Nov.10 : The shameful episode of the physical beating of Samajwadi Party member Abu Azmi on the floor of the Maharashtra Assembly by four MLAs belonging to Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena should give every Indian pause. The logical extension of the sorry Monday happening can only point to the road to fascism.

India is fortunately too large and too deep to be swallowed by the dynamics of the MNS’ methods, but the time has come to ponder steps that a tolerant society and a democratic republic should consciously consider to put an end to such outrageous conduct by a political party that swears allegiance to our gloriously pluralistic Constitution but persists in abusing the freedoms it makes available. Not doing so now, and allowing the situation to drift for reasons of pusillanimity or political convenience, is likely to threaten the democratic template itself.  

Mr Azmi was sought to be made an example of because he chose to defy the MNS goons’ diktat that every MLA must take the oath as a legislator only in Marathi, and not in any other language of the country, although the Constitution imposes no such bar. The SP leader opted for Hindi, the national language. Some have chosen to comment only on this aspect of the matter. But that appears off the mark. The result is likely to have been no different if the SP leader had chosen any other language. Indeed, language is not the fundamental question here, although the MNS has chosen to justify — indeed glorify — the thuggish action of its MLAs in the name of protecting the honour of Marathi, the state language. But the apparently militant espousal of Marathi is nothing more than a mobilising trick being resorted to by the MNS to expand its political base at the expense of its mother party. Marathi is a thriving language of ancient provenance. It has a glorious literary and cultural tradition. It is in absolutely no need of such protection as the MNS’ praetorian guards offer. The real reasons for the MNS’ "action" lie elsewhere. The party wants everyone on notice that there will be a violent price to pay if any section of society chooses to defy its diktats. The only way to meet such a challenge is for all segments of the polity to unite. Reports of mob violence in reaction to developments in the Assembly have begun to come in from Mumbai and other areas. These too must be firmly checked by the authorities.

The MNS MLAs committed planned and wilful violence against the decorum and procedures of the Assembly. For this they have been duly suspended for four years. But they have also done violence to the Constitution of India and to the person of a sitting MLA. These are punishable crimes. The instigation for the physical assault on Mr Azmi is traceable to the inflammatory words of MNS chief Raj Thackeray. The state government will be in breach of the confidence reposed in it in the recent election if it did not uphold the law of the land. Chief minister Ashok Chavan has condemned the "goonda" conduct of the offending MLAs. This was necessary, but does not go far enough. The Congress and NCP, as parties, have yet to come out politically against the planned assault on democracy. The Shiv Sena and the BJP, the other key players in the state, also cannot afford to sit idly by. Leaders from the Hindi-speaking states have narrowly commented only on the insult to the national language aspect of Monday’s shameful incident. Every party is called on to take a broader view of the frightening excess committed by the MNS and its elected representatives.