From Hindutva to managing the Opposition: Modi needs to change the narrative in 2016

By Sunil Raman In less than four weeks we will ring out 2015 and look forward to challenges and opportunities that a new year will bring to us as a country and individuals. It will also bring the Modi government closer to completion of its second year in office. While the government will claim to have made significant strides towards tackling a sense of despondency that had set in during the last years of UPA rule, it will have to now look at actionable ideas for implementation. Two major trends that stand out in 2015 are: the Bihar defeat for the BJP and the growing perception of the Modi government as “illiberal”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a valiant attempt last week in Parliament when he addressed multiple stakeholders; political opponents, foreign governments, Muslims, liberal Indians and even the RSS. The much awaited intervention by Modi was welcomed by most, but the issue is how he would like the perception about his government to develop in the coming year. It is a given that until the next Parliament elections in 2019, the Modi government will have to work with a Rajya Sabha dominated by Opposition parties. All legislative work will have to be carried out in a non-combative style and in a collaborative spirit instead. Many ministers who still behave as if they are in the Opposition will need to be lot more careful and circumspect in their behavior and responses, both within and outside Parliament. Power Minister Piyush Goyal’s ill-thought of and uncalled for comments in the Rajya Sabha over Congress MP Kumari Selja’s reference to her Dalit identity did not befit a cabinet minister. [caption id=“attachment_2534286” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File photo. Image courtesy: PTI[/caption] Modi’s invitation to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and former PM Manmohan Singh to discuss the GST Bill, and his subsequent speech in the Rajya Sabha are indicative of a ‘change’ in Modi’s style of approaching the Opposition, and of approaching issues on which there are political differences. But, there needs to be a re-look at priorities and issues that generate much sweating among BJP leaders/government. With 19 months of the NDA government over, the prime minister will have to ensure that his ministerial team and the party are focused on delivering on electoral promises that would make them politically stronger in the coming months, and not focus on scoring debating points with Congress spokesmen and its leaders. The mandate which brought Modi to power, the expectations that were built among the people about Modi’s ability to address their concerns and issues, the new class of first-time voters that hitched their wagon to Modi’s stars along with a shift by a section of Congress voters to BJP cannot be ignored or taken for granted. The Modi government’s responsibility to respect a historic mandate in May 2014 requires whole hearted attention and they need to prioritise some and ignore other issues. Obsessive attention to Rahul Gandhi’s antics, Robert Vadra’s alleged corruption in land deals (let the law take its course) and heckling Congress for its double-digit presence in Lok Sabha must lead to a mature response more than a year after BJP won a majority on its own. 1. Jawaharlal Nehru and the Nehruvian legacy: Modi’s conciliatory gesture to the noisy Congress Party last week with his reference to Nehru and his role evoked much interest. In the last one year, Modi ended the practice of the Prime Minister attending memorial meetings at Nehru’s Samadhi on his birth and death anniversaries. While the government goes about “ending” the omnipresent visage of Nehru on postage stamps/government publicity material and ritualistic praise heaped on him and his family as “single biggest contributors” to the building of India, Prime Minister Modi needs to publicly temper his downright disdain for the Nehru-Gandhi family. In recent days a few noted architects have opposed the demolition of the ‘Hall of Nations’ at the Delhi exhibition ground, Pragati Maidan, along with another structure that has hosted an exhibition on Nehru for decades. While the plan to demolish these two structures is part of building a modern exhibition ground many see this as yet another motivated move. The overzealous Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma must also be directed to allow the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library to function without interference and the government should stay away from the temptation of clearing out Nehru artifacts from Teen Murti House in their zeal to turn it into a memorial to many more national leaders. Like it or not, Nehru was asked to move into a former British Commander-in-Chief’s house by his security after the Mahatma’s assassination, and then it was Lal Bahadur Shastri who announced that it would be a memorial to Nehru after his death in 1964. This should not be a priority for Modi government for now. 2. Right wing is not “communal”: It is not illegal or criminal for the BJP to espouse a right-wing ideology. In fact, with the decline of the left ideology as manifest in electoral losses there is an opportunity to secure greater acceptance for right-wing ideas through discussions and debate. However, even today the BJP has failed to formulate a coherent ideological argument that would steer clear of anti-Muslim bias. Muslim-bashing comments and remarks end up only damaging the image of the Modi government. However, there are disparate individuals and self-appointed spokesmen of the Hindu right, many of whom are well beyond the control of Modi. Some of them cannot be controlled, but surely MPs can be asked to keep quiet for some time at least. 3. Ministers must behave maturely: Once the winter session is over, Modi needs to do a realistic assessment of what his ministers have done/or can do to implement his plan for the country. The trend of ministers competing to score debating points with the Opposition and media, heckling with people who are opposed to BJP’s ideology, seeking desperately to be seen on social media like Twitter must be controlled. 4. Get new faces in the Cabinet: Modi needs to draft a few vocal ministers for party work and bring in a few new faces that show greater seriousness to deliver on his promises. These should not be frustrated former BJP leaders who are unhappy at being marginalized but, men/women from within the BJP and outside with a proven record of commitment to implement policies and show tangible results on the ground. 5. Move beyond people’s eating and dressing habits: The international media laps up comments and statements by ministers and MPs that seem to indicate attempts to impose eating habits and clothing on people. Such statements are then linked to Modi and provide adverse news. Like it or not, perceptions matter and international media has a larger audience. 6. Identify and push a few big infrastructure projects: Set up a small committee of dedicated and result oriented men/women who will identify a few major infrastructure projects, will go out and seek foreign investment for those projects, and ensure that all clearances are secured within a short time frame, and implementation begun. It is a difficult task but not unachievable. The writer is a former BBC journalist