| by B.Raman
( December 10, 2012, Chennai, Sri Lanka Guardian) Two issues will be in
focus during the elections to the Gujarat State Assembly later this week--- the
advisability of the BJP led by Shri Narendra Modi continuing for a third term
in the government of the State and the expected attempts of the NaMo Brigade to
use a new endorsement at the state level as a stepping stone for his gravitating
to New Delhi as a Prime Ministerial aspirant during the 2014 elections.
None can question the record of NaMo during the decade he has been in
office. I have myself seen the progress made by Gujarat under his stewardship
during a visit to the State in 2008 as a guest of the RSS. I had also seen the
high regard in which he was held by
large sections of the Hindus, not only thanks to his achievements, but
also his perceived honesty as compared to the normal run of our political
class. There was no doubt in my mind that he was a “can do” leader and
administrator who managed to take the State steadily forward.
 |
Muslims cannot live by bread alone. They also need to have their feelings of self-respect, dignity and honour restored. NaMo, despite his huge administrative skills, will not be able to do it. NaMo is part asset, part liability. We should not look only at the asset half of his personality and political leadership.
I had also visited the State independently in 2003 without being
beholden to the RSS for the visit to assess for myself the likely impact of the
communal riots of 2002 on the terrorism situation in Gujarat and the rest of
India. As part of my study of the growth and evolution of the Indian Mujahideen
post-2007, I have been regularly monitoring the feelings and sentiments of our
Muslim fellow-citizens with the help of local observers in whose judgement and
veracity I have confidence and my interlocutors in the intelligence community.
It is my assessment that Muslim anger and resentment against NaMo
continues to be strong and hurting, particularly among the youth. This is so
not only in Gujarat, but also in the rest of India. Public memory in the
majority community might have forgotten the atrocities committed against our
Muslim fellow-citizens of Gujarat in 2002 in retaliation for the massacre of
some Hindu pilgrims in Godhra, but the
Muslim public memory has not forgotten it. The feelings of alienation of the
Muslims continue to be as strong as ever though they may not openly express it
any longer.
It may be true that the Muslims of Gujarat too have economically
prospered under the NaMo stewardship. But the grievous hurt suffered by their
feelings of dignity and self-respect will not diminish so long as NaMo remains
the Chief Minister. Has not the time come for the voters of the State to show
foresight in looking for an alternate political leader who would enjoy the
confidence of the non-Hindu minorities?
Muslims cannot live by bread alone. They also need to have their
feelings of self-respect, dignity and honour restored. NaMo, despite his huge
administrative skills, will not be able to do it. NaMo is part asset, part
liability. We should not look only at the asset half of his personality and
political leadership. We should also at the liability half. If the voters
assess the totality of the picture, they will realize that the time has come
for an alternate leadership in the State which will carry conviction with our
Muslim fellow-citizens. We must avoid unwise demonization or lionization of
NaMo during the polls. Inter-communal harmony should be an important criterion
before deciding to vote.
It will be premature to judge the suitability of NaMo to be the next PM
of India. He has been an effective State administrator , but he does not have
the potential of a pan-Indian leader in the mould of Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee.
He has not yet given signs of being a likely statesman or leader of vision and
wisdom. We must avoid a judgement on his suitability till we have seen more of
him as a leader outside Gujarat.
( The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt.
of India, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai, and
Associate of the Chennai Centre For China Studies. E-Mail:
seventyone2@gmail.com Twitter: @SORBONNE75 )
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