Why Modi appeals to Hindus

[theguyinallblue]

Why Modi appeals to Hindus B Raman Maut ka Saudagar', 'Liar', 'the Ugly Indian' etc etc etc. All the kind of epithets, the likes of which till now used to come easily out of President George Bush's [Images] mouth and the pens of his neo conservative supporters. Mr Bush should be worried that he has now a growing number of competitors in the coining of demonising epithets in the community of the self-styled secularists of India. What epithets they did not use against Narendra Modi [Images] for the last five years and particularly in the weeks before the election to the Gujarat legislative assembly, in which the Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party won a spectacular victory despite the best (or worst) efforts of these self-styled secularists to demonise him day in and day out! The pathological dislike -- even hatred -- that some of our journalists -- particularly in the electronic media -- have for Modi could be seen or sensed as one watched the television coverage of the counting of votes on December 23. Initially, as it appeared that the BJP might not do well in the final tally, there was excitement among many television anchors. They thought they had tasted blood. After an hour, the BJP candidates started racing ahead and it became clear the the Congress was in for a drubbing. The disappointment on the faces of some of the anchors was to be seen to be believed. A star lady anchor could not help remarking: 'Modi might be able to win the elections in Gujarat, but he still can't get a visa to go to the US and other Western countries.' Some consolation! Instead of spending their time searching for abusive expressions in the dictionary and in their copy-book of such expressions, if these self-styled secularists had only visited the Web sites, discussion groups and blogspots of members of the Hindu community not only in India, but also in other countries of the world -- particularly in the US -- they would have noticed something, which might have given them cause for introspection. They would have noticed that Modi is becoming the icon of a growing number of Hindus not only in India, but also in the Hindu Diaspora spread across the world. The support for him is not confined only to the Gujarati-speaking Hindus of the world. It is spread right across the Hindu spectrum -- whatever be the language or ethnicity or place of origin of the Hindus concerned. They would have noticed that in the Hindu Diaspora in the West, more young people admire Modi than grown-ups. Many of his young admirers in the US were born and brought up there and had the benefit of the best of secular education. In spite of this, there is a sense of pride in them that the Hindu community has at long last produced a leader of the calibre of Modi. What is it they see in him? His simple and austere living of the kind associated with the late Kamaraj of Tamil Nadu, but not seen in the leaders of today? His reputation as an incorruptible politician, the likes of which is not found anywhere in India, not even in his own party? His style of development-oriented governance, which even his detractors do not hesitate to praise? The fruits of his policy, which Gujarat and its people are already enjoying? His tough stance on terrorism? His lucid-thinking on matters concerning our national security? His defiance in the face of the greatest campaign of demonisation mounted against him, the likes of which only Indira Gandhi [Images] had faced from her political opponents and sections of the media in the 1970s? All these are factors, which influence their favourable perception of him, and which have already been highlighted and analysed in the articles on his impressive election victory. But there is one factor, which is more important than these and which has not found mention in the analyses. That is, for large sections of the Hindus -- young and old, even more among the young than among the old -- he gave them a sense of pride in their identity as Hindus. They feel that he removed from their minds long habits of defensiveness as Hindus carefully nurtured by the self-styled secularists. As if to proclaim one's Hindu identity and to assert one's rights as Hindus in their own homeland in which they are in a vast majority (80 per cent of the population) is to be communal, is to become an ugly Indian. For these self-styled secularists, a pretty Indian is a Hindu, who is all the time on the defensive, fights shy of proclaiming his Hindu personality and asserting his rights as a member of the majority community. These self-styled secularists would not address their sermons of secularism to the Islamic countries, where for a Muslim to convert a non-Muslim into Islam is an act blessed by Allah, but for a non-Muslim to convert a Muslim into his religion is a crime calling for the death penalty. For them, secularism is a virtue which a Hindu should practise towards others, but not others towards him. It is Modi's rejection of this hypocrisy of the self-styled secularists, which makes him stand apart as a Hindu leader with a difference in the eyes of his admirers. Bharathiyar, the Tamil poet who inspired millions of Tamil youth to join the independence struggle under Mahatma Gandhi [Images], wrote: Tamizhanenru Chollada, Talai Nimirndhu Nillada (Say You Are a Tamil, Hold Your Head High). The growing legion of Modi's admirers in the Hindu community all over the world are saying: Hindu Enru Chollada, Talai Nimirndu Nillada (Say You Are A Hindu, Hold Your Head High). They are no longer prepared to be defensive in proclaiming their Hindu idenity, in asserting their rights as Hindus. They are secular in the genuine sense of the word, but for them secularism does not mean developing a guilt complex about being a Hindu and all the time conceding the rights of others. They do not accept the argument that a Hindu, who asserts his rights, ceases to be a secularist. http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/dec/24raman.htm ============================================================== i was really disappointed to see media across the spectrum ridiculing Modi and his resounding victory... it was clearly evident that they had an "agenda" ... they were acting like a king maker... Earlier with Mayawati in UP and Now in Gujrat with Modi... Media it seems has become a personal concubine of selected few... They service their master as and when they require the service... But one should not underestimate the power of Media....they can be instrumental in forming an opinion... a lie if repeated 100 times becomes truth... so i hope for the sake of society and country that we get some counter balancing media ... its really sad to see people like Rajdeep..barkha...Pronoy Roy..Arnab...Vinod Dua..Pankaj Pachauri..etc etc..ganging up against Modi...

[Guest dada_rocks]

for me his personal ointegrity is good enough reason to wrap him in silk and prserve till eternity.. squeaky clean honest individuals in politics are rarest of rare..

[PaiN_KiLLeR]

Narendra Modi interviewed by TOI .. a good read - Q: Did you feel vulnerable at any point during the campaign, since the odds were seen to be stacked against you in a ‘normal’ election? A: Not for a moment. I never felt apprehensive that BJP could be hurt. Yes, I was missing the excitement of elections because of the weak condition of the Congress. The adrenaline was not flowing. It was only when Soniaben arrived on the scene that things became a bit livelier. The local Congress team was a complete disappointment as opponents. Q: People say that three comments by three Congress campaigners helped you turn the election. The reference is to Sonia Gandhi’s “maut ke saudagar’’ speech, the PM’s accusation of “reign of fear’’ in Gujarat and Digvijay Singh’s “Hindu terrorist’’. Comment. A: If you recall, the opinion polls commissioned by TV channels and newspapers had predicted a tally of 110 seats for BJP way back in October. They showed that people had already made up their minds to give us a handsome verdict and renew the mandate to develop Gujarat as a role model for all states. These charges that you have mentioned could not have changed the situation. But they forced me to break the silence I had observed after the 2002 polls. If you go through the records, you will see that I had rarely, if ever, retaliated against the provocations that were hurled at me incessantly. But these attacks came when I was among people and I had to react. I paid back in kind. Jis andaz mein woh arop lagate the, mein jawab bhi usi andaz mein deta tha. Voters seemed to like it also. But what these charges did for sure was to introduce the thrill that I was looking for and which the contest had until then lacked. Q: This election will be remembered for a major campaign innovation, the Modi mask. Was it just accidental or part of a deliberate plan? A: It was part of a well-thoughtout plan of one person. Q: Who is that person? A: That I can’t tell you now. But the mask did bring about a connect between me and the masses. When I was attacked, they felt the pain. Q: Did this campaign novelty keep the focus on Modi, ensuring that local issues such as those of caste and grassroots grievances remained outside the election discourse? A: I didn’t need to work to keep the focus on me. Since 2002, the Congress and its allies among the pseudo-secularists had targeted me personally. They couldn’t reconcile themselves to the landslide of 2002. Therefore, their only agenda was to spew venom on me. The vilification of Modi was their only preoccupation all these years. Now you tell me, did I need to work to keep myself in the centre of the picture? It’s a different thing that this personalised campaign boomeranged on them (Congress) with the 5.5 crore people of Gujarat viewing the attack on somebody they had elected democratically as an insult to their state. Q: It’s being said that an important reason why the Congress did so badly was that their hopes to gain the support of the Patels with the help of BJP rebels did not work. Do you agree? A: The Congress had lost its chance much before the elections. It should have played like an aggressive opponent from the beginning. It could have occupied the entire opposition space. But it didn’t do what any opposition party is required to do. Instead, it chose the easier option of relying on BJP rebels and raking up controversies, such as the circumstances about the death of Sohrabuddin. You people believe that the Congress was putting up a determined fight, but the fact was that the party was fighting for its survival, for its very existence. Q: You have been accused of running a communal campaign... A: Today, through you, I am making an offer. You appoint a panel of three eminent and independent persons, whoever they may be. I am ready to submit CDs of all my speeches to them. If they find that I have made a single communal speech, then I declare I will concede defeat. But talking against terrorism is not communalism. Asking for the safety of people is not communalism. Q: How can it be when no development is possible without guaranteeing safety? A: The problem is you talk of any issue of public importance, be it terrorism, family planning or a common civil code, and you are branded ‘communal’ straightaway. This is worrisome. And if you ask my opinion, this very trend is communal. Q: You are perceived to be authoritarian and very intolerant of criticism. A: All of us who are in public life are attacked by rivals for corruption and inefficiency. Now these are charges that will never stick to me. All my opponents realise that. Have you heard them accusing me of corruption or inefficiency? But they have to attack...so they have to invent something, so you call him “arrogant’’. Now you tell me how do you judge this? In the case of corruption you can judge whether a man is honest or not. But how do you ascertain whether a man is arrogant or not? Is there a yardstick? I don’t know of one. Q: It is said that many in your own party are not happy with the scale of your win. They have been reluctant to give you due credit. A: If you want me to respond to that I will say that this victory belongs to each one of the 5.5 crore Gujaratis, I repeat, each one of us. This victory is due to the dedication and hard work of lakhs of BJP workers. This victory is the result of the ‘tapasya’ of Sangh leaders. Q: Yesterday, TOI wrote that you have made a habit proving a point. You have proved one very, very decisively—you are the tallest leader in the BJP. Having done that, will you now reach out to the people who play spoilsport in your party if they are ready to mend fences? A: We are speaking just after I publicly said the BJP has to go a long distance and can do so only by a blend of “udarta, namrata and vivek†(generosity, humility and reason). Q: After the verdict, reams have been written about what constitutes Brand Modi. People have dissected in detail your outfits, even the way you wave at the crowd. What do you think? A: I don’t get you. Q: What do you think makes you click? A: For the last five years I have worked tirelessly for the development of Gujarat. My dream is to see Gujarat becoming a source of inspiration and awakening. Q: People say you have become too big for Gujarat and will soon move to the national stage. A: The chief minister of any state is always present on the national stage. What I do in Gujarat is seen and recognized elsewhere also. So, I don’t think I am missing from the national scene. Q: I meant you as a politician, not just a CM. A: My identity as a politician is not divorced from my role as CM. Q: Many have said your victory shows that the media is no longer relevant in shaping political preferences. We are told that you are very angry with the media. Is that so? A: Not with the media in general, certainly not. I also feel that the media can be a partner in the development process. It was former president A P J Abdul Kalam who strongly said so. And I fully subscribe to that. Having said that, I will also say that sections of the media which level baseless allegations and resort to sensationalism are a disappointment. They are hurting democracy.

[Guest dada_rocks]

This guy keeps flooring me over, har sabaal ka satik jababb hai iske paas:two_thumbs_up:

[sandtest]

what a great article that is ... many thanks for sharing TGIB ... :two_thumbs_up:

That is another masterpiece by B. Raman.:two_thumbs_up: One of the rare writers in India who have deep insight....his articles in SAAG about India's startegic security are very informative. This man has served our country as intelligence analyst in RAW (India external intelligence agency).

[sandtest]

One must salute Modi, election was without booth capturing, rigging, gundagardi like leftist bengal elections, rioting, and it was very clear and transparent under full media supervision. Only problem was Sonia led fascist party who started communal agenda by chanting rhetorics like "merchants of death", and her self goal came straight on her face. Future PM of India had done well against media, Sonia, all money, NGO and every idiot on earth.

[kumble_rocks]

The title of the thread should be Why Modi appeals only to Hindus ! :D

[chunky_lafanga]

The title of the thread should be Why Modi appeals only to Hindus ! :D

and to CC :hysterical:

[maggot_brain]

One must salute Modi, election was without booth capturing, rigging, gundagardi like leftist bengal elections, rioting, and it was very clear and transparent under full media supervision. Only problem was Sonia led fascist party who started communal agenda by chanting rhetorics like "merchants of death", and her self goal came straight on her face. Future PM of India had done well against media, Sonia, all money, NGO and every idiot on earth.

We know who the fascists here are. I've already pointed out the obvious similarities in slogans. You and your Hindutva bigot friends have remained strangely silent on that one.

[kabira]

Maggot, can you define hindutva??

[maggot_brain]

Maggot' date=' can you define hindutva??[/quote'] Right wing Hindu-nationalism. I suppose more manifestly it is the idea that India is and always has been a Hindu nation. Muslims as foreign invaders and oppressors. BJP, Shiv Sena, VHP and people of their ilk in general.

[kabira]

yeah no $hit. btw what is hindu philosophy??

[kabira]

kailash parvat to china mein hai bhau....wahan to communist hai..wanha bhi hindu kaise jaye.

[Guest dada_rocks]

The title of the thread should be Why Modi appeals only to Hindus ! :D

I guess u were sleeping when i posted how in 80% muslim majority area Modi wins by landslide.. kab tak ostrich bane rahoge mian:hysterical: