Much to the relief of India, the CAB bill has been passed to give Indian citizenship to persecuted Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs and Zoroastrians of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
As a child of the 80s, 90s we have all been exposed to the stories of our violent, bloody partition. Serials like Tamas, movies like Train to Pakistan and much later 1947: Earth, exposed us to the sectarian violence unleashed during the days of Partition.
Then over the years, we heard the harrowing tales of actual refugees; of how members of many families were abducted, raped, butchered; of how men murdered their sisters, mothers to save them from fates worse than death; of how women committed suicide to save themselves from becoming sex slaves. For some of us, our visceral hatred for Congress and its lackeys has its source in the bloody partition of 1947.
CAB, naturally addresses the historical wrongs committed against people from these 6 communities, who were caught in the crossfire and have suffered over the years. At such times, when there has been some semblance of closure or normalcy given to people who have suffered over the decades since independence, one would expect celebrations across India, among largely sympathetic Indians. Instead, we find that there are certain sections of politicians, political parties and even some states protesting against it.
The political parties and politicians are doing this for their own limited political aspirations, never mind country or humanity. Time and time again they have shown a disdain for larger national, humanitarian goals. They would sacrifice the larger goals on the altar of their own personal ambitions. This much we have seen repeatedly play across India.
The congress party and its rag-tag gang of so-called “liberals” have quickly abandoned all vestiges of liberalism to oppose the CAB Bill, in service of their policy of appeasement. If one where to look back, the left certainly, the congress and the likes of TMC, have over the years, systematically worked towards changing the demographics of large tracts of India, by settling immigrants from only one minority community. By doing so they hoped that the growing numbers of that community would vote for them over the years.
This policy of appeasement has systematically angered the larger majority of Hindus living in the country. The results of which are visible in the political numbers swinging away from congress.
The worse, I am afraid is yet to come, since the mollycoddled community has a history of voting for hardcore members of its own community. So, over time the electoral pie of congress and similar minded parties will shrink, given that neither the appeased minorities, nor the aggrieved majority will vote for them. They will over time become the neither-here-nor-there Political party, if they haven’t already, condemned to stand for nothing and achieve nothing! The CAB bill protest is another quick step towards that inevitable future!
What is worse is that by aligning their state with narrow political agendas, the Assamese protesters too are allowing themselves to become cannon fodder!
Over the years we have been exposed to various levels of anti-outsider sentiments in Assam.
https://www.rediff.com/news/2003/nov/19assam.htm
https://frontline.thehindu.com/static/html/fl2401/stories/20070126002803200.htm
The current slogan championing Assam protest, reads: Assam for Assamese! A slogan that seems to suggest that non-Assamese have no place in Assam. If this was not funny enough what is even funnier that its championed by Assamese living in other parts of India.
The fact of the matter is that Assamese have made homes all over India. And while they have learnt to live AS RELUCTANT OUTSIDERS, their inability to live WITH OUTSIDERS is being noticed by people in other states, states that countless Assamese, including the champions of the protest, call home. Should these Assamese living outside Assam, and rejecting outsiders in Assam be given a similar treatment by their fellow Indians in states that they currently reside in? Should other states and their denizens force Assamese to stay in their ghettos in Assam, depriving them of a chance to pursue education, livelihood outside their home state? Would that be pretty? The protesters ought to remember this when they call for tolerance from others, cause what’s true for the goose is certainly true for the gander!
The political parties protesting CAB are beyond redemption at this point. They are trapped to chase ever diminishing returns and ever shrinking electorate. Student protesters in Assam would be well advised to not align their demands, futures with such parties, who are engaged in a rapid downward spiral. Their cultural demands can be met but their regional chauvinism cannot be condoned. This is a self-defeatist agenda at the very least!
