Why Every Issue Isn’t a Political Issue
We live in a very divisive world — there are rights, lefts, centers, and just about everything in between. We are divided by borders, caste, creed, race, gender, and now by our political affiliations, too. But here’s the thing — there are a lot of issues in the world that actually have nothing to do with the side we pick when we are divided.
But that’s exactly what is happening today. So, if today I announce on my social media timeline that I am concerned about climate change, I am automatically branded a ‘liberal’. Why? Isn’t it true that this summer in Chennai, locals were praying for a little bit of rain? Or how Mumbai was reeling under a deluge? Plus, in 2018–19, as many as 2,400 Indians lost their lives to extreme weather events such as floods and cyclones, and this is data from the environment ministry. This wasn’t a cause of anyone’s political affiliations but solely induced by all of us through our wasteful lifestyle.
It’s the same with the current state of our economy. India’s economic slowdown is showing no signs of abating. According to media reports, a sizeable number of indicators of domestic demand are still flashing red. The automobile sector witnessed its worst July sales in decades. Plus, with the US-China trade war, global sentiments have remained poor, making the prospects of an export-led growth quite bleak. While some can be attributed to domestic policies, and others to international conflicts, none of it is a result of any particular person’s political affiliation. Because ultimately, it is going to take all of us down, isn’t it? So, isn’t the need of the hour to look for a feasible solution backed by solid Economics, rather than politics?
Another glaring example of this orthodox polarization of politics is the infamous Unnao rape case. It’s only after being faced with public outrage that the BJP expelled its jailed Uttar Pradesh lawmaker Kuldeep Sengar from the party, who was accused of raping a minor girl from Unnao two years ago and killing two members of her family. While this step should have been taken two years ago, what is even more disheartening to see is people comparing which political regime saw more rape incidents during its rule. Rape is an issue of crime against women, and that is how it should be viewed and tackled. Better policies and stricter enforcement of laws. Period.
India is perhaps the most diverse country in the world, and it is only fair for people to have differing opinions. However, not all views on divisive issues, especially the ones that have significant national importance, should be based on any one political point of view or political party. Accusing anyone of parroting a particular political view without actually understanding why they think so assumes that the person is naïve, and makes us even more divisive. It’s time to stop tainting every issue with the color of politics. Because otherwise no matter what political party, race, class, caste or gender you belong to, we’ll all end up only getting the raw end of the deal.
