Modi’s India: The Path Ahead

Dear Honourable Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modiji Greetings and Namaste, Thank you for your leadership and hard work for our country. We are grateful for everything you have done for our country over the past five years. Thank you. Like many in my generation who have in their youth seen the end of the cold war and the liberalization of the Indian economy, I too have dreamt of an India that is progressive, however, without having to sacrifice her past and her rich heritage. An India which is forward-looking and yet whose future is built on her glorious historical foundations. It is indeed a delicate balance and yet it needs to be maintained. When I reflect on the past five years of your governance, I am convinced that this balance and harmony has indeed been achieved by your government. I thought I will pen down my reflection for the ‘aam aadmi’ so that it will bring some clarity of thought in the midst of the many voices in the media. However, I wanted to send it to you first, and leave it with you as a tiny tribute for all you have done. Kindly find it attached. If you feel this piece is useful, then please do suggest how best it can be disseminated. Please do let me know if I can be of any service to you and our country. Thank you again and wishing you the very best for the elections. Jai Hind Even as we sit at the threshold of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections that will determine at least for the next five years the direction of the political life of India, the world’s largest democracy, I ponder about the future of our prime minister, Narendra Modi. Politicians elected by the people stand responsible for the country not only on every action taken by the government but also for everything that happens in the country during their leadership. The prime minister or the president of the land is more than symbolically linked with every success and failure of the country, so that they end up either being praised or blamed. For example, in spite of the enormous complexity of Brexit, history will remember Theresa May and hold her responsible for its outcomes. ‘What did May’s Britain do with Europe?’ would be a genuine question asked by many for years to come. Similarly, ‘What did Trump’s America do with its borders?’ is another question already being asked. Even in our part of the world we have had Gandhi’s India, Nehru’s India and Indira’s India, each being remembered for their accomplishments and failures. Although the destiny of a nation is shaped by many complex factors and by many different people and events, it is, however, the person with the top job at that time who is required to lend her name to the country. Looking back, we say Gandhi’s India secured her freedom and independence, Nehru’s India was much more socialist but laid India’s foundations, and Indira’s India faced the slog overs before the liberalisation of India’s economy in 1991. The last five years we have been experiencing Modi’s India. We are too close to the data and therefore to get an overview or a distilled theme would be difficult. But it is pertinent that we do the work of distilling so that perhaps we can get a picture of Modi’s India that will inform the nation as it prepares itself for elections. It is precisely the aim of painting a picture of Modi’s India that inspires this reflection. Although the BJP had a resounding victory in the 2014 general elections and vanquished its arch-rival, the Congress party, it was with a lot of bad press that Modi took over as prime minister. The 2002 Gujrat riots continued haunting the Indian imagination as well as the unspoken fear of the possibility of RSS’ Hindutva ideology taking firmer root was seen as disturbing. While, on the one hand, there were these fears, on the other hand, there was excitement about what his strong leadership might accomplish in and for India. So, it is only fair that, before India goes to the polls again, it has some idea on how Modi has fared over the past five years in Modi’s India. We have already said that it is the fate of those holding the top job to be ascribed both the failures and successes of their government irrespective of their personal commitments and involvement. So, it will be impossible to evaluate how Modi has performed without reference to the performance of his government. Furthermore, what else do we mean when we talk about Modi’s performance – is it not the performance of his government that we seek to know? What I aim to do is offer an ‘aam aadmi’ Indian’s perception of Modi in Modi’s India. But before I do so, I must lay bare my prejudice with which I do this analysis. Now don’t dismiss me yet because I say that I come with prejudice. The fact is, all of us see and perceive the world around us with our prejudices. Prejudice is not a bad word as it has often been made out to be. Prejudice or pre-judice (pre-judgement) refers to what we already think, beforehand, on a subject before we begin an analysis. Actually, it is good to be open about our prejudices, so that our audience is aware of our starting point. Being open about it is intellectual honesty. Those who claim to have no prejudices and that their opinion is purely objective are in fact smuggling in their prejudices and keeping hidden what really drives their analysis. The German philosopher Gadamer has even argued that it is only our prejudices that open us to understanding and knowledge. He states that it is impossible to get away from prejudices and that those who are against prejudices have a ‘prejudice against prejudice’ and thus still have prejudice. So, what is my prejudice in putting forward my perception of Modi in Modi’s India? As someone who has spent many years studying Aurobindo’s works, who was one of the pioneers in imagining the Indian State, I am of the view that India will not achieve greatness by imitating the West or blindly following America or Europe in imagining India as a State. Unfortunately, under the garb of secularism, that is what has precisely happened in India. Indian intellectuals, followed by their politicians, have understood ‘secularism’ and ‘being secular’ to be good for India and her progress, without realizing that ‘secularism’ is a ‘religion of the West’ which is built on the prototype of protestant Christianity and has Latin Christianity as its forebear. So, I am bewildered when I hear India swearing allegiance to secularism and secular ways of living without any understanding of what secularism entails. Unfortunately, many secular political visionaries of India, with their allegiance to secularism, do not possess the intellectual resources required to imagine an India that is true to her heritage and traditions. Being children of secularism, they are unable to see India in her multifaceted historical context. So, my prejudice is that I want to see an India that is true to its historical situatedness which gives it its unique flavour and take on the world. We need to preserve the ‘Indianness’ of India even as we stride forward to grow and have success in the technological world. Forgetting our past will leave us as orphans. A strong self-identity is important for engaging with the world. Unfortunately, in this mad rush for ‘progress’ many have forgotten our roots and it has become fashionable to adorn a bad imitation of the West. So, who can imagine India’s future through the lens of her past? Of all the political parties in the fray, perhaps the BJP, with its nationalist vision, is most suited for this task. But let me clarify what I mean by India and her past. It would be ridiculous to take any single vision to capture the rich plurality of India’s past. But that indeed has been the power and prestige of India – to be able to hold together multiple diverse visions within the Indian gaze. India is a land full of rich traditions which continually give birth to new traditions and ways of life. So, no single tradition or way of life can have primacy or supremacy in this land. For example, the Mar Thoma Christian tradition of Kerala, which traces its history to the first century, is far more ancient than the eighth-century Sankara’s Advaitic tradition. The Indian Christianity of the Mar Thoma Church and the Mughal imparted Islam of India are uniquely Indian in that they are hugely different from Roman Christianity and Arab Islam respectively. This uniquely Indian flavour is what makes them Indian and they need not become a Hindu tradition to be Indian. The Nagas and Mizos of India who are historically of a Mongolian/Chinese extract, are nevertheless uniquely Indian due to their historical situatedness of being on the Indian side of the Himalayas. It is this uniqueness that is celebrated as their being Indian. So, commonality of all traditions is not what we seek in being Indian, rather each of these traditions brings to the table a unique view of what it is to be Indian. So, if India can be seen as a huge orchestra with a variety of instruments, then the aim is not to make all the members of the orchestra play a single instrument; rather it is to use all the different instruments to perform in harmony the same song – the song of India. The success of an orchestra lies in each member bringing the unique sound of their instrument in harmony with the sounds of all the other instruments and to produce a musical piece together that is rich precisely because of the harmony of its diversity. Given this as my prejudice, how has Modi fared in Modi’s India. Two years in as the PM, in September 2016 in Kozhikode, during the birth centenary celebration of Deen Dayal Upadhyay, the founder of BJP’s precursor, the Bharatiya Jan Sangh (BJS), Modi shared his eight-point vision for India. 1. Garibi se mukt, Samriththi se yukt (free from poverty, full of prosperity) 2. Bhedbhav se mukt, Samanta se yukt (free from discrimination, filled with equality) 3. Anyay se mukt, Nyay se yukt (free from injustices, ensconced in justice) 4. Gandagi se mukt, Swachchhta se yukt (free from squalor, covered with cleanliness) 5. Bhrashtachar se mukt, Pardarshita se yukt (free from corruption, complete with transparency) 6. Berozgari se mukt, Rozgari se yukt (free from unemployment, enriched with employment) 7. Mahila utpidan se mukt, Stree samman se yukt (free from atrocities against women, full with respect for women) 8. Nirasha se mukt, Asha se yukt (free from despondency, full of hope) Of course, even Modi’s political detractors will have to accept that different schemes in promotion of these objectives and vision have been implemented. As an ‘aam aadmi’ who can only perceive what he sees around himself, I have been able to observe the implementation of cleanliness and environment-friendliness in my neighbourhoods. Although it has been inconvenient, but the use of plastic has greatly reduced. Segregation of waste has been introduced with a view to recycle organic waste. As a nation we witnessed and experienced several experiments by the government to fight corruption. Be it demonetization or tightening of the income tax net or converting India to a cashless economy, it has affected me as a citizen for the first time in my life. Has the Indian economy grown? Has there been an increase in employment? Numbers and quantitative analysis can be used to argue both ways. But I can testify that 2016-18 have been the most successful and profitable years in my career. Is the success directly a result of government initiatives or is it merely a result of my consultancy coming to maturity? It would be impossible to ascertain the impact of macro policy on micro economic activities. But what I remember as highlight of the past five years, or what has profoundly left a mark on me are events and activities that have made me proud as an Indian. The beginning and flourishing of the Kabaddi league tournaments were significant, which interestingly began in the year 2014. The international yoga day celebrations launched in 2015 has made India proud. Modi’s foreign trips have indeed boosted the India brand internationally, and revived the Indian diaspora population. Finally, Modi’s self-proclamation as India’s Pradhan Sewak and Chowkidar has albeit symbolically given a sense of security and flourishing. I am unable to name another Indian politician who has been equally faithful to both India’s past as well as her future. Of course, one of the accusations has been that Modi too has his RSS bosses in Nagpur who have their own agenda for the country. And many in this country have strong emotions when it comes to the RSS. Shall we leave aside emotions for a bit and talk plainly? Modi has been an RSS sewak all his life and so to expect him to not be influenced by the RSS or its ideology is not common-sensical. Furthermore, to demand that he distance himself from the RSS which has undergirded him all his life would be unfair. So, to have the expectation that RSS should have nothing to do with either BJP or with Modi’s India is unrealistic. But if a segment of the Indian society takes strong offense with RSS ideology and functioning, then like any other organization, perhaps for its own good, the RSS should reflect on itself and see how best it can reimagine itself for the greater good of India in the twenty-first century. For any organization, religion or business to be continually relevant and successful in the fast-changing world, it must be open to change and re-configuring itself according to the needs of the present without losing sight of the original vision. For Modi, even as he matures as an international politician and stands firm on his own successes and legacies, like in any family when a child comes of age, his relationship and equation with his RSS family will be reconfigured. It will be a two-way relationship, where not only does Modi realize RSS dreams for India through his politics, but also Modi will be able to realize his dream for the RSS for our age and time. Modi’s stand on the Gau-rakshaks is an example of this mature relationship. Of course, we want to hear him more on some of the ridiculous claims of Indian Science or communal-based violence. There are politicians and there are politicians! The world is looking for politicians who are not merely known for their pragmatic approach to governance, but who take ‘governance’ to the next level. Politicians who are not only able to lead in the messiness of everyday politics, but also able to rise above race, caste, and even nation, and contribute to humanity as a whole. These politicians would etch their names in the sands of time and stand tall in the history of the human race. I am an Indian Christian – Indian and Christian at once. I am proud of my Indian heritage, culture, religious traditions and share a lot in common with Savarkar’s vision for India. And also, I am a follower and a bakhta of Jesus Christ. One of the reasons I follow Jesus is precisely because of his political imagination. He too imagined a kind of Ram Rajya or Kingdom of God where politicians would govern under the authority given by God himself. One of the greatest lessons I have learnt from Jesus is self-critique. He being a Jew and an Israelite, spared no words in critiquing and admonishing Jews and the Israelite nation when they were wrong. He was assassinated and torturously crucified on the cross by his own countrymen who had political disagreements with him. The courage to say no to one’s own, one’s family and nation is indeed the sign of a mature global leader. He welcomed those who were despised by society and broke social mores and arrangements in catering to the needs of all. He had a vision for mankind that continues to have an impact even after two thousand years. There are many in the country who want to go beyond the confines of their selfish lives and make a larger contribution to India and even humanity at large. There are many in the country who also want to be sewaks and chowkidars. There are many of us looking for a leader who will lead us in a path that will not merely give us political security or economic wellbeing but also meaning and significance to our lives. Would Modi be the one to lead us in 2019? Would Modi’s India truly be a Ram Rajya that ushers in the Kingdom of God, where the lion and the lamb play together? Would Modi’s India give its citizens not just value for their tax-money but also a deep value for their lives? What would Modi do? What would you do?