Narendra Modi is considered, these days, a Prime-Ministerial candidate. Dissensions within the BJP may not prevent him from trying. His controversial past, long washed over by his obsession with wealth creation, is often brushed aside. Leaders with communal pasts have often occupied key positions. If he does succeed, he will be the first RSS Pracharak to have become the Prime Minister of this land. What is never or rarely questioned, is his supremacy within Gujarat itself. Yet, national leadership being a broader, more contradictory canvass, it is Narendra Modi's position within Gujarat that is fragile.
I have often heard catechism-like assertions of Modi's omnipotence in Gujarat. His tentacles reach everywhere and no one who opposes him lasts long enough. But the more confident these assertions get, the more suspicious seems the entire affair. It is impossible to not think of the insecurities that lurk beneath these bland, unconvincing portrayals of absolute power.
In the past 10 years, Modi has done a lot for Gujarat. He has been re-elected, it is believed, for his strict governance and clarity of policy. He has invited and welcomed a huge amount of investment to his arid state. When he wants something to work, it does. In his personal life too, it is widely believed, he upholds the principles he publicly espouses - Austerity and discipline. The obvious contradiction with massive corporate parks and upper middle class flaunting of gold, which he facilitates, is often missed.
Modi's favorite word is 'development'. Though it is obvious he doesn't grasp the meaning of development, and its different, often complex shades, he has been able to peddle his narrow version of the idea with sheer force. He doesn't realize, that there are people within Gujarat, who may not agree with his notion of 'Vikaas'. His limited conception of growth does not appeal to a vast, silent majority. It provides the concrete walls of dreams, not the minimum necessities of reality. In his efficient streamlining, Modi may have streamlined away a large part of his future support.
Modi is a cult figure. Looked upon more as a tantrik baba, than as a respected statesman. He is supposed to have done magic, the implicit faith being there can be such magic in an ambiguous land such as this. His fervent followers derive faith from his speed and precision. Interestingly, his disciples consist of a burgeoning class of non-resident Indians, themselves incapable of grasping India's many contradictions. Ironically, Narendra Modi's political style suits modern Pakistan much more than modern India. Barring the minor obstacle of religious faith, he may have had a longer political career there.
It may seem surprising that the cult of Modi has grown in Gujarat, the land of realistic businessmen. But realism is ephemeral in human affairs, and it is instructive to see otherwise clear-eyed men and women wallow in these delusions. So to use the language of traders, Modi is a bubble which will burst. And it may be sooner than we think.
Recent events reveal a distant possibility of Modi being put behind bars. His genocidal urges have not been forgotten. But that would be an ideal ending. And we don't live in an ideal world. Yet, in this very world, there is a sense of natural justice; for what could be more natural than instead of being killed or put behind bars, Narendra Modi is simply forgotten. A demagogue of a previous age, withering away in his delusions.
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