Guest guest Posted June 19, 2004 Report Share Posted June 19, 2004 >BJP's new agenda for comeback >Prafull Goradia >The Pioneer >June 19, 2004 > >There is not much time for the BJP to put together its new programme >and, perhaps, a new manifesto for the next general election. Assembly >elections are due in Kerala, Tripura and West Bengal by May 2006. The >Left Front has to break with the Congress at the Centre well before >that. It must keep a margin of time so that the divorce is >advantageous to the Left in terms of voter appeal. The signals are >already ominous. The Left Front has not even endorsed the CMP, not to >speak of joining the Singh Government. > >In Kerala and Tripura, the Left have not allowed the Congress to win >a single Lok Sabha seat, while in West Bengal only six seats went to >the Congress. To retain the victories of 2004 in 2006, the Congress >will need a well-planned strategy and rare ruthlessness. If the Left >succeeds, it would have uprooted the Congress from the three states >for years to come. > >The BJP's Vision 2004 document is excellent, but to return to >Hindutva, some alterations would be required, and that would depend >on the opposition's strategy. A mere return to the temple issue would >be inadequate. In fact, temple issue should be left to the VHP. The >BJP should do well if it pursues the Uniform Civil Code, whose >potential is enormous. > >The Uniform Civil Code has little to do with either Hindutva or >Hinduism. In fact, it would be an epitome of secularism, for with it >in force, all the citizens of India become equal before the law. >Today, they are not. Muslim men can lawfully have four wives. No >other Indian male can do so. Here, it is pointless to bring in >Adivasi traditions and other caste customs which do not fall in line >with the Hindu Code Bill, for the simple reason that they do not >supersede the law of the land. Where necessary, such traditions and >customs should cease to be justiciable. No court of law should >entertain a petition or an appeal based on them. > >Similarly, the Sharia or the Muslim Personal Law need not be >prohibited. But no one should be allowed to go to court with its >support. A full-fledged campaign for the establishment of a uniform >civil code should begin with the BJP producing a draft bill based on >the virtues from the personal laws of all the religions in India. Its >basis should be borrowed from the Stasi Report on Secularism >submitted to the Government of France in December 2003. The French >Constitution is the only known constitution in the world which >explicitly sanctifies secularism. In 1905, a Republican law was >passed which separated the Church from the State. > >The cornerstone of French secularism rests on the three pillars, >namely, the freedom of conscience, equality of law for spiritual and >religious beliefs and neutrality of political power. To elucidate, >the laws of France do not permit the payment of salaries or subsidies >to religious groups. The rules of every public institution, whether a >school, hospital or an army unit, are supreme and no relaxation is >permissible on grounds of religion. If such rules are enforced in >India, imagine the degree of unity it would accomplish. > >Having proposed the introduction of a uniform civil code as a >specimen of secularism, it would be interesting to see its political >value. The Communists will have to keep quiet since their prophet >Karl Marx called religion "an opium of the masses" and Indian >Communists are proud to call themselves atheists. Then how can they >support the Sharia? Congressmen as well as their pseudo socialist >allies like the RJD and Samajwadi Party may allege that it is an >attempt by the parivar to impose Hindu rules on Muslims. > >If the draft Uniform Civil Code Bill is introduced as a private >member's legislation in the Lok Sabha by a prominent leader, it is >bound to kick off a debate. Hardly any political party could argue >against the bill. At best, the opposition might give lame excuses >like the time is not ripe or that the Muslims are not yet ready. >Nehru said that to Parliament in 1954 and Ms Gandhi would say so >again in 2004. True, the ulema would inveigh against the BJP; the >more they do the better for the cause. Muslim women, especially those >with a modern outlook, should be on this side of the bill. > >No matter how anti-BJP the media is, the issue is bound to get >debating space. No doubt, initially attempts would be made to hush up >the draft bill. But if the BJP persists with the cause, success is >bound to follow. The Constitution, morality, modernity, gender >justice, equality before law, world opinion, literally everything >should be on this side of the bill. > > > > >------------------------------- >This message was sent using IMP, the Internet Messaging Program. > > _______________ Make the most of your family vacation with tips from the MSN Family Travel Guide! http://dollar.msn.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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