Mr. Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat, claims to have developed the state of Gujarat.  No doubt, he has exhibited the highest degree of devotion to duty and has persevered to move the wheel of development.  He thus takes credit for "governance".  He always uses the term "governance". Governance has to emanate from righteousness and justice (Dharma). He is supposed to rule the state in righteousness and justice. The 2002 Gujarat riots cannot be erased from our memory at all. Though there is no direct evidence of his involvement in instigating the rioters, he remained passive when the rioters were on the rampage, killing innocent citizens of his state. He had the knowledge of the rioters killing the citizens under his very nose. He cannot stake his claim for "governance". He can take credit for economic development and not for governance. 

He should not link the term "development" to governance. A ruler has to rule the Prajas or citizens in righteousness. Under the rule of Hitler, Germany was industrially developed. But Hitler was not righteous because he was responsible for annihilation of millions of Jews. 

Mr. Narendra Modi and Mr. Rahul Gandhi

In the TV debates and elsewhere, comparison is made between the young Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi.The theme for the meeting at CII was “India Tomorrow- Imperatives for Growth, Security and Governance”. Many bloggers found fault with the message of Rahul which came from his heart of love for nation. It was generally argued that that Rahul failed to address any of the three facets - Growth, Security and Governance, in his speech. When Narendra Modi began to speak at a power gathering of women in Delhi, he admonished Mr Gandhi, without naming him, for his concept of India-as-a-beehive - and taking a swipe at Rahul Gandhi later in his speech.

Let us now compare the visions of both these political leaders. Rahul Gandhi was not supposed to address those specific issues.  A young man who has a vision for the youths, the downtrodden and all the societies of the nation irrespective of their language, religion or race need not speak on something like growth, security or governance. In fact if he wanted to deliver a speech on these issues just to hoodwink the people, he could have taken the help of the political pandits in his party to draft a wonderful speech.  What came out of his mouth was from his heart. No doubt, he stands for secularism, socialism and social justice for all. 

Coming to the speech of Mr. Narendra Modi, he is a very good skilled orator to keep the audience spell-bound. He has the story of development of his state and on secularism, he has the story that no riot or any communal violence had taken place since 2002. The words that emanate from a mature politician with his eyes set on the seat of the Prime Minister of this nation and his vision for India are mere political gimmicks for the ensuing 2014 elections.

Here is a young man who had experienced great tragedies of losing his grand mother and his father to the bullets of terrorists. He understands the agony of people affected by acts of terrorism because he as a child and as a young boy had passed through this dark valley.  He has no ready-made answer to be given to press reporters or bloggers from his head knowledge as to how to get rid of terrorism or to give safety to people. But he loves the people of this great nation who face the dragon of terrorism because he himself has suffered in the hands of this dragon. 

Coming to Mr. Modi,  here is a mature politician who can give wonderful lectures on economics, quoting facts and figures. Here is also a mature politician under whose nose hundreds of people belonging to a minority religion were roased alive and he remained a silent spectator. He has not distanced himself from a close politician who was, prima facie, found involved in killing of some young people belonging to a minority community in cold blood. His action speaks the truth than his oratory and interpretation of his secular credentials by his party. 

Coming to the young Rahul, he has not governed the nation but has a heart of love for his entire nation. Yes, he has no ready made answers or solutions to the ills of our nation. He does not want to give empty promises just to ensure his party's victory during the 2014 elections. He may fumble in his speech but he has a message for the people of India.  It is not in words but in his heart. 

Coming to Mr. Modi, here is a mature politician who has governed a state for 15 years. No doubt, he has worked hard and developed his state economically. However, his message on development of his state and duplicating the same model of development all over the nation where people of diverse faiths, cultures, languages,live, is not practicable at all. Just to project him as the Prime Ministerial candidate, BJP's stage managers are arguing about his secular credentials. Given the ideology of his party on secularism, he cannot adorn the mantle of a savior for protecting all the people including minorities who have no faith in his leadership. Man does not live by bread alone. He needs more than bread or development. People of this nation do not want only Roti, Kapda and Makkan.  They want a quality life of decency with full freedom.  

Qualities of a Prime Ministerial candidate

What is required of a good Prime Ministerial candidate is not his speech but a spirit of humility which should be explicit in his speech and action. What is required of a good Prime Ministerial candidate is not his past history of development of a state but kindling a hope in the hearts of the millions of the people of India including the minorities. What is required of a good Prime Ministerial candidate is not his wit or trick of silencing or outmaneuvering his adversaries but a heart of love for the people to be governed from the seat of Prime Minister.

A man who dreams of becoming a king should have a heart of love for all the people. What is more important is not his capability but his love for the people.  He claims to love the nation but his action reveals that he does not love all the people but only the people belonging to a particular religion.  He claims in his slogan that India should come first as if people of this nation are not part of India. They are "as-a-beehive" in the words of Mr. Narendra Modi because they are living together and gathering honey together as one nation, from different plants likened to different cultures, religions, languages. This beehive should not be disturbed by any ideology that divides the people of this nation who live together on communal lines. 

Beehive?

Wikipedia defines a beehive as follows:

A beehive is an enclosed structure in which some honey bee species of the subgenus Apis live and raise their young. Natural beehives are naturally occurring structures occupied by honeybee colonies, while domesticated honeybees live in man-made beehives, often in an apiary. These man-made structures are typically referred to as "beehives". Several species of Apis live in hives, but only the western honey bee…..

Let us not disturb the beehive of India.  Our young people are nurtured in this beehive.  Let us not poison their minds through an ideology that divides the nation on communal lines. 

Meaning of Hindutva ideology

Nowadays, the party to which Mr. Narendra Modi belongs takes umbrage at the definition of Hindutva given by the Hon’ble Supreme Court. In a judgment delivered in 1995, the Supreme Court of India ruled that "Ordinarily, Hindutva is understood as a way of life or a state of mind and is not to be equated with or understood as religious Hindu fundamentalism... it is a fallacy and an error of law to proceed on the assumption... that the use of words Hindutva or Hinduism per se depicts an attitude hostile to all persons practising any religion other than the Hindu religion... It may well be that these words are used in a speech to promote secularism or to emphasise the way of life of the Indian people and the Indian culture or ethos, or to criticise the policy of any political party as discriminatory or intolerant."

I am putting a question to the party leaders of the party to which Mr. Modi belongs.  “Are you practicing the Hindutva ideology”? If it is a way of life, then why do you discriminate against minorities who also belong to the same way of life? They have right to the same way of life which you live. Why do the party cadres of your party or your sister parties like VHP attack churches and mosques, especially in states ruled by your party? It is good that in your state since 2002 no communal riot has taken place. What about other states ruled by your party? Why do you protect from law those who have killed thousands of innocent citizens just because they belonged to a religion which is not yours?

Righteousness and Justice

Only righteousness and justice should be the attributes of any Prime Ministerial candidate. We want righteousness and justice to be upheld for governing the whole nation. A man or a woman who stands for righteousness and justice and whose ideology spells out these two attributes is worthy to be considered as a Prime Ministerial candidate for the nation.

Evils of corruption and terrorism

What ails this nation are not merely the issues of corruption and terrorism as painted out by the party of Mr. Modi. What the people of this nation need is not mere promise to deliver them from the menaces of corruption and terrorism through a governmental machinery which is weak. Whichever party comes to power, the same weak government machinery would continue to function. Law cannot strengthen the weak government machinery. But, it is the unity of people of this nation as one nation that would ultimately get rid of corruption and terrorism. Above all, a hope of belonging to India has to be kindled in their heart by a great leader like Mahatma Gandhi. A seed of love for loving your neighbor has to be sown in their hearts so that they can stand together as one nation and fight the evils of corruption and terrorism.  No further division of this nation on communal or religious lines!  

The great dragon to be faught is communalism - more than corruption and terrorism. Terrorists can be wiped out through bullets. But communalism has to be fought on the ideological lines! People of this great nation, especially young people should not be misled by our leaders using the plank of "development". 

Jai Hind. 

The author may be contacted on his email id: jobanbalagan@gmail.com