Last week, news reached us that Narendra Modi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, has been anointed as their prime ministerial candidate for the general elections in spring next year. The centre-right National Democratic Alliance also endorsed him. Normally, this would have been routine news. But as Modi is a controversial person, it has raised many eyebrows not only in India but around the world.
The popularity of the Congress Party, which leads the incumbent government, has gone down to the lowest in its history. The Indian economy is in a slide and the currency has weakened considerably. Obviously, people in India are looking for a better person to lead them in the future. Modi’s chances are, therefore, getting brighter each day.
Who is Naredra Modi? Why is he controversial? What is his background? And why do millions in India swear by him?
Narendra Damodardas Modi is the Chief Minister of Gujrat, a state in western India. He has been in that position since 2001. A member of the infamous Rastriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) he is a Hindu nationalist who allegedly inflamed anti-Muslim sentiments in his state that led to communal riots in 2002, killing more than 2,000. Although a Special Investigation Team (SIT) appointed by the Supreme Court of India in 2009 to inquire into the Gujrat government’s and Modi’s role in it “did not find any incriminating evidence against Modi of willfully allowing communal violence in the state,” an amicus curiae of the Supreme Court later commented that Modi could be persecuted for promoting enmity among different groups during riots.
Modi’s family were grocers. As a child, he helped his elder brother run a tea shop near a bus terminal. But from an early age he excelled at the art of debating. He did his masters in Political Science from Gujrat University while he worked in the staff canteen of the Gujrat State Transport Corporation. While in this job, he became a propagator of the RSS. He did so well in this task that he was given charge of the RSS student wing. In that capacity, he became a master agitator and covert distributor of RSS pamphlets during Indira Gandhi’s emergency.
In 1987 the RSS seconded Modi to BJP. This gave him the opportunity to rise to prominence after he successfully organised Murli Manohar Joshi’s ‘Ekta Jatra’ (Journey for Unity). As an expert organiser he distinguished himself again by helping BJP win the Gujrat state elections in 1995.
Modi’s rise was accelerated when, in 2002, incumbent Chief Minister Patel was in poor health and his government was accused of various misdeeds. At that juncture senior leaders of BJP were looking for a replacement. Modi was tipped as deputy chief minister under Patel. But he rejected the offer and said that he wanted “the full responsibility of Gujrat or none at all.” The leadership relented, and by this brilliant stroke he took over the helms of his state.
But then came the Hindu-Muslim riots in 2002. A train carrying Hindu pilgrims was attacked by Muslims at Godhra railway station where several passengers were torched. When reaction by Hindu activists came fast, Modi is reported to have advised functionaries to be slow in stopping them. He is alleged to have expected them to allow armed Hindus to have their emotions play out. This led to the death of Muslims. Later, Modi faced political turmoil which led to the dissolution of Gujrat parliament and fresh state elections. Modi used extreme anti-Muslim rhetoric to again sweep the elections and get reelected as the chief minister.
In spite of Modi being known as ‘India’s most divisive politician—loved and loathed in equal measure,’ he has proved himself to be a successful economic manager for his state. He has converted Gujrat into an economic powerhouse from an economic backwater. So how did he do it?
Gujrat had always focused on industrial growth. Modi corrected the imbalance by focusing appropriately on social sectors. He conceived a five-pronged strategy for integrated development of the state. Today, Gujrat is witnessing massive changes in education, agriculture, health care, information technology, infrastructure, etc. The state leads India in e-governance, investments, poverty eradication, power, special economic zones, road development, fiscal discipline, etc.
Curiously, in all this Modi has ensured people’s participation. Certain novel ideas such as soil health card, roaming ration card, roaming school card show his concern for the common man. One of his master strokes of putting Gujrat in the global map is his campaign called ‘Vibrant Gujrat,’ which has attracted foreign investments to the state.
Modi remains a youthful and energetic mass leader with innovative thoughts. But how would he fare as a prime ministerial candidate? Gujrat is a relatively small state with 50 million people. Running Gujrat is a far cry from presiding over the destiny of a big country like India. In his state, Modi runs a one-man show. There is no effective opposition there. But in India he will have to deal with cantankerous coalitions. There are also influential critics in his own party who are waiting for him to slip.
One of the great obstacles to his ascending to the prime ministership of India is opposition by minority Muslims and by liberals and secularists. Modi has claimed that 25% of the Muslims in his state will vote for him. But his opponents say only 2 Muslims who are BJP leaders — Shahnawaz Hossain and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi — will vote for him. The question that Modi will face from the minority Muslims is what he has done for them so far. Also, has he given tickets to Muslims to contest in the elections from the BJP in the past? How can he answer when the Muslims of India ask him the same question? Inside Gujrat, the unfortunate thing is that prosperity seems to end in areas where Muslim communities live.
Election season is just unfolding in India. Violence and political chicanery will rule the day till results are finally announced. One cannot be sure where BJP and its allies will find their roosting place. But one thing is sure, it is going to be an exciting time in India.
The writer is a former ambassador and a commentator on current issues.
E-mail: [email protected]
Source: The Daily Star
