INDIAN POLITICS AND MODI : A MILLENNIUM OVERVIEW

THE JOURNAL OF ORIENTAL RESEARCH MADRAS ISSN : 0022-3301 | September 2021 INDIAN POLITICS AND MODI : A MILLENNIUM OVERVIEW* BY Dr. .Ramesh Kumar Associate Professor of Political Science and Principal (Actg) Shyamlal College (E),University of Delhi Abstract The Indian politics during NaMo hovers between right and left but pendulum generally remains right of the centre. It is commonly alleged that he inaugurated divisive politics of hate, deinstitutionalisation, de-democratisation and personalisation of power by taking undue advantage of weak and divided opposition and his unquestioned charisma. The regime is also being blamed for getting headed towards quasi-presidentialisation of our parliamentary system. There has been populism of hyper growth for better India acchedin that proved illusive .Mountain of Modi’s popularity is melting .Notwithstanding his magic still matters and he is the tallest political personality in Indian politics at least in first quarter of this millennium. Keywords: Modinomics, Achhedin, Policy Paralysis, Hindutva Received 18 August 2021, Accepted 31 August 2021, Published 07 September 2021  Correspondence Author: Dr. .Ramesh Kumar Introduction: The coming of Modi led NDA government at centre in 2014 is a landmark shift in Indian politics. It was the first majority government in three decades after 1989 National Front Government led by Late Prime Minister V.P Singh .National Front was a unique experiment itself of what Giovani Sartori calls polarised Pluralist Party type of coalition government in which a party of the centre led is supported by ideologically two polar parties of right and left. V.P Singh led National Front was supported by rightist BJP and leftist communist group of parties .After front ,all subsequent governments led by Congress led United Progressive Alliance (UPA ) by Narsimharao.NDA by Vajpayee followed by Dr Manmohan Singh were all minority party coalition governments between 1989 and 2014 May till Narendra Damodar Das Modi led NDA was elected to power with thumping majority of 333 members in Lok Sabha. It was a different thing that popular vote percentage for Modi and his NDA could not cross over 31%.But this is typical feature and precedents of the firstpast- the –post system in which single party /coalition securing highest number of seats irrespective of any percentage of votes form government .This has been the practice since 1952 when electoral politics started and that continues till date .Whatsoever had been the weaknesses of then UPA governments led by Dr.Manmohan Singh ,were highlighted by Modi as alternative to Dr Singh with a vision of assuring better India “Acche din” that really appealed people initially at large .Again it is different thing that it proved nightmare hitherto even after seven years of Modi ‘s rule. On the other, economy is inching towards worse than ever before .The GDP is all time low. No doubt waves of Covid-19 and lockdowns has also been a serious factor responsible for this .But once much attacked 55 56 THE JOURNAL OF ORIENTAL RESEARCH MADRAS [Vol. XCII-LIV] “policy paralysis “appears to return in another form like hyper pronouncement of policies and non serious performances. This widening gulf between announcement and implementation is gradually resulting in disappointment and discontents. The maxim of “Minimum Government and Maximum Governance” also seems resulting into somersault. The present ballooning of council of near 80 is clear violation of uppermost limit of 10% .The corruption and crime have not reduced ,,deinstitutionalisation and undermining democratic values have increased as ADR very often reports The pluralism is in danger in India under Modi as loudly alleged worldwide. The farmers are on roads for last seven –eight months to get three farm laws repealed .Our youths are disparate for employment .Labourers are loosing jobs in lakhs and crores especially after demonetisations ,GST implementation and long phases of lockdowns due to Covid-19 and its waves. The Citizenship Amendment Act,2019 , (CAA) ,Proposed amendments for Uniform Civil Code, abrogation of Article 370 in J&K and recent move for introduction of new population policy of one - two child for all Indians are other contentious issues causing controversies and public discontents due to various reasons. Besides these internal matters, new foreign policy initiatives too are being debated among political and academic circles . All these internal and external policy paradigms need serious academic introspection and impartial examination since these are crucial for the future of the country .This paper is just a small effort for the same Ushering Era of Modi –Centric politics: Narendra Damodar Das Modi is not new face for Indian politics .He had been a successful chief minister of Gujrat for consecutive three terms and establishing himself as an architect of a model of well developed state of Gujrat popularly known as Gujrat Model. His rise to politics is not glorious rather from communal bloodshed at Godhra in 2002. Due to this , Modi is popularised as Hindu face and blamed globally as Hindutva mascot. Indian non –BJP opposition parties consistently and loudly campaign Modi as RSS sponsored and strongly supported hard Hindu icon put forward to make India a Hindu state and nation .Modi is generally targeted for prophet and practice of hate politics. Some kind of attack by Hindu Yuva Vahini ,Bajrang Dal and Hindu Vishwa Parishad volunteers on cow traders muslims in name of cow vigilantism as mob lynching received wider criticism and big threat to freedom enshrined by the Constitution of India under article 19 0f fundamental rights guaranteed to citizen of India . Prime minister Modi’s silence and constant tactical inaction against people involved in such incidence is suspected as if such lynching series are government sponsored . The critics castigate that pluralism ,secularism and safety of non Hindu communities are placed at serious risk under this regime .All these are antithetical to what has been globally claimed as established idea of India as a land of multiculturalism and diversity hitherto .His speeches ,actions and laws made during his regime are often quoted to substantiate his weakness for majority Hindu community .Attempts to initiate for Uniform Civil Code and Proposed new Population policies are generally propagated as appeasement of Hindu population . The acts like Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 (CAA) and National Register for Citizens (NRC) etc are loudly and globally campaigned as anti minorities especially against Muslims living in India for thousand of years. These acts and their implementation would definitely damage their interest and change demography of India once they are forced to leave the country under one or other pretext real or ISSN : 0022-3301 | September 2021 Dr. .Ramesh Kumar 57 Government made .This is a political agenda to harass India’s largest Muslim minorities .and therefore they are on roads to agitate against these laws .it is on this basis that anti –CAA and anti –NRC movement garnered support from India’s secular intelligentsia , civil society organisations and youths from universities .Besides ,the abrogation of Article 370 is also alleged as anti Muslim majority state step of Jammu & Kashmir with intention to open state for non -Muslim from other states. The economic decisions taken by Modi government proved equally suicidal .For example ,demonetisation, GST, and present three farm laws to adversely affect mandi-based agricultural produce sale ,abolishing Minimum Support Price and to promote contract farming hurt farmers that resulted into months old agitation of rich and middle level farmers to what Rudolph classified as Bullock cart- capitalists, These acts also received wider international controversies and condemnation. This tarnished our image abroad. Indian politics of the opposition for the last seven years are anti –Modi grouping and unity which index is now getting high. The use of Pegasus services for surveillance against opposition leaders and journalist imparted additional strength and glue to unity of anti- Modi forces for political purposes .The pro –Modi forces like NDA allies and RSS affiliates are all set to sustain opposition attack real and otherwise and save Modi’s regime at all cost With all might and Machiavellian methods. . . Precisely, all effort to target Modi made Indian politics Modi –centric .The pincer and piercing attack on Modi popularised him among Hindu majority. He gradually became darling of Hindus and they voted for him in large number in addition to vote from other communities howsoever marginal .He and his parties garnered enough support and percentage of votes to form two consecutive governments at the centre in 2014 and 2019. Although he failed to get even simple majority of votes in both of these Lok Sabha elections and became beneficiaries of First –Past –The-Post system .The weak and divided opposition proved catalyst in his rise from periphery to centre and sustain in addition to his personal virtues like oratory etc. He successfully mesmerised Indian masses with his newly coined idioms and offering alternative visions for better India of growth ,opportunities and hope all together acche +din .Although this is gradually proving illusory and all round discontents among youth, agriculturists ,poor ,middle class and others are mounting. But magic of his personality still matters more than any other political face in Indian politics today. He is the tallest and most towering political personality of the day within and outside India. If we chronicalize Indian politics into Nehru and Indira era ,the politics of India since2014 can be rightly be classified as Modi era .It would in no way any exaggeration . Introspecting Indirafication of Modi’s politics : The politics is both structure as well as process. Politics of India since rise of Modi witnessed some sign of revival of Indira of the right to a large extent. Although they are neither political twins nor do they belong to same party nor thoughts nor common time span .But what appear common is their style of working .Indira too tried to misuse her political popularity and weak opposition. Due to this, democracy got gradually weakened. Politics got personalised and almost presidentialized . She took command of the government and party organization .She sidelined party organization and initiated era of direct appeal to people what Rudolph 58 THE JOURNAL OF ORIENTAL RESEARCH MADRAS [Vol. XCII-LIV] &Rudolph calls plebiscitary politics. She got rid of strong regional satraps what Modi is following into same footsteps. The case of weakening Yogi in UP by encircling him with Gujrati governor and Gujrat cadre bureaucrats and Yedurappa in Karnatka by inciting non –lingyats MLAs against him are cases in this point. The choice of trusted and toothless party presidents like Amit Shah and J.P Nadda candidly establish return of Indira ‘s sryle of politics what can reasonably be called Indirafication of politics during Modi ‘s time or emulation of Indira’s way of handling politics by Modi . This is clear that that these presidents were indirectly PM’s favourite nominees and party merely stamped in a way worse than what was done in case of V.V Giri in Indira ‘s times. A systematic effort to stymies democratic institutions like election commission by appointing pliable commissioners. weakening judiciary by having fully obedient judges and controlling media with misuse of IT,ED etc resulted in rapid way what again Rudolph &Rudolph terms de -institunalization and de-democratization. All these were introduced and successfully experimented and reached up to the exercise of emergency. Fortunately politics has not reached there might be avoided due what Indira faced result after lifting of emergency. The populism was on high political invention of Mrs Gandhi and that again is on pinnacle today during Modi’s regime. So if any one academically diagnose anatomy of Indian political trends during Modi’s days ,appears with analogous feature between Modi and Indira. There are plethora of literature branding Indira as authoritarian and same kind of epithets are being used for Modi ji in media and to an extent in academia today as well. No doubt ,this argument and comparison need further cross examination and must be left to trigger onward introspection and analysis . Issues and idioms of Politics today :The politics during Modi’s era is different both in terms of issues ,idioms ,content and substance. Modi came to power in developed and post globalised india. The remnants of globalization and new trend of micro returns to nationalism and identity politics of protectionism in post –globalization phase were to be balanced and appropriated in national interest .Modi inaugurated era of hyper Hindu identity and to an extent inclusive anti –mulim minoritism through banning pink trade, mob lynching, cow vigilantism, construction of Ramtemle etc. He aggressively dealt with opposition and tried to demean main opposition leader Rahul Gandhi as pappu and largest minority muslim as pilla .The opposition also retaliated with unworthy epithet for P.M Modi as Feku. A common post –truth type jumla and ideological overtone like acche din type idioms became integral part of political vocabulary in this millineium politics.. Withal these , Modiji launched some new projects like make in India to boost Indian manufacturing sectors, start up for new enterpreneur ,Mudrayojna to help women ,Swach Bharat to make zero open defecation India etc. These idioms do not fit in any of the earlier classified category of modern, traditional and saintly by William Morris-Jonnes in his book The Government and Politics in India (1964) .These are neither modern nor traditional ,nor do they fall in saintly category .Besides government is not able to deliver committed goods nor assured services like health ,education and employment etc. The lack of medical services like beds ,ambulances ,oxygen cylinders and shortage of vaccines during pandemic were and still are major issues that ailing his regime and used by opposition in monsoon session of parliament in July 2021. Besides this pandemic ,the issues like demonetisation, GST, three farm laws, CAA and Abrogation of Article 370 from J&k and use of Pegasus services for surviliance on media and ISSN : 0022-3301 | September 2021 Dr. .Ramesh Kumar 59 opposition are issues that haunt dominantly during Modi’s tenure .The total failure on handling economic issues of poverty ,hunger, price rise of fuel &food ,selling of Indian assets are another set of problems that draw attention of common men, media and what Pawan Varma calls great Indian middle class in this new millennium under Modi’s rule. There has been a robust feeling about this Modi ‘s regime is its hyperbolic nature where promises and performances are kept deliberately apart. The assurances galore abort without any implementation. For instance, promise to generate two crore employment, bring back black money and disburse rupees 15 lakh in everybody’s account are cases in this point. The acchedin effect withering away and proving as largely illusive. Notwithstanding all these limitation of the government ,magic of his personality works. The individual political aura of Modi has not diminished .Precisely Modi still matters. He commands the highest political popularity. He indeed is the tallest political personality of politics in India today. Tomorrow no body knows what will happen and who will replace because politics is generally unpredictable. No prophecy is possible . The present Indian politics revolves around Modi and Modi alone. Conclusion : The Indian politics for the last seven year is Modi and Bjp dominated. No doubt that this dominance can in way be compared to earlier dominance of Congress in 1950s and 1970s nor can it be characterised as any system analogous to what Rajni Kothari conceptualised as Congress system. This is a coalition in addition to single party majority which is yet to be theoretically typified. There is no parties of pressure in BJP as was found in Congress system nor is it blessed with latency factor to mobilise support from non-BJP. But personality cult and charisma is very much visible in Modi like Indira especially after Indo-Pak war in 1971 and division of Pakistan into Bangladesh. Modi appears to replicate Indira’s populist and plebiscitary politics of direct appeal to voters bypassing party organisation. Besides trends of de –democratisation, de-institutionalisation and practice of power personalisation are prominently noticed .Precisely many of the undesirable features of earlier politics of Indira days are being becoming visible again and getting gradually dominant during Modi’s tenure.A kind of promise galore from policy paralysis to hyper economics turned into all round disappointment discontent and disenchantment from popular leader.. These are sources of serious tensions among democrats suspecting assumed threat of faltering Indian democracy imagined or otherwise raised from time to time in academia and media. References 1.Komireddi, K.S (2019): Malevolent Republic: A Short History of The New Republic, Context Publications , Santaroucsa,USA 2.Kumar ,Ramesh (2020) : Modinomics, Mandee aur Antimjan, DJIMR, Ferozabad,India 3.Morris-Jonnes,W.H,(1964); The Government and Politics of India,Hutchinson,London, U.K. 4.Nag, Kingshuk (2014) :The Saffron Tide, Rupa Publications, Delhi ,India 5.Rai, Vinod (2018) ;Seven Decades of Independent India, Penguin Biking, Newyork, USA 6 .Rudolph .L &Rudolph ,H (1987): In pursuit of Lakschmi :The Political Economy of the Indian State, Oxford University Press, Chicago.USA 60 THE JOURNAL OF ORIENTAL RESEARCH MADRAS [Vol. XCII-LIV] 7.Sen ,Sandip (2018) :India Emerging from Policy Paralysis to Hyper Economics,Bloomsbury ,Delhi,India 8. Soz, Salmaan Anees (2019) :The Great Disappointment: How Narendra Modi Squandered a Unique Opportunity to Transform the Indian Economy. Penguin Ebury Press ,Delhi, India 10.Tharoor, Shashi (2018) The Paradoxical Prime Minister ,Aleph Book Company,Delhi ,India 11.Tharoor,Shashi(2015);India Shastra :Reflectons on The Nation in Our Times,Aleph Book Company,Delhi ,India 12.Tiwari,Ramesh .C (2021) :The Rise of NaMo in New India, High Brown Scribes Publications ,New Delhi,India