Reduce regional disparities to strengthen nationalism

DMK MP DNV Senthilkumar was rightly pulled up by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and party president MK Stalin for referring to Hindi-speaking states as ‘gaumutra’ states after the BJP’s victory in the Assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Speaking in the Lok Sabha last week, the MP had cited the electoral defeats of the BJP in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka and added that it was difficult for the party to succeed in the south. Eventually, he apologised for his comment, which was later expunged.

It is unacceptable that any MP should make a comment that hurts the sentiments of the people of any region or state of the country. Parliamentary proceedings can — and should — witness banter, for it shows the camaraderie within the political class even while its members oppose each other. However, offensive comments have no place in parliamentary proceedings. The DMK MP’s remark was not only offensive but also had adverse political implications for the INDIA bloc.

Expectedly, the BJP reacted very strongly to the remark and saw in it an attempt to create a north-south divide in the country. In respect of the south, while the BJP has lost Karnataka, it would have taken satisfaction at the increase in its vote share in Telangana. It is not as if the BJP has no support in the south. But the fact is that it is not in power in any of the southern states, while it is part of the ruling alliance in the union territory of Puducherry. At the same time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi evokes trust among a considerable section of the people of these states, especially on issues concerning national security.

The controversy generated by the DMK MP’s remark provides an occasion for an introspection on Indian nationalism. This is because regionalism may lie within the folds of nationalism. There is no doubt that the roots of the country’s nationalism have become resilient and strong since Independence. People in all regions are imbued with deep national emotions, which come to the fore especially when they feel that the country is confronting external danger.

While this is so, the political class has to be conscious that Indian nationalism has to be inclusive, respectful of all cultures, ways of life, languages and regional aspirations of a people who constitute one-sixth of humanity.

Also, nationalism will be strengthened if regional disparities in wealth and income are reduced. The same holds true for differences in the levels of human development in different parts of the country.

That is also what the seldom-discussed Directive Principles of State Policy of the Constitution highlight.

The political class and the people have largely forgotten that the Directive Principles are “fundamental in the governance of the country and it shall be the duty of the State to apply these principles in making laws”.

The Directive Principle contained in Article 38(2) notes: “The State shall, in particular, strive to minimise the inequalities in income, and endeavour to eliminate the inequalities in status, facilities and opportunities, not only among individuals but also amongst groups of people residing in different areas or engaged in different vocations.”

The word ‘areas’ obviously includes states. It is undeniable that pressures of various kinds and sentiments of different hues, some unhealthy, may arise on account of rising disparities among regions and states.

The political class is devising schemes to address the distress of the poor, including through direct transfer of money into their bank accounts. It is good that digital tools are being employed to ensure that the money so transferred is not siphoned off by middlemen.

The Central and state governments are also seeking to raise the skills of the poor so that they can get better quality employment.

While all this is being undertaken, what is being clearly ignored is the key objective of the Directive Principle of “minimising inequalities of income” among individuals and groups.

To do so through raising tax rates may not work. It can only be done through the spread of education and by bringing about attitudinal changes among the people. Those regions of the country which are forward-looking and seeking to fully harness the opportunities of the digital age, while not being obsessed with correcting the ‘wrongs of history’, are doing better in material terms.

Certainly, large sections of the people of southern states, perhaps because of their different historical experience and trajectory from the north, are not so burdened by a desire to correct communal, historical wrongs. Hence, their collective concerns are different from the country’s northern states. This distinction is also, inter alia, reflected in the election results. It is necessary for the political class to take note of these factors.

Naturally, there will be great differences in the concerns and preoccupations of states and regions on account of geographical factors, too. However, the wisdom contained in Article 38(2) requires all state governments and the Centre to adopt innovative policies so that all members of the Indian family feel that they are equally privileged, enjoy equal rights and have the potential to achieve equal prosperity. The slogan ‘the world is a family’has to begin with ‘India is a family’.

In addition, the surest way of ensuring that the Indian family remains healthy and caring for its members is through limiting disparities and imbuing its members with a forward-looking attitude.