and majoritarian rule. This will be helpful for no one.

Image: Facebook/ Asaduddin