Role of minority politics in globalised India

Abstract

This paper deals with Role of minority politics in globalised India. Minorities can be religious,
Ethnic or racial, gender and sexuality etc. Politics can not work properly without the minority
groups but they covered behind the majority groups. The definition of the minority is any section
of citizens uses the distinct culture and language. Although the Constitution categorizes
minorities in terms of religion and language, confusion still prevails with regard to the groups
that can be considered as minorities. The main themes of this paper are How minority issues
affected the whole Politics? How does communal violence related with minorities? Is minorities
use as benefits for politics? Is religious minority parallel to other types of minority groups? Can
we consider minorities are success of Indias democracy? The definition of the minority is any
section of citizens uses the distinct culture and language. Although the Constitution categorizes
minorities in terms of religion and language, confusion still prevails with regard to the groups
that can be considered as minorities. The concept of minority does not essentially lead to
statically minority. For example, women are half of the population but are often admitted as
minority groups.

Introduction
India is a country of huge religious diversity and the constitution which has been claim the term
Secularism. The constitution of India guaranteed to the minorities of their social, legal and basic
human rights. Politics is very much influenced by the minority groups. Minority plays crucial
role in politics and the role of minority also raise the question of religion in politics and the role
of minority covered behind the majority. Basically the minority based on the some of religions
such as Muslims, Buddhists Zoroastrians, jains, Christians and Sikhs. India established a national
commission for minorities which was set up by national commission for minorities 1992. In

India the division of minority and majority led the division in the religion and some sections of
the Hindu and Muslim communities used religion as their purpose only. The very recent example
how religion used as tool is politics that beef lynching and the root of every election campaign
based on the religion.

Major Arguments

Is politics without minority possible?

Is separate minority party can help in the condition of minority?
How communal violence related with minorities?
How minority issues affected the whole politics?
Can we consider India as secular state, in context of religious minority?
Why India only focus on religious minority?

Politics without minority possible

Politics without minority considered as means without end (means minority). Minority is very
essential for politics, without support of minority politics can not succeed. Examples, in the year
of 2004 and 2009 with the support of minority, congress won the elections and these Elections
held among major players and minority play key role in the outcome of elections, to Lok Sabha
and Assembly in the state since 2004. Congress had contested 2004 elections with Telangana
Rashtra Samithi (TRS) as well as alliance with two left parties and BJP contested with Telugu
Desam Party (TDP) together. Congress alliance polled 50.77 % against 41.53% secured by BJPTDP. In the 2009 congress contested alone while TDP contested with two left parties and TRS.
Congress had turnout 38.95 % of total valid votes, the Grand alliance of TDP won 33.92%.The
vastness of the minority Christian and Muslim vote led the congress won in both the elections
(2004-2009). Thus with this example we can considered that minority play important role in the
politics. Even in the USA with the support of minority, Obama wins the elections in 2008-2012.
This is true that in the two big northern states of the U.P. and Bihar no political party can win
without Muslim support.

Separate minority party can help in the condition of minority

I had survey in Muslims areas they are complaining that they as minorities mistreated in India.
They want the separate minority party which can help to improve the condition of minority. Mr.
Asaduddin Owaisi says about the issue is disempowerment of Muslims and socio-economic
problems. From 1962 to 2009 there have been 3,108 out of this 119 were Muslims MLAs elected
in Maharashtra. The political representation of Muslims is 3.8% only. But according to me, that
is not solution to make separate minority party because this led the division of the society,
instead have to promote positive attitudes towards government and increase encouragement
among minorities for political participation and also increased the harmony among the societies.
This also led the alienation of minority from the majority community.

Communal violence related with minorities

India faced 58 communal attacks per month in the last five years and 85 per cent of these
incidents happened only in 8 states. Attacks against minorities particularly Muslims and
Christian increased in past year in India. During this period, US Commission for International
Religious freedom (USCIRF) received reports that harassment against minorities as well as
communal violence increased in India .the condition of Christians more harassment and violence
in states that have anti conversion laws. And more than 1,000 incidents of hate crimes and
violence reported against the Christian community. On the other side conditions of Muslims are
same and also high incidents of harassment as well as communal violence. According to data,
3365 total number of communal incidents happened in India from 2011 to 2015. According to
me this is more than worse thing, its not about just Muslims, Christians and Hindu, its about the
whole community or whole society who faced these problems because of the religions issues and
some of the selfish interest of particular community. Especially the children and women faced

more problems in these kinds of incidents.

Data of the communal violence

900

823

800
668

700
600

644

650

580

500
400
300
200
100
0
2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

In India total number of states 35 and only 8 states that faced communal incidents in the country.
1)Gujarat , 2) Bihar , 3)Karnataka, 4) Madhya Pradesh , 5) Rajasthan, 6)Kerala , 7)Uttar
Pradesh ,8) Maharashtra and interesting thing is that these states ruled by different parties such as
Congress , BJP,SP ,BSP and NCP. These states divided into two groups such as BJP( Madhya
Pradesh , Gujarat ,Rajasthan, Maharashtra )and non-BJP( Bihar ,Karnataka, Kerala ,Uttar
Pradesh). Yes the responsibility of these communal violence or incidents upon the respective
state governments and also the central government have to promote communal harmony to
states. The respective states have to watch out the law enforcement agencies regarding these
incidents and take legal actions, wherever is necessary.

Minority issues affected the whole society

Basically 3 main problems of the minorities:

i.

Identity problem rose because of distinction in history, background and socio-cultural

practices, minorities have to struggle with the issues of identity, so they faced problem

ii.

with the adjustment of majority.

Security problem emerged because of the different identity and small number of groups
of society emerged the feeling of insecurity and well being of their life. The issues of

iii.

insecurity develops when relations among majority and minority not cordial.
Equity problem develops when particular community faced the discrimination in the
society.

These problems led the alienation among the Muslims as well as Christians in India.

India as secular state

Religion is a complex term in India though India declared as a secular state. The constitution of
India guaranteed to the minorities of their social, legal and basic human rights, still they are
treated as prejudice by the majority community. The minorities of India also victims of poor
performance representation in police, administrative and other institutions. The constitution of
India did not define the term minorities, its just define as linguistic as well as religious
minorities. In order to countering the Hindutva movement of 1990s, congress led the coalition
government and makes some social policies. The coalition government came into power since
2004, make policy and retrieve the trust to the religious minorities in India as secular state. This
step was necessary to the members of the minority communities especially the Christian and
Muslims, who considered themselves as emotionally shaken and insecure.

India only focus on religious minority

The term minorities considered very large phenomena and includes religious, Ethnic or racial,
gender and sexuality minorities. But in Indian constitution mainly focus on the linguistic and
especially religious minorities and led down the rights only for religious minorities. The national
commission of minoritys act 1992 led five religious communities such as Christian, Muslims,
Buddhists, Sikhs, and Zoroastrians. In article 29 of the constitution led the protection of the
interest of the minorities and in article 30 consisted all minorities whether based on religion or
language shall have the right to establish and administer educational institution of their choice.
While in the United Nations of America the minorities groups are racial, ethnic, linguistic and
religious minority. Indias politics mainly focus on religious issues, somewhere in India religions
are core in the politics, can not separate the politics from religion .now religion is use as the tool
for everything in politics especially.

Conclusion
Both the concept politics as well as the minorities linked up with the religions. This is true
somewhere that the condition of the minority marginalized or the rule behind the majority. In the
improvement of the condition of the minority led some steps. The Rajinder Sachar committee,
make a report on social, economic and educational conditions of Muslims community of India.
The focus of the government is to improve the educational level of minorities. The Affirmative
Action is the policy of favor to the disadvantaged groups who basically struggle or suffer in their
history. State Government will be advised to give special consideration and priority to minorities
in recruitment of State Government personnel, civil and police, by including representatives from
minority communities in all Selection Committees constituted for selection of all such posts.