Surprisingly the election campaign in Gujarat hasn’t generated the kind of excitement it deserves. After all, the NDA Government at the Centre has completed more than three and a half years, and though more Assembly elections are scheduled before 2019, this electoral battle is special. It is the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, and even a victory with reduced majority can seriously dent the image of the ‘invincible’ duo.
As it is, more space is being lavished by the media on the underdog Rahul Gandhi spearheading the assault on the Goliaths. Nor can it be denied that there is a groundswell of resentment against the way GST is being implemented. It is not only the wrath of the Patidars that the BJP has to contend with, the traders and entrepreneurs—all considered natural allies of the party—have started voicing their unhappiness with those they had elected.
All that the Central government has done in recent days is being dismissed by the Opposition as diversonary tactics to draw the voters’ attention away from the failure to deliver on its promises. Modi had swept to power annihilating the Opposition, promising to create jobs, accelerate the rate of economic growth and ensure inclusive development. Regrettably, somewhere along the way, the BJP seems to have lost the plot.
The loss of Delhi to AAP and Bihar to Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) didn’t ring any warning bells. Installation of Yogi Adityanath in Uttar Pradesh was considered a masterstroke by the faithful but shock hasn’t been followed by awe. Uttar Pradesh has experienced a serious rise in heinous crimes against women and the downtrodden. The minorities are apprehensive that as the Lok Sabha elections draw near, divisive identity politics will enflame communal passions. Lynching by vigilantes despite stern warning from the PM and the CM have made a mockery of the rule of law.
Even foreign tourists haven’t been spared by self-appointed custodians of morals. Mamata Banerjee continues to rage and roar like a caged tigress waiting for the chance to pounce on the prey. Despite enlarging its mass base, the BJP has failed to emerge as a serious threat in Karnataka. It has settled for an uneasy truce in Kerala after bellowing battle cries.
The Cabinet reshuffle had raised hopes that the lost momentum would be regained but this hasn’t happened. No one expects the Finance Minister to perform miracles but it is difficult not to despair when he is repeatedly billed to make a major policy announcement and ends up mouthing banalities dressed up in shiny statistics. In popular perception, he has been an unmitigated disaster. People who are feeling the painful pinch can find little solace in commendations of the Word Bank. More Arun Jaitley tries to justify demonetisation or expatiates on the ‘benefits’ of GST, the more his credibility erodes.
The Centre’s tug of war with judiciary continues. Recent judgments by the constitutional benches of the apex court have caused the government more than a little embarrassment. People are bewildered when the Attorney General refuses to serve a second term and the Solicitor General resigns soon after his departure. While it is true that no one can be conscripted to public office in a democracy, one can’t help feeling uneasy when those appointed to high office soon start—after first biting the bait—wriggling to get off the hook.
The saddest aspect of public life in India is that when it comes to the crunch, all members of ruling elite behave alike. With a sense of unreasonable entitlement and arrogance leaving no one in doubt that they are above the law. They simply refuse to present themselves before investigating authorities when summoned and simply dispose of all accusations by shrugging shoulders—considering it below their dignity to respond to acts of ‘political vendetta’. Lalu Yadav and his clan never fail to play the victim card but they are in select company of scions of other political dynasties. From Kashmir to Punjab, Maharashtra to Uttar Pradesh, there is no lack of First Families. BJP is now far more discreet, making statements about sons and fathers.
There is something corrosive about politics in India that seems to make sensible people lose their balance as soon as they dip their toes to test its muddy waters. What else explains Kamal Haasan’s reckless tirade against ‘Hindu terror’. It is patently absurd to assign a religious tag to terror. A terrorist may have a religious identity but this can’t be misused to taint a religion—any religion. The super celebrity actor has aggravated matters more by ‘standing by his statement’ and also adding a regional parochial punch to earlier provocations (“Yes! I’m a Tamil rowdy,” etc.) How one wishes that celebrities even politically ambitious were a bit more circumspect!
Pushpesh Pant
Former professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University
pushpeshpant@gmail.com