Polarisation politics has its limits, people of India know when and how to correct excess
India is an overwhelmingly religious country, with many faiths coexisting cheek by jowl; Hindus constitute some 80% of the population, and Muslims, at over 14%, are the biggest minority. Expectedly, in a competitive parliamentary democracy, where every vote counts in a first-past-the-post system, using religion for electoral gain is a temptation which no political party has been able to resist.
In the early decades after 1947, there were clear attempts to appease the Muslim minority. The en bloc vote that this could ensure, often became the crucial difference between winning and losing a seat.
To be fair, this sensitivity to Muslim concerns was partly also borne from a desire to make them feel secure, especially after the severely bruising religious riots during Partition. However, many actions were simply motivated by the cynical need of winning – or not losing – the electoral support of Muslims.
In the early decades after 1947, there were clear attempts to appease the Muslim minority. The en bloc vote that this could ensure, often became the crucial difference between winning and losing a seat.
To be fair, this sensitivity to Muslim concerns was partly also borne from a desire to make them feel secure, especially after the severely bruising religious riots during Partition. However, many actions were simply motivated by the cynical need of winning – or not losing – the electoral support of Muslims.