The post-truth world believes perception is reality. Prime Minister Narendra Modi looks invincible. His popularity only increases – year after year, election after election. With majority support, it seems like only he could have abrogated Article 370 the way he did or criminalised triple talaq or won with a massive mandate even after demonetisation and downfall of the economy.
And yet, Modi is fearful. Who can possibly scare the Prime Minister? Not terrorists, trade unionists, voters or opposition leaders, but a small group of intellectuals. The thinkers of India.
The BJP likes to disparagingly call them the ‘Khan Market gang’ or the ‘Lutyens’ club’.
Also read: Khan Market booth didn’t vote for Modi. This is why he projects himself as anti-elitist
No Bolshevik Revolution here
India’s intellectuals are not plotting a Bolshevik Revolution to overthrow the Modi government. But the troika – Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and Ajit Doval – treat them with nothing but contempt and suspicion. And now Republic TV’s Arnab Goswami has called them the ‘Negativity Gang’.
What happened to ‘sickular’ or ‘jholawalas’ or ‘NGO types’, one wonders.
The BJP’s social media machinery aggressively and viciously trolls this community. Sometimes, even supporters of Modi criticise his policies or statements. But the troll armies do not spare them either. They are instantly thrown into the Khan Market club. There is no mercy petition—be it a Mohandas Pai or a Tavleen Singh.
This so-called class of intellectuals or media commentators is not united. Their ideologies are as diverse as the fifty shades of grey, like Manish Tewari likes to say. They do not belong to any political party. Indeed, they take huge pride in being totally ‘independent’. But Modi’s BJP likes to treat them as one bloc.
And it’s not like they criticise only the BJP. India’s intellectuals want Sonia Gandhi to take certain major steps and they advise Rahul Gandhi on how to be a leader. They write extensively on what the Left, in general, and communists, in particular, should do to come out of the irrelevance they are currently in. But none of them directly participate in any party fora.
I would not call them armchair pontiffs. Nor would I condemn them as self-centred bystanders, unwilling to take the plunge in politics. Most of them genuinely want to keep freedoms intact and scholarship alive. They do not want to fall prey to party discipline or tightly binding ideology. This class believes that the powers that be are afraid of ideas, debates and intellectual exchange.
Also read: Time Modi & Amit Shah stop abusing Lutyens’ Delhi. They are the new power elite in Capital
A harmless community
So, in what way are they a threat to the vast power structure Narendra Modi has in his command? Or how can they make a dent in his charisma (manufactured or real)? They have no mass following, beyond Khan Market or Lutyens’ Delhi. They can only impress each other in the seminars at the India International Centre or the Habitat Centre. They gossip privately.
Politically, this community is totally harmless. These intellectual groups exist in most countries. For instance, in the US, this community is sardonically known as the ‘Boston Brahmins’. In England, in the post-aristocratic era, the university-educated elite acquired that status. George Bernard Shaw, in his famous play Pygmalion, characterises them as vain parasites.
In Communist Russia, this intellectual lot was called the nomenklatura, though their vanity and status came from their proximity to the state or party bosses. The Indian Communist parties too had their own ‘Marxist Brahmins’, who dictated and dominated the politburo – the Bhadralok in Bengal. Today, the Brahminical hold over this community is still deep and wide.
Also read: Why the lack of approval from Lutyens’ Delhi bothers Narendra Modi so much
What scares Modi
But why does Narendra Modi hold this class in such utter contempt? Is it deep-rooted in the ‘anti-Brahminism’ of the OBCs? For the last few years, Modi has been wearing his OBC status on his sleeve. But there is a paradox. The RSS, even today, is extremely Brahmin-dominated. Although, there was a conscious effort when Balasaheb Deoras became the Sarsanghchalak to promote OBCs in the party.
There are often reports from within the Sangh Parivar that the RSS and Modi are not on the same page. Occasionally there is hush-hush talk about the RSS hostility towards Modi. The RSS apparatchiks say that the Sangh has always been against a personality cult.
But Modi’s power flows from that personality cult. If the cult goes, power vanishes. So, there are constant efforts to preserve the image. Press conferences or real interaction with the media can damage the image. So, the scripted interviews continue.
Arnab Goswami would be better than Ravish Kumar. Conversation with Akshay Kumar is better than with Ramachandra Guha. Prasoon Joshi is more suitable than Pritish Nandy. Monologue ‘Mann ki Baat’ is better than dialogue.
Neither the Modi government nor the Sangh Parivar has intellectuals in their vast armies. Even though Brahmin, most in the Khan Market gang are brought up on Western intellectual and literary diet. So, they do not join the Hindutva bandwagon. Some of them prefer to be quiet fellow travellers of the Parivar.
Modi feels intellectually vulnerable in their company.
Also read: How India’s liberals and opposition can start winning the battle of ideas
No country for intellectuals
The mediocre is always afraid and hateful of the ‘buddhijivi’. Their inferiority complex and lack of comprehension of multi-dimensional reality make their choices limited. They prefer simplistic solutions to complex issues – like for Ram Mandir, triple talaq, beef, yoga, etc.
Modi is at once a product of the mediocrity of the Sangh and a megalomaniac personality. So, he feels threatened by clever people who challenge his facts and narrative. He tries to create the world in his own image. He is not happy to be just a Prime Minister. He wants to be a world statesman. The pliant media helps in this image-making process.
Modi’s attack on Khan Market and Lutyens’ Delhi is a reflection of his acute insecurity. Instead of facing the opposition, he runs them down in public; instead of arguing with reason, he creates a fog of faith. Instead of meeting the press, he meets embedded editors and bonded members of Parliament.
The Indian nomenklatura and the Boston Brahmins in Khan Market threaten his carefully crafted image. He knows that if the image cracks, his days as PM will be numbered. So, condemn the thinkers of India to rally around the mass of mediocrity.
The author is a former editor and Congress member of Rajya Sabha. Views are personal.
Let us ignore the hallucinating fools like Sumar Ketkar. He must be on moon to realize that more than 50 people have taken trouble to actually comment on his drunken blabbering. I for one resolve not to read this gutter outpouring. Bye Mr Ketkar, once upon a time I respected you as a Buddhijivi!
The author Kumar Ketkar is well known Modi Hater… his hate for Modi has blinded him from the truth and has turned him into a sell out. These urban naxals are so depressed that the narrative that they established has been replace with truth… welcome to the post truth world indeed.
this small group is not thinkers group. they are urban naxals and they will be fixed shortly
KK is pseudo scare Technic foxy lurky of 0% intellect
The Universities of Bharat should confer on Mr. Modi honorary PH.D. If I were a chancellor of University, I will confer him real Ph.D for his real life time of work. Saurashtra University must start the ball rolling.
A human is made up of four forces: Intelligance Education Culture & Compassion. A Human is restricted in that it is conceived in 5 energies and 5 senses.
God – the 100% energy-pure-simple.
The University of Streets is more of value than building of bricks without soul.
The pseudos cannot fathom them.
By 2024, Congress party will only be on a signboard.
Unfortunately ;, there are no intellectuals at the present time in India .
This is hilarious that the media calling themselves ‘intellectual’. Modesty is a scarce commodity among these people. One important thing to point out is that how they (media intellectuals, if there are any) have treated BJP and Modi since they got into power in 2014. They have not extended him the benefit of doubt and should have waited to see how Modi would govern. From day one these knuckleheads have relentlessly attacked without reason. These quasi, pseudo and hollow intellectuals intoxicated by the power and perks (like offerings of oodles of Padma Shrees to reporters, Journalists and opinion makers however undeserved they were) bestowed with the compliments of Congress High Priests or Lutyens clique or the Khan Market Gang. They have never critically reported on any event in the past. The questions being asked by the media in the last five years are legitimate. But were they living in the cave or under the rock for the past sixty odd years. Holding the politicians to the promises they make during the election campaign is an essential part of Democracy, but why they never asked these questions in the past is what people are wondering about. These guys were unaware that the Indian Electorate have woken up and can see the shenanigans of the relationship between the media and ruling (Congress) class. In the past five years, the Indian population have seen the march towards the progress and the elevated status of India among the Nations. In light of this fact, I would call the Indian Electorate are the intellectuals and the media has to take some lessons in Integrity and Loyalty to India. But that is too much to expect as we cannot teach an old dog new tricks. I would say, let them wallow in their woes and leave them aside, as we don’t care about them..
Superb..
The author seems to trumpet that only leftists and congressites have intellectuals and BJP/RSS doesn’t have intellectuals, indicating that intellectualism is the sole monopoly of these groups! Oh,! What a wonderful theory?
Mr. KUMAR KETKAR,
First of all, there are many more real intellectuals in this society and those real intellectuals are the “mediocre masses” because they are smart enough to recognize now that so called pseudo intellectuals of Khan Market and Lutyens’ Delhi Club can’t fool them anymore. These so called so called pseudo intellectuals of Khan Market and Lutyens’ Delhi Club had been devoted congress lickers, highly selfish people and antinational. These so called pseudo intellectuals are real parasites of this country because in the disguise of Indian ness, they always spread lies and try to influence western media to spread lies against a ruling party that is democratically elected by real intellectual masses.
Utterly no sense article by a pseudo intellectual. This superiority complex of these so called intellectuals make them disliked by common people.They are mostly left inclined and any other philosophies are inferior accordingly. They never want a solution but try to keep the problem alive as they can continue to give their ‘ intellectual’ opinion . Modi fears them is most ridiculous statement as the writer himself admitted that nobody listen to them. Modi should only fear modi who would deviate from the path of honesty, hardwork and betterment of nation.
Above article shows that KETKAR is far away from ground reality. When he has no fear from opposition these so called intellectuals most of them are in obligation of either of the political parties, public look down upon them for their sycophancy, dual standards has no credibility outside big cities.
A flop article, waste of space and time.
Kumar Ketkar is a congress spokesperson worse than Sanjay Jha and Tehseen Poonawala combine. He never talks sense just like another idiot Aakar Patel.
Bakwas and simply hawabaaji…. Useless article.
Rahul is a Duffer and his mum is a crook.
all said and done, mr kumar ketkar can have his own opinion
its a question to him , who created space for BJP , and Mr Narendra Modi , we have defunct opposition ,
they made a joke of a PAKORAWALA comment , as if this profession is below dignity
i think that most of the comments are against this opinion
The author could not point any lapses with Modi, hence choose to write this article. These so called self proclaimed intellectuals are Award WAPSEE intellectuals. They have not come forward to surrender their awards when about several innocent SIKHS were killed in 1984 Delhi riots. In fact MODI is not feeling INSECURE because of these gangs. These Left liberal intellectuals lost their relevance in Modi rule. Hence, they are feeling INSECURE and creating nuisance on the pretext of INTOLERANCE.
“And it’s not like they criticise only the BJP. India’s intellectuals want Sonia Gandhi to take certain major steps and they advise Rahul Gandhi on how to be a leader. They write extensively on what the Left, in general, and communists, in particular, should do to come out of the irrelevance they are currently in.”
This one paragraph shows your bias. When it comes to BJP you criticize. But when it comes to the Congress and the Left you advice. Why can’t you criticize Rahul when he has proved time and again that he cannot lead? No wonder the Congress and the Left are cozy with people like you.
Who is an intellectual? Only those who have studied Marxism, Maoism or some other communist ideology?. This article, creates social division of ‘us and Them’ syndrome. Does the author of this article know who intelligent every man and woman in the present age? They need not read communist manifesto or Das Capital to become intellectuals. And moreover we have better ideologies born and time tested in India. Thirukural, Gandhian, paramahamsa, aurobindo, Buddhist and chanakya we do not need alien ideologies to govern our socio-political milieu.
Simple answer. You who got a rajyasabha ticket from congress is a Modi hater. Nothing much to know about in this article. Modi admirers criticize him on facts better than the Khabn Market and lutyens gang or club. Intelligentia is wide spread and who thinks it’s a prerogative of a few like you is of the so called Brahmin mentality. In fact as per Vedas Brahmins doesn’t mean by cast but as the teachers and guides or in your language intelligentia.
Bullocks. Every sane person knows these retards are all cock n bull.
Kumar ketkar is a frustrated individual who’s unhappiness at Modi’s popularity and the decline of congress is bothering him big time!!
Print is a ISIS sponsored news letter with anti India bias. So whatever comes here is anti India. Hence they select authors who have no other channels to trumpet their views. If you want what is the thinking of Congress/Pakistan then read this to know enemies of india
This comment and others in this section is exactly what’s wrong with Modi’s India. The intolerance and obsession to tag someone anti national the moment their opinions differ to those of their Supreme Leader.
Kumar ketkar we have known you on TV. You are a gandee chamcha and we all dislike spineless writers like you
The people who you are talking about exert enormous power. Over the last 70 years, their economic policies destroyed all initiative and kept us mired in poverty. They rewrote our textbooks and falsified history. They gave us the Shah Bano case and they continued to oppose Triple Talaq today – issues that caused deep fractures in our society. They support Naxalites who blew up trains and planted IEDs. They openly support succession of Kashmir in their strongholds of JNU and a myriad of think tanks. It is their writings today that shape opinions in the world’s most influential papers. Where do you think terms like “hyper-nationalist” and “Hindu-nationalists” come from? Why do you think Godhra is not mentioned when talking about Gujarat riots? It is the power of the narrative. It would be unwise to think of our left wing intellectuals as a small powerless group.
cessation . correction.
Excellent analysis
This is the reason why Gowri Lankesh is murdered by BJP. They have also blacklisted other intellectuals . Not only intellectuals but they fear true Hindus who knows the meaning of Hinduism as this will hamper their efforts to propogate fake Hinduism to gain votes. It is very simple. Create enmity between Hindus and Muslims and make them fight . Support Hindus in suppressing Muslims. Hindus being the largest community will vote BJP back to power. This is BJP s Hinduism.
Lousy analysis by a lousy mindset Vinod
First please take some grammar classes if you consider yourself intelligent and from khan market clique. Subject and verb should go together. “Hindus who know” or “Hindu who knows”. I am just a mediocre Modi admirer for his good deeds.
”Support Hindus in suppressing Muslims. ” It is always the Hindus who were, and are , suppressed by Muslims. Bangladesh and Pakistan are treating their Hindus so well that they are leaving those countries in droves.
It would be wrong to call these journalist or writers as intellectuals. They have a set agenda and have very old links with Gandhi family.
Remember what Modiji had scholarly said: He does not want Harvard, he wants hard work.
Why such a long write up to prove your point. If it is compelling a short one should have sufficed.
Isnt it always “small’ groups that cause devastation. I don’t know if ‘scared’ is the correct adjective
but the groups you call out are a national disgrace and out of touch with where India needs to be
in the commity of nations. Worse they are clueless how to get there so they grab headlines by negating
and being a counter voice. Old trick and has little in it to earn them any respect.
We can understand the author’s frustration. “Khan market” gang who held great power and influence over the previous governments are now suddenly irrelevant. They are jobless because Indian citizens no longer listen to them or care them. It’s not modi’s insecurity rather the author’s insecurity that’s evident in this piece of trash. Describing the obstructionist, negative, “parivar” boot-licking journalists as the intellectuals of India is a disrespect to the the word “intellectuals”. The author is frustrated and insecure for valid reasons. “the khan market”gang used to sip chai sitting in the backyards of lavish ministerial residences of Lutyens Delhi and influence the policy making. We saw the outcome in two terms of UPA. Corruption, insecurity, terrorist attacks, price rise, continued Kashmir ambiguity etc were all the achievements of this so called “harmless community” influencing the government. But times changed now. Forget residences, this gang is not even allowed on the lanes of Lutyens Delhi. One example for this author’s hypocrisy – The darling prime minister of “khan market” gang Dr. Manmohan Singh participated in only one press meet and zero interviews in his entire ten year tenure, which the author conveniently ignored and started pointing out Modi. India needs a decisive leader like modi. Not the rich, elite, English speaking, Cambridge graduated bunch of writers and journalists who sit in cozy air-conditioned rooms and decide what’s good for India .
Mr Ketkar’s credentials to criticise and condemn Modi stem only from his completely pro Congress leanings, evident from his stout and vigorous defense of Congress and its ‘Family’ on many so called ‘TV debates. Perhaps, he considers himself too as one of the ‘Khan Market’ gang, as an ‘intellectual a la Ramchandra Guha, though he may not actually be sipping Coffee with any such gang. After all, if it were not for Rahul’s ineptness in losing this election as badly as his mother did the 2014 poll to Modi, Ketkar himself could have been a minister in Rahul’s UPA III which, Chandra Babu Naidu and some others led Rahul to believe, was in his grasp.
I can imagine Shri Narendra Modi’s hands shaking in fear when he reads this article on his smart phone, written by a hagiographer of the Nehru (and false) Gandhi dynasty!
Perception is reality only upto a point. Then reality catches up. What an incumbent should fear in a democracy is the fury of a patient voter. Who figures, after a while, the she is being taken for a ride. One acknowledges the influence of intellectuals and more so, the media. Their marginalisation is not a desirable development, but it has happened to a very large extent. What there is no getting away from is the government’s duty and obligation to deliver. When one sees Yogiji’s track record as CM, wonder how long the music can keep playing.
Rest assured Yogi won’t get as much time as the erstwhile Congress Raj and the Nehru- Gandhis got, to mess up U.P. and Amethi/ Rae Bareilly. The electorate now is hopefully a lot less patient.
Many such so called “intellectuals” are known for their SELECTIVE OUTRAGES. Why the author has not touched on this aspect? Such people should henceforth be called SELECTIVE OUTRAGE GROUP.
Khud hi khud ki tarif kar raha hain ye banda.
Hum log intellectuals hain, hum log intellectuals hain.
Arey tum buddhu ho ghanchakro…
Only the left liberals are intellectuals, so the right conservatives have to be mediocres. And the mediocre is always afraid and hateful of the ‘buddhijivi’ A good theory.
But the mediocre who knows that so long as he is not corrupt, a free booter, boot licker, and short of ideas ment for the good of the people, the BUDDHIJIVEs can have all the freedom to display their BUDDHI. As of today people do not seem to identify a single intellectual who is not corrupt, a free booter, boot licker, articulate and short of ideas for the good of people. Why didn’t a single intellectual think of making available toilets, gas and a bank account for the poor for 72 years? The question is not what knowledge you have but how much you can apply. Knowledge when analysed becomes wisdom but that doesn’t make one a leader. Some buddhijivis may even have wisdom, but what good it is if there is no capacity to apply it for public good. Pathological hatred for anything is the first sign of lack of intellect and consequently wisdom. Nothing can be all bad or good not even Pappu
actually bjp is cultivating the fruits of congress just before bjp took over all the fruits of development started and lot more people does not what is the role of central and state government all four state in South are developed because of efforts of state government and lot of things were began by congress but modi took credit it really shameful when takes credits for scientists achievement it’s not his and lot more. but now the present situation is the fruits of congress are stopped our economy is going lot of countries stopped funding India after knowing India has stupidly spent 3000 crore for a statue abolishing talak or 370 doesn’t help anyone but just diverting people thoughts. remember even if Modi has not become PM the changes what you said would happen it’s a part of social change .
Why it is a crime to hold an opinion different from Mr.Modi or the ruling dispensation? Surely, there is enough of government propoganda.. It woud be good if the country has an alternative narrative. Even after getting such a massive majority why this insecurity?
Is Mr. Modi afraid of these writing? Are these people opinion changers? Sure there must be alternative opinion even contrary views. But what is THE narrative? Its personal vanddeta. Not thought He was chief editor of daily & he feels he knows words like buddijivi, intellectual zeal,Khan market gang ,Boston brahmins,& he believe he is the one. His whole life he served Nehru Gandhi family. So be it
Pathetic article.
Dear Mr. Ketkar, if by referring to the “Lutyen’s club”, you are promoting the likes of pseudo intellectuals and thinkers such as Mani Shankar Aiyer, then please, please spare the citizens of this country from any more of the psychobabble that these pseudo intellectuals preach to their countrymen from their selective high ground! They have created enough divisions within our society.
For once we have a Prime Minister who is trying to undo that damage, please let him do his job. Modi may not be perfect, and Indians are intelligent enough to sense that, but at least he has a positive vision of where he is leading the country.
Well said
Yet another sample from the intellectual gang….right perspective but wrong projection….it’s the invisibles backing them are the actual threat!
Modi can be afraid of someone having a political heft, who can challenge him at the hustings. This ‘gang’ can never challenge him politically. Why should then he be afraid of it?
This diatribe sounds like the shattering of a lifelong belief in a false God. Ketkar is a certified Congress devotee. Like all suckers Mr Ketkar feels the betrayal, or more accurately, the sudden disappearance of Pappu from the top seat, crying “Mummy!”.
The only consolation is the reappearance of Muumy at the sobs of the wonder child.
Now, Mr Ketkar, in his old age is required to perform sommersaults and gymnastics of the Tongue.
He fancies himself as the great Intellectual who in his delusions imagines Mr Modi trembling like a leaf as Mr Ketkar and his fellow travellers shoot arrows of pure logic and intellectual revelations at him.
Sad!
just because Modi does not give interview to people like kumar ketkar, its foolish to conclude that Modi is afraid of news reporters. In fact taking them on he has made them totally irrelevant. Indian citizens do not care what these gang thinks. they do not wait what their views are, There is no one crying for this gang. That’s the real pain
Deeply researched article to create a wedge between Modi and Brahmins. The khan market gang had done more harm than good to the country and treating them with contempt is the right thing to do.
Quoting from the article ‘India’s intellectuals want Sonia Gandhi to take certain major steps and they advise Rahul Gandhi on how to be a leader. ”
This is the whole issue. These intellectuals (so called) are okay to support dynastic politics rather than merit based politics. They are willing to put India under the family. Instead they should be constructive in their criticism, there is a lot to criticise the current govt. , and strive to build a credible opposition which India needs badly. When opposition is badly behaved and only wants to be obstructive, govt will ignore them when they can, like it happed in recent parliament proceedings. The result is people loose with less than perfect legislations.
Mr. Nomenklatura Ketkar,
People of this country very well understand ur, Khan Market gangs’ and so called intellectuals’ frustrations of hvng lost:
1. Importance of being pampered by Congress
2. Free travel junkets
3. Admissions in foreign universities for ur children, grand children
4. RS seats
5. UPSC posts
6. 5 Star hotel dinners, daaru, luncheons
And many more.
Now Modi and his Bhakts don’t entertain u Congress Bhakts with all these, so u guys hurt and hence these vent outs. Pls carry on w/ these rona, dhona.
Rest be assured, u will still not get these pampering back for next 50 years. Enjoy writing!!!!!
Modi has been brought up on the writings of Savakar and Golwalker, most RSS Pracharaks are imperfectly educated, Modi got his world view from his mentors in the RSS.
As a young man he was educated in RSS ideology by his gurus in the Ahmedabad unit of the RSS. Modi was presented with fiction passed off as Indian history . You only have to read the dangerous poison that Savakar writes, to see how Modi has been influenced. In particular Savakar hatred for Muslims, in his writings he encourages Hindus to rape Muslim women, in revenge of historical misdeeds and other such ant Muslim drivel page after page.
Modi is a firm believer that India had plastic surgery in ancient times, that India was a land of milk and honey before the Islamic invasion, that Hindus and Muslims are two different people and one has committed a historic injustice on the other.
Modi has never read contemporary historians like Romilla Tharpar with a more modern view of history and interpretation. His mind has been formed by RSS charlatans and uneducated obscurantist bigots.
Just as the Fascists after the Second World War had to go through a process of Denazification, Modi has to go through a process of getting rid of the RSS poison in him.
The poisonous RSS ideology of Savakar and Golwalker has permeated Indian society, culture, press, economy, judiciary, the armed forces and bureaucracy.
Where this ideology has difficulty penetrating is India’s educated classes, this is what confuses Modi, he could influence the Mill workers of Ahmedabad with Savakar though and instigate communal hatred.
But is baffled why India’s Khan Market crowd and the Lutyens mob with a western education cannot be convinced of the Savarkar and Golwalkar nonsense he so ardently believes in.
Vande Mataram
RSS ideology is better than 7th century desert ideology which always spews venom on Kafir.
Height of ignorance. do you know the educational qualifications of RSS sarsanghchalaks? Dr Hedgewar was 1914 MBBS passout, Golwalkar guruji was MSc Zoology & Dr Rajendra Singh was gold medalist in nuclear physics. so Ketkar needs to be educated in facts first.
A good article. Not just Modi. I see this defensiveness in Amit Shah’s interaction with intellectuals. Like Modi he stays away from fora where he might interact with them, but there is one brief revealing encounter with Tharoor. They don’t have to be on the defensive. They are doing a lot for the country, good and bad, but no denying that right now, they look dynamic. The Congress and the Left are lost and rudderless.
Brother , this talk about not interacting with the media and self proclaimed intellectuals is a farce. Think about all the big and small changes the government has made. Think about how large this country is , how many vested interest have dominated our society & for how long? Changing that takes time and there is only so much to go around. Why waste it on people who are not willing to change their views (Gujarat riot a case in point). I don’t agree with everything Modi does , but its not due to lack of effort or intent , and he is by far the best we got.
I would like to suggest a correction. The group of people Kumar Ketkar is talking about do not “scare” Narendra Modi, they SADDEN him. The way our prime minister fashions his speeches, I reckon he thinks he is talking wisdom. So he wants to be applauded by “wise” people. When they don’t, and instead censor him, Mr Modi feels dejected, saddened, and because he is powerful, also very angry. I criticize Mr Modi a great deal myself, but I hasten to add that I absolutely refuse to be pigeonholed into any category.
Right now, however, I am feeling a surge of sympathy for Narendra Modi, and I want to give him a piece of advise. That I will do through a Haiku I wrote long ago. Here it is:
“Unforgivable :
An innocent gone far down
The revenge alley.”
This means, that a person may be innocent to begin with (and some wrong might have been done to him or someone dear to him), but if he relentlessly pursues revenge, “goes far down the revenge alley”, then eventually he is becomes UNFORGIVABLE.
This is basically what has been driving some people against Mr Modi, his mindless hatred for the Muslims, and the policies or a lack thereof that emanates from that mindless hatred.
But that is only a part of the story. The other part is Mr Modi’s huge ego which perpetually eggs him on to take MOMENTOUS DECISIONS (like the Demonetization, GST, and now 370).
The article by Mr. Kumar Ketkar is a reflection of the mindset of India that refuses to understand Bharat i.e. the resurgent Bharat. This mindset is not new. It was brewing since 1947. What happened in 1947? It was a transfer of power from white sahibs to the brown sahibs. The brown sahibs instituted “license and permit raj” and euphemistically called it socialism, to keep the national resources firmly in their grip. That idea eventually morphed into “vote bank politics” Mr. Ketkar would like us to believe that the so-called “intellectuals” are a microscopic minority. The fact of the matter is that it is not true. Khan Market Gang is not a geographic entity. It is a state of mind. It thinks in English, it admires western “values”, as one of its members said openly, while describing the 1984 Sikh pogrom. It derides anything even remotely Indian, It has the capacity, resources, and determination to denigrate anything and everything Indian. It has unlimited resources It’s’ moral and ethical insights are limited to the western interpretation of highly allegorical philosophical texts.
To think that Mr. Modi is afraid of them is another delusion that sustains their fantasyland. Their visceral hatred of Mr. Modi lies in the simple fact that an ordinary man – who is not one of them stole the hearts and minds of millions of Indians. Why did Mr. Modi succeed and why did they fail. I do not think they are capable for such introspection.
Another ‘gem’ of an article from Kumar Ketkar!! He does not bother to understand that Modi needs to hammer these jholawals all the time as it helps him build up his own image. He will never silence them but let them be free for being hammered by his bhakts! More these intellectuals talk, they make it clear to common man that they can not solve their problems and in fact, the problem for these intellectuals is just how to get back political prominence and benefits lost under Congress UPA rule. And Arnabs of this world hate these shallow, useless parasitical guys more than he loves Modi and that makes it good for Modi too! Kumar is neither a jholawala nor a Bhakt but a Congress stooge. Why is he getting into this quagmire!!
Another useless article by Kumar Ketkar-
Just a simple suggestion to these great ‘thinkers’- please come up with something better than what Modi has to offer and yes the country will elect you back into power
These so-called intellectuals of India are the bhakts of Congress party. They can never open their mouth when Congress does something wrong. Many of them have been recipients of favors from erstwhile Congress regimes. So stop shouting form hip about this so called thinkers of India. They are nothing but selfish people who put their outdated ideologies, personal interests above the national interests. And Modi’s second term has just begun, so so you have to count lot more days. And if drama withing Congress continues then probably you’ll have to count even more days….