Jeet Ka Saudagar

The emphatic victory by the Narendra Modi led BJP in Gujarat has shaken Indian politics forever. The implications of this two-thirds majority will resonate in the years to come. Most notably, this election victory certainly has changed the dynamics of the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, with the BJP led NDA looking to make a comeback, or at least present a united front against the UPA. However, this staggering victory will also profoundly change clichéd politically correct definitions in the political lexicon, while also bringing credibility to the concept of inclusive nationalism. While one must not get ahead of one self in terms of the impact of a state election on national polity, the changes this election brings about are hard to shake off. In a single day, Narendra Modi has turned the tables on the Congress and the UPA, he has done so by bringing in a unique mix of development with nationalism, which if used judiciously can yield great dividends for the BJP.

These elections have become the proverbial Waterloo for the New Delhi elite, be it in the media, intelligentsia or political commentary. Narendra Modi has proved that most opinions put forth by the English speaking upper crust of Indian society do not decide whether he rules or not. He has proven that regardless of the relentless battering he received by the liberal elite, by providing transparent and effective governance, he could get what he called a ‘positive vote’. This also marks a turning point in how political lexicon has been and now should be used in the country. He has turned the entire communal-secular-pseudo secular argument on its head. By claiming to be working in the interest of all Gujaratis irrespective of religion, caste and creed, he envisions to inculcate the true meaning of secularism in his public policy. While this may not be entirely accurate, given the severe indictment he received from one and all in the aftermath of the 2002 riots, it does hold merit in terms of not wanting to differentiate any person from his state in terms of religious or caste persuasions. Then again, the pandering on display by the Congress, spearheaded by Sonia Gandhi, towards the Muslims not only gave Modi the wiggle room to play the nationalist card, it once again proved that the Congress is neither secular nor is it pseudo-secular, at best it can be called a pro-minority party. Given the fact that the Congress has chosen to appeal only to the minority section, be it as an electoral strategy or through public policy of the UPA, the Congress has some serious charges to answer in terms of minority appeasement and paradoxically communalism. For if communalism means appealing to a particular section, then the Congress’ polices seem to fit the bill. It is high time that the political lexicon of the day change its definitions from communal or secular to pro-minority and anti-minority, for they adequately reflect the policies of the major political forces of the day.

The second reason why these elections have the potential to change political discourse of national politics is the fact that the message carved by Modi has the potential for mass appeal. The nation deserves and wants governments at all levels that is tough on terror and on the causes of terror. For far too long have we have suffered the bane of terrorism and for even longer have we have shied away from discussing the root causes of terror in our quest to remain politically correct. A tough on terror message is welcome and Modi figured that this message has sound resonance with the entire population of the country. It is important to separate terrorism from religion. This is the crux of the doctrine Modi has brought to the fore. He argued that when he talks about and Afzal Guru or a Sohrabuddin, he talks about a terrorist and a criminal, not about a Muslim. While it may remain the inconvenient truth that most terror attacks in the world are carried out by Muslims, it is a statistic that one must not shy away from. No one advocates harassment or victimization because of the actions of a radical few in any religion, but being politically correct should not make us naïve enough to look the other way. This message has strongly resonated with many in these elections and Modi tapped into its potential for success with this message with great élan.

India is poised to lead the world in the 21st century; there is a sense of anticipation towards a better future for our country. The youth in this country today show a confidence that is a welcome relief from the glum and frustration of the license raj years, Narendra Modi’s strong message of nationalism along with national pride can resonate well with a large section of the youth provided it is without the anti-minority aggro. This message to achieve India’s potential at all costs can help the BJP galvanize a new generation of followers, while it can creditably lay claim to the fact that whenever the BJP has come to power it has sown the seeds of development and pursued inclusive nationalism. If this message were to be crafted well and proven repeatedly, like in Gujarat, the BJP is poised to change the perception of being a party of the ultra-right wing RSSwallahs. And that brings to the third most important change these election results have brought. Centre-right political ideology has been a much maligned force in Indian politics. While it was and still is fashionable to be a Leftist, with an inclusive outlook that was pro-poor and mostly anti-government in nature, being on the Right of the political spectrum was treated with much disdain. As Modi has proved in these elections, it’s not necessary to be a Rightist in policy while having to be in bed with the likes of the ultra-right of the RSS and the VHP. There is a credible and viable space to be in the centre-right of politics with a pragmatic approach towards development, minority and majority rights and nationalism. This paradigm shift will give due credit to the centre-right movement which has been much slandered by all in sundry for years, and though much of the fault lies with the centre-right movement itself, there seems to be broader acceptability towards the right of centre in the political space.

After all is said and done with, ultimately it is the remarkable victory that Narendra Modi has delivered that these elections will be best remembered for. While it was also amusing to see that the post election result so baffled many in the world of television punditry, that anchors for the first time were seen grilling the victors on why they won rather than ask the relevant questions to the losers on why they lost! That aside, it is without doubt Modi’s moment and while the political analysts and his detractors in his own party may scratch their heads on what it’s in store for Modi, his stock has certainly risen and the BJP would hope that they can piggy back to power on his message in 2009.