09-24-2011, 08:41 AM
[quote name='dhu' date='24 September 2011 - 03:54 AM' timestamp='1316816160' post='112979']
Not sure what to make out of Modi's strategy to display a few token mullahs during his appearances. It appears to be a gesture to the urbanites who may otherwise be hesitant. Muslim presence however always has a hampering effect as noted by Elst: even one muslim makes Hindus less strident in voicing their opinions. Perhaps Modi is just giving a display of "no fear" in the face of the enemy -- Refusing the skull cap was essentially a public repudiation of Islam, in addition to escape from a political trap.
Anyway, I am sure Modi has no illusions about muslims. However, Sandhya Jain claims that the seculars have been trying to paint Modi as some type super-technocrat in order to tangentially remove any Hindu civilizational aspects to the discourse, and Modi has gone along with this. This may be just a way to expand his base, his supporters will always support him, the apolitical will also gravitate to him. ???
[/quote]
Dhu-ji,
This fast, as noted earlier, was done for multiple purposes. One of them was to perform a ground test as to who all will support him if he is to run for PM and it has worked wonderfully well. For example there has not been any form of support from Nitish Kumar (apparently). At the same time there is something else which the media and many other observers have missed completely.
Modi has worked up his way from ground and he knows what is the reason for BJP losing its votes and what keeps the average ground level cadre disappointed. BJP has given up on its core issues -at least that is what the ground soldiers perceive due to the constant focus of BJP stalwarts only on development and corruption. The very reason they lose out time and again is partly due to the party workers disillusioned by the party top brass on the matters of Hindu concerns. And this idea is also supported if we carefully listen to the thoughts put across by those who were once at the helm in BJP (watch Govindacharya/Arun Shourie's lengthy interviews on youtube, specially Govindacharya). Modi knows this incredibly well. And it would be a mistake to judge his fast in terms of him trying to project a more secular, clean, pro-muslim image. [color="#0000FF"]Modi does not require Muslim votes[/color] and he will not budge on that one -that is unambiguous. Media is simply confused on his tactics while trying to judge him with 'muslim appeasement' lens.
Besides to put it bluntly, Modi doesn't give a whit about what media writes about him, had that been the case he could not have survived the 9 year media trial singularly targeted at him and yet remain so popular; so much so that he gets re-elected again and again. Whatever the observes want to paint, the ground reality is something else and Modi knows it extremely well. Like you mentioned shri Elst has also reminded the same, time and again that instead of focusing on its core issues which brought it to power, BJP is just bothered about 'who is the neta who can get us out of this mess'. What they really must be doing is to see what are the causes that lead to their defeat time and again at national level; for those are the very reason which as they put it in vernacular press which leads to this: 'bjp ke zamini karyakarta hataash hain party ke uchadhikariyo se'
Not sure what to make out of Modi's strategy to display a few token mullahs during his appearances. It appears to be a gesture to the urbanites who may otherwise be hesitant. Muslim presence however always has a hampering effect as noted by Elst: even one muslim makes Hindus less strident in voicing their opinions. Perhaps Modi is just giving a display of "no fear" in the face of the enemy -- Refusing the skull cap was essentially a public repudiation of Islam, in addition to escape from a political trap.
Anyway, I am sure Modi has no illusions about muslims. However, Sandhya Jain claims that the seculars have been trying to paint Modi as some type super-technocrat in order to tangentially remove any Hindu civilizational aspects to the discourse, and Modi has gone along with this. This may be just a way to expand his base, his supporters will always support him, the apolitical will also gravitate to him. ???
[/quote]
Dhu-ji,
This fast, as noted earlier, was done for multiple purposes. One of them was to perform a ground test as to who all will support him if he is to run for PM and it has worked wonderfully well. For example there has not been any form of support from Nitish Kumar (apparently). At the same time there is something else which the media and many other observers have missed completely.
Modi has worked up his way from ground and he knows what is the reason for BJP losing its votes and what keeps the average ground level cadre disappointed. BJP has given up on its core issues -at least that is what the ground soldiers perceive due to the constant focus of BJP stalwarts only on development and corruption. The very reason they lose out time and again is partly due to the party workers disillusioned by the party top brass on the matters of Hindu concerns. And this idea is also supported if we carefully listen to the thoughts put across by those who were once at the helm in BJP (watch Govindacharya/Arun Shourie's lengthy interviews on youtube, specially Govindacharya). Modi knows this incredibly well. And it would be a mistake to judge his fast in terms of him trying to project a more secular, clean, pro-muslim image. [color="#0000FF"]Modi does not require Muslim votes[/color] and he will not budge on that one -that is unambiguous. Media is simply confused on his tactics while trying to judge him with 'muslim appeasement' lens.
Besides to put it bluntly, Modi doesn't give a whit about what media writes about him, had that been the case he could not have survived the 9 year media trial singularly targeted at him and yet remain so popular; so much so that he gets re-elected again and again. Whatever the observes want to paint, the ground reality is something else and Modi knows it extremely well. Like you mentioned shri Elst has also reminded the same, time and again that instead of focusing on its core issues which brought it to power, BJP is just bothered about 'who is the neta who can get us out of this mess'. What they really must be doing is to see what are the causes that lead to their defeat time and again at national level; for those are the very reason which as they put it in vernacular press which leads to this: 'bjp ke zamini karyakarta hataash hain party ke uchadhikariyo se'
Quote:Echo the sentiments by Savithri-ji
Hindu identity is the underlying current that is propelling Modi. Its historical weight is too heavy and Modi would ignore it only at his own peril. Talking 'secular equality' to please the putrid kept press isn't worth it. [color="#FF0000"]He has been winning against the kept press so why change course?[/color]