Political Diary

New Delhi, 17 May 2014

Modi‘fied’ India

VOTE FOR GOVERNANCE

By Poonam I Kaushish

Circa 1947: A bespectacled loin clothed Gujarati Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi won India its freedom. Sixty seven years later, Circa 2014 another Gujarati Narender Modi is set to provide a new power paradigm on the wing of hope and trust. Trust that he will provide baggage-free good governance. Hope that his Government will be honest and accountable. Resting on the belief that he will lead India on a path of growth. New Government, new beginning, new aspirations.

Phew! I am dumfounded, not in my wildest could one have anticipated that the Narender Modi-led BJP political tsunami would sweep the country with a breathtaking landslide of 282 Lok Sabha seats. The first Party to win an absolute majority post 1984.  A sweep which has swept away caste, creed and identity politricking. So abhorrent to Youngistan’s impatient, aspirational, ambitious, and restless 'selfie' generation.

Undoubtedly, Verdict 2014 is a watershed poll wherein the aam aadmi has shown his profound wisdom and maturity and voted for single Party rule and stability. A victory serenading the end of vote-bank politics of the Hindu heartland regional satraps, their mohalla mentality of parochialism and naked personal ambition of aggrandisment to usher in a new dawn of constructive politics of change and rising aspirations. Underscoring as never before that jo jeeta wohi sikandar.

Why not indeed? After all, Modi has single-handedly won this hard fought victory whereby from a mere two MPs in 1984 the Party touched 182 in the Vajpayee-Advani era to NDA’s combined strength of 333MPs.

Today, NaMo stands numero uno unchallenged thanks to the voter reposing unquestioned faith in him. Jaded by the corrupt political culture of I-me-myself syndrome, he plummed for Modi’s decency and clean image and trusted him to be the harbinger of change. A mandate not only against corruption and the culture of entitlement but also for a nouvelle new order.  In one fell stroke, Modi has silenced his critics shown he is no push-over but a strong leader with a vision.

Having traversed three lakh kms, addressed over 430 rallies across the country, apart from 5,000 public events, including 3D rallies and “chai pe charcha” inter-actions he mastered the unique DNA of the way rural India thinks and is structured. Add to this, the BJP’s new pan India appeal which alongside presents new challenges.

Of a recalcitrant Gen X who wants instant results, ‘what-will-you-do-for-me and what’s-in-it-for-me queries. It has to live up to huge expectations generated by his 3D media campaign on twitter, u tube and social networking sites. Economic growth eradicating corruption, jobs lowering taxes and prices curbing inflation

What of the decimated Opposition? Ironically one may need a coalition to form the Opposition given that a party which has ten per cent of the total number of 543 Lok Sabha MPs is entitled to lead the Opposition. With the Congress getting only 44 seats, AIADMK 37 followed by Mamata’s 34 and BJD 20 neither of the parties is in a position to elect the leader of the Opposition.

Pity the Congress afflicted by the Hubris syndrome both Ma-beta Sonia-Rahul have offered to resign knowing full well it is just a ploy to keep the Party in their dynastic tentacles. But it needs to get its act together if it has to retain its slot as a national Party. Not only has it to grapple with its massive loss, being reduced to double digit but also vote share, even in States considered to be its strongholds.

To redeem itself now it needs to urgently do some honest soul-searching, reinvent itself in order to regain credibility and behave as a responsible and effective Opposition Party. It needs to drastically overhaul its jo hukam culture of power groveling before the “family” as this does not translate into votes. Instead it put the last nail in the Party’s coffin.

The writing is also on the wall for our regional leaders. The BSP’s Mayawati power in UP stands trampled by the way she has sort to redefine the State in her own image by perpetuating herself in sandstone in every kasba and mohallas. Cocooned in the narcissism that she can do no wrong, Mayawati failed to realize that by taking the Dalit vote for granted and not delivering on her promises was seen as personal aggrandizement only directed at herself, not for the people of the State.

Besides, the Samajwadi too has been issued a stern warning by the Muslims. Mulayam will have to do a lot to redeem himself in their eyes. The JD(U)’s Nitish Kumar’s choo-eei-mooo-eei rajaniti of Muslim appeasement along-with RJD’s Lalu brand of jiski laathi uski bhains politics has been outrightly rejected and he will now have to re-invent his politics to regain his foothold in Bihar.

For the Left, a coarse correction is badly needed before next year’s Assembly poll in Bengal to stand up and be counted. Failing which it may find itself reduced to only Tripura. Only three local rulers have retained their political savvy, TMC’s Mamata, BLD’s Naveen Patnaik and AIADMK’s Jayalalitha.

What next? Undoubtedly, power is a heady mixture and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Already the Hindutva sycophancy brigade is busy chanting ‘Om NaMo, NaMo’. It remains to be seen whether Modi can withstand the pressure and put an end to the culture of sycophancy in his Party.

Make no mistake. Beneath the new ambivalent persona is an iron hand. Left to me, I would place my bet on him to deliver. As Victor Hugo asserted: “No power can stop an idea whose time has come”. His time has come now. The clock is ticking, Prime Minister for good governance, accountability and transparency.

Towards that end prime Minister-elect Modi needs to relive what he ad nauseum chants, “The real meaning of politics is not power but service.” He needs to hit the ground running. Fulfil his promise of economic reform and development. Today, India is on the threshold of a great future of a billion strong people and one nation.

With great power comes greater responsibility. He has to rise from being a good leader to a statesman. The electorate has presented him a historic opportunity. From a chai-wallah to Prime Minister.

Undeniably, Modi’s task is not enviable. The burden on him is enormous given our fickle and unforgiving voters. Much is expected of him. Will this ordinary-Indian-turned extraordinary neta be able to redefine politics and deliver? His track record shows that he will. He has consistently done so in Gujarat for 12 years by showcasing the State’s development model.

As succinctly summed by NaMo : “We did not get the privilege to die for India’s Swarajya but we have the privilege of living for India’s Surajya”. It remains to be seen on when and how soon the people will greet each other with “Su che? Maje mai”! ----- INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)