Short Takes
A Dangerous Joke
Dr Mohammad Manzoor Alam thinks Narendra Modi-as-PM as not just a hilarious joke, but a pretty dangerous one as well.
For reasons best known to them only, a sizeable section of the national media has worked itself into a frenzy discussing Narendra Modi-as-PM. Panting and frothing at the mouth with self-induced excitement, some are writing in a way that suggests Narendra bhai Feku Modi is already our Prime Minister, as if the entire political class (except Modi’s backers) has been sent to the Andmans.
People walking around in self-induced hypnosis must keep it in mind that the India of 2013 is not the Germany of 1933. Nor has India been devastated in a huge war and singed a peace treaty in defeat, humiliation and enduring shame. Also, it does not pay war repatriation that has shattered its economic backbone. On the contrary, the country has been growing economically at a steady pace for close to two decades. Unlike Germans of 80 years ago, Indians are not baying for the blood of a minority even though Feku has in the past created a situation in Gujarat where Muslims were treated as Jews were under Hitler.
We do not claim that the chelas of Hitler will not create another Ayodhya 1992 or Mumbai 1993. Mr LK Advani, on whose head lies the blood of thousands of innocents murdered in the frenzy of Ayodhya and its aftermath, is yet to be punished. In fact, none of the bunch of BJP leaders responsible for mass murder was punished. We do not deny the possibility of another mass murder scheme like 1992 to propel BJP to power.
However, short of a countrywide anti-Muslim hysteria like 1992, we don’t see any great chance for BJP, Modi or no Modi. To imagine that the Indian voter can be cheated once again is an insult to the intelligence of Indian people. We are not prepared to do that.
We know that BJP as a whole––from Advani and Vajpayee downwards–is admirer of Hitler and his anti-democratic tactics. As far as the treatment of Jews by Hitler is concerned, BJP and its mascot Modi have replaced Jews with Muslims as the victims. Modi will not try Hitlerian tactics to become Prime Minister, but he will certainly by resort to those thuggish measures to subvert the Indian Constitution and destroy all democratic institutions once he is the Prime Minister of India. We can say that on the basis of his subversion of administrative norms of impartiality and standards of judiciary in Gujarat. The way Sangh activists penetrated media during Janata Party rule and official secrets were stealthily photocopied and illegally taken away by Union ministers under NDA indicates the subversive nature of BJP NDA government even tried to change the constitution unsuccessfully.
This is the darker side of the picture. And also the most improbable. The Left, Centre and liberal component of public opinion is still strong enough in the country not to allow a fascist takeover. Gujarat alone is not enough to make somebody the Prime Minister of the country, and a nationwide look at the scene does not show any advantage to the BJP over the Congress Party, or of NDA over UPA. Thank God, so far Feku is only just that – a braggart making tall and false claims without much substance.
But that is not a prescription for the non-Feku constituency of the country to become complacent. Hitler’s chelas have many tricks up their sleeves, the best and most time-tested being hate propaganda and communal riots. Secularists must never take the opposition lightly as Feku tells his followers: “Don’t take Congress lightly.” g