Nobel laureate Amartya Sen in his recent column in The New York Times termed Modi’s victory as the victory of Hindu nationalism. “What is clear enough is that during the past five years of B.J.P. rule, India has become much more divided along religious lines, making more sharply precarious the lives of minorities, particularly Muslims. The Hindu nationalist movement has won something in terms of power but nothing particularly serious in the battle of ideas,” he said.
What liberals like Amartya Sen and the ones who call Modi the ‘divider-in-chief’ failed to understand is that India principally voted for Modi and not for the idea of a Hindu Rashtra. It would be inane to say that Hindu nationalism was the key factor that helped Modi’s party vanquish the opposition and win over 350 seats.
People voted for Modi, because people identified with Modi. People felt that he is the one who will raise their standard of living. Modi’s humble background, his brilliant oratory and his zero-corruption record made him hugely popular among the voters. The non-elites were deeply influenced by his self-projection of a person who is totally committed to serving the nation with no personal agenda.
Modi’s ability to connect with every strata of society was the reason why the liberal elites were proved wrong. They felt that the BJP had antagonized the Dalit and Muslim community in its five-year tenure and won’t be able to increase its vote share among them.
An article in India Today says that the BJP won 36 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in which Muslims form 20% of the population. Should every allegation against the BJP being anti-Muslim have been true, they should have won 0 of those 80 seats. So, the outcry behind India becoming a Hindu Rashtra and concerns about the ‘Hindu mind being rigged’ are unrealistic. A minuscule segment who are cow vigilantes or are extremists and truly want India to become a Hindu Rashtra, don’t represent the entire 80% of the Hindu population.
Perhaps, some liberals who comment on Indian Hindus based on a few incidents haven’t even bothered to check the ground reality. And unless they do so, they must not hold such perceptions make such comments. A true Hindu expounds secularism and tolerance. A true Hindu will never their fellow citizens to live in fear.
India has given a huge mandate to Narendra Modi. And it’s Modi’s responsibility now, to fulfill the aspirations of Indians who want to rise, grow and contribute towards nation building. Division, bigotry and hatred have no space in the journey which the nation has determined to go on.
Jai Hind!