Modi gaining a stronger voice on the national platform could make it difficult to deal with India. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
With the new Indian government due to take over in 2014, the choice made by voters in the world’s most populous democracy could determine a great deal not only for India, but also for the region. Relations between New Delhi and Islamabad stand at the centre of the regional equation. While things have been going well in recent weeks, with prime ministers Manmohan Singh and Nawaz Sharif both emphasising the need for closer ties, this dynamic could change very soon. The controversial Narendra Modi, the chief minister of Gujarat, has gotten a national platform, with his appointment at a party meeting in Goa as head of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) election campaign.
This has many implications for us. As the man seen as standing behind the genocide of Muslims in Gujarat, and as a politician who has again and again spoken out vehemently against both Pakistan and India’s own Muslim minority, Modi is, for obvious reasons, not a popular man on this side of the border. His gaining a stronger voice on the national platform could alone could make it difficult to deal with India.
Pakistan has done business with India with the BJP in a strong position before, under former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and his deputy, Lal Krishna Advani. But both men, even as hardliners, were considered less extremist in their approach than Modi, who holds up before young Indians the idea of a strong, Hindu state. A national platform for him would mean a wider sphere of influence for his ideology and this does not augur well for Pakistan or for India, given his tainted past. Though Modi steered clear of any anti-minority rhetoric at Goa, his views are well established. So is his reputation. And these factors may make it very difficult to keep the much-needed peace process with India moving smoothly along. Such a setback would hurt both countries at a time when things finally appear to be moving forward after the 2008 siege of Mumbai and its aftermath.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 11th, 2013.
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@Ganesh
A good one @Dee Cee.
@Ali Tanoli:
haha became Certified Atomic nation but the path was not as holy as you people want to project!!
@Lala Gee:
Yeah yeah Hinuds are doing well that is why we see an explosion of Muslim population in India and In Pakistan Hindu population decreased from near about 25 crore to near about 2 crore!!
Oh really it is good to hear that there is no Hindu-Muslim riot in Pakistan in the last 66 years, because dead people don't riot, Hindus are killed in Pakistan before they can start a riot!!
@Dee Cee: If no muslim candidate has winning ability,what can Modi do?He is not running Charity,right?
I like BJP they are the reason we became certified Atomic nation so no matter its modi or Moodi I am very happy. indian should be worried about another gujrathi getting up last india broke when there were three gujrathis this time who knows???
@gp65 So now the statistics given by SLS and a couple of statements from some people out of dozens, according to the news piece, becomes clinching evidence that Pakistan is treating its Hindu minorities very badly.
Your claim that Hindu population in West Pakistan went from 22% to 3% is factually incorrect. The bulk of Hindus were in East Pakistan, while in West Pakistan, the Hindu population was less than 2%.
As for your observations, obviously no one ignored the Babri masjid, right? No one ignored Mumbai or Gujarat. When those brave and principled Indians who want closure for the victims' families try to pursue their cause, they are faced with the wrath of Modi-lovers. And in view of the recent decision by an Indian court to acquit Sajjan Kumar in the Sikh riots case, I am sure you believe that the Indian justice system is working quite well.
You are most certainly entitled to your views on India. Others may beg to disagree.
@Lala Gee: You have quoted Saachar Committee report because the government of India published it. Pakistan had several commissions like Hamadoor Rahman Commission, Commission on atrocities committed (burning down of entire townships of Christians repeatedly) and Commission on conversion by rape and total disappearance of hindu girls. None of these Commission ever produced even one report. Everyone knew that these Commissions are just fake and created to cover up of put off the investigation so that others will forget. Care to give your reasons why not even one commission ever submitted even one report? No one in Pakistan ever wanted any commission to submit any report. It is because it is not the religious extremists who commit such acts but it is the mainstream muslims who indulge in it. Who is determining what the school text books should contain. It is not the religious leaders. It is the elected politicians and educated who write these books. And, they keep adding to such literature every year by revising the text books.
Nawaz Shariff has close relations with Taliban, is known to have links with Maulana Osama Bin Laden and is a darling of Pakistan's India hating Mullah gang, by this logic, India should ensure his government's fall, in order to "move ahead"...hypocrite much?
.. as a politician who has again and again spoken out vehemently against both Pakistan and India’s own Muslim minority, Modi is, for obvious reasons, not a popular man on this side of the border. (Editorial)
Till very recently Modi used to deploy insulting phrases for Guj-Muslims. While appealing to Hindu vote-bank he always referred to Muslims in his Gujarati speeches as "Mian Musharraf", in effect questioning their loyalty & implying they are Pakistani moles in India ( he pronounces "Mian" like a pejorative) & mocked them "Hum Paanch, Hamare Pachees" in a crude reference to polygamy & proliferation. Damage caused by him as a divisive force in Gujarat & beyond is enormous.(2) On the other hand, while in any all-India job Modi will cause more harm to his country he will be useful for Pakistan in some ways. He is a favourite of big business houses on whose behalf he will work hard to establish better trade relations with Pakistan. In turn, he is the one who can make the urban Hindus to quietly accept even unpalatable solutions for certain disputes with Pak. For example, Sir Creek issue may be settled to Pakistan's satisfaction & surplus electricity from Gujarat can be made available to Pak if uninterrupted supply of Thar coal is assured to his cronies engaged in power production across the border & Pak market is opened up to them. (3) All this is of course academic. Secular forces may contain him or Modi may never make it. There is a Gujarati proverb that says, buffalo is still at the meadows, buttermilk is yet to be in the churner, so the household needn't get all excited!
And oh yes, Modi's BJP could not find a single Muslim BJP candidate in the entire BJP state election. Nice!
@Rakib: I would agree with you that the actual Chinese investments to date in Gujarat are not that much, not even a fraction of what has been claimed by Modi. However, the thrust of my comment is that Modi has the potential and capability to develop friendly and mutual benefits for both India and China. I believe that Modi does not care for religion that much and neither does China. So far Modi has been corruption free and this is my expectation from him, should he become the next PM of India. Gujarat muslims may or may not be richer than muslims of other states. But muslims of Gujarat enjoy more equality with others as compared to other states.
@Raj - (USA: Modi has excellent relationship with China and in fact, most of China’s investments in India are in Modi’s Gujarat.)
Can you please mention at least one such Chinese project on ground in Gujarat please? Tall claims made by Modi are such that I would rather trust information from you!. He claims to have signed MoUs for $876 Billion during 2003-13 with incredible 84% project implementation. That is riches beyond wildest imagination of a poor Indian. It's a world record too because even whole of China put together can claim only $600 billion FDI in the same period; rest of India a far cry! (Fact is, Gujarat ranks only 6th among Indian States in terms of FDI) Or,is this all the same kind of hyperbole like "did not kill any Muslim in last 11 years" or "Gujarat Muslims are richer than Hindus"!!
ET please allow this. You have already blocked one of my comments unfairly.
@gp65 And you should worry about your own country's dismal record against minorities rather than engaging in propaganda here to confer sainthood on the butcher of Gujarat. Also, since you are always so concerned about being factually correct and winning a debate, please provide exact numbers from reliable sources about Pakistani Hindus seeking asylum in India.
On the other hand a country like Pakistan will find it easier to deal with india under Modi than any congress government. Nobody would have thought Pakistan could make good progress under BJP led NDA government. Modi's complicity in the Gujarat riots is still an accusation and not proved in any court. But the following facts do not need a court verdict to prove, no communal riots since 2002 in Gujarat which had a history of almost annual riots before his Government came to power, better economic opportunities for all it's people Hindus or muslims and data to prove that Muslims equally benefited from progress. Finally Modi has repeatedly said he is Pro-India not pro-majority or anti-minority.
Two observations: 1) Modi has never said he favours a strong Hind state. I challenge you to find any reliable url to back that assertion up.
2) Even if he id ask for a strong Hindu state (which he does not), what moral right has Pakistan who is an Islamic Republic and who asked for and obtained a country on the basis of TNT (one Hindu nation and one Muslim nation) to complain about that?
Let the People of India take a decision about Modi or someone else to be their Prime Minister. Pakistan need to focus sharply (and urgently) on matters of internal affairs and take necessary steps to get rid of bigger problems. If there is peace at home, there is peace in the World.
There is no question that Modi is a good candidate for BJP. I hope he will not become another elected dictator like Indira Gandhi. There should be checks and balances.
..............again and again spoken out vehemently against both Pakistan and India’s own Muslim minority..................
Where do you guys get this news? If it were opinion by an individual I can understand but editorial with unsubstantiated and misleading views?
Modi's imminent coming to power will change the whole scenario for Pakistan. China has been using Pakistan for a long time to control India. Now, China will control Pakistan for the economic benefits of both India and China. China already controls the mountains and oceans of Pakistan. China does not refer to deeper than ocean and higher than mountain friendship without a reason though Pakistan has not understood it clearly. Oil and Gas pipeline from the Gulf will flow through India to Bangladesh and China and make it the cheapest and shortest route for China. Importantly, it will also be the most dependable route for China, free of any terror and separatist activity. China's control of Gwadar will be very useful to both China and India. Modi has excellent relationship with China and in fact, most of China's investments in India are in Modi's Gujarat. India-China cooperation may also result in India getting a land route to Afghanistan, bypassing Pakistan. For both, development of their region is the only religion.
@gp65:
"Please provide one verifiable quote from Modi that speaks of whim supporting a Hindu state."
Then what the 'Hindutava' ideology is all about? The wikipedia entry on the founder of the 'Hindutva' ideology 'Vinayak Damodar Savarkar' says in the opening paragraph.
"He launched a movement for religious reform advocating dismantling the system of caste in Hindu culture, and reconversion of the converted Hindus back to Hindu religion."
One wonders how would he accomplish these reconversions without using force in the absence of any Hindu missionary system. Intelligently, however though, you avoided rebutting the editor's assertions "as a politician who has again and again spoken out vehemently against both Pakistan and India’s own Muslim minority", as numerous recorded evidences are available on the Internet. One correction/addition, he did not only threaten India's Muslims, but he also threatened Christian minority as well in his speeches.
"In Gujarat where he has been CM for over 11 years, the poverty rate of Muslims is less than Hindus, it is also less than poverty rate of Muslims nationally."
Seems like you haven't heard of 'Sachar Commission' and hence totally oblivious of its findings. What is your reliable source of information, if I may ask? Hope it is not some newsletter printed by BJP.
"There have been no communal riots in the last 11 years"
So is the case with Pakistan also. There was not a single Hindu Muslim riot in Pakistan during last 66 (apart from Partition riots), but you never accept that Hindus are doing well and have no problems in Pakistan.
"there is a greater representation of Muslims in police force than many other UPA ruled states including neighbouring Maharashtra."
Important thing is what type of jobs are given in the Police department, and, moreover, what about other departments. Speaking comparatively does not mean Muslims have jobs proportionate to their population. According to 'Sachar Commission' findings, the Muslims representation in government departments of Gujarat is only HALF of their population percentage.
In politics there are no permanent enemies or friends . What is permanent is 'Self Interest' , BUT , this should be an 'enlightened' and NOT a 'blind' Self Interest . If Modi ever comes to power , he may be changed man , by the sheer logic of 'Self Interest'. Secularism is a corner stone of India's Unity (in Diversity) . No repeat NO , National leader can EVER be communal in India. He may make communal noises to get votes but when in power , he knows where his (or country's) 'Self Interest' lies.
So, let Modi not be judged based on individual/ collective perceptions but based upon his 'Proven Ground Record' . Muslims in Gujrat are better off than any where in India , even in Delhi which is supposed to be the seat of secularism or in UP which has largest number of Muslim Indians . 1984 riots were far far worse than 2002 riots . While in case of the latter riots some big wigs have gone to jail , but nothing happened to the big wigs of 1984 riots . {People want 'Development and Security' to better their lot and to live in peace . They are NOT interested who provides them , whether he is a Modi or a Maulana . Who so ever can provide these or give hope of providing , the people in India would vote for him /her}There is a genocide going on in karanchi and sindh for last 4 years run mainly by political parties. How come no sound against that ???
"But both men, even as hardliners, were considered less extremist in their approach than Modi, who holds up before young Indians the idea of a strong, Hindu state."
Please provide one verifiable quote from Modi that speaks of whim supporting a Hindu state. More importantly review his actions. In Gujarat where he has been CM for over 11 years, the poverty rate of Muslims is less than Hindus, it is also less than poverty rate of Muslims nationally. There have been no communal riots in the last 11 years and there is a greater representation of Muslims in police force than many other UPA ruled states including neighbouring Maharashtra.
His plans are never the kind to give favour to one community or aother but such that it improves the lives of all residents of Gujarat no matter what the faith e.g. check dams and micro irrigation schemes to help farmers, huge improvement in electricity and roads in the state and so on.
This editorial is based on opinion rather than facts which is regrettable.