Narendra Modi has achieved a landslide victory but it is his majoritarian politics that has become a source of anguish and concern. The dangers of majoritarian politics were best explained by Jawaharlal Nehru at the meeting of the AICC in May 1958: “Communalism of the majority is far more dangerous than communalism of the minority.” He noted that communalism is a part of our society and explained why Hindu communalism was far more dangerous. “When the minority communities are communal, you can see that and understand it. But the communalism of a majority community is apt to be taken for nationalism.” This is the danger we are facing today. It was Mahatma Gandhi who also said: “You represent the vast ocean of Indian humanity.” He added, “India does not belong to Hindus alone.” These are prophetic reminders for the BJP.
N.G.R. Prasad,
K.K. Ram Siddhartha,
Chennai
