The Modi hat-trick of Chief Ministership of
Gujarat did not come to me as a huge surprise. Some of it was expected. But it
came with a lot of pain. Some of it was not expected. One hoped at least some
voters would want to teach him a lesson.
As the media, the business, the filmdom and the industry go gaga over his sweep, I hang my head in shame that we, the champions of secularism and fairplay failed. Failed once again, for the third time, I mean.
Modi is a petty, crafty politician on whom a favourable conflence of circumstances are foisting greatness which he is playing with aplomb. That credit I readily concede to him.
His sweep of Gujarat merely establishes these:
a. that an average Gujarati Hindu dislikes an average Muslim enough even now
b. that the pain and humiliation of the Muslims don't matter a hell of a lot to the larger society, indicating their dispensability
c. that the average voter of Gujarat is yet to mature to be able to grasp the sensitivity and sensibility to detect the power of propaganda, fascism, money power, make-up
d. and that there remains a long haul, a dark, long tunnel yet to pass through before the dawn of a bright morrow, for those of us who have stuck their neck out for justice and fairplay.
Modi's gracious 'apology' and courtesy visit to Keshubhai will be the headlines tomorrow. I wish they rather notice the language of his victory speech: Hindi. The man is headed to Delhi and he better appreciates what it takes to reach there. He is as ruthlessly professional in courtesy as he was in politicking. He knows that the larger Indian democracy still demands far higher values and virtues.
Modi's victory is the moral defeat of Gujarat. Period. For the third time over.
As the media, the business, the filmdom and the industry go gaga over his sweep, I hang my head in shame that we, the champions of secularism and fairplay failed. Failed once again, for the third time, I mean.
Modi is a petty, crafty politician on whom a favourable conflence of circumstances are foisting greatness which he is playing with aplomb. That credit I readily concede to him.
His sweep of Gujarat merely establishes these:
a. that an average Gujarati Hindu dislikes an average Muslim enough even now
b. that the pain and humiliation of the Muslims don't matter a hell of a lot to the larger society, indicating their dispensability
c. that the average voter of Gujarat is yet to mature to be able to grasp the sensitivity and sensibility to detect the power of propaganda, fascism, money power, make-up
d. and that there remains a long haul, a dark, long tunnel yet to pass through before the dawn of a bright morrow, for those of us who have stuck their neck out for justice and fairplay.
Modi's gracious 'apology' and courtesy visit to Keshubhai will be the headlines tomorrow. I wish they rather notice the language of his victory speech: Hindi. The man is headed to Delhi and he better appreciates what it takes to reach there. He is as ruthlessly professional in courtesy as he was in politicking. He knows that the larger Indian democracy still demands far higher values and virtues.
Modi's victory is the moral defeat of Gujarat. Period. For the third time over.
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