'Elections in Bihar, Bengal and TN will go our way; good prospects in Kerala too'
Let me give you some numbers to dispel the idea that we are caught in some low-income trap. The health budget was around Rs 37,000 crore in 2014. Now it's around Rs 1 lakh crore. The farm budget was about Rs 22,000 crore, it's Rs 1.37 lakh crore today.
Infrastructure? Up from Rs 2 lakh crore to Rs 11.21 lakh crore.
Over 10 years, we have provided 60 crore poor people with housing, cooking gas, electricity, drinking water, 5 kg of free rations, free medical care up to Rs 5 lakh. That's around 14 crore families lifted out of basic hardships, something no government could do in 75 years.
We didn't look at things in isolation. Take our integrated approach to a sector like health. When we said we would build toilets under Swachh Bharat, people thought it was just a slogan. But it was directly linked to health. Then Nal Se Jal. No one realises that addresses the problem of fluoride-contaminated water for every household.
We brought a scheme for affordable medicines. Whether cancer, blood pressure or diabetes, medicines are now available at 20 per cent of their original cost. We made vaccinations for kids free. We've redesigned the malnutrition programme. From anganwadi to Class 9, the child is tracked and supported. We stopped 13 crore firewood-based cooking systems to improve women's health.
For years, only slogans were raised based on ideology. But what did they do? Just got articles published in English?
Q: Why are we still fighting over language and medium of education?
There's no fight as far as we are concerned. We have a firm policy: India should be run in Indian languages. The fight is in the minds of those who still believe the country should run on foreign languages. You just gave the example of China. Learn from them. Learn from Russia. Japan too. Germany as well. And France.
We respect all Indian languages. We believe the South should be run in its own languages. Two states should run in Telugu. Tamil Nadu should function in Tamil. Kerala should function in Malayalam. Hindi's standing is not the same there.
Q: What about Hindi?
Our leaning is towards all Indian languages. We conducted CAPF constable GD exam in 13 languages. JEE, NEET, UGC are conducted in 12 languages. NEP provides for imparting primary, technical and medical education in regional languages. Stalin should tell people in TN what he has done.
Q: The two Thackeray cousins have come together on language.
That's not the only reason. Both have come under two digits, that's the real issue.
Q: You are tying up with the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu. How's the language issue going there?
When I say Indian languages, Tamil is included. I have this to say to Stalin. Teach medicine in Tamil. Why don't you? Teach engineering in Tamil. Why don't you do it? If Tamil Nadu's stand is that it opposes teaching in Tamil, then I have a problem.
Q: What do you feel about the AIADMK-BJP's prospects?
We will win by a landslide.
Q: Your political acumen and strategy… does it depend on that or on what happens on the ground?
I am talking about the mood of the population. The people of Tamil Nadu are fed up with corruption, deteriorating law and order, nepotism and family feuds.
Q: If you win, will you join the government?
Yes.
Q: Is there a possibility that Vijay will join you, or PMK and smaller parties? Otherwise, it will be a multi-cornered contest.
We can't say that now. We will make efforts to bring parties on to a single platform.
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Unfortunately, supporters of a theocratic state do not understand that secularism is basically good for religions as it protects religions from state domination and interference. Religions remain independent and autonomous under secularism. If a religion becomes state religion, the state takes over the control of such religion. Our secularism ensures autonomy of the Hindu religion and the proponents of Hindutva must understand this. Has not Islam been destroyed through various so-called Islamic states? Mahmud Ghazni and Illtutmish defied the caliph and assumed the title of king . Zawabit or state-made laws prevailed over Shariah during medieval India. Did not Henry VIII defy Papal authority just to marry Anne Boleyn and create the Anglican Church with the King as its head. In the consecration of the Ram temple in January 2024, the state's decision prevailed over the theological view of the Shankaracharyas. The state, not religion, decided what is auspicious. 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Moreover Article 36 again says that the state shall safeguard the legitimate rights and the interests of minorities including their due representation in the federal and provincial services. Accordingly, the Constitution makes a provision of reservation for them. Though Article 9 of the Sri Lankan Constitution falls short of declaring Buddhism as state religion, it does give 'Buddhism' the 'foremost place' and places an obligation on the state to protect and foster Buddha Sasna. Of course, it not only guarantees freedom of religion but (unlike India) in Article 10, explicitly gives 'freedom to have or adopt a religion or belief of his choice'. Minorities are governed by their personal laws and sharia courts function within the premises of regular courts and High Courts. Our secularism based on Ashoka's Dhamma was designed to allow people to live together in civility and promote equal respect for all religions. The state must remain religion neutral. India's opposition to Pakistan was based on the separation of religion and state. The framers of the Constitution too intended a secular state, and not a theocratic state. Even the Bharatiya Janata Party has been insisting on its opposition to the Congress's negative secularism and used to promise positive secularism. If what was implicit from day one was merely made explicit in 1976, 'Humgama Hai Ku barpa (what is the fuss about')? Faizan Mustafa is a Constitutional Law expert and presently serving as the Vice-Chancellor of Chanakya National Law University, Patna, Bihar. The views expressed are personal
