Economist Amartya Sen Says Lok Sabha Polls Showed India Not Hindu Rashtra (image-twitter/NobelPrize)
Economist and Nobel laureate Amartya Sen on Wednesday asserted that the Lok Sabha polls indicate India is not a ‘Hindu Rashtra’. After arriving from the United States, while talking to media at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Sen expressed his disappointment over the “continuation” of putting people behind bars without trial.
The economist asserted that there is no need to be politically open-minded when India is a secular country with a secular constitution.
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“I do not think the idea of turning India into a ‘Hindu Rashtra’ is appropriate…That India is not a ‘Hindu Rashtra’ only has been reflected in the election results,” Sen told the media.
The 90-year-old went on to express his displeasure over several leaders being put behind bars without any trials. He recalled his childhood days, during the British rule, when people were jailed despite any trials.
“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 continuing. That must stop,” he said.
Sen blamed the Congress and present BJP government for the situation that occurred during those times.
He said that when he was young, many of his uncles and cousins were put in jail without trial and thus Sen hoped that India would be free from this after independence. However, the practice never stopped and has become frequent under the present government.
According to Sen, the new union Cabinet is the “copy” of the earlier one as the ministers continue to hold similar portfolios. “Despite a slight reshuffle, the politically powerful are still powerful,” he said.
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Sen also said that unemployment was on the rise in India, and sectors like primary education and primary healthcare were being neglected. He further added that the BJP lost the Ayodhya seat in Faizabad despite building the Ram Temple as an attempt to overshadow the country’s true identity.
