Modi again

It is difficult to tell whether the Bharatiya Janata Party’s return to power augurs well or otherwise for India, but from Pakistan’s point of view it is a sign of hope for the settlement of the longstanding Kashmir issue between the two countries. Prime Minister Imran Khan had said earlier that a BJP victory in the elections would pave the way for a resolution of the Kashmir issue because it is easier to deal with right-wing parties. In his congratulatory message to PM Modi, he expressed hopes for the revival of Pakistan-India dialogue especially with reference to Kashmir. In his reply, PM Modi too expressed his wish for regional peace. Only the future will show how this mutual wish for peace translates into concrete action.

The BJP’s win shows how long the world’s largest democracy has come from the secular and progressive India of Pandit Nehru to the India of Modi and Amit Shah. Nehru extolled peace, secularism and a progressive outlook. He said, “The only alternative to co-existence is co-destruction.” Now there is an India where bigotry, obscurantism and warmongering rule the roost; where the minorities feel increasingly insecure. Now we have to see how things shape up for these vulnerable sections. It assumes extra significance because the electoral strategy of the BJP basically revolved around building up hate against Muslims and other minorities as well as Pakistan-bashing.

It is one thing to pursue a venomous national security discourse and to whip up communal frenzy to win votes and an entirely different thing to run government. Government represents the entire population of a country and not only those who brought it into power. The BJP swept the elections in all northern states. But Karnataka is the only southern state where it could put up good a show.

Two million electronic voting machines disappeared between manufacturers and the Election Commission before the voting began. This raises doubts about the outcome of the elections. It is difficult to believe that an alliance of the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party failed to perform well in UP and other northern states.