There is no majority in India. All are minorities amongst Hindus who are divided on caste lines." This is not the Vishwa Hindu Parishad lamenting about disunity among Hindus. "The word 'Hindu' conveys the image of diverse groups of communities living in India." This is not a declaration of the RSS about India's Hindu character. "If claims of sections of Indian society to the status of 'minority' are considered and conceded, there would be no end to such claims in a society as multi-religious and multi-linguistic as India is." This is not an extract from any resolution of the BJP's national executive.

"Commissions set up for minorities have to direct their activities to maintain unity and integrity of India by gradually eliminating the minority and majority classes." This is not a majoritarian wish list. "The constitutional ideal is to create social conditions where there remains no necessity to shield or protect the rights of minority." This is not the dream of a constitutional idealist.

This is what the Supreme Court said in a recent judgment on whether or not the Jain community constitutes a minority. The Jain community had pleaded that it be regarded as minority under the Constitution. Rejecting the claim unhesitatingly, the apex court observed: "Jains are integral to the Hindu faith." It did not stop at that. It exposed the naked fact: The absence of a constitutional, political majority in India.

The apex court further said, "In a caste-ridden Indian society, no section or distinct group of people can claim to be in majority." That is, according to the court, Hindus are not a majority. Thus, we have the paradox of ever expanding list of minorities on the one hand; and on the other, a non-existent majority! Yet the seculars keep warning about 'majoritarianism' threatening to extinguish all minorities, while the highest court says that there is no majority in the country! The Supreme Court has, in effect, lamented that we keep generating more and more minorities instead of assimilating the existing ones.

Historically, how did the idea of minority and the demand for their special care and protection originate in our Constitution? This is how, traced the court: The attempt of the British "to form separate electorates on the basis of population of Hindus and Muslims" led to "demand for reservations of constituencies and seats in the first elected Government to be formed in free India". "Resistance to such demands by Hindu and some Muslim leaders ultimately led to partition of India and formation of separate Muslim state (Pakistan)," it added.

If it were a pre-partition political paralysis, then how did it get into our Constitution post-partition? This is how, the apex court said: "Against this background of partition," it was felt necessary "to allay the apprehensions and fears" in the minds of Muslims and other religious communities by providing to them "special protection of their religious, cultural and educational rights". Undeniably, such fears were deliberately generated among Muslims then to justify partition and also the need for special protection for minorities in the Constitution. But, even after partition, this political distortion continued as the secularists systematically kept alive this fear psychosis to intensify the majority and minority divide and also give political, constitutional legitimacy to it.

It is in this context that the apex court felt concerned about the trend among the Hindu communities to seek the minority status for constitutional privileges. It warned, "many of them claim status as minority" and "expect protection from the state". "If each minority group" fears "the other group", the court added, it would create "an atmosphere of mutual fear and distrust" and pose "a serious threat to the integrity of our nation". It would "sow seeds of multi-nationalism in India," it warned.

The court pointed out that "the ideal of a democratic society, which has adopted the right to equality as its fundamental creed, should eliminate the majority and minority concepts". It counselled the Minority Commission not to proliferate, but instead prune, the list of minorities, so that over a period they "are done away with altogether".

Indeed, it is a profound judgement with letters worth their weight in gold - yet no one read a single article about it in the media; not a sentence from the columnists. The secular megaphones are deafeningly silent. They would shout in chorus 'abide by court verdict' on, say, the Ram temple issue. But will they ever say that the profound words of the highest court in this judgement should be respected and accepted?

No, for, if they do, their secular charade cannot continue. For them the minorities have to be protected, even if a majority does not exist and even if one has to be invented. This is the Indian secular theatre - with more and more communities queuing up to be listed as minorities, and no one willing to bear the cross of the majority.

Thus moves on a country full of minorities - each of them demanding only rights and privileges - and with no political, constitutional majority on the other side to bear the responsibility for the nation.

Courtesy: The Pioneer, October 05, 2005