prasad1
Active member
Every time the BJP comes to power in New Delhi, there is a battle for the heart and soul of the party all across India. It happened when AB Vajpayee was prime minister. And it is happening now that Narendra Modi heads the government. The best way to understand the recent by-election results is to view them from the perspective of the battle within the party.
This battle follows a pattern that is now familiar to us. A BJP prime minister takes office. The liberal establishment warns that his government will fundamentally transform the secular character of India. But the prime minister himself says or does very little that could be construed as anti-liberal or anti-secular. Instead, he sets himself up as a statesman eager to restore India’s standing in the rest of the world and holds summit meetings with foreign leaders. He focuses on the economy and tells Indians that we must learn to work as one. If you did not know his political background, you would think that the new prime minister was a mainstream political figure, seeking not to advance any ideological cause but to act in the best interests of India.
But while the prime minister is talking about lofty national objectives, party workers begin to get increasingly restive. They talk about the hard work they put into the campaign and about how the BJP would never have been elected but for their efforts. They point out that theirs is a party with an ideological centre. So, where is the Hindutva agenda? Why are Muslims not being recognised as the threat they are to Hindu society? Why has Article 370 not been removed? Why is there no common civil code? What about the Ram temple in Ayodhya? Why is nothing being done to protect Hindus from the evil machinations of Muslims? Why are Muslims being allowed to seduce Hindu girls at garba functions? Why is the government blind to the implications of love jihad? And so on.
The prime minister can never respond by simply shutting these people up because in one sense, at least, they are right. The BJP is the party of Hindutva. And these party workers did campaign extensively to ensure that the BJP came to power. So, most prime ministers deliver gentle taps on the knuckles in private but avoid making any public comments about this Hindutva agenda or the demands of their hardcore followers.
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But now, Modi has a perfect answer. He chooses the middle of the road not just because the Prime Minister of India cannot be a narrow sectarian but because this is what the country wants. It’s not just right: It is also electorally expedient. As for his party’s hardcore, they are still licking their wounds and whimpering. India has shown them that it wants progress, not hatred.
No low tide for Modi, bypolls mark defeat of BJP's hardcore wing - Hindustan Times
This battle follows a pattern that is now familiar to us. A BJP prime minister takes office. The liberal establishment warns that his government will fundamentally transform the secular character of India. But the prime minister himself says or does very little that could be construed as anti-liberal or anti-secular. Instead, he sets himself up as a statesman eager to restore India’s standing in the rest of the world and holds summit meetings with foreign leaders. He focuses on the economy and tells Indians that we must learn to work as one. If you did not know his political background, you would think that the new prime minister was a mainstream political figure, seeking not to advance any ideological cause but to act in the best interests of India.
But while the prime minister is talking about lofty national objectives, party workers begin to get increasingly restive. They talk about the hard work they put into the campaign and about how the BJP would never have been elected but for their efforts. They point out that theirs is a party with an ideological centre. So, where is the Hindutva agenda? Why are Muslims not being recognised as the threat they are to Hindu society? Why has Article 370 not been removed? Why is there no common civil code? What about the Ram temple in Ayodhya? Why is nothing being done to protect Hindus from the evil machinations of Muslims? Why are Muslims being allowed to seduce Hindu girls at garba functions? Why is the government blind to the implications of love jihad? And so on.
The prime minister can never respond by simply shutting these people up because in one sense, at least, they are right. The BJP is the party of Hindutva. And these party workers did campaign extensively to ensure that the BJP came to power. So, most prime ministers deliver gentle taps on the knuckles in private but avoid making any public comments about this Hindutva agenda or the demands of their hardcore followers.
.......................................
But now, Modi has a perfect answer. He chooses the middle of the road not just because the Prime Minister of India cannot be a narrow sectarian but because this is what the country wants. It’s not just right: It is also electorally expedient. As for his party’s hardcore, they are still licking their wounds and whimpering. India has shown them that it wants progress, not hatred.
No low tide for Modi, bypolls mark defeat of BJP's hardcore wing - Hindustan Times
