Open letter to the Chief Justice of India

To:
The Chief Justice of India,
Supreme Court of India

As a citizen of India, I write this letter to bring to your attention gross perversion of the laws of India, public institutions and Constitutional values.

Five years of the BJP government have seen erosion of parliamentary procedures, citizens’ fundamental rights, including the independence of the press, with truth itself the primary casualty. We have witnessed people accused of violent crimes against the citizens of India rewarded at public expense with honors, postings and electoral tickets so that they may shape the direction of the country’s sociopolitics itself.

We have seen misuse of agencies of the government to intimidate political opponents. We have seen arbitrary policymaking such as demonetisation devastate the country’s well-being. We have the technologically flawed Aadhaar passed first as a Money Bill, and, later, when its commercial exploitation was halted by the Supreme Court, the same allowed via passing an ordinance. We have seen data withheld, accountability denied, promises broken – we have even seen promotional powerpoint (misre)presentations made before the Supreme Court.

In short, this government has no respect for any Constitutional body beyond itself. Instead, its parent organization, the RSS, influences every government action directly or indirectly. The only rule that is consistent is the whim of power.

The citizens have, somehow, endured. We have only one weapon to use against tyrants in a democracy – our vote. Now, we see that eroded as well with NamoTV being broadcast without concern for law or procedure. With “Namo” restaurant “innocently” catering to those on polling duty. With voters deleted from electoral rolls, EVMs transferring votes to BJP, both BJP and Election Commission using armed forces in electoral messaging, malpractices caught on camera at poll booths, threats and more. There is complete disregard for procedures, codes, and rules, and only manipulation of voters in every manner possible. It is the price the citizen is paying for electing the BJP to power.

However, this is now a matter of conscience at a whole new level. Given the recent blatant targeting of dissenters and minorities with threats and innuendo, there is reason to believe that large numbers of Indians may have to fear for their very lives if BJP holds any amount of political power any longer in the country. Regardless of whether BJP wins or loses the Lok Sabha election, there will be countless minorities still within the ambit of its power in states it rules and it has made its intentions of continuing to marginalize and “other”-ise them absolutely clear.

There is no reason for optimism on this front given the repeated attacks on minorities, as well as the consistent rewarding of attackers of minorities. Unless a clear deterrent is present, the signalling by BJP will be adequate for unlawful elements among its supporters to proceed with a violent agenda, confident of being rewarded for it. This is an open secret.

I have no legal education. You are the Chief Justice of India and living in the country. I don’t believe I can educate you on what laws are broken or what behavior is unconstitutional.

As a concerned citizen reading the writing clearly on the wall, I request you to immediately declare the BJP an unlawful organisation, remove its leaders from every position through which they can misuse constitutional authority and prosecute every leader making identitarian, communal threats against Indians and thereby protect countless lives, not to mention the fabric and unity of the country itself.

I also request you to reinstate the ban on the RSS that had been lifted on the condition that it would not be involved in politics. Additionally, the donations sought by the RSS and the purposes for which these have been spent must be investigated and taxed appropriately.

Sincerely,

Vidyut

To readers: If you would like to endorse this letter, please use the comments below. Note: Due to the nature of this open letter, and endorsements being in the comments, ONLY comments that are endorsements will be published on this page. For general comments, disagreements, etc on this post, use social media or comment on some other post saying that it is for this post.