Abandoned, unwanted, and grossly underrepresented is how religious minorities, including Christians, feel in the western Indian state of Gujarat — Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state.
The alienation is so complete that the majority of Christians or Muslims living here are resigned to their fate as second-class citizens in this “model state” that owes much to Modi’s development-oriented governance as its chief minister from 2001 to 2014.
The marginalized communities make no bones about their disillusionment with both the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress, which swears by secular-liberal values but practices a softer version of “Hindutva” (Hindu nationalism).
Naturally, the minorities are seething with anger at being sys-tematically reduced to irrelevance — it is as if they do not matter in Gujarat. With the provincial assembly polls round the corner, their political fate hangs in the balance.
There is little hope or assurance of adequate political re-presentation for Christians or Muslims here. And there is little or no other option.
The Aam Aadmi Party, which rose from the ashes of a nationwide anti-corruption crusade in 2012 and rules Delhi and Punjab in the north, has entered the fray and forged an alliance with the Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTS), headed by tribal strong-man Chhotu Vasava, himself a legislator.
“Census figures show Christians barely form 0.50 percent of Gujarat’s 63 million people; but their numbers in about 10 assembly segments, especially in the southern tribal belt”
But Christians, who have sizable numbers in the tribal belt of South Gujarat, are keeping their fingers crossed when it comes to the number of nominations they could expect for their co-religionists.
The BJP never bothered to grant the Christian community adequate representation in the state assembly election, while the Congress indulges in mere tokenism — repeating the nomination of the lone Christian candidate, Punaji Gamit, for the last four terms.
Even Gamit’s nomination stands threatened due to a campaign by pro-Hindu forces, but Congress would still like to ride on his successful run so far.