The oxymoronic title rightly demonstrates the widening gap between the Faustian bargain and delivery capability of Narebdra Modi, the PM of India, the notorious art master of public manipulation. By hook or by crook, his reign survived an entire decade, and expectedly will ascend to power for the third time.
The 18th Lok Sabha elections are in process and will conclude in June, and among all parties participating in the elections are sidelined with carrot-and-stick modus operandi. The Modi party plays the zero-sum game by utilising the party’s incumbency through the Enforcement Directorate by handcuffing prominent party leaders and its proponents. The right-wing of RSS, Bharatiya Janata Party, is dubbed as a pseudo public-centred party, and rightly so, given the means it rose to power for two consecutive terms. The manifestos behind the Modi success are anti Muslim, Hindu-Muslim rivalry and anti-Muslim statements in his election campaigns. In a recent statement, in an election campaign, Modi dubbed rival Congress as an anti-Hindu entity and aims at looting public affluence to redistribute it to “infiltrators”, referring Muslims.
Undoubtedly, Modi’s success catalysed change in his home state, Gujarat, magnetised foreign investments, boosted the economy and garnered humongous foreign reserves upon being seated as the supreme executive of India. The way he climbed to the acme indicates the extremism the party possesses, back in history as well as now. The demolition of Babri Mosque in Ayodhya marks the point of proliferation of the BJP’s power. Bit by bit, the party’s power progressed as it stepped on the road of extremism.
Though the roots of BJP originate from extremist stance, especially against Muslims, the leaders within the party, the likes of Atal Bihari Vajapayee steered it towards inclusivity and diversity. Atal Bihari Vajapayee visited Pakistan in his years in office in the late 1990s and proffered a hand of reconciliation, but these attempts vanished once the Pervez Mushraf-led Kargil war erupted in 1999.
Democracy in India is turning into a pure dictatorship with no level political playing field in equal terms and if Modi succeeds in his manoeuvres, the world is going to witness another North Korea, or a Russia at least. The BJP epitomises people’s coercion and control, public demobilisation and exploitation. While the democracies thrive and evolve as they get older, Modi’s India is devolving at such a pace that has never surfaced before in this millennium.Â
Throughout history, the BJP preferred the path of Hindu-Muslim divide, and national disintegration until and unless the campaigns for 2014 elections announced which altered the manifestos from anti to unity to inclusivity and diversity. With the “Ab ki baar, Modi sarkar” slogan, the reign of Modi commenced pledging to implement the B.R Ambedkar-crafted spine constitutional terms borrowed from the French Revolution motto: Liberty, Equality and Fraternity.
A decade of Modi’s reign brought about a staggering decline in liberty given the censored media, arrest and killings of journalists and implementing carrot-and-stick approach inclined policies towards dissenters. With these demonstrations, the Modi incumbency negated the first term.
For the second, the supreme executive initialised Hindu-Muslim divide and rule. Divide et impera. The party leaders, in all over India, spread inequality in social, political and economic terms with minimising Muslim participation and keeping Hindus above the salt. On the coffin of the last term— fraternity — Modi hammered the last nail by dubbing Muslims infiltrators and accusing Congress of manoeuvring redistribution of public funds to Muslim families once in power.
Historical precedent suggests Modi and his party have always been against the secular and liberal crafting of India’s Constitution. If not completely revamping the constitution, the current PM wishes to negate secular and liberal elements once the dream of surpassing 400 Lok Sabha seats is completed. Though it is nearly impossible and implausible to imagine 400 seats in Lok Sabha since solely once in 76 years Congress won 400-plus seats.
It is farcical to claim to win that many seats since amid the Modi era, inflation skyrocketed, people’s purchasing power declined, living standards dwindled and ordinary people suffered the most. In the world curfew (Coronavirus era), when the Modi government was unable to provide oxygen to victims, which in effect, indicates incompetence. India may be the strategic partner of the USA, but at the local level the common man is still in economic, political and social doldrums with fixed social status and that is ascribed, not achieved.
The rhetoric is: Modi sarkar is the best one for the interest of the public, for the health of secular India and Modi delivered all necessary and survival essentialities. However, the reality is: Modi sarkar and his reign for a decade brought nothing for the ordinary public but penury, polarisation and disintegration and the PM is historically notorious for remaining silent amid the Gujarat riots of 2002. Out of sight, out of mind, psychologically accurate, Modi manipulates millions psychologically by showcasing his pseudo achievements, simultaneously arresting and house arresting his political rivals like Arwind Kejriwal of Aam Aadmi Party, among others.
Democracy in India is turning into a pure dictatorship with no level political playing field in equal terms and if Modi succeeds in his manoeuvres, the world is going to witness another North Korea, or a Russia at least. The BJP epitomises people’s coercion and control, public demobilisation and exploitation. While the democracies thrive and evolve as they get older, Modi’s India is devolving at such a pace that has never surfaced before in this millennium.
It is high time for India to negate another Modi reign in the country, the systematic footprints of Modi in the structure of India are going to bolster the claim of “ab ki bar, char sao par” engendering the coming of absolutism akin to mediaeval Europe.
