Nobel laureate and esteemed economist Amartya Sen recently remarked that the results of the recent Lok Sabha elections indicate that India is not a ‘Hindu Rashtra’. His comments came during an interview with a Bengali news channel at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata upon his arrival from the United States on Wednesday evening.
“That India is not a Hindu Rashtra only has been reflected in the election results,” Sen asserted.
The 90-year-old economist also voiced his concern over the continued practice of detaining individuals without trial, a method rooted in British colonial rule. According to Sen, this practice has become more prevalent under the BJP government compared to previous Congress administrations.
“We always hope to see a change after every election. Some of what happened earlier (during the BJP-led central government) like putting people behind bars without trial, and widening the gap between the rich and poor, are still continuing. That must stop,” he emphasized.
Highlighting the need for political open-mindedness in a secular nation like India, Sen remarked, “I do not think the idea of turning India into a Hindu Rashtra is appropriate.”
Sen also critiqued the new Union cabinet, describing it as a mere replica of the previous one. “The ministers continue to hold similar portfolios. Despite a slight reshuffle, the politically powerful are still powerful,” he noted.
Reflecting on his childhood during British rule, Sen recounted the arbitrary imprisonments that occurred. “When I was young, many of my uncles and cousins were put in jail without trial. We had hoped that India would be free from this. Congress is also to blame for the fact that this did not stop. They didn’t change it… But, this is more in practice under the present government,” he said.
Sen also commented on the BJP’s loss of the Faizabad Lok Sabha seat despite the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. He criticized the efforts to transform India into a ‘Hindu Rashtra’, which he felt neglected the true identity of the country.
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“… Building the Ram Temple spending so much money… to portray India as a ‘Hindu Rashtra’ should not have happened in the country of Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. It shows an attempt to neglect India’s true identity, and it must change,” he asserted.
Sen also addressed the rising issue of unemployment in India and urged more attention towards crucial sectors like primary education and primary healthcare which have largely been neglected.
