What should India’s Congress party do in Gujarat? The state goes to elections in the next few days and the party has no plan or idea.
We know this because one of its leaders who quit the party last week revealed this. Former Gujarat deputy chief minister Narhari Amin says he had a conversation with Rahul Gandhi in Delhi and was asked two things: why wasn’t Gujarat voting for the Congress any longer and what could the party do to bring voters back?
I think that’s the wrong way of looking at it. The problem in Gujarat is that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is ruling over a divided society. A strong current of anti-Muslim prejudice runs through the state and it has taken the Supreme Court to give justice by sending in impartial investigating teams.
The fact is that a minister in Narendra Modi’s cabinet has been convicted of the slaughter of over 90 Muslims. Another minister has just come out of jail and is again contesting, despite serious criminal charges.
Remarkably, Sonia Gandhi has not raised any of this in her two campaign rallies in Gujarat, though these are very recent developments.
The reason for her reticence in bringing up such things is that she is being advised that Gujaratis are communal by nature and talk of such activity will only send them further towards the BJP.
The man giving her this advice is Ahmed Patel, a Gujarati who is her political manager. Patel last fought an election in the state 27 years ago and has since been in Delhi. He no longer has much first-hand knowledge of the ground reality of the state electorally, but interferes in the distribution of tickets.
Under his tutoring, the Congress has made some dreadful mistakes, including putting a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh man, Shankarsinh Vaghela, in charge of the party’s state unit. If Gujaratis want communal venom, they can get it from the BJP. No point in the Congress peddling the same stuff.
Even after it has backed off from pointing to the awful communal record of the BJP in Gujarat, the Congress is losing. Every opinion poll shows that it will get creamed this week and it has not won the state after 1985.
So, to return to our original question, what should Sonia and Rahul Gandhi do? I think they should forget about the election and do the right thing. They should ease the divisive current which is damaging Gujarat and provoking violence around the country. Even a decade after the riot in Gujarat, it is still used as the excuse by perpetrators of acts like the bombing of the German Bakery in Pune.
The attackers at the Taj in Mumbai in November 2008 got local support and one of the reasons this came to them was Muslim anger over the riots.
Whether or not one believes this is justified, the fact is that Gujarat, not Kashmir, has become the number one reason for terrorist violence against India.
And the cause is not far to seek. When Modi refuses to accept responsibility for or even the guilt of a minister convicted and sentenced for mass murder, when he stands by ministers just out of jail and accused of violent and hateful acts, he keeps the riots alive.
The Congress should forget about winning the election and make its priority restoring normalcy to that state. The party still gets about 35 per cent of the vote in Gujarat, which would be a very handsome share in any other Indian state. In two-party Gujarat, it has meant being on the losing side.
But it also means that there is more traction for the Congress here than in states like Uttar Pradesh where Rahul Gandhi has spent much time to no apparent benefit. A few months of full-time work in Gujarat, healing and not politics would have served him and the state much better.
Coming here for a couple of days every five years for a rally or two and then wondering why it is that the party doesn’t win is selfish and shameful for the heirs of Nehru and Gandhi.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 9th, 2012.
COMMENTS (32)
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@Manishj: ".....there has not been a single riot that took place in Gujarat after 2002. This means a lot. It says that though Modi has not appologised for 2002, he has ensured that the same does not get repeated which is more important............."
That's the catch, fear is the key. Dare to vote us out & see riots again, that is the implicit threat of BJP-wallahs. However, Modi knows that such stunts can be pulled off only once in a political life-time. One more round of targeted killing & he will be declared a cousin of Slobodan Milošević by UN's international crimes tribunal. Contrary to calculations of BJP, trouble did not spread outside Gujarat & subsequently Hindus solidly stood by Muslims.May be the then PM AB Vajpayee read the riot-act to Modi. Thanks are owed to the unremitting pressure from TV & Press, to sting operation by Tehlka reg Babu Bajrangi & his confession about gory killings, to some public spirited Hindus like Harsh Mander, Teesta Setalvad, Sanjay Bhatt etc, to SIT, to an active Judiciary & to the tenacity of Ahesan Jaffery's widow. The Perpetrators are also shaken by the sheer intensity of global condemnation and relentless media focus. That a decade later we are still discussing this proves it. Modi got away with it for a while due to BJP Govt at Centre & post 911 anti-Muslim atmosphere but Gujarati business instincts are such that they will throw away Modi if he is found to be a liability & riots become frequent. One fallout of this sad event is issue of mosque-temple at Ayodhya, Mathura, Benares will be on back burner. That may prevent more excuses for riots. The costs in terms of lives do not justify the benefits of change in status quo..
Even if Modi brings trillions of dollars, what we need to choose is whether India will remain secular or not. Those talking about "development" to sideline the issue of hate, need to choose between the the idea of India and MoUs signed during Vibrant Gujarat. Simply put, secularism is non-negotiable. Without it, India will break down. Modi is a divisive force, who can rule in a polarized society. His support base among the middle and upper middle class drawing room (as mentioned by @Deep) should do well to remember the similar popularity of soft radicalism in Pakistani upper middle class drawing rooms that has led to the current situation in Pakistan. The price of democracy is eternal vigilance. If we are lured by short term prosperity to forget the unifying soul of India, we might end up with better highways in a fascist state. First they will go after the Muslims, then Communists, then after the Christians, and then the Dalits, after that Feminists, the list may end up at your door step. Modi is just a symptom of the real disease, which is the hate-filled mindset. We cure the symptom by curing the disease. And this disease can be cured only if we speak up, everywhere, even in those drawing rooms at the risk of sounding impolite. Secularism is not a concrete object that will stay with us if we just write it in the constitution once Like love, we have to make it and practice it everyday, so that the mere word translates into thoughts, emotions, and actions. If India loses that and has every riches in the world, it will still be a poor nation, because a nation of hate-filled bigots is destitute of all things that makes us human.
Congress can not say a word about the ministers who got punished for Gujarat riots as no one got punished for riots against Sikhs so far.
Congress can not say a word about communal hatred spread by Modi because there has not been a single riot that took place in Gujarat after 2002. This means a lot. It says that though Modi has not appologised for 2002, he has ensured that the same does not get repeated which is more important.
Congress can not say a word about developement because they do not have a single congress run state whose record is better than Gujarat.
Congress can not say a word about corruption as they are themselves sunk deep down in it.
Mr Patel should advice Congress on how to clean its own house first before trying to deal with Modi.
People who have expressed their nightmare of Modi being anti-muslim, you may want to check this, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7Ft8X9DE_U
Again, I am not claiming that the 2002 riots never happened or Hindu extremists were not involved in the riots... however, I suggest people to do some unbiased research on the web, to know the truth. You may want to avoid falling into the trap of propaganda articles... If one researches without any bias you would be able to find the truth. Only if you dont fall into the 2-3% of the insane population
Inshallah, it'll help one come out of ignorance.
Thank you a few honest Indians for describing how bad things are in India. People like Mr Deep who are not shy about revealing fascist mindset of their own family members are to be respected. How can human beings stoop so low? Mr Deep, we would be really interested in finding out whether the older or the younger generation in your family doesn't mind people being killed if they are Muslims. This is what our Quaid expected in India.
Mr. Patel should migrate to beautiful Pakistan where minority rights are respected and minorities are protected. He should do some interviews with the Ahmedis, Shiias, the Sikhs, Christians and the Hindus and discover how much they enjoy life in a Muslim majority nation before he writes his next piece about Modi and BJP.
Mr Patel, I dontk now if you are a gujarati. Have you visited Gujarat in the last few years? I assume that you've not. because, you are harping on the media campaign promoted by Congress to malign modi, becuase Congress does not have any other issue other than the communal one.. To enlighten your soul, I can sponsor your visit to Gujarat and stay there for a week or so, which will help you see the reality.. .I suggest do not visit a single hindu family, you may see the developments in musliim localities and ask them who their elected representative is... I am sure you will be shocked to see the opposite of what you have been dreaming about Modi and BJP... The number of votes that Congress has been getting historically have significantly reduced, because even many muslims vote for BJP despite media singing modi-phobia tunes. That will open your eyes and make you look right into the truth. our article no doubt is a populist, but it is not just and is far distant from the reality.
very good observation: " Whether or not one believes this is justified, the fact is that Gujarat, not Kashmir, has become the number one reason for terrorist violence against India"
I think Bal Thackrey said something on this line about having Hindu suicide bomber but on one bought that Idea.
” … Whether or not one believes this is justified, the fact is that Gujarat, not Kashmir, has become the number one reason for terrorist violence against India. … “ The author is miles away from the truth. It is Pakistan which is the ONE BIG REASON for terrorist violence against India. Mushraff confessed to that. Didnt he ?
@Lala Gee: Life in prison without Parole. Don't like Gujarat or India, move to Pakistan
Looks like most of the comments are from communal Gujaratis. It doesn't matter if Modi's development model bore fruit for Gujarat. The important point is that there was a wrongdoing which has led to communal divide particularly in the western state of Gujarat and Maharashtra and Modi is guilty of having looked the other way when mayhem happened in 2002. He can't be proved guilty in a court of law because it would be difficult to bring any evidence against him. This doesn't absolve him of his wrongdoing and he must at least apologize to the Muslim community in Gujarat. No doubt that Godhra train burning shows the apalling intolerance of a section of Muslim community, but two wrongs don't make it right. Nor do the innocents need to pay a price for the crime committed by others simply because they share a faith. It is time for some communal Hindus commenting here to seriously introspect themselves just as they advise others across the border to look in the mirror.
Deep
It is very disappointing that your household is willing to support some murderer only because 'Hindus were not killed'. That is not the case in our household and in none of the households I know. The fascist tendency in your household and in the households of the people you know is very worrisome indeed.
In a lot of Hindu households Modi does not get support. In many others, where he does, the issues are completely different from 'Hindus were not killed'.
Deep, have you taken some steps to ensure that your household changes its terrible mentality? How has your fascist family members responded to your requests?
Akbar Patel feels bad that Modi and his BJP will win one more time. The fact is, if Modi was to choose to run as PM across India, the chances are he will win to form at the very minimum a minority government. He may be communal and Indians, especially Hindus may be becoming more communal. Blame it on the Congress, and Sonia Gandhi for their Muslim appeasing policies and politics. The Congress has no legs to stand on on the issue of communal politics. Babri Masjid happened under their watch. They are yet to punish a single Congressman for the anti Sikh murder and mayhem engineered and directed by none other that Rajiv Gandhi and his goons some of whom sit in the cabinet in Delhi today. When it comes to criminals in the cabinet, there is no single party that is not culpable of this crime. It is the double standards of the Congress and their Muslim appeasing politics and the neglect and contempt they have for the majority Hindu population that has driven the vote bank to Modi. Do not blame Gujarat and Modi for this.
You realise Aakar what you are up against - the support Modi gets from the Bajrang dal and rss does not worry me - but the support he gets from middle to upper middle class hindus is what worries me. Even in our drawing rooms we cannot raise the issue of Modi being responsible for the riots - they are prepared to support a killer because it just so happens that the people who died were not hindus - I really dont care about Modi - but the very fascist sentiment that most middle to upper middle class hindus share is troubling for me and the future of a secular india.
Nice article. In-depth analysis!
"The fact is that a minister in Narendra Modi’s cabinet has been convicted of the slaughter of over 90 Muslims."
WHAT PUNISHMENT DID HE GET?
I keep reading from various comments posted by the Indian readers, and now the author has also mentioned this, I wonder what punishment did he, and the others convicted, get - because I never saw the sentences mentioned in the news. Is it death penalty like Kassab, or just a few years of VIP time having conjugal facilities along with personal attendants in a state provided facility, and that too at the public expense. Anybody, please provide a link for the detailed information.
Author is forgetting that NOW Development ( in the the people's life and society ) is the demand in the election and the politician / party who understood it and acted on these lines surely won. Bihar is another example where BJP is the junior partner of the ruling alliance .The ruling alliance got majority votes for their BJP candidate leading to a win in Muslim majority constituencies. Illiterate people have the wisdom to know who is a better party and the leaders for them. Religion and communal card is loosing their sheen on which congress has been so long garnered bulk votes. Economic development shared by the mass ( with less corruption) is the mantra for winning the election.
A strong current of anti-Muslim prejudice runs through the state and it has taken the Supreme Court to give justice by sending in impartial investigating teams.
What happened to the Supreme Court Findings. They found Modi is not involved. Why don't to write it here. Even the loosing Congress says that the elections are without fear or favour. Since 1985 Congress is out of power. Riots happened in 2002. The writing on the wall is simple. GUJRATEES ARE NOT FOOLS TO ELECT CONGRESS. Shame Shame Shame for the most biased and worth less article. MODI WILL BE THE P M OF INDIA IN 2014.An Indian
How do you solve a problem like Modi?
Point of view really. Many would say he is a solution to a problem.
" ... Whether or not one believes this is justified, the fact is that Gujarat, not Kashmir, has become the number one reason for terrorist violence against India. ... "
For jihad, any one pretext is as good as another.
A strong current of anti-Muslim prejudice runs through the state (Author)
Modi, the anti-Muslim Chief Minister of Hindus of Gujarat, though not the inventor of "riots" is a ruthless exploiter of communal tensions. Admittedly these have been around, though at low key, in some parts of Gujarat historically. Commercial interdependence, social indifference & historical resentments had co-existed in a delicate balance despite occasional conflicts, with law & order machinery being the fulcrum. Modi changed the equation by the simple device of completely compromising the neutrality of administration. That was his contribution. Modi made latent hatred blatant, that is his achievement. He is now a prisoner of the jail he built. The monster is bigger than its master. Even Modi can not create Reconciliation between Hindu-Muslim in Gujarat now and hope to win an election. It is essential for him to keep up, vis-a-vis Muslims, a tough image, a cruel visage & insulting verbiage.. He can not allot a single constituency to a Muslim candidate to fight this or future elections without offending the Hindu "vote-bank". Modi is primarily a life-time Pracharak (Demagogue) of RSS (an anti-Muslim/Christian organisation of extreme Hindutva) & a Chief Minister only incidentally. He & his cohorts have succeeded in converting even the good-natured easy going Gujarati, the average urban & urbane middle-class Hindu, into a Muslim hater. His men can put Goebbels to shame. Were he to have a long life & undiminished memory one day he will see his monster turning on his own people,as it invariably happens.
@BlackJack
Dude, i finally understand why you do what you do, why you spend all your life on a pak papers e-boards. YOURE A BJP GUY! You just blatantly plugged modi all over your sad little comment. finally, the legitimacy to not give a second's consideration to all the hate you write day in and day out here.
Congress has only one thing to offer: Corruption and underdevelopment or communalism. Gujrathis choose wisely, they said repeatedly that we can digest a bit of communalism as a bargain for getting a functional government.
How do you solve a problem like Modi? He is a solution not a problem dude!!
Dont hurt sentiments of Hindus.You will see more and more Narendra modi and Bal Thackrey.Jay Narendra Modi.
Aakar Now get ready to be verbally lynched by a mob of Indian commentators who would go to the any length to defend Modi and others of his ilk. Gp65 and Blackjack will be particularly enthusiastic and sardonic in rubbishing your article. That's the trend... obviously, others will join the party. Be sure to check the recommendations that gp65 gets; she will most likely attribute them to her amazing abilities but there is more to it than meets the eye.
To believe that a party like the Congress that looked away or tactically lent support to the killers, when thousands of Sikhs in Delhi were slaughtered in 1984, is in anyway less communal then the BJP,one needs to be either naive or blind. The author's faith in Mr. Rahul Gandhi, a man who could not ensure a win for Congress in the Gandhi family constituencies of Amethi & Rae Bareli, in the recent UP assembly elections, is touching.
Democracy is active in Gujarat. People vote freely without fear. Do you think that you are smarter than one crore gujaratis and that they should support your delusion about communalism? Your thinking requires a change... Check into therapy !
So more pacification is the solution Mr. Patel? Is it not enough to pacify Akberuddin Owaisi in Hyderabad? Soon Hyderabad will witness one of the deadliest communal riots... All thanks to increasing communal tension by Owaisi who is claiming centuries old temples to be raizse...and no one is doing anything about it. And when riots will happen, all blame will go to BJP and RSS.
Looks like you are trying too hard to appeal to our Pakistani readers. What moral authority does Congress have to raise communal riots issue in Gujarat when it's own leaders are responsible for the killings of hundreds of Sikhs in Delhi and surrounding areas after Indira's assassination. What moral authority does Congress has to accuse BJP of pondering to only a single community when it has alliance with two political parties Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen in Andhra and Muslim League in Kerala - their name itself should give away what they stand for. So you are communal only when you are supporting Hindus but if you do the same with Muslims, you are a Secular?
And exactly what authority does Congress have when all its ruling states are reeling under corruption and mis-management? Show me one Congress ruled state in India where they have 20 hours of power supply per day in Summer. Show me one Congress ruled state where they have transportation system as efficient as in Gujarat? The facts are there for everyone to see. Growth across every sector of society is clearly visible in Gujarat anywhere you go. It is you and other Congress cronies that are living in denial.
Oh and by the way, Congress never raised the 2002 riots issue? Please.. go back and read news papers during 2007 elections. Only issue Congress kept talking about was riots. And neither Modi nor any of his party members raised riots issue - only word out of their mouth was Development. Does the Congress party has any state to as a model for development to entice Gujaratis? No they don't. They have long realized that they can't dare talk about development in Gujarat and bringing up riots issue is futile as proved in 2007 - thats why they don't have a plan now.
"The attackers at the Taj in Mumbai in November 2008 got local support and one of the reasons this came to them was Muslim anger over the riots."emphasized text Can you say what are other reasons? To support terrorism in what ever form is abhorent. I hope you are wrong about this assertion because otherwise a chain reaction could start with no end in sight. People at the levels of ministers have been punished (the wheels of just turn very slowly in India), though it does not undo the wrongs committed it does go some way in giving the message that criminals will be eventually punished and the system has not finished yet. If any supporters local or not, are caught they must also be given exemplary punishment. At the end of the day, people get governments they desrve. Gujrat is no exception.