When the people are on the street expressing their disquiet and anger against the government, the Opposition must treat this as an opportunity, not as a threat
The meeting of the INDIA bloc on June 8 reminded us of the exigency of our times: The Opposition needs a reset. Not the kind debated over the last few days. We don’t need personalised blame games. Or a tired parade of loyalty. We don’t need to search for nirvana in every small opening. Or to drum up a conspiracy behind every opportunity. We need an Opposition that is at once positive and energetic, imaginative and proactive. Yes, we need a unity of the Opposition. But more than that, we need a renewal of the Opposition. We need it now, more than ever before. Our republic could be facing the capture of democracy by seemingly democratic means. Constitutionally mandated democratic options are fast receding. Yet, a crack has opened at this moment of consolidation of total power. Loktantra offers a narrow but real opening: The simmering pot of lok has begun to bubble, just as the lid of tantra has been sealed tight. The future is unpredictable and uncharted. It is too early to judge how prepared the INDIA coalition is to face this challenge. This contradictory moment casts a historic responsibility on the Opposition. It calls for the highest form of integrity, statesmanship and political judgement. The politics of opposition needs a paradigm shift that goes beyond electoral competition, from a politics of regaining state power to a politics of reclaiming the republic. This requires a radical shift in approach — redefining the Opposition, rethinking Opposition unity, and reimagining what it means to do oppositional politics. This demands recognising an operational shift in the site of politics to ground mobilisation at the grassroots. The first step in that direction is of course the reinvigoration of the INDIA bloc comprising the major Opposition parties. A challenge to this regime has to begin with the existing Opposition and its existing leadership. It is pointless to debate the merits or otherwise of this leader or that, unless there is a viable alternative on the horizon. The formation of the INDIA coalition was a big step forward towards checking the BJP in the run-up to the 2024 elections. It has been a downhill journey since then. The BJP’s staggering victories in the state assembly elections, followed by wrecking of the opposition parties with the help of state machinery, have contributed to falling morale in the opposition camp, accentuated by some self-inflicted wounds. A meeting of INDIA leaders was thus long overdue. This has resulted in the easing of some avoidable internal tensions. The promise of regular meetings and daily parliamentary coordination is a step in the right direction. But the action plan announced after the meeting is clearly not sufficient. The opposition must build on its success in blocking the Delimitation Bill and evolve a strategy to check the dismantling of constitutional institutions. This needs a meaningful connect with the opposition outside the INDIA bloc. The country is witnessing innumerable popular protests and peoples’ struggles. Some of these are led by peoples’ organisations of long standing that are ideologically opposed to the BJP-RSS. These include trade unions, farmers’ organisations and rights-based campaigns. Some of the more energetic ones are community-based movements — of Adivasis, Dalits, OBCs, nomadic communities and minorities — that may not be ideologically oriented. And then there are issue-based protests and struggles — against land acquisition, paper leaks, or corruption, for example — that may not be opposed to BJP rule as such. The challenge of building oppositional politics is not to filter these expressions of opposition for ideological purity or political correctness but to string them together effectively. This could help define the Opposition’s approach to the “Cockroach Janta Party”. It is a very powerful and innovative expression of the youth unrest brewing in the country. No more and no less. It is naive to build messianic hopes of political redemption on this fledgling outfit. And it is self-defeating to turn one’s back to youth protest due to some imagined conspiracies. When the people are on the street expressing their disquiet and anger against the government, the Opposition must treat this as an opportunity, not as a threat. The Opposition needs to build networks of critical proximity and not firewalls of suspicion with all such protests. The renewal of the Opposition cannot stop at bringing together all existing energies. It must involve reimagining the politics of opposition. First of all, opposition cannot be limited to a critique of the government, however pressing and valid. The country deserves to know the agenda of the INDIA coalition. A full manifesto can wait. But some flagship ideas and proposals need to be placed in the public domain. Second, its communication must not remain limited to press conferences, parliamentary speeches and statements. Peaceful and non-violent street protests, used by opposition parties of late, are more effective modes of popular communication. Third, the languages of communication need to shift from abstract constitutionalism to ones with cultural and emotional connect. For this, the Opposition needs to draw upon the rich legacy of Indian nationalism, our religious traditions and the multiple strands of cultural heritage embedded in our civilisation. Finally, the grammar of oppositional politics needs a radical shift. Factual refutation, logical critique and rational arguments are the bedrock of opposition to the empire of lies spawned by the ruling establishment. Yet memes, pranks, cartoons and satire are among the most effective tools of communication in abnormal times. History tells us that the bubble of authoritarian regimes bursts just when they think their domination is total. Provided there is someone ready to puncture it. The writer is member, Swaraj India, and national convenor, Bharat Jodo Abhiyaan. Views are personal
