The 2014 general elections saw a major shift in the political landscape of India. With parties taking the electoral stage by storm, a number of appeals by different personalities in academia and the media industry also saw an inorganic spike. A section of Bollywood taking a critical stand on Narendra Modi, had put out an appeal to vote against the BJP in the 2014 general elections. The appeal urged the voters to vote for a ‘secular party’.
Writer Arjun Rajabali , the man behind the appeal was joined by well-known artistes and filmmakers like Nandita Das, Shubha Mudgal, Mahesh Bhatt, Vishal Bhardwaj and Govid Nihalani among the signatories. They appealed: “The need of the hour is to protect our country`s secular foundation. Undoubtedly, corruption and governance are important issues, but we will have to vigilantly work out ways of holding our government accountable to that. However, one thing is clear: India`s secular character is not negotiable! Not now, not ever.”
Activist Teesta Setelvad and her husband Javed Anand had also signed the petition; Teesta and her Husband were in the spotlight for alleged involvement in NGO fund embezzlement.
However many senior personalities in Bollyywood had called the appeal a conspiracy and ‘unwarranted paranoia’. Director Madhur Bhandarkar tweeted, “Shocking to see some colleagues, under garb of stopping so-called divisive forces, are themselves dividing a secular place like Bollywood.
Shocking to see some colleagues , under garb of stopping so-called divisive forces, are themselves dividing a secular place like Bollywood.
— Madhur Bhandarkar (@imbhandarkar) April 16, 2014
“Let’s hope better sense prevails and our film industry elects Narendra Modi with a thumping majority. It’s time India got a visionary leader,” he said in another tweet.
Let's hope better sense prevails and our film industry elects @narendramodi with a thumping majority.It's time India got a visionary leader.
— Madhur Bhandarkar (@imbhandarkar) April 16, 2014
Connected to ground realities, the voters were successful in maneuvering around these appeals with prudence. In 2014, NDA won on a whopping 336 seats with the BJP scoring victory in 282 seats. Since then India has been seeing a number of attempts by different entities to discredit the Modi Government, which many have termed conspicuous and agenda driven.
The 2019 general elections are also seeing similar tactics by different groups. Over hundred members from the filmmakers community have come together to issue an appeal to the voters to vote against BJP in the ensuing general elections. A list which features mostly filmmakers misses out on big names to further churn the debate and discussion.
“Fascism threatens to strike us hard with all its might if we don’t choose wisely in the coming Lok Sabha election…They are now using mob lynching and cow vigilantism to split the country communally.” They said in the appeal, “Romanticizing and exploiting the armed forces is one of their strategies. Even at the risk of engaging the nation in an unnecessary war.” They also added
“We urge all of you to do everything in your capacity to keep this harmful regime from coming back to power. Let your mandate be to choose a government that respects the Constitution of India, protects our freedom of speech and expression, and refrains from all kinds of censorship”, read the appeal.
With the polling dates approaching, attempts by different groups to take on the political stage and make political appeals against or for any party is sure to hinder the spirit of the elections. Motivated or not these groups indicate towards political utilization of non government establishments to garner political and electoral benefits. The 2019 general elections will be seeing crores of voters exercising their franchise to seal the fate of the nation, such tactics which deviate from core issues and focus on unsubstantiated narratives is something Indian voters have to be wary for the 2019 general elections and the elections to come.
