Probably what liberals in India (and possibly in US) are missing….

Cable networks in India run a dedicated channel to broadcast Narendra Modi’s interviews and his campaign run up to the Loksabha Elections, supreme court does not find his mention of Armed forces in political canvassing inappropriate, all his promises from past election like job creation, reduction in black money and growth have receded among the infernal din of his national security rhetoric, political jibes and another set of lofty promises. His party has declined to make the list of its source of funds public – despite strong push on transparency and accountability.

And yet he continues to enjoy soaring popularity among Indian voters - at least for now. This popularity of a hard-liner candidate is not a stand-alone case in democracies around the world today. Flag-bearer of democracy, United States too, has its own Narendra Modi in form of its current president Donald Trump! Israel recently re-elected a leader with similar traits and Brazil too elected a strongman in Jair Bolsonaro.

There are Indians who find Modi annoying, obnoxious and even fascist. They portray him as a threat to India’s democracy and constitution. They shout at the top of their voices against him, try to engage in debate, debunk the lies of the government, appeal to people’s reason and hope that they would be able to somehow change people’s mind about him. It is important to realize that people have chosen these leaders for a reason and first step in defeating or moderating the hardliner at the helm is to defeat the hardliner within us. We must remember that Modi or any hardliner leader is not a problem, he is a symptom of a problem that plagues majority of the people. Simply exposing the problems with his leadership is rather narrow a goal that reduces national issues and priorities and ultimately harms the nation.  

For example – we see widespread criticism of terrorism in Kashmir, but hardly see any effort on integrating Kashmiri youth with the rest of the India, we debate vigorously of widening wealth inequality but hardly focus on giving our children more equitable life experiences, we complaint of increasing intolerance but don’t branch far out and consciously make diverse connections. All these and many other participatory actions can be taken around the year – not just at the time of elections.

The process of globalization and economic growth has now become a fatal combination of rising expectations and reducing opportunities – therefore it is natural for anyone with or without resources to act conservatively about them. This situation leads to the popular political slogans of India (Any other country) first. The only way around this tightening noose of hardline leadership is to work towards increasing education, enriching diversity and expanding the understanding of economic growth.  Practicing and spreading simplicity can also go a long way, not just from economic but also from environmental perspective.  

This road is long – and it may take a long time before we may see any result – but it is worth walking on it.

My two cents!

In 2014 I voted for the first time in India’s national elections. Little did I know that when next time India holds its polls I will be sitting in another country and may not have the bandwidth – economic or otherwise – of going back and casting my vote in one of the most vibrant democracies of the world.

Distance often makes it difficult to see things clearly – but sometimes it may also allow you to see things in different light – and therefore I feel that even without voting, I need to express myself to all the friends, relatives and family members who will be voting in India’s next general election.

·         This election is not about saving India’s soul

Anyone who claims that this election is about saving India’s soul – probably considers India’s soul too weak, fixed and simple. While such an expression may make people feel charged up, there is hardly any credibility to it when we stop and think about it for a couple of minutes. What is India’s soul? I don’t know a certain answer to this but surely it is not a fixed thing that can be stolen or broken – because soul evolves, transforms, grows, subsides and goes through the same cycle again and again. This very nature of soul - and its liveliness makes it difficult to even grasp and control a soul of one person – let alone the entire nation.

·         Need for Chowkidaar

It is a very common political ploy to instigate a sense of fear among people, to make them feel unsafe and therefore look for leaders who can provide a sense of safety. The term Chowkidar – a guard – being currently used to suggest that somehow, we as a nation need someone to protect us. We must not fall for such tactics – and must not let fear overtake our common sense. This technique is very similar to those used by Donald Trump during the US presidential elections. India and all its people are strong enough to take care of themselves and need no one to look after them.

Another reason why this need for a guard seems ludicrous is – somehow it leaks an air of superiority of the ruler over those that are ruled. It is exactly opposite of the concept of “Swaraj” on which India had based its freedom movement.  

Let us remember that we are a country of over a billion people, different ideologies, diverse culture, varied skillsets and wide range of opportunities ahead of us. Let’s vote for the basic issues and concerns that touch our daily lives – when each one of us does that – the national picture will automatically start shaping well.

A famous political leader named Ram Manohar Lohia’s quote is also worth remembering - sarkar tave ki roti jaise hoti hai, usko palat tey raho nahin toh jal ke raakh ho jayegi – the government is like a roti that needs to be flipped on the griddle or it will burn. As a first time voter, I did not do a thorough study but just cast my vote for a different party than the then ruling party - and if I were to get another chance, I would probably do the same this time as well!