In a staggering turn of events, for the first time in India’s history, a Union Cabinet has been formed without a single Muslim minister. The Narendra Modi-led cabinet, unveiled on Sunday, lacks representation for minorities, especially the 200 million Muslims who call this country home. Without representation for minorities, particularly the largest minority, how can “sabka saath, sabka vikas” truly happen? This exclusion raises serious questions about inclusivity and representation in the world’s largest democracy and is also being cited as undemocratic. KPCC chief K Sudhakaran said, “It was extremely undemocratic that the country’s Muslim population was completely excluded when the third Modi government came to power, with not a single MP from the BJP being from that community.”
Muslims constitute 15% of India’s population according to the 2020 census and are the largest minority in the country. However, none of the Muslim candidates from the NDA allies were elected to the 18th Lok Sabha. All 25 Muslim MPs in Parliament are either from the INDIA bloc or are independents.
But has this always been the case? Let’s delve deeper;
In 2014, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi first came to power, Najma Heptulla, then a Rajya Sabha MP, was appointed as the Minority Affairs Minister, serving as the sole Muslim representative in the cabinet. Back in 1999, the NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee included two Muslims in the council of ministers—Shahnawaz Hussain and Omar Abdullah. In 1998, Vajpayee’s cabinet featured Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi as Minister of State.
During the Congress-led UPA governments in 2004 and 2009, the council of ministers had four and five Muslim MPs, respectively. Historically, India has always had at least one Muslim minister sworn in after general elections. The complete absence of Muslim representation in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s current cabinet has significant implications for Indian politics, social cohesion, and the perception of inclusivity in the world’s largest democracy.
Amir Ali, a political scientist and professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in India said to Nekkei Asia.”This is a very sad state of affairs, the political underrepresentation of Muslims is indicative of a continuous process of marginalization and exclusion that they are experiencing.”
The exclusion of Muslims from the cabinet means that a substantial segment of India’s population is without direct representation in the highest executive decision-making body. This lack of representation can promote feelings of alienation and disenfranchisement within the Muslim community.
Socially, the lack of Muslim representation reinforces perceptions of bias and discrimination against Muslims. This perception might be amplified by other socio-political developments such as the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and instances of increased communal violence. The Citizenship Amendment Act has been a contentious issue, particularly for Muslims, as it has been criticized for discriminating against them based on religion. The Act provides a path to citizenship for non-Muslim migrants from neighboring countries like Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, but excludes Muslims.
This exclusion goes against the secular principles enshrined in India’s constitution and reinforces perceptions of bias and discrimination against Muslims. It also raises concerns about the potential erosion of secularism and the marginalization of Muslim communities. Such exclusion can strain inter-community relations, promoting a sense of mistrust and insecurity among Muslims and potentially increasing communal tensions. Moreover, without representation in the cabinet, Muslims might feel that their specific concerns and issues such as those related to education, employment, and social welfare are not adequately addressed, resulting in policies that do not fully consider the needs of this community.
Some political observers also feel that the shrinking of Muslim representation in Parliament and in the decision-making process is linked to the rise of the right-wing under PM Modi. “The exclusion of the largest minority community from the system signifies that India has become a Hindu version of a monolithic Jewish or Islamic state…Gone are those days when words like secularism, diversity, inclusion were guiding the politics. Today’s dispensation will go to any extent to have complete clutch over power,” said an analyst to National Herald on the condition of anonymity.
Some people are also arguing saying that ministries should be allocated based on merit, suggesting that competence should be the primary criterion for appointments rather than considerations of religion or other demographic factors. However, the concept of merit itself is flawed because it often reflects existing societal biases and privileges certain groups over others. In many cases, what is considered “merit” is shaped by socio-economic status, access to education, and opportunities, which are not distributed equally among all segments of society.
Furthermore, the argument for meritocracy overlooks systemic barriers that prevent marginalized communities, including Muslims, from accessing the same opportunities and resources as their counterparts. Factors such as discrimination, socio-economic disparities, and lack of representation in decision-making processes contribute to the perpetuation of inequality and hinder the advancement of minority groups. Therefore, while advocating for merit-based appointments may seem fair in theory, it fails to address underlying structural inequalities and reinforces existing power dynamics that marginalize certain communities.
The absence of Muslim representation in the current Indian cabinet shows a troubling trend towards exclusion and marginalization of minorities in politics. This lack of inclusivity alienates a significant portion of the population. By not including Muslims in the decision-making process, the government is promoting division and resentment, undermining the principles of secularism and diversity that are foundational to India’s identity.