Identity Crisis

The population of India is going to achieve first position in the world crossing the most populated country china in a prediction by 2050. At present Indian population is approximately around 1.21 billion out of which the minorities constituting significant portion into the whole; these minorities are the vote bank for Indian politics that drive its policies by the parties and leaders in the national politics, however the minority community is wrongly misunderstood to be only Muslim but the word minorities constitute people of different faith and ethnicity which are less in number that includes Muslim, Christian, jains, etc.These minority classes contribute in framing the multi cultural identity of India which is universally recognized as unity in diversity as our national identity, nevertheless their is a identity crisis among minorities at the national level to accept any one leader or one party as their true representative perhaps this crisis looms so large that it shadows the basic problems among minorities. It is constantly debated to find the solution for problem an identity for minorities that can stand for their issue in their own interest than vested interest of any leader or party lines.

The identity requirement that emerged during the struggle of independence gave birth to Muslim league that stood as representative identity and political group for Muslims as lead by Jinnah and others but the consequences were neither in favor of minorities nor majority. The representation that was expected for the mainstream empowerment of minorities was left at the back seat to partition the country which was maneuvered by the British left Indian soil and people divided. The grand old party of India took the reins to act as the savior for 54 years as identity of India particularly standing for the cause of minorities from north to south and from west to east.

Congress under Nehru Gandhi was hope against hope for minorities and than the unexpected development BJP that was an organization came strongly with fundamental cause standing  for Hindus with Babri masjid Demolition changed the equations of Indian politics in split divide between two factions of an imperial party that steered the nation for freedom and nationalist party that stood against the ancient party as a formidable national competitor; the minorities again were used as ace card for power by various regional parties that grew rapidly Like Samajwadi and BSP in UP, Muslim League In kerla and Janta Party In Bihar (which again got split into three different groups as janta dal secular, janta dal united, and Rhastriya Janta Dal only to bring disrepute to the legacy of morarji desai that ruled the country under one united janta dal) including congress and BJP that claimed to be the identity for minorities left once again minorities in isolation and identity crisis. The labor class saw the loyalty of left parties for protection of their interest and issues unfortunately the left parties couldn’t expand to command their presence in the domain of minorities barring in west Bengal and kerla.

The plight of minorities was not in praise worthy condition as their religious identity was attacked, humiliated and discriminated in creating the divide between them and others; Indian integrity was left far behind in bharat and India was watching its make over in wake of LPG liberalization, privatization and globalization. The common man was not untouched with the advent of new wind to accommodate itself for the transitional change to imposed identity. However the minorities were suffering in the agony of silence for reform.

The minorities were left out from the centre frame between the battles among parties and leaders who enforced themselves as representatives of minorities lead to appeasement of minorities who were used as fuel for communalism in 1984 Sikh riots, 1992 Babri masjid demolition, and 2002 Gujarat riots, the political parties never appeared to be true identity of minorities to bring them into mainstream for their holistic growth perhaps the coalition era came as blessing in disguise for minorities with  culmination of major parties into Left front alliance, NDA and now UPA who tried to deliver some benefits of development for their sustenance; however minorities remain in constant endeavor in search of their identity among the political identities that lost in darkness of political power.

The economic change gave a new hope for minorities to inculcate its identity into the growth story of the country but yet the lack of modern and affordable education was a great impediment with Muslims being rigid and discriminative to change form their madrasa design of education to adopt the modern form of education, Christians, Sikhs, jains, Buddhist are also traditionally unwilling to change due to geographic,  cultural, and financial constraints. This resulted in a political appeasement which took minorities as puppet into the hands of political leaders and parties who used them tactfully as power vote bank with little protecting their interest, in the name of their development, there were only commissions, reports, recommendations which saw seldom implementation against the famous commission like Justice Ranganth Mishra, Justice Rajender Sachar and other distinguished program by the union and state government. The common man from minority community was hopelessly looking for his identity amidst these developments perhaps he would little care about reports, budget allocation, and government manifesto or identity before two square meals, shelter and a living with dignity which was far from his reach.

The religious heads intrude from the backdoor into the political platform to claim as the savior of minorities but failed to only loose their identity in middle to be neither a religious priest nor politician; their was in conclusion pacification of minorities who was never asked about their desire but only taken for granted at every corner and every time. The media that was voicing the concerns about the issues of minorities was running from one post to other with minorities in searching an identity that truly represents them and their issues are yet to succeed in their adventure.

This is sad irony that after six decades of Indian independence. National democracy has got to her achievement for being greatest but still there is scarcity of a good leader or party that represents the identity of minorities. The gift of democracy has given birth to number of political parties and leaders but not one universal and true representative for the cause of minorities. The judiciary has been time again reiterating against appeasement and need for involvement of minorities and underprivileged strata into mainstream Nevertheless the author believes that the empowerment of minorities is itself their true identity for sustainable development which needs to be met by the parties and leaders to bring them into mainstream for societal growth through the power of education and equality in a heterogeneous and holistic manner; it is paradoxical that minorities more than subjects have became a caste group, vote bank, and target section for the political parties and leaders of India today; as this small portion is growing and getting self enlightened; the considerable force will be difficult to manage in future may be in identity crisis or in its full existence.