The majesty of democracy

The Congress victory from the rear has been a stunner. It has proved wrong the forecasts of exit pollsters, media projections of likely scenarios, and even the trading of claims and counter-claims between major political parties in the fray. The arm-chair urbane calculations missed out on the typically low profile internally heaving rural psyche of anti-incumbency. The benefits of the new boom economy didn't reach the poor masses who felt left out in the so-called near double-digit growth figure. Thus, despite the slogans of "shining India," the Razzmatazz India, by BJP, it is the real India living in its villages that has spoken. The BJP's "slightly saffronised" electoral campaign strategy didn't pay the desired dividend, because it didn't match with its playing of the Hindutva card during its actual incumbency. The unsettling effect of the Gujarat carnage on Hindu-Muslim equation, the BJP's position on the highly sensitive Ayodhya mosque-temple tangle, the party's failure to distance itself from the extremist philosophy of RSS, Bajrang Dal and Shiv Sena, and the changes made in the history text books impacted negatively on the BJP's fortunes beyond its hard core vote banks.

It is thus as much a triumph of the rural poor as a victory of the secularist forces. The Congress and the Left have registered a strong showing, something that eluded them in the previous elections.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

Ever since BJP came to power, secularism was on the wane in India, feeding fundamentalist forces in the region. Through this election, the Indian masses can be said to have rejected religion-based politics and dealt, hopefully, a fatal blow to religious fundamentalism, prejudice, and the culture of intolerance.

We pay a tribute to the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and the intrepid campaigning by Congress leaders. It is a true measure of Sonia's success that despite the controversy over her foreign origin and the virtual writing of her political obituaries by many, her leadership has received such resounding public acceptance.

We congratulate the people of India on their speaking out in such a decisive fashion, the election commission for conducting such a gigantic election with the least of violence, the maturity of the political parties, especially the BJP-led alliance, for accepting the defeat gracefully.

Let's not forget, BJP remains a strong factor in Indian politics with its tally of seats in parliament as a single party. Its providing a stable government in India for nearly five years, its push to economic growth next only to that of China, and Vajpayee's ground-breaking initiative in improving ties with Pakistan remain the hallmarks of the past government, which the new government should build on.

We welcome the new Indian government in advance, and look forward to closer and rewarding relations with the new leadership.