LS poll results reject ‘Hindu Rashtra’ notion, says Amartya Sen

NEW DELHI: Economist and Nobel Laureate

Amartya Sen

on Wednesday claimed that the recently concluded Lok Sabha election results proves the point that India is not a ‘

Hindu Rashtra

‘.
“That India is not a ‘Hindu Rashtra’ only has been reflected in the election results,” Sen told a Bengali news channel at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata.
“We always hope to see a change after every election. Some of what happened earlier (during the BJP-led central government) like putting people behind bars without trial, and widening the gap between the rich and poor, are still continuing. That must stop,” he said.
“I do not think the idea of turning India into a ‘Hindu Rashtra’ is appropriate,” he added.

The renowned economist expressed his belief that India, being a secular nation with a secular Constitution, should maintain an open-minded approach in politics.
“I do not think the idea of turning India into a ‘Hindu Rashtra’ is appropriate,” Sen said.
He also commented on the new Union cabinet, stating that it closely resembles the previous one, with ministers holding similar portfolios.
“Despite a slight reshuffle, the politically powerful are still powerful,” he added.

Sen shared his memories of India under British rule, when people were imprisoned without trial. “When I was young, many of my uncles and cousins were put in jail without trial. We had hoped that India would be free from this. Congress is also to blame for the fact that this did not stop. They didn’t change it… But, this is more in practice under the present government,” the Nobel laureate said.
On BJP‘s loss in the Faizabad Lok Sabha seat despite the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Sen argued that attempts were made to overshadow the country’s true identity.
“Building the Ram Temple, spending so much money to portray India as a ‘Hindu Rashtra’, which should not have happened in the country of Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. It shows an attempt to neglect India’s true identity, and it must change,” he said.