Modi may have to prove his antagonists wrong

May 16, 2014 will be marked as a watershed moment in the history of India when Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claimed victory in India's general election having an absolute majority in the 543-seat parliament with 282 seats. This is the first time since 1984 that one single party has won a majority for itself. And this is also the first time Congress with just 44 seats in its bag had to concede an ignominious defeat in its long history of dominating Indian politics. Does this moment, as a pessimist would love to say, also heralds oblivion of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty and the death knell of secularism in India? Of course, it all depends how Modi would shepherd his party and captain the vast nation of a multi-cultured demography.
By means of a fair and peaceful voting, people have swept out a tired and ineffective regime, giving India a fresh start. Dejected Indian voters fed up with all the dreadful corruption multiplied by weak leadership, high inflation and the glacial growth awarded BJP 31 per cent of the national vote-share that was efficiently translated into 52 per cent of the seats in parliament. While Rahul Gandhi of Congress did a sloppy work in his campaign to curry favour of the voters in an amateurish manner, Modi did an extraordinary job in approaching the election with avid professionalism, employing all the modern means of public relations soldiered by the best of the skilled media-managers.
But some stark numbers in the election results may cause some secular observers glare their disapproval: the new Indian parliament will have the fewest Muslim members of any previous parliaments since 1952, while BJP could not find a single Muslim MP elected among its legion of 282, though Muslims constitute about 14 per cent of the Indian population.
If Modi made some use of caste and religion to excite the majority of the potential voters he may be excused if he now admits that he did not really mean what he had said. Some BJP leaders reportedly said that they did not require Muslim votes.
But Modi is no more a vote-peddler; he is going to be the Prime Minister. If he is to regain the strength of India as a robust nation, he has to be magnanimous and his leadership should transcend all those narrow politics based on religion and caste. In the past 10 years, Modi single-handedly transformed Gujarat into an example of development for other states. The same way, he may transform India into an example for other developing nations.
Modi promised economic development, strong government and improvement of material lives of the teeming millions most of whom are eking out a life under a heavy mantle of poverty. To many of such voters GDP (gross domestic development) is their God. And Modi promised them a golden GDP.
Modi may enter history by showering unexpected love and respect on those who are still suspicious about his intentions. Muslims in India will find it difficult to forget the demolishment of the Babri Mosque and instigated umpteen riots across the country, including the 2002 genocide in Gujarat in which Narendra Modi was alleged to be personally involved. Modi may now magically turn the tide by showing his goodwill gesture to Muslims by doing what will not hurt their sentiment. He may prove his antagonists wrong by his secular behaviour though he has been influenced by a religion-based political philosophy.
The onus is now on Modi to prove he is a patient leader and guide to all Indians, regardless of their religion, caste or creed.
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