India deserves better. So says The Economist, in an exceedingly well argued article analysing the prospects of BJPs Prime Ministerial candidate Mr. Narendra Modi in the upcoming general elections. economist/news/leaders/21600106-he-will-probably-become-indias-next-prime-minister-does-not-mean-he-should-be-can-anyone The Economist is of the view that anyone is better than Mr. Modi. An insipid government headed by Rahul Gandhi, according to them is still better than a divisive and unrepentant Modi. Even if NDA were to win the elections with a majority, The Economist argues that someone other than Modi should be chosen to head the government. Because India deserves better. I wish an Indian newspaper or a magazine had written such an excellent editorial. However, despite much that I like and share with The Economists ideals, I have to reject their argument. I will start by saying that I have just as much concern as The Economist and other well meaning Indians about Modis acts of omission and commission in the Gujarat 2002 riots. I still have to chose Modi over anybody else right now. The Economist talks of the past record. The past record since 2002 is that no riots have taken place in Gujarat. If Modi was hell bent on decimating the Muslims, such riots could easily have been engineered. Modis language is not conciliatory or appeasing to Muslims but that is the exact tone he takes with other groups in his state. He does not talk of freebies, dole-outs etc. for any specific caste or religious group; but talks only about the entire people. The detractors have been font of comparing Modi to Hitler, but Modi has never talked about stripping Muslims of their citizenship or to annex their wealth to be redistributed to the poor Hindus, or of mass extermination to make more living space available for the Hindus. Indian constitution does not allow that. I doubt if even the extreme fringe Hindutva has such ideas. None of the BJP ruled states has seen anti-Muslim riots, blatant discrimination and nefarious legislation aimed at curbing the rights of the minorities. So constitutionally or outside of it, BJP has not done anything over the last ten years that one can accuse them of being anti-Muslim in any sense. Therefore, to stretch 2002 Gujarat riots and make that the single point in deciding the 2014 elections is extremely unfair and unjust. India deserves better.
Posted on: Fri, 04 Apr 2014 03:47:55 +0000