On Narendra Modi and the hottest place in hell..
This post has been a long time coming. What finally triggered it was a call I had with Rajesh Jain last week.. Rajesh quoted Dante to me, while asking where do I stand on Sh Narendra Modi. He recalled these lines from the Inferno..
The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.
A lot has been written by numerous commentators on why Modi deserves support. These commentators span the spectrum from economists (Arvind Panagariya) to spiritual leaders with mass following (Swami Ramdev) and include political leaders, journalists & of course, bloggers. One of them, particularly articulate (& forthright), is Dr Atanu Dey. This is what he wrote on why people should support Modi:
Anyone who wants India to change tack and progress..recognizes that the best we have is Modi. Of course, Modi is not perfect. No mortal is. But he is the best we have got.. I am convinced that no one else in India has what it takes to bring about the change that India needs.
By the way, Atanu is anything but a blind BJP-Bhakta. Here is his damning indictment of the BJP, from an article written barely a few weeks back:
I claim that the BJP and the Congress are colluding. Which means that they are not in competition. Another way to state that is to say that they are mostly indistinguishable.
Congress has been making major messes (to put it mildly) and still is in business. Why? Because the BJP does not provide it with any incentive to be any better. Ergo, it is because the BJP is bad that the Congress is bad. If the BJP had been good, the first scam by the Congress and it would have been history. But instead, we have scams by the dozens and yet the Congress does not die.
The Congress survives because the BJP lets it.
Almost three years ago, a close friend (and a BJP member) had asked me my views on Modi. This was early 2010 & the BJP was still recovering from its loss in the elections. I said to him the BJP desperately needs someone like Modi. But the old guard will oppose him tooth-and-nail. The-powers-that-be will never let him lead from the front. I had hinted  at such opposition as recently as last year in a couple of tweets and had a bet against such a possibility with another friend (& ardent Modi supporter).  This opposition to Modi within the BJP was usually the clincher in any argument on why most of us fighting for reform/change could not support the BJP.  I lost that bet.
Today, Modi not only heads the BJP’s campaign committee, he is “the” leader of the party in all but name. Is that something that should prompt a re-think? I believe so. Why? Because, as Atanu puts it (emphasis added),
..Modi is the joker in the pack. He is a BJP party guy but really he is the party-pooper. He is the spoiler in the nice little game that the BJP leaders are playing with the leaders of the Congress. They want him to come and spoil the game as much as they want a hole in their heads. In other words, the Congress and the BJP have an interest in colluding to torpedo Modi.
Modi will end the cosy relationship between the BJP and the Congress.
Unsurprisingly, many of Modi’s policies – and the ideas he stands for – find only lukewarm support in the BJP. As Shekhar Gupta mentioned in a recent column:
..his (Modi) economics is the opposite of what the Nagpur Gurukul of Swadeshi, Xenophobia and Frugalism preaches. In the BJP today, he is the only leader willing to say anything modern or entrepreneurial: less government and more governance is now his slogan, and refreshing
…A lot of urban middle class and entrepreneurial India adores him because of his Gujarat model of economics. That hasn’t been his party’s larger view lately.
It thus seems entirely plausible that one might support Modi and oppose the BJP. In fact, it would be quite natural, precisely because most of the BJP is quite unlike Modi.
But still, how do I reconcile my support to Modi with my publicly stated opposition to the BJP & its “collusion” with the rotten system, so eloquently described by Atanu?
Here I go back to Rajesh Jain’s quote and the apt phrase: “..times of great moral crisis“. I believe we are suffering the worst government India has ever had since 1947. I believe a UPA-III would be untold disaster for India. A disaster for each of us who believes in freedoms, liberty and equality of opportunities. A disaster for everyone who opposes socialism and the politics of entitlements, built on narratives of victim-hood. Â A disaster which might push India to a point of no-return.
UPA’s policies are an existential threat to India. The UPA must go. That is the only way the rest of us (fighting for systemic reform and change) will survive. And if we don’t win this battle, I am not sure we will be around for the “Long War“. We need to therefore re-group and consolidate around an alternative that appears to have the best chance of winning. We need to align around this alternative and offer support (which could be conditional), while maintaining our independence.
Only time will tell whether we were right or wrong. But there is only one man today who has a fighting chance of making Congress history. And I think it is time to give this man a chance. It is time to support this man. Time to say, NaMo for PM!
P.S. By the way, I am hardly alone among activists facing this dilemma. Here’s Sanjeev Sabhlok:
…When the choice is between two evils, pick the better. Congress is utterly hopeless, BJP is terrible, AAP is unproven, advised by India’s greatest socialist – and wants to create anarchy through not paying bills. I pick Modi’s BJP with the hope that he will deliver some improvements. Not good enough at all for India, but far better than (others)..
As Sanjeev wrote (and I endorse): “Modi is..a FAR BETTER option for India today than Kejriwal in terms of proven ability to deliver results as well as broadly liberal economic ideas”. AAP is an uncertain bet at best – particularly so given their socialist leanings – and tendency to lapse into vote-bank politics (e.g. read Arvind’s “Appeal to Muslims“; large 7MB download). As for the Congress, let me repeat what Sanjeev wrote:
The Congress party is, in my view, the GREATEST ENEMY of India. It has betrayed India repeatedly, it has harmed India in every possible way. It is a fiefdom of a family where entry to the top is PERMANENTLY BLOCKED. It doesn’t matter if you are half-Italian. It does matter that you are remotely connected to Nehru – the good man who ruined India through bad policy.
Related Posts: Is this the Beginning of the End?, Three Questions for BJP and Reviving BJP
Shantanu – your comment “Nehru – good man who ruined India through bad policy” – Disagree with it. Policies per say are not wrong, but implementation of them is where India failed. Also it has become a per-requsite for right wing (economic/religious) supporters to character assassinate Nehru. If one take his contributions and slippages i dont think anyone would disagree that on balance he was positive for India. His biggest ever contribution was he not only strengthened democratic institutions and practices in India, but he ensured no one could nu-do them (it was sad his own daughter albeit for a brief time tries and subvert and kill democratic institutions.
Also – strange you support Narendra Modi, where his supporters (paid and unpaid) have gone on a rampant on anyone who doesn’t subscribe to Modi mantra and attacked them physically and virtually. Recently there was a satirical website on Modi which had to be pulled down within a day, whereas the RSS/BJP supporters for long have been carrying out a slander campaign re Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Nehru etc. – this shows that there is no scope for anyone to disagree with Modi and god forbid if he comes to power what will happen?? Further Modi’s vendetta politics as evident in the Sanjay Joshi episode also shows that Modi doesn’t like anyone who disagrees with him and he can stoop to any level to get his way and demolish ones careers. Finally to date we have not heard a compassionate tone and apology for what happened during Godhra (i am not saying he was directly responsible – the courts of the land will decide it) as it was in his tenure the incident happened. He has shown that he is oblivious to a section of the society – Do we really need someone who aspires to lead India have such qualities? No matter how good (debatable) his development economics (crony capitalism) is ??
But i do agree with you that India needs a new political discourse which is an alternative to Cong at a pan India level which can occupy the central ground of Indian polity, not one which veers right or left of the trajectory. India should continue inclusive growth, this is part of our cultural tradition.
The first to feel the heat, already, are within the Hindu Divided Family, the RSS “Parivarâ€. There are those within the Parivar who are publicly hailing Modi but privately fuming that there is no space left for “dissent†in the party. And I thought leftists used words like dissent! Well, leftists would use it a lot more if Modi did become PM. Mr Modi does not like dissent, disagreement or debate. If Modi becomes PM, a lot of people should be ready for sedition cases and income tax raids.
However, I don’t think it will be cataclysmic for India’s Muslims. He has done to Gujarat’s Muslims what he had to, and achieved what he had to. It will, however, be another symbolic blow to the Indian Muslim’s right to live as equal citizens that a leader who is liked by his core constituency for having “shown Muslims their place†becomes prime minister.
And yet, in a cynical, masochist way, I have a death wish. I think Narendra Modi will also be good for India. He will be good because India’s left-liberals, “centristsâ€, constitutionalists, radicals, freethinkers, Communists, Congressis, Dalits, Muslims — a lot of people, will unite to cry “Fascism! Fascism!â€, from morning to evening. They will bring such scrutiny upon every action of his as there hasn’t been on the Congress-led coalition that has ruled India since 2004.
A journalist recently met a senior minister in Manmohan Singh’s government (Sonia Gandhi Government) and asked, sirye kia ho raha hai? Why is your government in such bad shape? The minister said, “Hum raj kar rahein hain.†We are ruling. We would do as being told by Sonia Gandhi.
When I heard this anecdote secondhand, I completely believed it, because of the attitude of the so-called United Progressive Alliance government. They bought over votes to pass a bill for a nuclear deal with the US in 2008. The 2009 elections were held six months after 26/11. The BJP made national security an election issue. To its own surprise, the Congress increased its seats from 145 to 206. Urban and rural voters alike rewarded them for what they thought was good governance. This return to power went to their heads.
Virtually since the beginning of the second term, this government has battled one crisis after another. And their reaction to every crisis is brazen arrogance. They did not save the day for Commonwealth games when they could have, they blamed the auditor for exposing a telecom scam, they put Anna Hazare in jail for asking for a Lokpal and even killed a Baba Ramdev supporter asking for a similar demand. Students came out to protest against rape and they responded with tear gas. They put Muslims in jail in fake terrorism cases, they hanged Kasab and Afzal to appear strong, weren’t able to do anything about anti-Muslim violence in Congress-ruled Assam, let the situation in Kashmir worsen again, allowed the economy to tumble, let Maoists get the better of them, slapped sedition cases against those who don’t want a nuclear power plant next to their house, put people in jail for criticising the government online, and can’t even pass legislation they think will fetch them votes. Is the Congress a good-looking BJP?
Congress did not even decipher single issues like 2G scam, Adarsh Scam, CVC, CWG and lot countless. Congress government had created history in the world of scams and the leader is SONIA GANDHI which may also called as “Queen of scamsâ€. Most recently Congress Government (Shameless Government) did even contribute funds to innocent people who died in Kedarnath, Uttarakhand but they collect funds from general public for their own luxury. Never ever vote for Congress say bye bye to Congress Government. And how do India’s centre-left-radical intellectuals and activists respond to such a government? With some exceptions, by silence. Why? They think criticising the Congress will help the BJP. But the Congress’s decline is anyway helping the BJP. And thus, our leftists make themselves even more politically irrelevant because they have nothing to say.
If Modi becomes PM, our leftists will have a lot to say. Even if the BJP gets enough seats to cobble together a coalition, the coalition partners are unlikely to support Modi as PM. Ideally we need a Third Front break to show the “national†parties their place, but it is still possible that the Congress may be able to put together a UPA-3 (a UPA government for the third time) which we don’t want at all. And that is scarier than Modi-1. If we elect yet again for Congress regime it goes without saying that it would be terrible if Congress creature like Sonia Gandhi, rahul Gandhi, Manmohan, ever became Prime Minister (PM) of India. We all need Modi to be our next upcoming PM for better outline of our INDIA economy.
What Shantanu writes in this blog article graphically says it all.
Bharat is suffering today as she has never ever before even when she was attacked,ravaged & pillaged by the most cruel & ruthless plunderers in the past.
Bharat is the “hottest” place in Hell & our people’s sufferings are indescribable in words!
Without doubt we need NaMo for Bharat who exclusively stands for the values of our nation & is the only one who will unquestionably do what is right for the people.
He has his head & heart in the right place!
Yes indeed no one is perfect but having said that act we must with discrimination & right motivation.
How can this government in power perpetuating such “horrors” on the people even get one night’s sleep?
May they “burn in the hottest” place in Hell in times to come & pay for their actions!As we sow so shall we reap!May it happen at the earliest!
The second comment by Churchill hits the nail-head harder!
With respect to you, author of the best blog on the Internet, allow me to remind you that Dante reserved his 6th circle of hell for heretics. In an open society it is almost impossible for a good journalist to avoid annoying someone, somewhere, who will as a consequence cast him as a heretic. So perhaps those of us who write for the public had better prepare ourselves for that 6th circle.
Push has come to shove, yes, but why the Xtian junk?
Why give credence to garbage, even as a passing metaphor?
Not to worry, seadog4227, Rajesh Jain’s quoting Dante to our blogger was merely using the ancient poet’s description of hell as a metaphor, and to enrich his message. To me one of the best things about this blog is not simply its message, but also its scholarship, dipping into several widely different cultures and civilisations with ease. Excellent. (You and I had better get back on message, by the way, seadog, or we will be scolded).
Dear Ashwin Kumaraswamy,
I am not pro Modi or pro BJP. But from what I have been reading, the blog you were referring to was a Congress trick to cry as victim and you are using that for your argument, which only weakens your point. Also after reading SIT report by downloading it, I have no doubt that that is the only riot post independence that we have some verdict and evidence left to investigate. At least we should give Modi credit to face the law where all of his peers failed.
And to demand “Sorry” from him, shows how well Congress uses that word to cover up all its misdeeds.
Please use Google before you claim something in a blog, which is one of the best blogs from India.
@ Sharath Kottadamane
DO you know if the website that was put up against Modi – was sponsored by Cong? Even if it was – there needs to be freedom of speech in the form of satire. Why was the author of site made to pull down? There are numerous mis-inforamtion campaign being carried out on Nehru Gandhi family – they never resorted to such contempt for criticism.
As Godhra carnage,can you explain why was Nanavati commission not given access to to deal with the case. Why were regular hiccups put in front of it? For every SIT – there are other commission reports such as one done by Railways point the fingers at Guj administration. Why is Modi and his govt creating ruckus when challenges are being made to SIT on the pretext of the law and order could potentially deteriorate if SIT report is challenged?
Even if Modi were to be exonerated – for not apologising for what happened during his regime and for ignoring one section of the society completely he doesn’t deserve to be the PM of my country.
Modi becoming PM of India is as if more dividing than Sonia Gandhi becoming the PM of India.
@Ashwin Kumaraswamy
Does the apology really matter? If he is guilty, he should be punished. If he is not, why apology? Now don’t say that the UPA or the media will decide who is guilty.
If you say as he should apologize since he was the CM, I would say MMS would have to apologize for years, for what his ministers did.
@Ashwin
How did you arrive at a conclusion that Modi or BJP was responsible for bringing the website down? When there are evidence that it was a planned trick by a few. If you think he is a dictator or fascist, how is that our media is able to continue their propaganda for more than 10 years, day and night. On the contrary Congress is a party which doesn’t take criticism well. Look at the Aditi restaurant.
What would you do? if I brought up a site criticizing you and bring it down in a day and cry that you don’t take criticism well.
Also on what basis you say that he has ignored certain community? Is he creating policy or facility only for majority? Is it not available to everyone?
As you pointed, I agree that Modi divides India, but in a good way. One section which wants to keep minority as vote bank and another section which wants to remove the discrimination among citizens.
Modi is a different among these politicians, which is hard to digest for certain individuals, as he doesn’t fit into the template they have. So fit him in where ever possible and make noise.
I don’t understand how Kejriwal and AAP belong to this conversation. How in the world is AAP even remotely being considered as a national level alternative? It would be a great achievement if AAP wins a few seats in the Delhi Assembly. It is delusional to think that AAP is going to be a force in LokSabha 2014.
Modi deserves a chance to prove himself. Congress is a synonym for disaster for Indian people. In my opinion everybody who is level headed wants development for India not preferential treatment. Freeloaders should not be encouraged. It will only create unsocial elements on road who don’t have to do work any more to eat. in spite of this Government should create opportunities to earn. We all want development, reduced inflation better living conditions and right now only option is Modi
I agree with much of the above… no point raking the past but MrAdvaniji should have stepped down before the last election.
I also have reservations about so much hope being put into one man. It maybe that he has a great team, but ultimately everyone will need to do their bit. The treasury is being emptied by Mr Chidamaram, from what I have read in the papers. How will so much hope transform into easy result, when the CC ( corrupt congress) may leave the treasury empty.
The muddlingand muddied done by CC and others cannot be reversed overnight. Is there a certain unity of thought and action amongst the people?
On a different note.. people need to stop talking up the state of affairs in India.. such as ‘incredible india’, growth rate etc etc Looking at India from an international perspective, India will never be a superpower..or there is a long way to go. The quality of work done and the achievements needs to be improved, and a minimum acceptable benchmark needs to be established. It’s just not good enough tosay that India has so many millions of engineers and doctors.. when the workmanship and final results do not stand up to scrutiny of so many parameters.
And at the end, Shantanu Bhagwat changed his mind and do not support Modi for PM anymore. Well, changing mind quickly itself is a great qualification for joining AAP I reckon. Looking back at this article, I tend to realize even obviously-intelligent and good-minded people can sometimes do biggest mistakes of their lives in the spur of the moment, contrary to their own belief. But dear Shantanu, our struggle to stop UPA III by supporting Modi for PM continues, thanks for this good article.