Prime Minister Narendra Modi has come a long way from the shunned CM of Gujarat after the 2002 communal riots (when the then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee wanted him removed), his elimination of rivals leaving him as a dynamic and successful CM, to his elevation as the dominant face of the BJP and ultimately the PM of India. With his deputy Amit Shah, the help of the RSS Parivar and massive financial backing, he made full use of social media and oratory to win an overwhelming mandate at the elections. Victories included an absolute majority in the Lok Sabha and capturing states like Maharashtra, Harayana and Jharkhand from the ruling old guard, and also getting a foothold in other states notably Kashmir, his national image offsetting faction-ridden local units. The depressing India story was swept aside with Modi proving to be a street-smart, strong leader, promising the world and common man a transformed India.
Even his worst critics had to admit he took to being PM and handled foreign policy with aplomb and panache. He dominated proceedings with all our neighbors, seemed to enjoy discourse with American, Japanese, Chinese, German, Australian, Russian leaders and others at the various world forums. He confidently addressed the UNO deftly putting Pakistan in its place and raised India’s stature once again in world affairs bringing a smile to India’s skeptic global industry and a coup in getting Obama as the chief guest to witness our coming Republic Day celebrations. Recently at the vibrant Gujarat Summit in Gandhinagar, attended by the UN secretary general, U.S vice president, leading local and international business luminaries, reportedly made investment commitments worth Rs 25 lakh crore
He firmly empowered the Delhi bureaucrats and whilst inaugurating campaigns for Swachh Bharat, Clean Ganga and toilets for all, laid down clear policy and disciplinary norms for ministers and MLAs leading by example. He boldly dissolved the Planning Commission replacing it with a broad based NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India), scrapping old laws and relishing in out of the box thinking. He is also lucky since the Congress remains decimated and has neither the huge funds nor effective strategies to rejuvenate the party. Our Mars mission was successful and world fuel prices kept tumbling down, helping boost BJP’s stature, trade deficits and monetary policies. However, implementing ‘Make in India’ without giving time for people-centric changes in mindset, labor and land reforms, will in the long run be counter productive. Although it is claimed that inflation has come down, we do not as yet see it in the prices of foodstuff and essential commodities, most of which remain up for one reason or another. To add to it all the dangerous communal demon has forcefully reared its head. Just when the world and the electorate believed the ‘sub ke saath, sub ka vikas’ slogan (even hailed in Hindi by American vice president) the RSS and right wing elements started vigorously pushing their own agenda.
They regularly make dangerous communal statements in and outside Parliament, provocatively for example turning Christmas day into ‘Good Governance Day’, also wanting to carry out mass ‘ghar wapsi’ conversions on that day. Violence is resorted to on exhibition of the Hindi movie “PK” which was passed by the Film Censor Board, praised by LK Advani and Supreme Court dismissing appeal against it. When TV channels show vandalism live, VHP/ Bajrang Dal may even claim responsibility. The police come only after the damage is over and register cases against unknown hooligans. It is ironic that whilst the BJP has commendably decided to scrap the old useless laws in force, it now wants new unnecessary laws on conversions, whilst not firmly reigning in the communal forces to concentrate on more important urgent matters. Such actions prove to the world that India is not yet a mature modern democratic nation where the Constitution and rule of law will always prevail.
We voted for good governance, transparency and accountability with our Constitution as the guiding light The party with a difference is also disgustingly imitating the UPA in uprooting governors and replacing them with their own, , renaming, publishing huge eulogizing advertisements, biased awards and public celebrations of birthdays of living and dead politicians wasting public funds, etc. Police reforms are not coming in line with Supreme Court guidelines. Many ordinances are being issued to short circuit the democratic process. Xenophobia and boastful claims like India exploded atomic bomb in pre historic times, indulged in space travel and invented plastic surgery (an assertion made by Modi himself), biased tampering with school books, history and scientific temper, public silence on militant Hinduism will not only damage his credibility at home but also internationally.
Has Modi truly transited from ideologue into statesman? Will he continue to soft pedal Hindutva cultural engineering, contributing to disturbing communal peace and harmony needed to pursue his propagated inclusive development agenda? Will his development agenda promote crony capitalism and environmental degradation without pondering: What doth it profit a nation to gain the whole material world but suffer the loss of its soul?
Tyranny of the majority in a parliamentary democracy can be as bad as tyranny of a dictator. The year 2015 will require Modi to decisively answer these vital questions among many others being a year of delivery of his promises for satisfying the rising expectations for a strong respected modern secular democratic India in today’s world.
(The author is a retired naval officer residing in Porvorim)
