Yogendra Yadav: Republic of India is under threat, every citizen should pitch in

Hyderabad: The Republic of India is under threat, said Yogendra Yadav, as he started his public talk on ‘Challenges to Democracy & Constitutional Values: Role of Citizens & Institutions’ at OU Arts College on Friday.

“When people accepted the Republic of India, they agreed to follow a set of common values which guaranteed equality under a socio-economic order upheld by a government chosen through free and fair elections. That Republic is being dismantled from within,” he said.

Yogendra Yadav is a political thinker and the national convenor of Bharat Jodo Abhiyan. Calling the ensuing 2024 General Elections as India’s ‘most unfair and unequal election period ever,' Yogendra Yadav discusses recent incidents that have threatened Constitutional principles.

“A PM calls the largest minority of 20 crores people ‘ghuspaithiya’ in public with no repercussions. The ED (Enforcement Directorate) has become synonymous with conducting raids on Opposition leaders. The government’s PIB (Press Information Bureau) decides to fact-check and certify what is fake news and what is not. Isn’t this censorship?” asked Yogendra Yadav.

“It is like changing the referee in the last minute while a new one is appointed by the competing team,” he said, referring to the election commissioner Arun Goel quitting a week before the elections.

‘Bring change within your circles’

“The only way to bring change in a democratic society is by participating in politics. Even if the highest judiciary in the country fails to uphold Constitutional values, it is the duty of the public to stand up to authority,” Yogendra Yadav said.

When asked by a student whether it is really possible for a common person to go against authority because of the risks to life and livelihood, Yogendra Yadav said that he doesn’t want anyone to go to jail. “But people have to take it seriously. It is everyone’s right and duty to safeguard the values enshrined in the Constitution.”

He said people can start by spreading the message at home and friends. He advised people to make people within their circles think by forwarding them information about the latest political and social developments and challenging them to question every WhatsApp being forwarded to them.

“Every dictator in the world fears jokes,” he said while talking about how even political memes can help put the government in check. “Everyone needs to come together and catch the hand of the person who is lighting the fire and bringing divisions on the basis of religion and caste,” he added.

‘India has civilisational resources’

When asked by a PhD scholar if he is simplifying the issue by comparing years of groundwork done by divisional forces to sharing videos and memes, Yogendra Yadav replied that while it is true short-term goals take precedence, complete change can only happen in the long run when changes in ‘ideological culture’ take place for the better.

“The long-term solution to the issue is making Constitutional values such as Liberty and Equality accessible to everyone, which the older generation has failed to do so. The short-term challenge in our hands now is to make sure people only elect parties and leaders who promise to work under the umbrella of the Constitution,” he said.

He also said that people need not be intellectuals to take on the system. “Our country has lots of civilisational resources and insight from intellectuals such as Buddha and Narayana guru to challenge divisional forces,” he said.

I am not against making changes to the Constitution,” Yogendra Yadav said while answering a person’s question about whether making changes to keep up with the present times is wrong. “But I am against tinkering with the basic philosophy and fundamental principles embedded in the Constitution which is happening right now.”

When NewsMeter asked him about a better way the Union government could have handled Kejriwal’s case, he said that Kejriwal’s arrest, at this time during the elections, is questionable as there are no grounds for arrest. "If there needs to be basic evidence of some kind, then why not half of PM Modi’s Cabinet after all the evidence that has come up with the electoral bonds," he said.

Yogendra Yadav and the volunteers from Bharat Jodo Abhiyan present such as Kiran Kumar Vissa asked people to join the movement being led by civil society members. Social activists Falia of TDWU, Manjula of GUTS, Sister Lissy, professor Sukumar, advocate Seshagiri Rao and others were also present at the talk.

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