NEW DELHI, 6 May 2004 — If as exit polls suggest the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government is pushed out of power in India, would that mark a victory for Indian secularism? At one level, it would. If the NDA is defeated, there is little doubt that in the other camp Congress would have largest number of seats. Yet Congress leader Sonia Gandhi is not finding sufficient supporters willing to be led by her.
But if they have been able to accept Sonia as the leader of the opposition, could they not bring themselves to accept her at the head of a government? Political reality relies on the numerical lead of Congress. It follows that its leader should lead the government.
To say that a prospective “third front” is needed because Sonia is politically “naïve” and is of “foreign” origin misses the point.
Because of a declared aversion to politics, Sonia refused Congress leadership when it was offered to her in 1991 following the death of her husband, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. She joined active politics in the late 90s, when Congress was in the doldrums. Since then, Congress has gradually been retrieving its lost political ground.
Sonia was originally against a coalition government, guided by the presumption that Congress would be able to secure a sweeping majority on its own. But of late, Congress leaders have time and again expressed their willingness to form a coalition.
If the grassroots have willingly placed their confidence in Sonia, what is preventing party leaders from supporting her as the head of a new government?
Is it because she is Italian-born? That has not prevented her from becoming Congress leader and a parliamentarian.
Despite holding an Indian passport, Sonia Gandhi appears to stand isolated. Her handicap is that she is a foreign-born Christian. Had she been a Hindu, the foreign-born label would have probably mattered little. Her political disadvantage rests on her religious identity.
Though Sonia has gone overboard to display herself as a typical Indian Hindu woman, from performing Hindu rituals prior to filing her nomination papers to adopting Hindu religious symbols, the tougher part is securing the support of other parties, who still largely consider her a Christian.
Constitutionally, India is a secular democracy with Indian citizens of each race, caste, class and religion having equal political rights. But India’s 85 percent Hindu majority is wary of having a Christian prime minister. So far only Hindus have been elected to the position.
Sonia was apparently conscious of this stark political reality right from the beginning. The nature of Indian politics, overburdened with religious concerns, has largely prompted her to evade a direct reply to the question of whether she could take over as the prime minister. The BJP has always projected this as a sign that Congress lacks leadership.
Not surprisingly, Sonia has begun preparations for her own son Rahul to take over party leadership in near future. Down the road, when the next general election comes around, his own religious identity will not be in question. Secularism could win if, undaunted by the refusal of other parties to support her as prime minister, Sonia decides to support or join them in power to block the return of the BJP government. A victory of Indian secularism cannot be achieved by simply reducing the lead of communal forces. It demands that equal importance is given to people hailing from all religions, castes, classes and ranks.
If the anti-BJP camp against all expectations decides to support Congress leadership with Sonia at the helm, it would be reaffirmation of Indians commitment to secularism.
