Modi talks tough on Bangladesh

---

Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury back from India | Published: April 30, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00

---

As certain comments by some hard-line communal leaders have stoked fears and tensions among the minority communities, Narendra Modi, the front runner for prime ministership, has sought to allay such fears, saying that the country would be governed by the constitution if he goes to power. He said he would reach "every individual" who are the citizens of India. His assertion notwithstanding, Modi's critics feel that the prime ministerial hopeful and his party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are using the "religious card" that poses a dangerous threat to the cohesion and unity of democratic India.
Giriraj Singh, a BJP leader in Bihar state, threatened that those who would not vote for Modi should be sent to Pakistan while another Shiv Sena leader in Maharastra warned the neighbours of India to face a "new India" once the BJP comes to power. Another senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy threatened that "parts of Bangladesh", including Sylhet, belonged to India and there might be a thinking to regain the territory if Modi came to power. Similar utterances that jeopardise communal amity of secular India are frequently coming from some leaders of the BJP or its allies, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Shiv Sena.
Narendra Modi disapproved such utterances, saying that these were not the views of his party and made it clear that India would have to go ahead with the efforts of all its citizens regardless of their religious and other differences. "Muslims have nothing to fear from me", he added.
But Modi also came down heavily on the so-called "Bangladeshis" when he told a rally in Hooghly of Paschimbanga on April 27 that all "Bangladeshis" would have to leave India with their bag and baggage after May 16, the date on which the counting of votes in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections would be start. Indeed, this is a comment that may adversely affect Indo-Bangladesh ties. He also spewed venom against "Bangladeshis" while addressing rallies in Assam.
Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi castigated "acrimonious" religious comments and said all  communities - Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Jains and Buddhists - sacrificed for the freedom of India and regretted that some people were now trying to destroy the secular and democratic fibre  of India. Other secular parties, including the leftists, have warned all against the dangers posed by the people who could resort to high degree of communalism.
Federal minister Dr. Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah, the chief minister of the only Muslim-majority state of India Jammu and Kashmir, said that they would not feel like being in India if the country abandons secularism. They said communal forces should be drowned in the sea for the larger good of the nation.
While the minorities are mostly against the BJP and Modi, sections of them are also supporting the BJP nominee, saying he can effectively protect and promote the minorities. Super star of Hindi cinema, Salman Khan, and famous journalist M. J. Akbar are among them.
The ongoing voting in the vast country involving more than 810 million voters will be completed in nine phases on May 12 and results would start pouring in on May 16. The outcome would set at rest as to who would form the government and also about the next prime minister of the world's largest democracy.
Narendra Modi is particularly seeking to woo the minority voters since his credentials are somewhat tainted by the 2002 Gujarat riots when he was the chief minister of the state. Other political parties are not lagging behind since the Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and other small minority groups account for more than 15 per cent of the 1200 million population. Focus is evidently on the Muslims who account for nearly 12 per cent of the Indians.
Modi is targeting Nehru-Gandhi political family, particularly the scion of that family Rahul Gandhi. The popular but divisive leader, describes Rahul Gandhi, who is widely believed to be next prime ministerial candidate for the ruling Congress-led UPA alliance, as "Shahzada" (Prince). He says members of a family were becoming head of government of India one after another while countless people hardly can reach that position despite their long sacrifice and political wisdom. Obviously, Modi referred to the Nehru-Gandhi political family that has given India three prime ministers - Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.
The 63-year-old Gujarat chief minister Modi has been criss-crossing the vast country even as balloting has been completed in most of the constituencies by this time.
But Modi, seen as a radical Hindu nationalist, is also seeking to keep his Hindu vote bank intact and this was clear from his address in the temple-town Varanasi, where he submitted his nomination papers. Here, he is challenged, among others, by the new party Aam Aadmi Party's chief Arvind Kejriwal.
Modi told another rally that he knew Rahul and the Congress were "upset" by his description of Rahul as "Shazada" and added that it was "reality". Why should members from a particular family must become prime minister in a country of more than 120 million people?  Modi asked and says that he is proud of his humble background as a tea-seller.
Modi is a much talked-about politician in India for his extra-ordinary records in both directions - positive and negative. The chief minister of the industrially advanced western Gujarat state is credited by his party BJP for his ability of being at the helm of the state for three consecutive terms. This is a unique feat. It is no wonder that he has been chosen as the prime ministerial nominee by the party despite the fact that he has no experience either as a central minister or even as a member of parliament.
But Modi is not above controversy even in his own party as several party stalwarts were not in favour of his candidature for the top post, but they later reconciled. However, the moderates in BJP feel Modi can be good for a state, but not for multi-racial and multi-religious vast India, which needs leaders with impeccable image. But the hardliners insist that he is the right person to confront the ruling Congress and other political opponents in the balloting.
The 81-year-old prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh will not continue even if his Congress party and allies win the next polls. The chance of retaining power seems quite tough for the ruling Congress-led UPA alliance.
Muslims were traditionally a "vote bank" for the secular Congress for many years, but the trend has changed of late. It still has good command over the Muslims although not solidly. The leftists, other secular and regional parties, who believe in secularism, are also close to the minorities. In the largest Uttar Pradesh state, which sends 80 members to the 543-member Lok Sabha, Muslims support the BSP of Mayawati, the SP of Mulayam Singh Yadav and the Congress, which is quite weak now in this state. In Paschimbanga, once the minorities were with the Congress, then with the leftists and now mostly with the Trinamool of Mamata Baneerjee.
This time BJP too may also gain access to the minority votes - albeit in a small way. Modi and the BJP are courting the Muslims and even met Islamic scholars from famous Deoband in Uttar Pradesh. Minorities hold the sway at least in 70 to 80 of the 543 parliamentary constituencies.
zaglulbss@yahoo.com