Modi’s Visit To US: Being Pragmatic Or Going Soft?

Cowboys as portrayed by Clint Eastwood on screen and James “Sudden” Green in a popular series of books are fascinating characters in the realm if fiction. They shoot first and talk later, dispensing their brand of poetic justice. We do not want such characters leading nations. George Bush Jr. came close to being one and we all know how big a disaster he was. Same goes for electing so called Strongmen. Look at Putin in Russia. If the oil money was not pouring in Russia would be a disaster.

Since his first tenure as CM of Gujarat, Modi was looked upon as a strongman. He ruled the state like one. His detractors portrayed him as such. It suited their leftist agenda in portraying Modi as dictators who bulldozed people who were opposed to him. His supporters saw him different. We know that he is strong of character and disciplined like a soldier. He respects himself and others. He values his time and demands that others do the same. He works extremely hard and expects others to do the same. He is an unusual blend of a Yogi, a General, A Soldier, a Worker and a Farmer – a real life Karmayogi.

It is this Karmayogi avatar that is now becoming apparent even to his worst detractors. The English language media has nothing but praise for his style of working. His political enemies like Tharoor are offering their own brand of mea culpa. To them we say: we are glad that you finally see what we have seen all along.

Since his oath taking, some of his decisions have been unexpected. Appointment of Arun Jaitley, the consummate Delhi insider as the FM, appointment of a bitter detractor like Swaraj in MEA, appointment of Smriti Irani and Maneka Gandhi in their respective positions (they may perform well but no one can tell me that they were the most qualified for the job or had the seniority which forced Modi for such appointments). He invited Nawaz Sharif and Mahinda Rajapakse (both hated by two different set of voters). All this can be explained on the basis of political and administrative pragmatism. This is vintage Modi. He may be a tough guy who talks even tougher on the campaign trail. But at the end of the day, he will do what his job demands and what is right for India. He is a statesman and not a cowboy. This is why we support him. This is why we love him.

However the one decision that is not sitting well with some which includes us on this blog is his decision to go to the US and meet with the President. Under pressure from Left wing lunatics of Indian origin, white India baiters, confused academics, Muslim politicians, terrorist sympathizers (Ghulam Nabi Fai) and ignorant Christian conservatives, Modi was refused visa to go to US under a little known provision. That refusal was waved in Modi’s face incessantly by his detractors in and out of India. It was extreme humiliation for him. It was humiliation for his supporters who were “lost at sea” Hindu conservatives (lost at sea because except for Modi, the BJP leaders had transformed into Congress’ B-Team). I don’t know about Modi but we, the supporters want a strong statement made to the ill-meaning leftists and India hating foreign governments. Needless to say the news that he was going to go to the US later this year has left us confused and extremely angry.

Think about it. The US has still not removed Modi name from that frivolous list which got him the visa denial in the first place. Obama and Co. want him to come to US on a diplomatic visa. The US wants to enjoy the cake represented by India’s vast potential about to be unleashed. On the other hand they want to keep that leftist treasured rotten cake represented by the visa denial. Arrogant and myopic is what it is. I would also urge fellow conservatives to use the whole “US can allow murderous dictators on their soil so why not Modi” argument. It was counterproductive. Modi’s name cannot be uttered in the same breath as a terrorist like Yasser Arafat or terrorist sympathizer like King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. In fact, if some American conservative commentators are to be believed, the US does not have anyone to compare with Modi.

If I were Modi, I would send President Mukherjee to speak at the UN general assembly. I would engage with the US at all levels but not go there unless clear signals of “repentance” are seen. But that would not be pragmatic. Everyone has to deal with the US. That is the reality. On one hand the angry me wants to think of Modi’s impending visit to the US as a sign of weakness brought on by a desire to be accepted. But that is why Modi is where he is. He has a bigger responsibility that to avenge his honor or listen to angry supporters. If engaging with the US benefits India then he should swallow the petty put downs and do hard negotiating with the US. That would be the best revenge.

Before posting this, I read a report by Prof Nalapat which clearly states the kind of benefits India stands to get with Modi’s visit. If India benefits the way it says in the article then all will be forgiven. Living well, after all, is the best revenge.

Prof. Nalapat's article can be read at: http://www.sunday-guardian.com/news/obama-will-offer-a-10-trillion-carrot-to-modi

Rapes In UP: Should Dalits Convert To Islam For Safety?

President Kennedy in a speech supporting the West Germans said “ Ich bin ein Berliner”. I am going to paraphrase it and say that I am writing this article as a dalit (even though I am not one – my caste is totally irrelevant to my ideas. What is of importance is that I am a Conservative Hindu Indian). I am extremely angry at the rapes and worse of hapless dalit girls in UP. This is not to say that girls of higher castes are spared but the ones belonging to the lower castes are being raped and killed by men of upper caste with a sense of entitlement. It is as if these girls are somehow less than human and thus okay to be treated as such. Like the Nazis treated the Jews or the Pakistanis treated Hindus in East Pakistan. It is this sense of entitlement combined with extreme cruelty which has left me confused and angry.

We on this blog have written a large number of posts on this and related topics. We have analyzed reasons for such heinous acts and our culpability in these crimes as a society. I am not going to go into it today. What I want to do is ask questions from a dalit point of view (an impossible task as I have no idea of the suffering that they go through but will try nevertheless).

Dalits have suffered unspeakable cruelty at the hands of people from upper caste. The incidences have gone down and the methods have become more subtle but the discrimination and the tormenting continues unabated. A cursory read of the Manusmriti is enough to convert any conscientious conservative Hindu into a liberal. For example it says : If he mentions the names and castes of the (twice born) with contumely, an iron nail, ten fingers long, shall be thrust red hot into his mouth. (Manu VIII. 271). No one does the aforementioned anymore but forcing a girl to drink acid comes pretty damned close.

Yet another newly empowered group of Hindus has joined the upper caste Hindus and seem to be outdoing them in cruelty. The OBC Hindus who have recently acquired political power are using it with impunity and cruelty. I have no authority or intention of casting aspersions on the entire OBC community. I would like to acknowledge that some of the tallest Hindu leaders including our respected PM belong to that community. I am not sure but I may also belong to the OBC community. However, OBCs in TN and UP empowered by the gundaraj of DMK and SP respectively have taken it upon themselves to victimize Hindu dalits in the worst possible ways. While DMK is on its way to the political dustbin, the Yadav clans of Western UP are creating the kind of terror that seems impossible without political backing or at the very least a wink and nod arrangement. Hell, the SP chief referred to rapes as mistakes by boys who will be boys. To top it all, the entire lower level police department in UP is filled with incompetent men who have bribed their way in. So I ask you. Do the dalits in UP have a prayer? Some unfortunate dalit’s daughter has been kidnapped. In an interview with the press, the man claims to know who has kidnapped her but he is helpless. His repeated visits and appeals to IG and DIG level officers have yielded nothing.

So how do these orphans of Hinduism protect themselves? They need to get some political leverage. Clearly the status quo is no good. Now what if they convert to Islam? If they do, they suddenly will become the chosen children of the Indian liberals, Congress, SP, BSP, Trinamul Congress, NCP, AIDMK, DMK and various Communist Parties.

So dear reader, do you like my suggestion? I as a dalit am totally helpless and this seems an easy way out. As it is, you have no room for me in your society. You can host Commonwealth games for over 25000 Crores rupees and yet our women have to go out to the fields for toilet purposes. Forget employment, home, education or health, at least keep me alive. Can you do that? You find it difficult to look at the pictures of our daughters raped and hung on a tree because it pains you. Imagine the kind of pain those two girls must have felt. Now I ask you once again - Should I convert to Islam? If not then what are you willing to do for me?

We as voters have failed them. Voting for the SP by a large margin in the last election was a cruel mistake which has since been rectified in the general elections. BJP has been voted in. Rajnath Singh is the new Home Minister. Instead of worrying about losing Internal Security to reorganization, the man should stand up and do something to protect the helpless. Clearly Akhilesh Yadav cannot do anything. Maneka Gandhi who is Cabinet Minister for Women and Child Development (another rare mistake by Narendra Modi) should realize that it will take a lot more than offering platitudes to solve this problem. Feminists and women from the left who normally save their tears for Muslims and anger towards conservative Hindus need to step out and take matters in their hands.

As you can tell by my rants that I am angry and confused. I have been a faithful supporter of Bhai Narendra Modi and will continue to be that (may he win big in 2019 and 2024) but I want to see some concrete action on this matter. If Rajnath Singh is not going to do anything then Bhai Narendra needs to dispatch his man Friday, Amit Shah to UP. Maybe Shah can go to UP and win this battle as well as he did the last one.

Some articles on the topic are:

http://thenethindu.blogspot.com/2013/04/rapes-in-india-criminal-and-social.html

http://thenethindu.blogspot.com/2012/11/khap-panchayats-and-rapes-in-india.html

http://thenethindu.blogspot.com/2011/06/worship-durga-ma-kill-girls.html

http://thenethindu.blogspot.com/2011/12/evil-in-our-midst.html

http://www.bhagwanvalmiki.com/manu-smriti.html

The Perfect Role For Amit Shah

Roosevelt had Harry Hopkins. Churchill had Branden Bracken. De Gaulle had Gaston Palewski. Clinton had Dick Morris. Bush had Karl Rove. Even Manmohan Singh had Pawan Bansal. Men in power have enemies who need to be watched. Political leaders may not have mortal enemies but they do have rivals and competing power centers. Therefore every leader needs a right hand man – a man who would look out for his boss’ interests, preferable from behind the scene or from a low key post. This someone should be a movable piece with enormous value– a wildcard (poker), a trump card or a blank slate (scrabble). Proximity to the boss gives this man a lot of power.

Bhai Narendra Modi has moved from the safe confines of Gujarat to the slimy world of Delhi brand politics. To say that he has enemies is an understatement. His style of functioning (strong and decisive) makes the insiders and the Delhi schmoozer very nervous. He needs his own right hand man. There is only one man who fits that role and that is Amit Shah. Amit Shah has been a Hanuman to Modi’s Ram all these years. He is also an administrator extraordinaire as we have seen from the results of the past elections. To fix a role for Shah will be a disservice to the man’s talents and to Modi’s interests. If Shah becomes a minister then he gets tied in the ministerial works. He will not be able to look after party’s interests in the states. If he is made a Chief Minister somewhere then it is again a great disservice to his talents. If he is made the BJP chief, he will do well and win a lot of elections as he did in UP. But then he will be forced to stay out of the functioning of the central government. So what role should he be given?

The best role for him will be akin to that of the American Chief of Staff. In the US such a person is a cabinet rank person with close proximity to the President and ability to enforce the President’s agenda in all the departments. Shah could be appointed to the PMO with a minister level position. There he will be Modi’s point person is enforcement of his plans, tactical and strategic. Since he will not be in charge of any portfolio, he will have the freedom to go and work with the state level leaders of BJP and help them with elections. For example in UP, Shah has already established a winning formula and procedure to implement it. He does not need to be in UP all the time. He can appoint trusted people in the next UP elections and affect the same results. The same can be the case with Maharashtra or anywhere. In the PMO he can keep an eye on the functioning of the various ministries which are now being run by Modi supporters as well as erstwhile Modi baiters (like Swaraj). He can also ensure that the consummate Delhi insiders like Arun Jaitley stay the course and do personal favors for friends in Congress.

Shah has been a bête noire of the Indian left. They treat him like a mob enforcer rather than a political genius. That is their problem if they can’t handle the truth. He clearly is a man who is not given to political niceties and does what is necessary for the implementation of his Boss’ agenda. Since the country has elected Modi on development agenda, it is necessary that the focus of the administration does not get diverted. We need him in the shadows. He has to be Modi’s man Friday.

Smriti Irani: An Avoidable Distraction For Modi

16th of May for people like me was like Diwali, Holi, Ganesh Chaturthi, Durga Puja, all rolled in one. One of us, a Hindu conservative was going to adorn the highest office. After a brilliantly run campaign, Bhai Narendra Modi scored an unprecedented victory. The already high expectations broke though and reached another high. We then waited for the cabinet formation with tidbits of information coming out of the tight-lipped BJP officials. We were expecting a small cabinet with mergers and regrouping of portfolios – the kind that Modi had in Gujarat. The 336 seat majority in Loksabha does afford the incoming PM some freedom. What we got was a smaller than the Congress cabinet with the major portfolios going to people whom Advani would have chosen had he won. Admirers like us accepted it grudgingly in the name of political expediency. Why would a perpetual Modi baiter like Swaraj be rewarded with a “samman-janak” portfolio is beyond. However, most people have no problems with the cabinet. In fact if you look away from the major portfolios, the cabinet reflects Modi’s administrative genius (still cannot explain Maneka Gandhi and Kalraj Mishra). But when the high profile ministry of Human Resource Development was given to the younger version of Sushma Swaraj (without the education) one had to really wonder if this person was vetted at all. I just cannot fault Madhu Kishwar for demanding an explanation.

If you can award the Health Ministry to a doctor with a proven record of success then why wouldn’t you use the same logic in selecting a qualified person for the department of Education? After all our population is still very young which makes HRD an extremely important ministry.

I do not want to contribute to an already ugly pro and con debate over whether or not Smriti Irani’ is qualified to run this demanding ministry. It really does not matter which side of the debate you are on. If you know politicians then you also know that this decision is not going to change.

What bothers me is that fact that Irani was not vetted properly and now that choice has to be defended by the party. A party with 336 seats in Loksabha should be bulldozing through decisions. We got a glimpse of that on the first day of Modi’s day in office. Deft handling of the SAARC leaders especially the Pakistani PM, decree about not choosing family members as staff, SIT for black money, BJP young guns drawing “Lakshman Rekhas” for their offices, appointment of an ex Super Spy Ajit Doval (instead of an IAS babu) as the NSA director were some of the decisions made. This is what was expected from PM Modi. This is what he and his team ought to be spending their energy on instead of defending an appointment. This has given the opposition (as they are) an issue to scream about. Do you think that is someone like Arun Shourie were the HRD head, Ajay Maken would open his unsanitary trap? This appointment has given the leftist talking heads on TV to hold over Modi’s head. If she were in charge of tourism (another of the PM’s favorite projects) then there would not be any complains. Since the opposition and other Modi baiters have no other issue to talk about, they are not going to let go of this.

Correctly or incorrectly Smriti Irani has become a distraction PM Narendra Modi could do without. For a man who ran a perfect presidential style campaign (better than any American presidential candidate has run) and has made close to no mistakes in his entire political life, this misstep is confusing and confounding. As a admirer and a well wisher, I hope that this is the last mistake of its kind.

Only Modi Knows His Ministry

When Modi and his team were meeting last year, my friend Swami said that he would really like to know what was being discussed. I told him that if we know what we know of Modi, there is no way we will ever know what was being discussed. Modi is a chess player, not prone to tipping his hand. Modi and his team (Amit Shah and others from Gujarat Admin.) have a style of working which has yielded them extremely rich dividends. All of them seem like low profile doers rather than flashy talkers. More Kapil Dev than Sandeep Patil (for the older readers), more Gautam Gambhir than Yuvraj Singh, more Kamal Nath than Shashi Tharoor (for people who are looking for slivers of positivity in Congress), more Manoj Bajpai that Shahrukh Khan. Well, you get the point. The Gujarat team seems like a smartly chosen collection of politicians and technocrats. I have a feeling that the Gujarat experiment will be replicated at the national level.

The scientists amongst us will say that repeating a process which has succeeded in a controlled atmosphere is difficult to replicate on a larger scale. What works in a professional minded Amdavaad may not be easy to implement in a laid back city like Lucknow. Too many variables make extrapolation of any kind a non-trivial task. This is where Narendra Modi’s experience and political acumen will be tested. Modi will HAVE to select the best possible people to implement his agenda. He and his supporters want him to be a three term PM. To repeat the stupendous electoral results in 2019 and 2024 will need more than the success of the Gujarat Model. Concrete and measurable results will be needed. For this he will need the right combination of politicians and technocrats. If he has to reach an able performer from a non BJP party then he should do so. Essentially, a job / problem must be identified and then the right performer / problem solver must be found.

What is sure at this stage is that realignment, mergers, division of various departments and ministries is on the cards. In an interview, Modi emphasized the need to split the Food Corporation of India and the logic behind it was impeccable. Such a division would make things more efficient, benefitting the farmers and consumers alike while minimizing the prevalent wastage of food. An excellent article at firstbiz.com says the following:

Do we need one ministry of transport, with railways, civil aviation, shipping and roadways under it, or multiple ministries each trying to do their own thing? Does the freight rate charged on railway cargo not impact road transport, or air cargo? When Air Asia says it is targeting the first class rail passenger, how can civil aviation policy be divorced from railway passenger fares policy?

A similar proposal merges foreign commerce and trade with Ministry of external affairs. This makes it imperative that the person in charge of this portfolio knows diplomacy as well as the rudiments of foreign commerce. The one name being thrown around for this job is Sushma Swaraj. She is an excellent orator and the female face of the BJP. She is a terrible politician and a Delhi insider (she needs easy seats to win Loksabha elections and has no sway over any section of the voting population) who has drawn power from her proximity to Advani. She is definitely not qualified for the job no matter how “Samman Janak” the portfolio may be. She is a clear example of why the status quo needs to be discarded with extreme prejudice.

All the proclamations of who is going to become what minister are mischief by these so called potential ministers themselves. It is a dirty but an old trick apparent to all except the most naïve. What I know is that no one knows except Modi. What I can say with some degree of confidence is that it will be a great team of good and consistent performers. Instead of choosing one flashy batsman, a team should have many consistent players who can field as well. We do not need known or glamorous minister. In the Vajpayee ministry, Shatrughan Sinha was the health minister and Vinod Khanna had tourism. Both were flops. Health should be given Dr. Harshvardhan and tourism to whoever is managing it in Gujarat. The good doctor was responsible for our Polio eradication program ergo a good choice for Health Minister. The rest of the Modi team will surely be like Dr. Harshvardhan i.e. not necessarily well known but proven and consistent performers (respected by party cadres and bureaucrats). That is the key to future successes of the next administration.

The firstbiz article can be read at: http://www.firstbiz.com/economy/mr-modi-heres-starting-point-minimum-government-chop-25-ministries-84853.html

Modi Is Right On Bangladeshi Immigrants

There are three kinds of illegal immigrants in India.

The kind sneaking in to spread terror. This kind needs to be dealt with an iron fist. If Omar Sheikh and Masood Azhar were dealt with in a timely fashion and punished without hesitation then Daniel Pearl and lots of innocents would still be alive. Arnab Goswami, Siddharth Vardhabhai Rajan and other liberals will agree with Modi on this kind.

We have the economic kind coming from Nepal. We have a steady flow of people from our neighbor up north, coming to India for work. Most of them are like workers from UP and Bihar going to Gujarat. They work, make money and go back. They are not sought after by politicians as potential voters and thus not encouraged to stay permanently. Maybe because they are Hindus. No fuss ever gets made about them.

     We have the economic kind coming from Bangladesh. They come here to make money and settle down. Most of them are Muslims and are actively encouraged by Indian politicians to settle and become voters. Communists, Congress and now Mamata Bannerjee represent the worst of these politicians. These immigrants represent a Law and Order problem because they are taking a lot more than just jobs from locals but also changing the cultural dynamics of the areas they settle in. Muslims are notorious immigrants the world over. They come in with folded hands and soon start demanding implementing Sharia Laws – just ask the French, Belgians, Brits, Swedes, Germans etc. Some small towns in England cannot even display toy pigs and porcine figurines because they upset the immigrant Muslims.

The bordering districts of W Bengal were Muslim minority areas at the time of partition. Now Muslim population exceeds 50% in those areas. Delhi based liberals and Kolkata based bhadralok (residing in posh areas) do not have to deal with these violently aggressive immigrants so they try to corner Modi. Arnab is bragging about cornering Modi on this. He knows that even though Modi is right on the matter, he cannot come out and say it. I am not bound by political compunctions and therefore can say it.

We had the partition for a reason. Muslims did not want to stay in a Hindu country. They got their wish. Thanks to the then liberals, the country was dismembered but a huge population of Muslims stayed back. It may sound politically incorrect but the Hindus got royally screwed. Over the years we have come to terms with the status quo. Now we have Muslims coming into India from the land they killed for. Do only the Hindu nationalists see the irony here? How far in the ground have the leftist liberals buried their head to see that this is a serious problem which is bound to flare up in Hindu Muslim riots as it did back in Nellie, Assam in 1980’s and has continued since.

When Modi says that he will enforce the deportation of illegal immigrants, all he is trying to do is impose the law of the land. This seems to have driven Mamata Bannerjee into another stratosphere of madness. She has become abusive and does not sound like the representative of one of the most educated states of India (at least it used to be before the population explosion there). The goddamned liberals could not be more wrong on the subject.

The final kind of immigrants are the hapless Hindus from Bangladesh and Pakistan. While the illegal Muslim Bangladeshis can be deported to their impoverished but safe environs, the same cannot be said about the Hindus coming from those countries. Pakistani Hindus used to be 12% of the population. Now they are less than 2%. No prizes for guessing the reasons. To call these Hindus persecuted would be a criminal understatement. I would like to ask Arnab Goswami who tried to stump Narendra Modi, where should these helpless, persecuted Hindus go to save the lives of their families and honor of their women? They do not have the means of knowhow to seek asylum in northern European countries. The only country they know is India. If India cannot be the safe haven for these people then, Mr. Goswami,  what the hell kind of liberal humanitarian are you?

Liberals are wrong on this matter. Modi is right. It is as simple as that. Goswami can enjoy the brief pleasure he got by making Modi uncomfortable but he is a lesser human in the eyes of every self respecting Hindu.

Our previous posts on the same subject:
Illegal Immigration From Bangladesh: Cause and Solution
http://thenethindu.blogspot.com/2012/07/aam-aadmi-illegal-immigration-from.html
Chirag Taley Andhera: Bangla Deshis in India
http://thenethindu.blogspot.com/2010/09/chirag-taley-andhera-bangla-deshis-in.html
Communism, Votebanks and the Resulting Jihad.
http://thenethindu.blogspot.com/2010/07/communism-votebanks-and-and-resulting.html

Hypocrisy of Modi's Secular Critics

Those who call themselves secular hate nay, loathe Narendra Modi. Now there are two sides in this battle between Modi and the “Seculars”. We all know who Modi is. It is the other side that needs examining. First of all, let us look into the meaning of the word secular. Wikipedia describes the word as follows:

Secularism is the principle of the separation of government institutions and persons mandated to represent the state from religious institutions and religious dignitaries. One manifestation of secularism is asserting the right to be free from religious rule and teachings, or, in a state declared to be neutral on matters of belief, from the imposition by government of religion or religious practices upon its people.^{[Notes 1]} Another manifestation of secularism is the view that public activities and decisions, especially political ones, should be uninfluenced by religious beliefs and/or practices.

Essentially public activities especially political should not overlap with religious and vice versa. Though an ancient concept, became more important in modern times. In 1155, Pope Adrian IV gave orders to the then King of England to invade Ireland because he thought that the Irish were corrupt. Colonialism in the name of economics was one kind of crime. It involved exploitation of the indigenous population which left the local culture and religions reasonable intact. Invasions in the name of religion involved economic and as well as religious subversions in the worst ways.

With the advent of democracy it became evident that church and religion needed to be kept separate. In organized religions like Christianity, there are religious leaders behind whom the believers stand united. Catholics have Pope, Baptists have mega-churches and their pastors, Buddhists have the Dalai Lama, Muslims have keepers of Mosques, Mullahs (giving sermons every Friday), Madarsa leaders and other pseudo-religious outfits like the Waqf board. Hinduism is a religion unlike any of these. Not being an expert in it, I will not go into the nature but the overt observation is that we do not have a leader per se. I have not seen the pandit come out and make fiery speeches after the Tuesday prayers at the Hanuman Temple. You would be hard pressed to see the interference of Hindu priests during Indian elections (except for superstitious reasons – finding out auspicious time and days). Secularism is clearly not the biggest need for a “Hindu” country.

You would be right to point out that India is not a Hindu country. We need secularism because of the presence of the organized religions in the country. Even then the word was not used very much until the BJP started to gain strength. Congress, in attempts to consolidate their votebank started to use secularism as a stick to beat the BJP. Since then non BJP personnel and parties have started using the term “Dharm-nirpeksh” when addressing crowds and Secular when addressing media or when there is a need to sound erudite and sophisticated (most of these people would be hard-pressed to spell the word let alone know what it connotes).

The only time when the BJP mixed politics and religion was during Advani’s rath yatra. Now call for converting seldom used mosques which used to be temples of great reverence (converted during Mughal rule) like Ramjanmbhoomi or the Gyanvapi Masjid have more to do with reversing historical atrocities rather than inflicting on Muslims. It is about log delayed justice rather than revenge. The BJP did not ask for Jama Masjid to be converted into a Hanuman Mandir. So the BJP’s foray into religion and the back-page Hindutva demands are not truly breaking the secular spirit of the country. On the other hand, preferential treatment meted to minority religions does break the secular spirit in the worst way. Can Mamata or any of the secular champions tell me why a poor Hindu who wants to go on a pilgrimage deserves no government help but a Muslim does? And that is just one example of the hypocrisy of the so called secular brigade. Which is why Modi’s “India first” brand of secularism is so refreshing to the voters and galling to his detractors and enemies.

Of course as he got stronger in this election, Modi started to face the worst possible vitriol from his opponents. Congress stayed away from any of the oft repeated “Maut ka saudagar” kind of name calling but they have been replaced by the likes of Abu Azmi (you are not a Muslim if you don’t vote for SP), Azam Khan (too many remarks to mention but his remarks on Kargil warriors has to be a new low in Indian politics), Mamata Bannerjee (who has since gone rabid in name calling), Lalu Yadav, Nitish Kumar (the Bihari duo are facing political deaths and are reacting rather predictably).

But these are politicians. One cannot expect any better from them. We have NRI academics who have taken it upon themselves to rile up their respective new masters against Modi. These people do not go to India unless there is an all expense paid junket or to mire in poverty porn (thank you Slumdog Millionaire). My appeal to them is to extend the Indian voter some courtesy and shut up as we have during various Congress rules. We have worms crawling out to spew whatever venom they can against Modi. Recently the principal of St. Xavier’s in Mumbai writing a letter to the student body advising them to vote against Modi. Father Frazer Mascarenhas who is a Catholic priest is breaking the most basic tenet of secularism. If this man were in the west, his outfit would lose any tax benefits from the government. If all this were not bad enough, we now have couple of Shankaracharyas actively campaigning against Modi in Varanasi. At least Mascarenhas was appointed by a Vatican recognized body. These two seers are in their exalted positions by happenstance. They do not represent any Hindu, not in the way that a Mullah or a Catholic priest does. What gives these ignoramuses any right to use their tenuous hold on Hindu leadership and use it for political reasons. That is not secularism but rather political posturing for their own benefits.

To accuse these people of hypocrisy assuages some anger in me but it would be naïve of me to expect better from them. These people need to suck it up and let the election take its own course. Democracy means that if we deal with Lalu Yadav, Mayawati, Sonia Gandhi then you have to deal with Narendra Modi. It is as simple as that.

Who Is Afraid Of Modi?

Delhi is a power center. Power is corrupting and blinding. It gives rise to a different class of elites, the kind who use influence as a currency. Now what if you are not in power but in opposition? How do you enjoy the benefits of power? As they say, in politics, you do not have permanent friends but permanent interests (I may have paraphrased). A lot of “I scratch your back and you scratch mine” goes on. Everyone uses everyone else. This beast in self sustaining and incestuous. Atalji, as it is said, was an admirer of Nehru. He also was close to Delhi’s power center even though he belonged to RSS and then Janasangha. He was a consummate insider. So even when he came to power, other insiders (including the ones from Congress and other opposition parties) had little to fear (on a personal basis of course). Rumor has it that Rahul Gandhi found himself in trouble with the US authorities at the airport in Boston. Atalji’s government stepped in a saved his bacon. No one from Congress or for that matter any party had to answer for their crimes. No efforts were made to bring back the black money stashed abroad. Despite his personal honesty and efficiency, Atalji looked and felt like a Congressman in Saffron. Now all this happened when someone as clean and as good as Atalji was in charge. We all know what happened during the Sonia Gandhi rule over the last decade. No one had anything to fear. Delhi operated with impunity.

I am quite sure that if Advani or any other BJP member was to become the PM, Delhi and people in it would not be afraid. Corruption would not have been as rampant (or not there at all) but the guilty would not have been punished, thanks to the Delhi effect. Unfortunately for the Delhi insiders, an absolute outsider like Modi is casting his large shadow over Delhi. This is scaring the hell out of so many people. Why is that? Let us go through the sub-classes of the Delhi insiders and the possible reasons for their fear.

Delhi based BJP leadership: As we have seen that the BJP was all but destroyed in many states. While Modi and his team have resuscitated a moribund BJP in many states, thanks to the damage done over the last decade by the pathetic leadership of Advani and co. we now are forced to suck up to wretches like Chandrababu Naidu. We are non-existent in West Bengal and fighting an uphill battle in Karnataka and Odisha. Most of the Delhi based BJP leaders’ approach was to be the “Not Congress” i.e. win because of anti-incumbency rather than their performance. These people let their so-called allies run the BJP out of those states. With Modi running on a performance platform, these people find themselves at a loss. Sushma Swaraj who has little influence over any voter base thinks of herself as a national leader. Why? Such leaders are being sidelined and with any luck, will not be part of the next government.

Politicians from Congress: With BJP leaders like Atalji and Advani, the Gandhi family and others close to it could have expected concessions over matters like corruption and black money. If, All the Gods willing, Modi becomes the PM then we will have the first true outsider who is not a power elite or beholden to any power center as a PM. With no loyalties to anyone except the voters, Modi is expected to make corrupt politicians and their relatives accountable and bring them to justice for all the crimes committed. This is what was said in a report from Economic Times:

The move is part of the BJP's strategy to no longer treat Vadra with kid gloves. It marks a break from the omerta or code of silence that top leaders of the two national parties appeared to observe for years with regard to each other's close family members. 

(Omerta, BTW, is a code used by the Italian Mafia)

Without Modi at the helm, this would not have been possible and Sonia Gandhi’s damaad would have been treated as the national damaad even by the BJP.

Media: Barring some vernacular press, most of the media is beholden to leftist causes in ways of the communist China. What that means is that communism (or socialism if that fails) for all but the privileged). As was seen with the association of these “presstitues” in the 2G scam, these so called keepers of the truth are as corrupt as the politicians they pretend to hold accountable. The likes of Tarun Tejpal are clearly scared because the man they have vilified so badly on orders of their political bosses, has a good chance of occupying the top job. They will lose the proximity to that post and the power that comes with it. Rumors are that a top bureaucrat was suspended and is on the run because he connected a top Congress minister, the head of a top media house a very large amount of money stashed abroad. Mischief like that will not be possible under “friendless” Modi.

Leftists: This group wants the country to do well on THEIR terms or not well at all. They have a perverted vision of the future of the country and a vision contrary to theirs is often met with deceit / sophistry at best and violence at worst. This group has worked with various anti Indian groups with some sort of a common aim. Three recent articles (URLs provided below) demonstrate the hypocrisy and downright traitorous behavior of this group. They are afraid of Modi because if “Modinomics” starts to work for the nation as it has for Gujarat then the entire leftist machinery will stand discredited. The leftist fear of Modi gets compounded by their hatred for him. After all, the leftists can be classified between two sorts:

a.   Belonging to one group are these so called intellectuals (whose real achievements cannot even fill a postcard) who are English speaking elites belonging to upper castes who cannot stand that they have been bested by a guy whom they will not even spit upon while going from one booze soaked soiree to another.

b.   Belonging to the other group are these Maoist types whose violent approach will be met with firm if not disproportionately larger force at the hands of a potential Modi administration.

Islamic terrorists and their sympathizers: This is a dangerous group with members like the SIMI, IM or men like  Owaisi or Zakir Naik. A potential Modi administration is not going to procrastinate on firm decisions on this group or kick the can down the road and turn a blind eye to anti-national activities for votes. I do not see a repeat of the Kandahaar episode with Modi at the helm. I can see that justice will be done and punishments meted out in a timely fashion so we do not have terrorists waiting in our jails for the Pakistanis to hijack our planes for their release. If this group is not scared then they should be.

Muslim Demagogues: This group comprises of Demagogues like Bukhari, various Maulanas, Azam Khan, Owaisi and self-styled protectors of Muslim interests and votebank politicians like Mullayam Yadav, Mamata Bannerjee, Congress etc. This group benefits if the Muslims voters stay ignorant, poor and scared. Why do you think that there are more Hindu Muslim riots in states ruled by people belonging to this group? On the other hand, why do you think that Muslims in Gujarat are much bigger supporters of Modi than non Gujarati Muslims? The answer is clear. Gujarati Muslims have benefitted from the non-discriminatory and all-inclusive “Modinomics”. Gujarati Muslims are more prosperous and better informed than their brethren from UP or Bihar. That is why the pseudo-secular writ is important in non-BJP states. Allah forbid, if the brass workers from Moradabad start doing better under BJP rule because they will get better power and market infrastructure then why would they need Azam Khan or Bukhari’s suggestion on voting?

While these aforementioned groups have their own prejudices and perceived reasons to fear a Modi Prime-ministership, the only group which should really fear a Hindu nationalist is the group which stands in the way of our collective path forward and national safety.

URL to the Economic Times report is as follows:http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/bjp-makes-sonia-gandhis-son-in-law-robert-vadra-a-major-campaign-issue/articleshow/34016091.cms

Prof. Nalapat’s eye opener on the collusion between US state Department and our leftists can be read at:http://www.sunday-guardian.com/news/obama-quietly-reverses-hillarys-get-modi-policy

An in depth analysis of the vicious Leftist-NGO nexus can be read at the following:http://www.niticentral.com/2014/04/18/aap-part-of-international-anti-india-racket-part-1-213357.html

http://www.niticentral.com/2014/04/19/aap-part-of-international-anti-india-racket-part-2-213876.html

Shri Narendra Modi's Message to all Voters

America Does Not Want Modi To Win

There is a saying in Urdu – “Begaani shaadi may Abdullah diwaana”. It means that Abdulla is going crazy over someone else getting married. Now the elections in India should be a matter for Indians to either get excited about (if you are the supporter of the perceived front-runner) or concern (if your party is on the verge of defeat). India’s immediate neighbors also have something to think about because the new PM could be a pliant weakling or a strong nationalist. For countries beyond our borders, especially the ones beyond the reach of our missiles, Indian elections should be an awe inspiring democratic exercise at best and an amusing spectacle at worst. Our trading partners have dealt with a socialist regime for over a decade. Now either they will deal with the same socialist government or deal with a more business friendly regime. Ideally they should have nothing to worry about, right?

Wrong.

It seems that anti India Americans, a group adorned (much like a heap of excrement on a manicured lawn) by non-resident Indian leftists or people under their influence are testifying before a perpetual anti Indian Congressman Tom Lantos. Testifying before him is Katrina Lantos (how convenient), John Dayal, Robin Phillips and Joe Pitts (US Congressman on the payroll of Ghulam Nabi Fai who has spent time in jail on charges of spying for Pakistan). I am surprised that Angana Chatterji, Vijay Prashad (nephew of Brinda Karat), Biju Matthew and assorted Anti Indians were not there with their knives. The testimonies were the usual about Hindus, RSS and other groups. Are they trying to influence Indian elections? Yes. Can they really do something about it? The answer to that, thanks all the gods, is a resounding NO. But that is not stopping them from trying. In fact the US, the so called protectors and keepers of Democracy have done all they can to undermine Indian democracy. And it is not just this election. They do so because they want to control, to the best of their abilities, the way India behaves with the rest of the world. It could be racism or because we are followers of a cult / lesser religion called Hinduism. All the Congress PMs have been pliant weaklings. The solo BJP PM so far was a Congressman in Saffron clothing. The thought of Modi as PM, a strong Hindu nationalist, is a scary one to the Americans. Fortunately for us, all their efforts to stop Modi have come to a naught. This latest hearing is the last stand against Narendra Modi, much like the man standing in front of a tsunami with an umbrella.

My response to Tom Lantos and the rest of the people testifying before him is a typical American response: You can kiss my dark brown, hirsute posterior (of course I am paraphrasing).

If Lantos’ constituents find out the amount of money that the US has given in aid to Pakistan since 1947 (especially after correcting for inflation), they would be shocked. If they are truly unbiased people then they will be even more shocked to hear that the percentage of Hindus in Pakistan since 1947 has gone down from 12 to 2. The shock would be greater if they find out how that number has gone down. They will be really flabbergasted to see that their beloved Congressman and his ilk whom they have been electing over and over again like brainless automatons have done absolutely NOTHING about that. Meanwhile the only country where Muslims can not only freely vote but also influence the polity gets berated by the likes of Lantos on a daily basis. Shame on these charlatans!

It is one thing for a leftist rag to write negatively about Hindu conservatives. But for elected officials of a country like US to take stands of this kind is not right. You see, if the next PM of India can jump start the Indian economy and ignore the US and its banks then who is the loser? Isn’t Lantos letting his personal prejudice hurt the Americans? The Europeans, Japanese (Shinzo Abe is looking forward to Modi getting elected) and Chinese have been doing business with Gujarat for a while. I don’t think that Russians or African or South American countries find it distasteful to do business with Hindu nationalists. I would humbly remind Lantos that the US used to and still does business with some of the scummiest people in the world.

My appeal to the Americans is as follows: Please let us exercise our right to vote whomever we want to chose. Stand with us and celebrate Democracy. Otherwise stop preaching and changing regimes the world over in the name of democracy.

Article on Lantos hearing can be read at: http://www.rediff.com/news/report/ls-election-bjp-govt-would-be-detrimental-to-minorities-us-lawmakers-told/20140405.htm
Article on Shinzo Abe can be read at: http://southasia.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2014/02/20/big_in_japan_why_abe_is_rooting_for_a_modi_win

Rope-a-dope Modi VS Limp-wristed Left

Rope-a-dope was a technique perfected by boxing great Muhammad Ali who would stand against the ropes, which allows much of the opponent’s punch's energy to be absorbed by the ropes' elasticity rather than the his body. The opponent tires himself out after which Ali used his energy to beat his opponent.

The entire Congress machinery aided by the leftist media and NGOs used Godhra as a way to beat Modi for twelve years. Modi absorbed those punches using his performance in Gujarat as his protective ropes. He won three state elections in the interim. He used social media as counter punches with meticulous planning which in my opinion will become a case study for future politicians. Every move that he has made so far speaks of his political and organizational genius. The Indian political landscape which was in ruins thanks to a decade long inept BJP leadership and raping and pillaging of the land by Congress led UPA, now seems to be ready for a spring. Yes. Time has come for Modi, the Muhammad Ali of politics to wreak havoc on his political opponents.

We have written way too many times on this topic but after seeing Rajdeep Sardesai attack MJ Akbar and Akbar’s weak defense, I felt compelled to revisit the topic. Sardesai is a smart guy and knows that his (and his ilk’s) 12 year crusade against Narendra Modi lies in ruins. Akbar’s change of heart seems like the straw that broke the leftist’s back. Elitist snobs, who speak English fluently, wear fancy suits, drive around in German cars, attend Christmas masses without being of the faith, fancy themselves as the keepers of the Indian secularism, pretend to fight for the very man he adroitly exploits and treats everything Hindu and Indian as an invective finds himself outsmarted and completely defeated by a common Hindu conservative man, a real aam aadmi like Narendra Modi (NOT YOU Kejriwal! Modi is the real aam aadmi). That was the demeanor of Sardesai. I only wish Akbar had done a better job defending his stand. It is Akbar’s bad luck that he now realizes that the best hope for the country’s betterment lies with the kind of man he has deplored all his life and the kind of ideology he has berated. I really like MJ Akbar and enjoy his wisdom even though I may not agree with him all the time. He will bring a different point of view to the party which will be welcome in a party with real internal democracy.

The road to the present was not a smooth one and the road ahead promises to be bumpier. Having bested his enemies outside the part with his own brand of political rope-a-dope, Modi seems to be battling the enemies inside. The intrepid Madhu Kishwar claims that there exists a cabal within BJP which she calls the 160 club. As per her, this club is doing its best to restrict the number of seats won by the BJP to 160 which will enable the vultures within the party to step in and take over the reins. Efforts of this cabal (no need to name names because everyone knows who they are) are evident but seem to be failing. For a pugilist like Modi who has been battling his entire career, this cabal is the proverbial small potato.

One of the things that seem to be bothering a lot of BJP supporters (and rightly so) are the induction of erstwhile Modi baiters. However I am going to put that in the file called realpolitik. Due to pathetic leadership of the BJP in the last decade, the party was all but wiped out in a number of states. To win those states back, ugly choices had to be made. At the end of the day, I have to put my faith with a winner like Modi. Hopefully Baba Bholenath will protect him from Islamic terrorists and the voters will find it in their hearts to brave the elements and come out in large numbers to vote. We really are fighting for the future of the country. We can elect rope-a-dope Modi or any of the limp-wristed leftists. Speaking of leftists, please look at the picture above. Leaders are supposed to inspire. Does this guy look like he can inspire anyone?

Kejriwal Practices Al Taqiyya, Covers Virulent Agenda

Taqiyya is defined as follows by the Wikipedia

In Islam taqiyya is a form of religious dissimulation, or a legal dispensation whereby a believing individual can deny his faith or commit otherwise illegal or blasphemous acts while they are at risk of significant persecution.
This practice was emphasized in Shi'a Islam whereby adherents may conceal their religion when they are under threat, persecution, or compulsion.Taqiyya was developed to protect Shi'ites who were usually in minority and under pressure. The term taqiyya does not exist in Sunni jurisprudence. In the Sunni view, denying faith under duress is "only at most permitted and not under all circumstances obligatory". However, there are examples of practicing taqiyya among Sunnis where it was necessary.

In face of persecution and death, deception seems an acceptable form of strategy. However, since the concept has been incorporated in religion, it eventually gets used to mask human frailties, greed, expansionism (land and Islam) and worse. It is now believed people that Islamists lie and cheat to the Kafirs (non-believers) to spread their religion, carry out their Jihad and other activities using Taqiyya as an excuse. Why else would something initiated by the Shias become acceptable to the Sunnis?

Now why would Islamists practice Taqiyya? It could be that it suits their selfish reasons or that they have an agenda worth lying and cheating. Now a cult leader who has to brainwash followers would resort to his own brand of Taqiyya. These cult leaders honestly believe in their agenda and thus feel justified in lying and cheating. For them the all important end justifies any and every means.

One such cult leader is Arvind Kejriwal. Why am I calling him a cult leader? It is because if you talk to multiple AAP followers, they spout off exactly the same issues, theories and solutions. It is almost like there is a book somewhere or a grand priest (Arvind Kejriwal) who teaches them answers to political FAQs.

The most recent expose where Kejriwal is colluding with a pliant media person to “fix” and interview clearly shows that contempt he has for the middle class (ironically these are the people who voted for him in Delhi and now the country is paying for their sins). His numerous u-turns, double speak on free market; votebank politics (reaching out to some of the most virulent mullahs) betray a much deeper and a sinister agenda. You get a glimpse of this agenda when his minions talk about surrendering J&K or supporting the Maoists or known terrorists (like Afzal Guru). It is increasingly becoming clear to all but the cult followers that Kejriwal, the self professed anarchist, is a virulent communist for whom his vision of India has to be achieved no matter what the cost and sacrifice. The anti-corruption campaign is just a ruse which he stole from Anna Hazare. In fact everything about this man is a lie. A trivial example of his deception is that he lives in a house worth well over a crore and he wears a plastic sandal in winter. That is not simplicity; that is a carefully cultivated image (like Lalloo Yadav rustic haircut) to fool his cult followers. As the Urdu poet Abdullah Kamaal says in the following couplet:

mai.n ne apane chehare pe sab hunar sajaaye the

faash kar gayaa mujh ko saadaa pairahan meraa

[faash = reveal; pairahan = shirt / dress]

(Translation: I had decorated my face with an image which was betrayed by my simple shirt)

His latest stunt in Mumbai where his so called Aam Aadmi act brought a bustling Mumbai economy to a halt is another example of his reckless hypocrisy. The real aam aadmi is paying dearly for Arvind Kejriwal’s aam aadmi act.

SZ Ahmad in an article extolling Kejriwal says that Kejriwal is a true Muslim, that he has learnt everything from Islam, that he thanks Allah for blessings bestowed, that even though a Hindu, Kejriwal is a true Muslim. Whether I agree with anything that Ahmad says, I certainly agree with one thing. Kejriwal has picked up stuff from Quran i.e. Al Taqiyya. This man is going to lie and cheat to get what he wants. I don’t know about the positive stuff but Kejriwal has certainly picked that from Islam.

Delhi voters and the Indian media pimps have created a monster which cannot be contained anymore. It is also clear that his brain washed cult will swallow whatever he spits out. It is up to the rest of us to ensure that this man is denied the publicity he so craves and eventually consigned to the dustbin of history.

Every Indian who is not a politician or a babu wants corruption to be eradicated. You do not have to be an anarchist or a communist to be an anti corruption crusader. Even the worst of his detractors has not called Narendra Modi corrupt (except for High priest and Pope Kejriwal who is going around certifying various people and assessing development). Because of his personal integrity, people around Modi are forced to stay clean. That is the real solution to corruption.

I would not advice it but if you have to read it then SZ Ahmad’s article can be read at: 
http://muslimmirror.com/eng/kejriwal-a-hindu-by-faith-a-muslim-by-practice/

It Is Modi Versus Modi In 2014

My friend Swami told me about a town hall kind of meeting on Facebook which was hosted by Madhu Trehan. It turns out that Modi was to be THE guest but with the involvement of NDTV in the event, they tried to turn it into an American style meeting where all the aspirants for the top job answer similar questions and are judged by the voters. It is clear what Trehan and NDTV were looking at – an interview with Narendra Modi which would have been a coup of sorts, not to mention a TRP juggernaut with lots of advertisement money. The bigger question (for a Modi supporter like me) is what Modi gets out of it?

By appearing in this kind of a show, the participants try to show who the better candidate is. But for a clear cut front runner like Modi, this is a lose-lose proposition. Once on the show, he would be at the mercy of his enemies i.e. the media. He would not be able to walk off the interview (like he did with that jerk Thapar) without sounding petulant. On the interview he would have gone up against an upstart trouble maker like Kejriwal and a parolee like Lalloo Yadav (Thank you brother Shashi Shekhar). Does Modi need to prove that he is better than Kejriwal or Lalloo? Needless to say, I was very happy when Swami told me that Modi had withdrawn his name from this event.

But this raises a bigger question. Who is Modi running against? Why do the Indian media keep insisting that Kejriwal is a credible opponent to Modi or (miraculously) Rahul is more popular than Modi in TN even though the man is a walking disaster? They do so because the media needs to keep the drama alive and show that they are still relevant in this day and age of social media (where the candidate can directly connect with the voters – see our post http://thenethindu.blogspot.com/2014/02/narendra-modi-bypasses-media.html). What the media are really loath to admit is that Modi is running against himself. Now let us step back and examine the statement. We have two questions.

Who is Modi running against?

Who exactly has the power to stop Modi from becoming the PM?

As far as the first question goes, is it Rahul or Kejriwal or Mamata or Jayalalitha or Nitish or Mulayam or Lalloo? Even if you take the rigged pre-election polls with a fistful of salt, you can safely say that Rahul will NOT be the next PM. Now who else can lay claim to the top job. For that we will have to answer the second question. The only thing that stops Modi from becoming the PM is a hung parliament when one of the vulture-like politicians will swoop in by favorably positioning themselves. This is what Nitish, Jayalalitha and others are hoping. How can Modi stop that from happening? Effective campaigning is the key. Modi has honed this skill in the last three elections in Gujarat where he went up against a tsunami of negativity and still won. He has to be the most vetted politician on the earth so he has nothing to hide. All he needs to do is to connect with those voters who have either not heard about him or are reluctant to vote for him because he belongs to BJP (please read http://thenethindu.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-quandary-of-supporting-modi-but-not.html). From what we are seeing, the man is running an unprecedented campaign with targeted speeches and fantastic oratory. For a while it looked like his own partymen would impede his progress but he has since bested them. He now seems to be going from strength to strength. If he continues on this path then the figure of 272 can be achieved without making Faustian pacts. If he stumbles now or makes a bad decision then things can become uncertain. Only Modi can stop Modi. Yes it truly is Modi versus Modi in the next election.

BJP / NDA Need At Least 250 Seats

It is not enough to form the next government for BJP. They have to do so in a way that was much better than Atalji’s government. It was a motley crew or parties who used Atalji’s government like an ATM. Unscrupulous partners like Chandrababu Naidu (who abandoned BJP and now trying to worm his way back) held the central government at ransom. In a situation like that, most of the time and energy was spent keeping these disparate parties happy. Governance became a secondary issue. The nation can’t afford a repeat of that.

Akali Dal and Shiv Sena are ideological partners of the BJP and thus can always be counted on. Which why even after all the posturing, the three parties stood together once the campaign began. Now in an ideal world the BJP alone would cross the 272 mark because that would free up Bhai Narendra’s hands to implement his vision of India. That is why they are running the 272+ campaign. The seats brought in by SAD and SS would be added benefit. Next best thing would be that BJP+SAD+ exceed 272 since the other two are ideologically committed to the same goal. The aforementioned scenarios are desirable but difficult as of today’s date.

Even if you draw a fuzzy conclusion by the pre-election polls (which have been shown to be extremely compromised), the BJP+SAD+SS look to be hovering around 225. Even if you counted the TDP with 10 seats and LJP with 4 seats, we are still ways away from the goal. If this were the case in May then Modi will form the government but with the help of either Mamata Aapa (didi in Urdu) or Jaya Amma or both. This will be a repeat of Atalji’s government. These women are unpredictable and mercurial ergo disastrous for stability. What we need (if we absolutely have to) are people like Paswan and Naveen Patnaik whose greed for power makes them predictable and controllable or K Chandrasekhar Rao of Telangana Rashtra Samiti who would need constant help from the Central Government for the new state. These three will probably bring in close to 30 seats. Now if the BJP+SAD+SS get 250+ then we can have a stable government.

Therefore barring the ideal situation, the BJP+SAD+SS really need to hit the 250 mark. Seeing the way, Bhai Narendra Modi is campaigning, I have great hopes. His rallies and unfolding strategies in various states tell me that they are on top of all the issues which is a remarkable change from 2004 and 2009 when hope and entitlement were the BJP’s strategy. All we need is a good voter turnout.

The Quandary Of Supporting Modi But Not The BJP

One of the most confounding of the stats in these days of stat attacks is the high percentage of voters’ support for Narendra Modi and low support for the BJP in some states. In a presidential style of democracy it makes sense. However in a parliamentary system, it is impossible. Be that as it may, it certainly says a few things about the status quo. I will try collating my thoughts on the matter a way out of this.

1. The lack of support for the BJP even in the face of extreme anti incumbency tells you the abject lack of leadership in the BJP during the last ten years of LK Advani. His entire tenure was to let regional parties thrive under the assumption that they would come back the NDA fold when needed. He left the states to selfish and incompetent leaders in charge of states in exchange for their loyalty while he trying to position himself for the right place and right time.

2. Are the voters confused about our parliamentary system where you have to vote for the party to get the PM. A rather large number of polled voters support regional parties in the general election but want Modi as PM. Either they are confused about our system or their regional aspirations trump any national considerations. These voters are going to handicap the next government by denying a clear majority to a possible Modi government which would hamper implementation of decisions, tough or otherwise, essential for our future.

3. The solution to this quandary may lie in careful marketing. They need to see Narendra Modi in person on stage adorned by BJP paraphernalia, with local BJP leaders. This association may force the realization that the man and the party are inseparable even though he is running a presidential style campaign. With one moth remaining, this may be easier said than done. However, Modi and his team of brilliant organizers and campaigners have organized very large number of campaign rallies across the nation. It remains to be seen if the rallies of the past and future will any and all doubts about Modi and the party he belongs to.