Saving the Budget session: Decoding the timing of PM Modi's speech on religious tolerance

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday finally chose to break his silence on contentious issue of conversions and growing incidences of communal intolerance. His rather candid statement and other developments suggest that Delhi assembly elections and political complications in the upcoming budget session have set alarm bells ringing in the Centre, which along with the constituents of the RSS, are now on a much needed path for course correction. Speaking in Delhi on Tuesday, Modi said,“We consider the freedom to have, to retain, and to adopt, a religion or belief is personal choice of a citizen… My government will ensure that there is complete freedom of faith and that everyone has the undeniable right to retain or adopt the religion of his or her choice without coercion or undue influence. My government will not allow any religious group, belonging to the majority or the minority, to incite hatred against others, overtly or covertly. Mine will be a government that gives equal respect to all religions.” Given he spoke at a function organised by the church to celebrate the sainthood of Kuriakose Elias Chavara and Mother Euphrasia, it was perhaps the most appropriate forum for the PM to clearly state his own and his government’s position on the subject. But it may have come a bit too late. [caption id=“attachment_2105259” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Modi at the event on Tuesday. PTI image[/caption] Clearly there seem to be belated realisation that his own prolonged silence on this socially sensitive issue cost on his government’s image and his party’s fortunes. In Modi’s statement there was an inherent indictment of actions and statements by some of his own colleagues in the BJP and Sangh Parivar, particularly those who were inspired by the VHP-sponsored ghar wapsi, love jihad and other programmes. “India is the land of Buddha and Gandhi. Equal respect for all religions must be in the DNA of every Indian. We cannot accept violence against any religion on any pretext and I strongly condemn such violence. My government will act strongly in this regard. With this commitment, I appeal to all religious groups to act with restraint, mutual respect, and tolerance in the true spirit of this ancient nation which is manifest in our Constitution”, Modi said. Before Modi came to address a gathering of Christian clerics and spell out his stand on an issue over which his response was long awaited, he had succeeded in restoring semblance of an order in Sangh Parivar, particularly in the VHP, which has proven to be the most troublesome. This statement came the fact that it was at Modi’s insistence that the VHP had shunted out its Aligarh-based motor mouth activist Rajeshwar Singh, a move which didn’t calm ruffled feathers. It’s more than a coincidence that in the past three days the VHP top brass went public twice appealing to all its members and sympathisers to be cautious in their deeds and words. VHP international president Raghav Reddy on Sunday asked all Hindu leaders to refrain from controversial statements. “After a long time, a government has been formed at the Centre which is abreast of Hindu culture and faith … Hindu leaders should make balanced statements,” Reddy was quoted as saying in reports. Then on Monday,  VHP joint general secretary Surendra Jain said “No one should create any roadblock for the PM through any statement as he is working to realize the aspirations of this country.” RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat too had recently made a rather conciliatory statement, saying diversity was to be celebrated and not to be opposed. No one was to be subjected to persecution and discriminated against because of their different attires or different ways of worship and dissimilar traditions, he said. There is a grim realisation in the BJP leadership at the centre the Budget Session of Parliament beginning from 23 February won’t  be a very smooth affair. The Delhi election result, despite the Congress scoring a zero, has boosted the morale of the opposition. An unintended beneficiary of this new stance of the government is Nitish Kumar. The BJP has stayed clear of the Bihar government formation to avoid any complications which could have possibly united the opposition in the Rajya Sabha. Secondly, the ratification of six ordinances – on coal mining, land acquisition, insurance, mines and minerals (development and regulation), Citizenship (Amendment) Ordinance and the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Ordinance – will prove to be quite a headache for the government, given it is in a minority in the Rajya Sabha. The Modi government had to brave a troubled Winter Session of Parliament which opened on a stormy note thanks to the ‘Ramzaade versus Haramzrde’ statement by Minister of State Sadhvi Niranjana Jyoti. That and BJP MP’s Sakshi Maharaj statement on Nathuram Godse resulted in the second half of that session of being virtually washed away. This time around the party strategists and political leadership in the government is treading a cautious path. Modi’s statement on religious freedom and social harmony is a step forward in that direction. However, it is a welcome move, though belated.