A hundred-plus days into the Chinese ‘dharna’ in Ladakh, six months into the coronavirus crisis and in the fourth year of economic growth decline, the many critics of Narendra Modi are exasperated.
Why are the people, hurting so badly, not turning against him? Aren’t they hurting? Has Modi subjected them to some kind of a spell, conjuring up a collective suspension of disbelief? Is it black magic? Although that is something you’ve been hearing in a very different context — a star’s death and his live-in girlfriend.
It is nothing of the sort. This is the way Indian politics is. Ask people if they are hurting, they will say yes. Do you blame Modi? Remember, many of the most miserable migrant workers walking back home hundreds of miles away were still saying, ‘what could Modi ji have done? He took the risk to save lives’.
Similarly on China and the economy. It takes time cleaning up the mess of “seventy years”. Congress left a weak military. Corruption had to be countered first. Coronavirus? He ordered a total lockdown in time at great risk and cost, he evangelised masks and social distancing and never trivialised the pandemic unlike Boris Johnson, Donald Trump or Jair Bolsonaro. What can he do if this wretched virus wouldn’t listen to him?
If you are a Modi critic, I know that I am getting you even more exasperated. Because that is the idea. To understand hard politics, you have to accept the reality, however rude. You can find a hundred flaws in the latest India Today Mood of The Nation poll. Yet, it has a good track record. Now it puts Modi’s popularity at its highest point, at arguably the most messed up point of our economy, national security, internal cohesion and a pandemic in his six years. So what’s going on?
Take a walk anywhere, and ask strangers who will admit they are hurting, if they regret voting for Modi. If there is an election again, who will they vote for? And do they see a choice emerging? I am sorry if the answers get you even more exasperated.
Are the people nuts then?
Let me put this differently to you. What do ordinary people do when hospitalised by a terrible sickness? They trust the doctors. They are the ones who wear white coats. They are trying their best. The choice of changing hospitals is rarely exercised. That’s how a lot of Indian voters, hurting severely for many reasons, look at their situation now.
Also read:Why Modi doesn’t feature in a list of India’s reformist prime ministers
There’s been a flurry of advice lately from the pundits on how to defeat Modi and what not to do. Get the opposition together, is the old trope. It never works against a truly entrenched leader. Check out Indira Gandhi in 1971 against the Grand Alliance.
Get all Left and secular forces together. Yawn. The Left here was always a red herring, the basic politics was using caste to keep divided what somebody was working to unite using the Fevicol of religion. That battle is over.
If Narendra Modi, accompanied by the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Governor and the RSS chief leads the ceremonial bhoomi pujan at Ayodhya, and nobody in the opposition, with the exception of Asaduddin Owaisi, speaks out against it unqualifiedly, you know that that old, post-1989 Mandir-versus-Mandal story is over.
See the political map of India. State by state, where do you see leaders who could mount a credible challenge to Modi? Amarinder Singh, Mamata Banerjee, OK. Now name a third. Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana stay out of this yet. But already, the families ruling the latter two are supplicants of the BJP on the big issues that really matter to it. Just like in Odisha.
Other possibilities? Change the leadership of Congress. Let Rahul Gandhi go. Who would replace him? Some would say his sister, some would want no Gandhi. There is also a suggestion that the Congress re-consolidate, bringing in all of the prodigals — Mamata, Sharad Pawar, Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, even the Sangmas. But have you asked them if this is what they’d want? And even if they agree, who would lead them?
All of this is pure fantasy at this point. All of it involves too many assumptions, too much wishful thinking, too many moving parts to build a functioning machine. Which brings us to a concept, quite familiar to the smarter people I believe, but which I was told about just the other day. Collateral benefit of a visit to the India International Centre lounge after five months. It is called Occam’s Razor.
Also read:Vande Bharat vs Bharat ke bande: Can Narendra Modi be losing his political touch so soon?
Now, William of Occam (also spelt Ockham), born circa 1285 AD in England, grew to be an Anglican priest and was no rationalist. He developed a theory, instead, to justify and rationalise divine miracles.
His idea — when there were many competing theories to predict what might happen, or why something happened, then the simplest of these was going to be correct. To make it simpler still, the fewer assumptions you needed to make in arriving at a conclusion, the more plausible it would be.
Conversely, if you made too many assumptions, you were going to go wrong. He used it so often, and was so successful with his future-gazing, that this was immortalised as the principle of Occam’s Razor. Presumably because he used it as often as a man might use a razor.
My interlocutor applied this principle to future politics in India. And as we tossed many scenarios for 2024, he said, see which is the one with the fewest assumptions? It is Modi coming back to power with another full majority. Every other permutation fails the test of Occam’s Razor. Which sent me scurrying to Uncle Google to read up a bit.
If you keep it simple, therefore, toss all wishful thinking, and look back on your own political history, you might see some light. In India, a really popular and well-entrenched leader is not defeated by a rival. This is irrespective of which side of the fight a Gandhi is on. Such a leader has to defeat himself or herself, as with Indira Gandhi in 1977 and Rajiv in 1989. Even Atal Bihari Vajpayee lost in 2004 not to a defined challenger but to his own party’s double-edged arrogance of advancing an election and then declaring ‘India Shining’ much too prematurely.
So, what do you do then if you can’t stand Modi and do not have a Green Card ready? Do you wait for him to defeat himself? Or, go beyond wishful thinking and do something different, harder? The conventional way to fight a popular, strong leader is to find another leader with charisma, ambition, endless patience and a new idea. If politics is a mega market place, you need product differentiation. Unless all of that comes together, Modi is impregnable. You can pray to your favourite god and hope he will defeat himself like those in the past we just named.
Also read:It’s Indira Gandhi’s 1974 in India again, but Modi faces a harsh new reality
SAALE HINDUSTANI ITNE JALDI KYON KARTE HAIN.
CORONAVIRUS WILL EXPAND IN BIG COUNTRY LIKE INDIA. WHAT CAN MODI DO ABOUT IT ?
JAB WOH POPULATION CONTROL KA BILL LAYEGA TOH SAALE LOG JALOOS NIKALNA SHURU KAR DENGE.
DUE TO NECESSARY LOCKDOWN AND RESTRICTED ACTIVITIES, JOB LOSSES AND ECONOMY WILL SUFFER AS ITS HAPPENING IN OTHER COUNTRIES.
MODI JI ACHA KAAM KAR RAHE HAIN. HE SHOULD BE GIVEN SOME TIME TO RESOLVE THESE ISSUES.
I’M PRETTY SURE ONCE THIS CORONA GETS OVER, ECONOMY WILL START TO EXPAND.
DO U THINK IF THERE WAS OTHER GOVT. IN THIS TIME, IT WOULD HAVE SWUNG A MAGIC STICK AND THINGS WOULD HAVE RESOLVED.
SO PLEASE BE PATIENT AND HAVE FAITH IN GOVT.
India will remain poor and a highly backward third world country because it too involves too many assumptions to not to be other than that. And indeed it has remanied like that in the last 6 years. Bharat vaasiyo “acche din” k khwab dekhna bhul jao, “man ki baat” hi tumre naseeb m hai.
Rightly said – unless you have your green card!
Mr. SG, you have pointed out three of Modi’s big failures : economy, handling of Covid and China. You have not pointed out the damage Modi has inflicted on the social fabric of the country. In fact, Modi has no achievements to point out (unless you count this electioneering successes).
You should leave it at that. Point out the failures and demand accountability. Don’t write about how the public supports Modi and does not demand accountability. As an educated person, what is your use if you in the media do not demand accountability ? It is an essential part of governance. If you demand accountability, others will join you.
Your paper gives 70% space to RSS fellows to write fanciful articles eulogising Modi. You may think that this is being fair. If you write 3 critical articles, you have to compensate with 7 articles glorifying Modi. Or is it fear that Modi may harass you ? It comes out as sycophancy and cowardice. The RSS articles in The Print are ludicrous. For example the RSS ideologue Chari telling us China is retreating with its tail down, and India is pushing China into a corner with some naval excercises with the US etc. Why do you give space to such nonsense ?
Learn from N. Ram, editor of The Hindu. He has a stand against fascism and hate based politics, he argues against it, and he does not try to compensate for it by inviting the RSS to write alternative facts.
In summary, you are not vile and servile like Arnob Goswami, but you are a fence sitter. You know Modi is a failure and is incapable, but you are not prepared to say that, just because he won elections.
Even demanding accountability somehow works in favour of Modi. Just like 5PM debates on whatever topic. I am exasperated and have stopped wasting my reasoning on Modi and bhakts. The romantic relation between him and bhakts can only be broken by a much more handsome and good looking leader, certainly not by a Pappu type. This romantic relation was never about vikas, not even his hindu image. People just love his manhood, consciously or subconsciously. But Yes, in the beginning, his hindu image helped him rise to the fame in 2002 and made him a national figure. But then Modi and his PR technique, his ability to maintain distance from people and yet worshipped like god are something unprecedented. Remember God never shows up to his whorshipers and certainly never takes up questions from the press. God knows if he does then he will become a human. Have you seen Modi ever among our people, in our villages, or any other place other than high, election pedestal delivering his sermons and entertaining people. But sometimes just like Pappu and his family used to eat with poor families, he washes feet of some poor men if election is nearby. On other days touring the world.
Modi and Shah have succesfully run this media taming, hindu-muslim polarising, and building a vikas purus persona combletely on Modi looks and PR technique model, also called The Gujarat Model first in Gujarat for 15 years and then 6 years nationally. He will keep winning and harming India all round as long he is young and handsome.
And to those 23 foolish congress grumpy old dissenters, yearning for a national union of secular forces (i.e. caste and minority appeasors family units), one thing is sure if that happens Modi will win even bigger than 2019. More handsome and more manhood. Where is that man?
I don’t know if Modi’s appeal is handsomeness. Sometimes he looks handsome due to his dress, sometimes he has an ape like appearance when he speaks.
Anyway, I do not believe that handsomeness is Modi’s attraction for Hindus. They are attracted due to only one reason : he beat up the Muslims in 2002 and did not hide it. He made the Hindus feel powerful.
Vikas and the rest are non-issues for Hindus.
India has become a Hindu Fascist state where the Hindu nationalist party can stay in power as long as it beats up its minorities and gives Hindus their superior status and power to abuse others. The economy will fall, Covid19 will grow, Hindu terrorism will continue, China will continue to take more land, the poor will get poorer but none of this matters. Hindus can beat up on Muslims, so they will approve.
Just like Trump’s white nationalist America but a Hindu version. Same crazy cult-like support also!
Correctly said. There is no mystery on Modi’s support : the attraction is the delusion of Hindu supremacy. It is the same as Hitler’s Aryan supremacy around which Germans rallied till the world ended it.
The analogy with America and white nationalism is also correct. In fact, white nationalist groups now look to the RSS as a model to grow themselves; just like the RSS once looked to German Nazism for a growth model ! The white nationalists will of course beat up Hindus in their countries once the time comes.
Weren’t those white nationalists of America always beating up hindus (err…..Indians – most white nationalists are largely not even aware that there is a distinct religion called Hinduism) whenever the chance presented itself ?
Correct, but our Hindu Trumpists do not understand that, they think the white nationalists will only come after Muslims.
Well Muslims are getting beaten in all non-muslim majority countries,but atleast not being killed like they kill non-muslims in islamic countries.Till the time there are jihadi sympathisizers,and sickulars,BJP will win,and it should win
Which non-Muslim majority countries are Muslims getting beaten ? Care to list them Anonymous? Could you list afew places in Western Europe, USA/Canada and Australia/NewZealand where this happens systematically? Yes, there was an attack in a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand in March 2019 which resulted in the deaths of about 51 persons.
Yes there is Islamophobia in many Western countries, just as there is anti-Semitism, racism, misogyny etc. etc. But it is not the existence of this sort of bigotry that is worrying, but the state response to such incidents. The state comes heavily down upon perpetrators of these crimes and protects minorities or whichever group is targeted. The state does not garland murderers as Harcrad educated Union Minister Jayant Sinha did to gaurakshaks convicted – I re-iterate convicted – of the murder of a Muslim cattle trader. Likewise, the state does not permit hate speech by prominent politicians and comes down heavily upon people who indulge in it. But in India, Amit Shah can get away with calling Muslims “termites” to to be dumped into the Bay of Bengal; BJP MP Tejaswi Surya can tweet hate speech and get away with it. Dr Mayaben Kodnani could lead a crowd that murdered her own constituents in Naroda Patiya and still get appointed Minister of Women and Child Development by then CM Modi. She was convicted and sentenced in 2012 but then, with the BJP government in power, she was acquitted in 2018.
Under the BJP, the Indian state’s tolerance and tacit support to crimes perpetrated on minorities, particularly Muslims is what sets the state apart from most Western democracies. Indeed that is what makes Modi’s India very similar to Islamic Pakistan.
As regards non-Muslims in Islamic countries, if I restrict myself to the countries where most Indians work such as the Middle-East, I doubt that there are instances of Indians getting killed with the support of the state. And no, I do not for a moment allege that these countries are tolerant. The bulk of the Islamic world is intolerant towards other religions and they are certainly not democracies.
As regards your claim that “jihadi sympathisizers,and sickulars” are the reason why the BJP wins, well that is rather naïve isn’t it ? The BJP won only 37% of the popular vote in India and at least 63% rejects that fascist party. Of course, there will be people like you who endorse fascism and violence against Muslims. But then who said that democracy always produces the best results all the time ?
As the Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) said:
“Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve”
‘but atleast not being killed like they kill non-muslims in islamic countries…’
I did not hear of any Hindus being killed in Saudi, UAE… These are big dens where the RSS raises funds. I read the UAE and Kuwait deported some for misusing social media to post hate – but they did not kill them. In India, mobs would have been set loose.
India is the worst country – due to Hindus only.
Left And Secular does not go together. Pseudo secular does. Its the stupidity of the left that helps modi win. Left does not follow its own ideologies and therefore is hypocrite. Hence they are not qualified enough in the eyes of common people who are receiving at least some benefits under Modi government.
Two reasons Guptaji to explain the so-called conundrum you have posed. I guess you too have reached your wit’s end.
Why people of Bharat are “still invested” in Modi?
First, Sonia Gandhi. Saint Sonia, anointed thus by lapdog Outlook editor Vinod Mehta, in her 10 years through puppet Manmohan tried desperately to eradicate Hindus. Therefore puppet Manmohan’s “minorities have the first right on nation’s resources” and give a free rein to Jehadis, 26/11 being only a grim episode in this policy.
Two, Saint Sonia teaming up with leftist sickulars, and the Pope to launch full scale assault on Hindus — billion of souls to be harvested.
Leftists through their poison foisted sickularism – a thinly disguised anti-Hindu ideology.
The awakening of the people of India have thankfully made the sickulars and Hindu baiting librandus run for cover.
May they be vanquished for ever!
Oh what a mastery of television channel labels!
Though, a few have been missed; it could have brought in even more impact.
Wah ! Thumps up to you. Days of fake secularism’ is over. Please of India have realized that had BJP was not in power, Hindus would have to wait for another 500 years to get Ram Mandir build. In fact, Scamgress and Leftist went on to file an affidavit in Supreme court that Ran did not exist in a sinister plan to strengthen Masjid case. People has seen through their ‘secularism’.
‘Why people of Bharat are “still invested” in Modi?’
The answer is very simple : Hindu communalism. Modi beat up Muslims and that appeals to Hindus.
Everything else is a failure as SG pointed out : economy, Covid handling and China. Still, as SG pointed out Hindus (and only Hindus) will vote for Modi in the next election. So what is the appeal ? It is Hindu communalism.
China will kick the Hindu into the gutter, but the Hindu will be lying there and reciting Modi’s brainwashing : Hindus are the vishwa guru and have become a superpower.
Hindu nashe main hain – zara nashe uttarney do !
Howdi Mr Mandal !!
You bray:
“.. Leftists through their poison foisted sickularism – a thinly disguised anti-Hindu ideology. ..”
So what should secularism be replaced by ? Any suggestons? Manu Smriti? Sharaiah like they do in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia ? Or the more extreme version that the Taliban have in Afghanistan?
You talk of the “awakening of the people of India” . Well since you are awake and now have received the much ballyhooed Rs 15 lacs thanks to efforts of the pracharak, go out and check the unemployment data, the decline in FDI, the economic doldrums that the country is in, the social unrest, the massive job losses in the informal sector and other developments in Ram Rajya. In the meantime, also talk to the Chinese and ask them how much territory they grabbed from India thanks to the belligerent sabre rattling by Amit Shah in Parliament last year. And do also have a chat with another Gujarathi called Anil Ambani, a man whose NPAs will be financed by people like you and a man who now has the lucrative maintainance contract for the Rafales .
Common people like you have been vanquished. Hopefully, not for ever.
Perfect Sickular’s logic
Can’t muster any counter-arguments ? Didn’t get much help from your gaurakshak buddies in formulating a response to my comment ? Is that why you go about tagging comments as opposed to debating a dissenting point of view ? Admittedly, the medication you take for the impotence between your legs will not help you tackle the intellectual impotence between your ears… But still, make an effort …
Hitler never had a perceivable opponent during his regime. In spite of that his reign came to an end within 10 to 12 years. He must have dreamt to be in power at least to the natural end of life. We know how it ended. No one had to work towards that. It fell due to its own contradictions. This is always the case when people think they are invincible.
A truly thought provoking comment Mr Valerian Menezes.
Hitler’s Thousand Year Reich was smashed to smithereens in less than 2 decades. But it left behind many millions dead, the indelible stain of the Holocaust on the German nation and the very destruction of Germany the country. A generation had to endure the immediate humiliation heaped upon the German people by the victors of WW 2 and ordinary families had to endure the pain of a Germany split into Eastern and Western halves. And then the crimes visited upon Jews, Poles, Russians, gypsies, homosexuals, the concentration camps and other manifestations of an ideology of hate viz. Nazism.
India is not in an entirely dissimilar state. After all, the RSS from where Modi emerges was also based on the ideologies of Hitler and Mussolini. And just as Nazism identified Jews as the cause of all of Germany’s problems, Hindutva too has a target: Muslims and to a lesser extent Christians. Whilst I am certain that India might see many more pogroms of the Godhra type but no Holocaust type genocides, the trends are no less worrying. Camps are being built to incarcerate Muslims, the CAA has been passed without as much as a whymper and Amit Shah has identified Muslims as termites to be thrown into the Bay of Bengal. The parallels are there.
But one hopes that Indian voters realise that Ram Rajya – whatever it is – does not necessarily sweep over India because the foundation stone of the Ram Temple has been laid. And the Chinese have certainly not been scared of that either and have refused to vacate the territory that they have grabbed from India. Modi sits firmly in his throne as of now, thanks to some spectacularly shrewd image management, headline and hype based governance and a few stunts like Howdy Modi. Of course aided and abetted by legions of middle class, upper caste Hindu bhakths.
But, as the English novelist & essayist George Orwell (1903-50) said:
“Whoever is winning at the moment will always seem to be invincible”
Does Mr. Modi think he is invincible? Only Mr. Shekhar Gupta said he is.
‘Hitler never had a perceivable opponent during his regime.’
That is not correctly put. Hitler acquired the power and the violent mobs to crush all opponents. The communists, liberals, Jews and minorities, and intellectuals were killed or they had to emigrate. Germany lost its finest scientists like Einstein. I am sure you know.
But you are correct, the Thousand year Reich only lasted 12 years. Fascism has failed everywhere, and India will not be an exception. But most Hindus do not understand this. Even many Germans did not accept they followed a monster; some even after the fall of the Nazi state could not accept they were wrong Who likes to admit they followed wicked people ?
In Hitler’s case, his fascist set-up was destroyed by the effort of Britain, Soviet Union and the US. That is because Germany waged war with its neighbours. The country got divided for nearly 50 years, but the Germans reformed, so the allies agreed on German unification.
However, the eventual fall of fascism in India will be along the lines of Yugoslavia which became seven countries due to the Serbian fascists, Milosevic and Karadizc. Here, the fascists waged a war in their own state, and they did not invade other countries. India is similar to Yugoslavia, Modi and Shah, are like Milosevic and Karadzic with their militias Like Yugoslavia, India will break apart into several states. Surprisingly PV Narasimha warned against Balkanisation of India like Yugoslavia – although he was one of the catalysts for that Balkanisation.
Once India breaks up, it cannot be re-united like Germany. By the time Hindus realise (if they ever do) that fascism does not work, India will be in too many different parts, whereas Germany was in two parts that both spoke German. India is a multi ethnic and multi religious society, so only a Yugoslavian break up is possible in India.
Keep dreaming
On this mystery of how Modi messed up the economy, mishandled Covid, and showed cowardly withdrawal after the Chinese attack, yet his popularity has held or increased, opposition disarray is a small factor. However, that is not the dominant factor.
Who is Modi popular with ? Hindus – and only Hindus. The Sikhs, Muslims, Christians etc. can perfectly see and say that Modi messed up the economy, mishandled Covid, and showed cowardly withdrawal after the Chinese attack, and should be held accountable. The minorities do not think there is no one else who can rule. Most Hindus are unable to accept this. It is a loss of face for them.
In the India Today survey, if they had put the following questions, the mystery would clear :
Do you feel Modi stands up for Hindus ? Do you appreciate Modi for showing the Muslims their place ?
We know what the answer of most Hindus would be. There is no mystery. Just ask the right questions !
Modi understands the Hindu psyche. He is the Hindu psyche. The fact is most Hindus will cut their nose to spite their face. They do not mind if Modi messed up the economy, mishandled Covid, and showed cowardly withdrawal after the Chinese attack – as long as Modi showed Muslims in India what their place is. On the first three, his bhakths will say Modi made India a vishwa guru, other Hindus will say Modi inherited problems from 70 years, he is trying his best, he needs more time, there is no body else etc. – as SG found when he asked people. But on Muslims, Hindus see a tangible success that resonates with them. That is the reason Modi is impregnable.
hey you are here also. Earning enough by trolling, you Paki agent. You fellows are going down
You fellows pull down your khakhi cheddis and crap on the road, and imagine Hindus are the vishwa guru, and the whole world is admiring you !
Jab tak tum Jaise jihadi suar hai,hum modiji ko hi jitayenge
You will keep making Modi because Hindus like you have low IQ. There is no other reason.
Very intriguing
When we have a majority Government, media isn’t happy…majoritarian they say… (I wonder what is caste (majority) based politics and Governance…)
When there is a functional Government the media is not happy….
When there is a strong leader the media is not happy…..
…and so on….
Fortunately, or unfortunately, the traditional media is becoming increasingly irrelevant. I have not read a newspaper for years. I have not tuned into prime-time TV too for years. I don’t miss it. I get more “news” than I can digest in the digital media, where I can express my views too. (Like The Print, for whatever it is worth)
Thankfully such media and the handful of “experts” and “commentators” have limited reach. Also, people (78%?) have seen through this attempt by the media (the agenda is not particularly anti or pro anything) to seek preservation and relevance by “boiling the Ocean”. Can’t blame them
The Indian today is more influenced by what he sees in her physical vicinity and feels than by what she hears.
Yeah, more power to the people.
You are trying to pull a fast one.
‘When we have a majority Government, media isn’t happy…’
With a majority, we expect even more performance. SG pointed out just 3 key failures : economy , Covid and China. There are many other failures.
‘When there is a functional Government the media is not happy….’
It is a dysnfunctional government. The handling of Covid with no peaking in the curve and an unplanned lockdown in 4 h shows that. There are only 3 countries where the Covid curve is rising without peak. All others have brought it down. After China took land, Modi said nothing happened – functioning government ?
You proudly say ‘Fortunately, or unfortunately, the traditional media is becoming increasingly irrelevant. I have not read a newspaper for years. ‘
I guess you now rely on Whats App university run by the BJP’s IT cell. It is designed for low IQ Hindus, of which there are many.
The reason Hindus support Modi is Hindu communalism – and nothing else. Somehow you want to pretend otherwise. You wrote humbug about how India got left behind and has to run to catch up – as if Modi is running and catching up.
Modi has sold low IQ Hindus like you delusions that you are catching up, you have become the vishwa guru and the world is in awe of the Hindus. But SG has pointed out the failure using three metrics – economy, Covid and China.
With Hindus like you in the army, it is no wonder China could walk all over and take land. You and Modi represent India’s failure.
You are tyring to pull a fast one too …
hindus are communal !!!
dont brand hindu society as communal. they may have voted bjp to power. but can you call them communal. how many attempts did it take for bjp to come to power. how many years (or centuries) did ram mandir case run. muslims have an equal role in pushing middle class hindus towards bjp and away from congress. now congress has been penalized for standing firm on secularism. eventually congress would prevail. muslims can help it by behaving or showing a bit of secularism by vacating hindu places of worship. hindus always are pained to see their holiest of places having to share space with mosques.
muslims and christians can also show some nationalism or secularism by asking for reversing cow laws. playing victim is not enough. you should be more vocal at the right forum. what is the point if some one is beaten up for cow slaughter when it is already illegal. illegality has to be contested. what secular india needs is enlightened and reformist minorities.
‘what is the point if some one is beaten up for cow slaughter when it is already illegal.’
Hindus in Bengal, Kerala, NE etc. eat beef, so don’t impose your cow belt Hinduism on others.
India is biggest beef exporter. Some of the top beef exporters are RSS Hindus. Besides, where do you think the cows are going when they grow old ? For some time Yogi posed about cow shelters.
The farmers used to get 40,000 per cow when they sold it. Now the Sanghis themselves ship them to Bangladesh and the Hindu farmer gets 2000. The BSF and all other are bribed and cooperate and take a cut. The losers are farmers and small time butchers. The gainers are are big business Hindus and Bangladesh.
Now, BJP has come, Hindus are communalised permanently, and they have lost reasoning power. Hindus are breeding violent men and rapists. You have become the worst community in India. The Sikhs produced Dr. MMS and the Muslims Dr. Kalam, Christians educate people. Hindus produce chai wallah with forged degree, a fake encounter specialist and a Yogi with a criminal record. That is why India has decayed.
I welcome you to contest the cow laws. In fact my point was minorities are not doing enough in terms of political or judicial activism. Congress has been painted to a corner by bjp precisely for standing up for the minorities.
You may say what you want about the hindus, but this country is of majority hindus and has been progressing in leaps and bounds until recently. If you think the other separated piece of india is doing better, good luck to you.
Hindus are very much communal. If communal means conflict among different sections of communities. In India communalism should be called casteism properly. And India has been heavily invested in that since the last 2500 years. And with its began the decline of the great Indus valley civilisation to the degenerated. impoverished and primitive nation of today’s India
Are you a fool. Have you ever thought why Buddhism flousrished everywhere except in India, where it was pretty much buried under the ground. We are those people who socialise with our neibhours and then, at the same time, hang Nimbu-Mirchi outside the door and play black magic spells among our own people. How Disgusting!
Rasgolla….You seem to be a frustrated little guy with so many comments!…Do you spend your entire day replying to Modi supporters?..I hope you dont waste your time buddy….BJP is gonne be here till 2050, like it or not
‘BJP is gonne be here till 2050….’
Are you confident India is going to be there in 2050 ? I see NE will go to China, Kashmir is uncontrollable, RSS fellows have started making noise to impose Hindus and South is protesting, so the South will want to separate from the cow belt, and in the cow belt there will be civil war between Hindus and Muslims.
Many countries that existed like the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia have come and gone, I see India will go the same way – because Hindus do not have the capacity to unite, they have a divisive streak in them.
No Modi supporter has been able to reply to me.
Modi appeals to the poor of this country, the lower middle class and some section of the middle class and upper middle class. The people who have commented here are clearly in middle to upper middle class category, A house help voted for him because she got a 4 lak loan to build a house, a daily wager votes becuase he got a toilet in his house and he didn’t have to climb a tree to “sh*t” becuase he was scared water logging could bring in snakes. The people commenting here are the 2-3 percent of tax paying Indians. Thank you tax payers. You need to get out of the comfort of your home to see the change modi has brought at a booth level. There are tremendous changes , many of us may not agree with his style of governance or politics but that doesn’t mean we must close our eyes and not acknowledge the reality. Just because you don’t like him, doesn’t mean he’s not doing a good job. A section of India loves him, a section of India hates him, tough luck! The Muslims, most of my friends do not like him, they have blindly opposed every single word uttered by him, I see a new modi meme everyday on their Instagram and FB and WhatsApp status messages. Again that’s their view , they have all the right to express it, the Christian’s hate modi too, most of them, again that’s fine, a section of Hindus hate him too. In a country like India you will find all this.and more. As it stands today, there is NO one capable enough to stand against modi, he has put India on the world map, he has made indians proud. In all my travels, whenever I ask, “what do you know about India?” The answer was always “Shah Rukh Khan/Bollywood” , today they say “Modi” . Good or bad , we don’t know, everyone has their own perspective. He is here to stay and he will go when he decides to step down. Rahul Gandhi is no match, you can’t get an under 13 player to face Wasim Akram. Under 13 players will definitely learn as they grow older and play more, but RG has failed and failed and failed again. The old guard is using him as a bakra and they want the congress to implode, it is working well. BJP promotes talent and young Turks, congress promotes the Nehrus and Vadras. God only knows how the Nehrus became Gandhis, that’s a topic for another day. I would like to see a powerful opposition party but the selfish congress has made it a joke.
Well said
“The Print ” want to remove Modi. But Indian citizens want Modi to continue as PM for the next 10 more years.
Will there be an India in 10 years?
‘A house help voted for him because she got a 4 lak loan to build a house, a daily wager votes becuase he got a toilet in his house and he didn’t have to climb a tree to “sh*t” becuase he was scared water logging could bring in snakes. The people commenting here are the 2-3 percent of tax paying Indians. Thank you tax payers. You need to get out of the comfort of your home to see the change modi has brought at a booth level. There are tremendous changes’
Don’t get carried away. Hindus voted for Modi because he makes them believe he is ‘standing up for Hindus against Muslims’. Subramaniam Swamy said the BJP cannot win on development, Hindutva or ‘Hindu first’ is the winning formula. He is a honest Brahmin – even if wicked.
‘In all my travels, whenever I ask, “what do you know about India?” The answer was always “Shah Rukh Khan/Bollywood” , today they say “Modi” . ‘
Again don’t get carried away. The people you asked that question will be Hindu NRIs and Hindus of Indian origin. For the westerner, India is a nation of poverty and squalor has not changed due to Modi. How can that change when the economy has gone down ? Plus some newspaper or other in the west is publishing on communal riots, rapes, attacks on Muslims and Christians, RSS etc.. Time magazine’s title article was ‘Modi, Divider in Chief’. People have seen the BBC interview with Ram Madhav on Hindu Nazism.
So get real. No doubt Modi can win a majority again, but don’t attribute it to achievement, ascribe it to the reality : Hindu communalism. And forget about the world admiring India or Hindus. It is not going to happen. People admire countries with fell fed, educated people, good law and order, and strong economy and technology.
Everybody loved Atal Bihari Vajpayee without condition, even those who voted him out.
Modi at best is an incompetent leader. Your opinion is completely baseless and delusional. Remember China grew at 2 digit figure for 25 years continously to become what it is today. India on the other hand has come to below 4 percent figure even before the lockdown. China, 5 times bigger economy is still growing at 6%. Modi’s execution of his policies has been terrible, because of his snobbish, bootlicking behaviour. He is a coward, obsequious and unprincipled person. Kitna bhi kuch ho ant m GDP growth m reflect hona hi padega, or ab to 6 saal ho gaye.
Are election to Lalu bhi jeeta tha 15 saal lagataar. Or left 35 saal lagatar. Loan pehle bhi lete the log. Banks Modi nahi chala raha hai pichle 50 saalo se. Or kaheka 4 lakh ka loan. Kaha mil raha hai bhai batao zara hum bhi le. Raha sandass ka bat taxpayers ka paisa flush kr diya modi bina flush k toilet m. Are 50% se jyada toilets khandhar ban chuka hai already. Are public ka paisa mile to koi kuch bhi bana sakta hai, 3000 crore ka statue bhi, usme kya hai. Sustainable banana challenge hai jo ki modi k short sighted mind k bas k bahar hai. Usko khali election jeetna aata hai apne liye petty sympathy gain krna. Meri Ma bartan dhoti thi doosro k ghar m. Bahut logo ki dhoti hai sabko PM bana do.
These days any comment one makes on Modi, the person is categorised either as a bhakt or a hater.I am neither.Having watched the indian political scene over all the past prime ministers,my take on Modi is like this..He comes through as an honest person, motivated by no other considerations of self aggrandissment , party or caste. , he is seen as hard working, sincere in his beliefs and , most important has self belief. Fo too long we have been fed on prime ministers who seemed to be busy building images of themselves which were larger than life.at least the first prime minister behaved like he was leader of th eworld than India. Then we had some whose tnure was too short to talk about. One of them who had a long tenure ssemed to work like a bureaucrat than a leader. Tentative, hesitant, he seemed to be keeping the chair warm for someone else.then we also had a young man who was more impetuous and gave an impression that he was going by the advice that had no foundation except self interest.
We also had alady in the position for long. Unfortunately her regime was marred by charges of dynastic rule wherein country’s interest appeared secondary.
With this as the background ,one does not need to be a poltical analyst to see the strengths from which Modi is working.One strength which is not highlighted is his brevity in communication.Indian politicians ,as a rule talk too much.
Any person who can work on the lines mentioned above can be a good foil for Modi.
Unfortunately asking questions like arun shourie did during Bofors days is not inspiring confidence. lastly, There is an economic vision which has not found many takers. none the less it is there. Unfortuntely the other contestents in the areana seem to have nothing to offer except doling out public money.
The opponents have a long and hard road ahead.
‘These days any comment one makes on Modi, the person is categorised either as a bhakt or a hater. I am neither.’
You are a bahkth. Only a bhakth would write ‘He comes through as an honest person, motivated by no other considerations of self aggrandissment , party or caste. , he is seen as hard working, sincere in his beliefs and , most important has self belief. ‘
Modi arose to prominence because he beat up the Muslims in Gujarat. He used the VHP to send sudra kar sevaks on trains, had them burnt, blamed Muslims, and then unleashed Hindu mobs on the Muslim minority and asked the police to stand by. A honest person does not do that. Modi is a cynical, cruel Hindu. You know all this, you are just a duplicitous upper caste bhakth.
SG has pointed out his failures : Modi dashed the economy, he has been disorganised with Covid relief, and with China, he has shown the familiar Hindu cowardice.
Thus, Modi is a disgrace to Hindus and to India. You are disgraceful because you eulogise criminals.
WHO SAYS THAT ONLY BJP CONTROLS MEDIA , CONgress ALSO HAS A COMMAND OVER PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA LIKE NDTV, NEWS 24, TV9 BHARATVARSH, THE PRINT,THE WIRE, LALLANTOP, PEEING HUMAN, DECCAN HERALD, INDIAN EXPRESS, ALSO THEY HIRED DHURV RATHEE, KUNAL KAMRA, RANNA AAYUB , NIDHI RAZDAN AND WHAT NOT . HYPOCRISY AT ITS BEST .
Spoton
Absolutely right, brother !
How damn right you are !!!! Actually the WHOLE media was with congress Because they believed in the so called secular congress ideology. Just because Modi has been voted by the people twice, the media has now thrown in the towel and unhappily reflecting public opinion. You forgot times of india. The editor wrote a headline saying that govt (unfairly) blames pakistan for pulwana terror attack. The word unfairly was implied. The public came to beat up the editor or Pune edition, they had to call the police. Anybody knew this? CONCEALED by the media
Hello Mr gupta
I like your writing usually. But why do you write an article wistfully imagining how modi is to be defeated? Please don’t take politics as a sport. There are many great problems – but unless you and me are ready to dedicate ourselves to becoming better leaders, why rant at present leadership which many believe to be quite good?
Beyond the cynical political journalism, at times people connect with the intent of a leader which they feel to be mostly good. There is no analysing that.
THE ” PRINCE” YOU LOVE SO MUCH AND WHOSE NARRATIVE YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN CONTROL
Needs to do is TO COME BACK TO POWER
1) Declare he will control population by implementing population control measures strictly.
2) He will ensure that scienctific education will be prioritised over religious beliefs. Religion to be a personal choice.
3) No proselytizing activities will be allowed. NO ‘”ROME RAJYA OR GHAZWA E HIND ” IN INDIA .
4) GIVING benefits and government posts to Undereducated jhollawallas and rent a journalist would not be a state policy.
5) NO political phone banking.
Start with these and political benefits will accrue.
Instead of pointing fingers at voters, why not those who can’t stand him point it at them? Ask in what way they are better than him in many areas? National security: Do they have a cohesive ideas for next 20-30 years? Are they at least making effort to increase indigenous productions? Can they stand up to China? It doesn’t help to see your anointed leader sitting on a table and signing extra-national agreement with a govt. (China party is govt.). You don’t cast doubt on your government’s effort even before the blood strains dry. Corruption : Every single Party in the opposition is controlled by dynasties and has a indelible the shadow of corruption is cast on them. Secularism: Gimmicks of the opposition during last electing proved they are not sincere to the cause as they know their brand of secularism is highly flawed. Under cover of it, many benefitted, none more than than foreign funded evangelicals. In states like TN, this has drawn the attention of people. Even today, they demand tolerance from only one religion. Nationalism: Utopian left leaning liberal who read more international history and philosophy than Indian, may think it’s a old fashioned idea. But reality, especially in today’s world where most nation states are realizing the danger of modern day colonization, it is important for each country to define its own nationalism. It has be something tangible, not based on some utopian concept that does not resonate with masses. Again, Modi is keeping it simple with Sanadana Dharma, which does not exclude any religion or sect. This is almost same as secularism, except it’s our own version, unlike the previous brand of secularism this does not alienate one. Also, it is a litmus test to those who put religion above nation.
Above all, India’s heroes are known for their moral virtues than bravery. The same reason Sadhus are more revered, Gandhi is more popular than Bose. Modi may support Bose and Shivaji but Indians like Modi more for his moral righteousness, which none, not one of the opposition can match.
‘Indians like Modi more for his moral righteousness, which none, not one of the opposition can match.’
You mean Hindus like Modi for his moral righteousness in beating up the Muslim minority in 2002.
Don’t use the term ‘Indian’ as cover. Call it Hindu. ‘Indian’ includes Muslims, Sikhs and Christians.
it is the propaganda which has belittled the efforts of missionaries. whatever is the motive of the missionaries, it is not morally or legally wrong. if many dalits have changed their religion for a better lifestyle it isn’t sin. a considerable percentage of population has availed missionary hospitals without having to change their religion. is there any parallel of hindu organizations serving selflessly.
This article is a good example of how after 6 years indian journalists still failed to understand how modi government works.
You have no idea about the ground realities.
Pandemic has affected entire world. Economy of the world has slowed down.
Unemployment of France, Sweden,Spain,Italy etc. is over 10%. Do you see their media writing such shit articles?
Govt didn’t create the pandemic people are not going to blame them.
Everytime you hate Narendra Modi, just think of the Islamic Expansion, the Islamic Ghettos and the Muslim Umma who can come together and attack any country which speaks a word against Muslims.
We haven’t yet seen the ISIS and Taliban style terrorism in India yet, but it is not far. The enemies of peace are waiting for an opportunity to strike. Most of the political parties in India will prefer an appeasement politics. The only party which will rise to the occasion is the BJP and a strong leader like Narendra Modi.
I am more worried about what will happen after Modi finishes all his terms and retires. India needs a strong leader like him. It is just a matter of time that he will encash the opportunity that Covid has given to snatch businesses and manufacturing from China, but the bigger question is are we Indians ready to take it ahead. Do we have enough skills. Are our youths unnecessarily indulging into politics and drudgery and loose talks ?
Do we want to see Pappu becoming the PM of India or Asiduddin Owaisi or Mamta Banerjee ? Amrinder Singh – may be, Shashi Tharoor – may be.
The author, a well known Modi basher started with a wrong premise, India is hurting. The article is not worth reading after the first sentence. Most of the Indians, specially the discerning ones, here the author is excluded, realized the pandemic and the conflict with China are not the makings of Modi. The migrant labor have been helped by the government, the Railways, NGOs and the public at every step and they acknowledged it. Disregard the misinformation provided by Congress and the liberal lobby.
To put it in a nutshell, the author has lost his plot and should start afresh again.
Occam’s razor is not meant to be a way of choosing between hypotheses that make different predictions. It says that when competing hypotheses make the same prediction, one should select the one with the fewest assumptions.
Oh no. In six years the economy went into the gutter. And all our neighbours are with China. Next four years or nine years will be the same. Reminds one of another popularly elected leader of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, who brought the oil rich country to its knees in fifteen years.
Its all about hatred for Muslims, they will vote for anybody as long as he or she appeals to their sadistic tendencies
You summed it correctly in one sentence but they will never state or admit that is the only reason they support Modi. SG avoids mentioning the obvious. In a poll, they should ask the question ‘how much of your support for Modi is because he beat up Muslims ?’
Whose sadistic tendencies Mr Pandu Ranga? Care to clarify please?
You know the answer, so why do you ask ?
No one said all Hindus are sadistic, but sadistic Hindus are ruling India. That is the fact, why do you object to it being pointed out ?
The minorities are not at all in this government.