Subversion: The central word in today’s right-wing politics
Two cases, in a matter of weeks, showed us that key democratic elements like public opinion, mandate, or in more layman terms, a conversation/discussion with relevant parties are being eradicated drastically.
The first case was in India where the BJP government scrapped Article 370 and 35A overnight in a move to incorporate Jammu and Kashmir. In the process, political leaders were put on house arrest while the entire state was silenced. This was the subversion of a country’s citizens in a decision which will have a colossal impact on their lives.
What happened in the United Kingdom (UK) in the end of August was another interesting case of subversion. The new Prime Minister, Boris Johnson decided to suspend the parliament from mid-September in a bid to stop any chances of the opposition and other lawmakers avoid a “no deal” Brexit.
This is the subversion of a country’s most pivotal political institution. The parliament is where public sentiments, opinions are discussed and can potentially arrive at a legal fruition. If the parliament house is empty, then it is just voices we are hearing on the streets. The political leaders who want to represent these voices are no longer able to do so. They are being thwarted by their own political system and a monarch who seems to be deaf to the cries of her own subjects.
What makes this case more interesting is that the UK government is trying to implement a referendum result which was voted upon by their citizens. This fact is clear as day that the British people wanted to separate from the European Union (EU).
However, the beauty of democracy is that even a stringent law or a straightforward referendum result can be subject to change if the public opinion swings the other way. The referendum result was hardly straightforward as “Leave” barely crossed over the line with 51.9% as opposed to “Remain” with 48.1%.
The government of a democratic country is entitled to hear their citizens and act accordingly. During the Theresa May regime, we saw this swing in public opinion where there were talks of a second referendum. Although it did not happen, this signaled a disillusionment within the people towards May’s fallacies in striking a deal with EU. The dismay of the people, a lack of support from the parliament, and failure to reach an understanding with the opposition Labor Party, finally got the better of May who resigned some months back.
It is public knowledge that Boris Johnson is pro-Brexit. However, one could think that he would consider May failing’s as a lesson and at least analyze the situation and have a conversation about the same. Before Boris, we could hear talks about Brexit in the halls of the parliament. As long as there’s a dialogue, democracy is alive. In a matter of weeks, Boris has muted this dialogue and along with it, any hope for the people and the opposition to prevent the country from a potential “no-deal” Brexit on October 31.
I used the term “right-wing” in the title, but I didn’t even perceive the Conservatives to be a thoroughly right-wing party; until now and this is why. There is an eerie similarity in the narrative of Brexit and the scrapping of Article 370.
In the former, whenever we heard May speak about Brexit, she said that it was something “the British people” wanted and it was her duty to carry out their demand. However, it was the same “British people” who also expressed their discontent to which she turned a deaf ear. It is the same “British people” who have now been silenced by her successor.
In India’s case, the narrative by the government and certain media outlets was that Kashmir is now “integrated.” Here, the people of the concerned state are under lockdown.
In both cases, the narrative is shrouded with false patriotism, veiled nationalism, where the respective governments are justifying their actions as a duty towards their nations. These are aspects which are the cornerstones of right-wing ideology.
We are in a time where the word “subversion” is the order of the day. Be it the parliament in UK or the people of Jammu and Kashmir in India. When the government is resorting to deliberate and strategic gagging, democracy is not and won’t flourish.
