Thursday 4 April 2019

Can Modiji Win Election Without Pakistan as his Trump Card?

                                                     (Image courtesy: PIB May2014)

This partition has been a mistake and has to be annulled some day or other. (An Hon. Member: By force?) Why should I not have a right to say that?” stated founder of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee.
He was participating in a debate over the Bill for first amendment to the Constitution in Parliament on 16th May 1951.
Dr. Mookerjee stoutly opposed Partition before and after it happened in 1947. He ultimately quit Nehru cabinet & the Congress Party to start BJP (originally Bharatiya Jan Sangh).  Alas, BJP has never transformed Dr. Mookerjee’s vision into a credible initiative on phased merger of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. It owes an explanation (if apology is undignified) to people of Indian subcontinent on this count.
There can never be peace in Indian sub-continent without merger in which religion should be relegated strictly to private space. The Merger should be driven by focus on our common genes, common culture and common goal - jobs, happiness & prosperity for all. Who is scared of rationality & humanity-driven unification?
The only other alternative and very painful one is to secure peace through a war. If this option is exercised, it must lead to break-up of Pakistan, which has become a cradle for global terrorism. The break-up idea has been articulated well by BJP maverick MP, Dr. Subramanian Swamy.
In September 2018, Dr. Swamy reportedly stated: “Pakistan be broken into four regions - Sindh, Balochistan, Pakhtun and West Pakistan - and the first three must be handed over to India. “This is the only solution to the India-Pakistan conflict”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done nothing to exercise either option. He has an unflinching faith in Empty Bravado. He resorts to token action when faced with horrible events and the public resentment over inaction.  He loves fear-mongering about Pakistan during the election campaigns. He first tasted fruits of this fear-generating strategy in December 2002 polls for Gujarat State Assembly.
Recall vivid coverage of these polls in the media.
According to the Frontline (21Dec2002) cover story headlined ‘Riding the Hate Wave’, “Sprawled across the streets of Gujarat were posters of the burning Sabarmati Express, portraying Narendra Modi as the saviour. As part of Modi’s anti-Pakistan rhetoric, posters depicting Modi and Musharraf as adversaries were put up across the State. It prompted a Congress(I) leader from Madhya Pradesh, who was campaigning in Gujarat, to comment, ‘I didn't know Musharraf was contesting elections in Gujarat’.”
Mr. Modi repeatedly dragged Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf’s name in his speeches. Gujarat Chief Minister referred to him as “Mian Musharraf” to insinuate link between him & Gujarat Muslims.
He concluded his campaign with reported call: “You decide whether there should be a Diwali in Gujarat or whether firecrackers should burst in Pakistan”.
There has been no looking back since then. In every subsequent election, this fear of Pakistan celebrating BJP’s defeat by bursting crackers has been stirred & re-stirred.
The other day Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani cautioned the public. He reportedly said Congress victory “by mistake” in the 2019 Lok Sabha election will see Pakistan celebrate Diwali.
For Mr. Modi in particular and BJP in general, Pakistan is a trump card with which   many anti-BJP votes can be transformed into support for BJP candidates. He torments voters’ mind with the shrill call to choose between Nationalism & Pakistan. He makes every issue including jobs a secondary or non-issue in the heat of anti-Pakistan campaign.
In 2007 Gujarat assembly elections too, he banked on Pakistan & Musharraf. In 2009 Lok Sabha elections too, Mr. Modi targeted UPA for its failure to fix Pakistan after 2008 terror attack on Mumbai. At a rally held during March 2009, he asked: “Mumbai was attacked by Pakistan but what did the New Delhi government do”.
 He repeated his anti-Pakistan strategy in 2012 polls. A day before the elections, Mr. Modi wrote a letter to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, on “talks going on to hand over Sir-Creek to Pakistan”. He also alleged that the handover would be worked out on 15the December. The two-page letter was circulated to the media the same day. Prompt came strong rebuttal from Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). In an official release, PMO trashed Mr. Modi’s “unsubstantiated allegations”.
As put by the release, “The contents of the letter and the timing of its release to the public, even before it was formally received in this office, raise questions about the motives behind its issue. The writing and release of this baseless letter by the Chief Minister of Gujarat in his ‘personal’ capacity, a day before elections in the state, is mischievous”.
After winning 2012 assembly polls, Mr. Modi tapped every opportunity to reaffirm his credentials as nationalist who would fix Pakistan if elected as Prime Minister.
While speaking at Nava Bharat Yuva Bheri in Hyderabad on 11 August 2013, Mr Modi observed: “Our soldiers were beheaded and just after that our Indian Foreign Minister was serving Biryani to Pakistani guests in Jaipur, and what does he say, this is protocol..! I am asking youngsters of my country, should there be any protocol with those who behead the soldiers of our nation”?
He even chose solemn occasion of Independence Day to berate Dr. Singh for his failure to rein in Pakistan.
Thus on 15th August 2013, Mr. Modi in his speech noted: “The President, yesterday, while mentioning Pakistan said that there is a limit to how much one can bear. The President has given a very grave indication in speech about the issue. I was hoping that Mr. Prime Minister would have given Mr. President an assurance. Unfortunately I did not get to hear an assuring talk from the PM. I can understand that the PM has to be diplomatic and there is a check on how and what he can say on strategic issues”.
The list of his quotes against Pakistan and UPA Government’s failures in dealing with this terror sponsor is long. After becoming PM, he forgot all his sermons.
He made surprise visit to Pakistan on 25th December 2015, hurting sentiments of countless patriots. He ignored ceasefire violations (CFVs) & jawans’ martyrdom that touched 4-year high in 2015.
Did his touching the feet of mother of the then Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during the visit reduced CFVs and terrorism? No. A week after this visit, terrorists from Pakistan launched a deadly attack on Pathankot airbase, a highly strategic asset for India.
It was a perfect opportunity for Mr. Modi to order retaliation against Pakistan. The terrorists were neither Kashmiris nor they launched attack in Kashmir.  They unleashed attack in Punjab – an attack that might have destroyed several parked Indian Air Force aircraft.
Mr. Modi took deadly attack in stride. He even allowed Pakistan team to inspect Pathankot airbase. Were they served Biryani, a food with which Modi rubbed the UPA? Did this inspection compromise national security?
Any nationalist putting up such questions can be branded as anti-national who get applauds from Pakistan? The message is clear one has to swallow or tone down national pride instead of asking  Modi ji to rise to the occasion.
Mr. Modi’s posturing on patriotism and his actual conduct of Pakistan Policy are thus two different cups of chai. His sound & fury against Pakistan does not translate into his giving direct orders to unleash back-breaking retaliation. Is this because he lacks courage to take direct responsibility for the resulting consequences?
He thus plays safe by saying that he has given free hand to armed forces. He is only a shade better than his predecessor, who was branded by BJP as weakest PM.
His limited  action against Pakistan is presently induced by electoral compulsions. He realized he could no longer ignore strong resentment over his blow-hot-blow-cold policy on Pakistan.
Nationalism can’t, however, be a seasonal political fruit. It has to be strong, consistent, tough political stance against unyielding, terror sponsor, Pakistan.
When Mr. Modi realized that 2017 Gujarat assembly polls was a close fight with Congress, he launched the fiercest verbal attack, alleging Pakistan’s nexus with Congress Party.
In December 2017, He thus accused Pakistan of interfering in Gujarat elections. He referred to a dinner hosted by a known Pak supporter Mani Shankar Aiyar, for Pakistan's ex-foreign minister Kurshid Kasuri in New Delhi. Mr. Modi’s predecessor Dr Singh attended the dinner.
Dr Singh trashed Modi’s “conspiracy with Pakistan” remark. He pointed out that Mr. Modi was setting a “dangerous precedent” with his “ill-thought transgression” and asked him to apologize to the nation. Modi didn’t.
BJP ally Shiv Sena condemned dragging of Pakistan into Gujarat election campaign an “impious” way of trying to win the polls.
At a rally, Mr. Modi asked: “Does Pakistan want to make Ahmed Patel Gujarat CM?”  At another rally, he said after the Mumbai attacks, the Air Force had approached then Prime Minister Singh with a plan for surgical strikes, but the government did not show the courage to order it.
For the Lok Sabha poll campaign, he has made Pakistan-focused nationalism his core plank right from the word go. And he is doing that with Vengeance - vengeance not against Pakistan but vengeance against the Opposition especially the Congress Party.
It is projected as ally of enemy country. He demonstrates with panache his brand of nationalism before his hysterical fans at the political rallies.
He recited the poem “Saugand mujhe is mitti ki…..Main desh nahi jhukne dunga” at Churu in Rajasthan on 26th February 2019 a few hours after Balkot airstrike news served as hyper-dose of nationalism for Indians. He said that the country was in secure hands.
Mind you, this poem was promoted aggressively as BJP’s national song in the run up to 2014 polls. And forgotten later.
Launching his formal campaign for Lok Sabha elections at Merrut on 28th March, Mr Modi said his government had shown the courage to conduct surgical strikes on land and in air and in space.
Same day, he address a rally at Akhnoor in Jammu & Kashmir. PM alleged that the speeches of Congress leaders receive applause in Pakistan. Similarly, leaders of State’s two leading parties, PDP and NC, were hailed in Pakistan because of their anti-India posturing.
Mr. Modi has thus ignored Election Commission’s advice to all parties on using armed forces as tools for vote-mongering. So have other BJP stalwarts. A case in point is Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath branding Indian army as “Modi Ji ki sena”.
As put by advisory dated 9th March 2019, “It is therefore necessary that the political parties and leaders exercise great caution while making any reference to the Armed Forces in their political campaigns”.
In its 2nd advisory on the same issue released on 19th March, EC stated: “the political parties/candidates are further advised that their campaigners/candidates should desist, as part of their election campaigning, from indulging in any political propaganda involving activities of the defence forces”.
With PM labeling anyone seeking accountability as Pakistan supporter, it is time to show the mirrors. Mr. Modi breached BJP’s Pakistan Policy as enunciated in its 2009 manifesto. Every nationalist would appreciate the policy and expect the Government to follow it.
The Manifesto says: “There can be no ‘comprehensive dialogue’ for peace unless Pakistan a) dismantles the terrorist infrastructure on territory under its control; b) actively engages in prosecuting terror elements and organisations; c) puts a permanent, verifiable end to its practice of using cross-border terrorism as an instrument of state policy; d) stops using the territory of third countries to launch terror attacks on India; and, e) hands over to India individuals wanted for committing crimes on Indian soil”.
Why can’t PM resist the temptation to write “love letters” to Pakistan. The other day he wrote a letter to his Pakistani counterpart, Imran Khan, on eve of its National Day after India boycotted an event on the same day at Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.
As we know, he, as Gujarat Chief Minister, repeatedly used this term ‘love letter’ to humiliate his predecessor and UPA for written communication with Pakistan.
In his message leaked by Mr. Khan on Twitter, Modi stated: “I extend my greetings & best wishes to the people of Pakistan on the National Day of Pakistan. It is time that ppl (people) of Sub-continent work together for a democratic, peaceful, progressive & prosperous region, in an atmosphere free of terror and violence”.
Unlike on previous occasions, Mr. Modi did not disclose that he had greeted Pakistan. He kept his greetings secret as that would have been perceived by voters as Modi playing double games – one at rallies & the other at diplomatic level.
It remains to be seen whether voters would see through rhetoric. Would the Opposition manage to bring problems bedeviling the country back on electoral agenda?
If Modi succeeds in keeping patriotism pot boiling with his anti-Pakistan rants, then he deserves huge applause for swaying masses on nationalism. Would his return to power deter Pakistan from sending terrorists to India? Would Pakistan stop shelling border areas in J&K?
                                         

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