Economist and Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen asserted on Wednesday that the recently concluded Lok Sabha election results affirm that India is not a ‘Hindu Rashtra.’ Speaking to a Bengali news channel at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Sen highlighted that the election outcome clearly demonstrates ‘that India is not a ‘Hindu Rashtra’.
“We always hope to see a change after every election. However, some concerning practices from the previous BJP-led central government, such as unjust detentions and widening wealth disparities, persist today. This must stop,” he said.
He also added, “I do not think the idea of turning India into a ‘Hindu Rashtra’ is appropriate.”
It closely resembles the previous one, with ministers holding similar portfolios. “Despite a slight reshuffle, the politically powerful are still powerful,” he also commented on the New Union cabinet.
Sen reflected on his memories of India under British rule, “Recalling how many of his uncles and cousins were detained without trial. He expressed disappointment that despite hopes for change, India did not fully eradicate this practice. Sen also criticized the Congress for not effectively addressing this issue during their governance, noting that under the current government, such actions have persisted and, in some cases, intensified,” the Nobel laureate said.
Regarding the BJP’s defeat in the Faizabad Lok Sabha seat despite the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Sen argued that efforts were made to overshadow the country’s true identity.
“The construction of the Ram Temple and the extensive expenditure to promote India as a ‘Hindu Rashtra’ are misguided in a country with the legacies of Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. This reflects an attempt to neglect India’s true identity, which is something that needs to be rectified,” he said.
