It has been a common refrain through the years that elections should be held on ‘real issues’ such as public amenities, education, medical care, infrastructure development, etc., and not on matters that divide people on the basis of religion, ethnicity, caste, etc. It may also be claimed that, essentially, electoral mandates have tended to incline towards overall social and economic progress. However, on occasion, there has been voting on the basis of what may be termed as incendiary issues.
The political campaigns underway at present for the Mumbai BMC, for instance, have regressed to the most narrow identity distinctions that go against the established cosmopolitan nature of that city. There was a time when locals felt overwhelmed and the Shiv Sena came to the forefront under Bal Thackeray to assert Maratha pride. He was able to maintain a focus on the essentials of his movement and kept tight control on the impact it had on society. Unfortunately, those who lay claim to his legacy do not seem to have these qualities. As always in dynastic politics, the belief that merely being related by blood to the leader provides a true understanding of the ideology has been the undoing of ‘heirs’ Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray. Having been decimated in the Assembly polls, they are unable to rethink their strategy. It is their desperate belief that the ‘reunification’ of the Uddhav led Sena and Raj’s MNS will bring back support on the basis of Marathi identity. But is that what the Mumbaikars want?
This siege mentality has been more successful in Tamil Nadu where emphasis on Dravidian identity has witnessed successes when the opposition has been divided. It must be noted that such ideological positions succeed only when the development indices are positive. Who cares about which tunes the leaders are dancing to if the common person’s life is benefited by good governance? When this trend reverses, caste and community have much less impact. The recent elections in Bihar are an example of this, where people comfortably chose development over identity.
Of late, there has been a rise in identity based politics in Uttarakhand, also. It can only hope for success if the Dhami Government fails to deliver on the essentials. While the opposition in various states cannot be faulted for picking on high-voltage events that capture the people’s attention, it cannot substitute for the basics of politics – updating ideology in tune with present reality and working on building cadre and organisational structure. Sadly, most politicians do not have the ability to work that hard. Stoking divisions is easier.
