Majoritarianism

MAJORITARIANISM, RELIGIOUS IDENTITY AND DYSTOPIAN "LEILA"

The concept mostly confronted in the realms of religion and politics is Majoritarianism. 

The philosophical practice of aggregating decisions and rights to a majority class can be called as Majoritarianism. 

In a way, Majoritarianism, and religious identity is always a threat to a secular and democratic country. It is a democratic model which depends on the majority to exercise political power over the minority.

“India is a secular Country” How far can we agree to this statement? Right from our primary education, we were taught this statement almost with afar different context and also proved by illustrating the unity of various sects. But in a real sense,

Secularism is a principle which states the sense of something being not religious or not connected to any particular religion.

In a way the real spirit of secularism lies in destroying social caste and religion patterns and building the idea of fraternity to tolerate religious differences and social-caste patterns. Ironically, In India, every citizen is provided freedom to follow any religion but some religions exercise utmost political power which indirectly results in Majoritarianism.  Secularism’s meaning in India has modified in the course of history, initially, it was considered to be anti-majoritarian and pro-minority. Now, if we peep into it, we feel that there are some deep-rooted differences not only between different religions but also between caste, state and language too.  India being a secular nation still remains far from the real sense of secularism. 

The concept of Majoritarianism can be deeply analyzed and compared in series on Netflix called “Leila” based on Prayaag Akbar’s dystopian novel of the same name. 

This web series is a complete surprise as it conveys the effects, and the situation almost bound to happen in the near future if Majoritarianism continues to crawl in Indian society. Directed by Deepa Mehta, ‘Leila’ shows the real image of India, set in 2047. The Hindu dharma (Majoritarianism) if continues to exercise political power the situation of the country will completely change. As we are witnessing the same situation right today, in some communities a special proposition is passed in order to prevent or prohibit inter-caste marriages. 

https://www.divyabhaskar.co.in/uttar-gujarat/latest-news/palanpur/news/anjana-chaudhari-community-girls-take-oath-i-do-not-get-married-in-any-community-other-than-my-community-1563290185.html

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/gujarats-thakor-community-issues-diktat-against-mobile-phones-for-girls/article28499458.ece/amp/

Majoritarianism

Really, Is this Secularism? Protecting Community’s pride at cost of Education?? Then where the innovative idea of Digital India disappeared?

On one side India is moving forward in advanced technology and on the other side, the orthodoxy and rigidity is deeply rooted that it seems hard to break the stereotypical mentality of narrow-minded individuals.

India is moving forward in advanced technology

The plot surrounds over the life of a Brahmin lady Shalini who is a wife of a Muslim man and her struggle against Majoritarian nation. Shalini is a ‘panchkarmi’ according to ‘Aaryvrat’ religion. She fights to find her daughter-Leila who is taken by the government as she was a mixed parentage. Aryavrat is India’s future where the importance of “being” is given utmost importance rather than “becoming”. We are made aware of the uncomfortable truths, the concept of authoritarianism and communal hatred. It is deeply dark and deeply moving that it raises some rare and robust questions which establish a highly cathartic effect on the minds of the audience.

"Guru Ma" and Shalini for purity treatment.

In a nutshell, it can be said that Majoritarianism can highly affect a country’s progress and it a threat to a secular and democratic nation like India. ‘Leila’ is a gut punch presenting the horrors of powers and Majoritarianism. In the modern world, people mostly follow a new branch of religion called ‘Scientology’ launched by American author L. Ron Hubbard in 1952 which means the science of knowledge.