“A crowd of one lakh people assembled on the Ramlila Maidan grounds at JP’s call, unnerving Gandhi, who imposed the Emergency in retaliation to stamp out any dissent.”
Is it the beginning of the turn of a tide or is it just a bubble that imbues hope and disappears even before it is noticed?
For several reasons, the opposition’s massive show of unity at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on March 31, ignites hopes. For one, it has rejuvenated the sagging morale of the opposition united under the umbrella of ‘INDIA’ Bloc. Secondly, it has infused the much-needed spirit of unity at a time when speculations are rife about how the opposition is teetering under the weight of seat adjustments in various parts of the country. In Jammu and Kashmir, where both the grand alliance and the local People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) have ended up being the subject of jokes, memes, and lampooning, the Abdullahs and Mehbooba Mufti sharing the dais and speaking in one voice signalled the possibility of a change in the narrative. Thirdly, it is difficult to ignore that the Ramlila Maidan is the birthplace of many strong political movements in the past that have changed the course of India’s history.
In 1975, Jayaprakash Narayan started his revolution, asking Indira Gandhi to step down as the prime minister, following the Allahabad High Court verdict that declared her election in 1971 null and void. A crowd of one lakh people assembled on the Ramlila Maidan grounds at JP’s call, unnerving Gandhi, who imposed the Emergency in retaliation to stamp out any dissent. In January 1977, when the Emergency was revoked and fresh elections announced, JP resumed his clarion call for unity of the opposition from the same site. Two months later, Indira who was deemed invincible and undefeatable was rejected by the electorate.
In 2011, the India Against Corruption movement led by Anna Hazare, created the momentum that led to the strengthening of the Hindu Right Wing and the emergence of Narendra Modi as the prime minister of the country in 2014. Ever since Modi has assumed a cult figure status and is even raised to the pedestal of divinity by his ardent followers but Anna Hazare – who captured the centre-stage in 2011 with his ‘clean image’ and ‘intolerance to corruption ‘mantra has slipped into the shadows forever. Neither Modi’s authoritarian streak that defies the principles of transparency and accountability that Anna Hazare pivoted his movement to, nor his government’s alleged involvement in scams has inspired the man against corruption to even whisper a whimper.
The month of March passed by like a whirlwind as the country was caught in the grips of the tsunami of horrifying revelations about the Electoral Bonds scheme – the largest consortium of scams that highlights the ugly corporate-political-bureaucratic nexus on an egregiously massive scale. Anna Hazare is still mute. But mercifully, the opposition is not. That is the message from the Ramlila Maidan but it is too early to presume this to be India’s moment of the dawn of a new era. But both in its articulation and its timing, the banner of revolt against the politics of majoritarianism and authoritarianism has the trappings of a revolutionary zeal. Can this moment be sustained and be carried forward to its logical conclusion?
The opposition has two choices. One is to partly buckle under the government’s authoritarian actions of unjustifiable arrests of politicians (like Arvind Kejriwal and Hemant Soren) and freezing of accounts of political parties (like the Congress), ahead of the elections and play the politics of defense. The second is to lead the narrative – with a vision of unity, democracy, and liberal values. While the first is an admission of defeat, the second is what has the potential to change public perceptions and ultimately be a harbinger of change. The opposition rally at Ramlila Maidan aligns with the idea of the latter.
If this event marks a change in the political narrative ahead of the elections, it is a small but significant beginning. Much will depend on how the opposition can continue to sustain the momentum with not just strong articulation of the message, united rallies, and mass contact programs but also more sensible seat-sharing formulae that ensure cohesion and pooling of resources. The unity of ‘INDIA’ is a response to the exceptional times. The strategies to fight have to be equally exceptional. The march forward requires, perseverance, persistence, patience, courage and caution.
It would be such a waste to let this present moment pass by like a dream sequence.
—–
