Big talks do not help change the fate of a nation or its people. Solid action on the ground brings about change. A deficit in action cannot be made up with exhortations from the podium – the standard style of India’s semi-literate governing class. Two top movers and shakers of the nation – Prime Minister Narendra Modi and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat – addressed the people on the occasions marking Vijayadashami and the centenary year of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Both zeroed in on the curses that bedevil the society and stressed the need for change. That they are mindful of these is gratifying; but their penchant to hold forth on critical issues and beating a retreat without taking any steps to reverse the wrong trends in positive ways is glaring.
Modi’s take at the centenary event in Delhi was that “unity in diversity is the soul of the nation, but divisions fuelled by caste, language, regionalism and extremist thinking could weaken the social fabric if these are not confronted.” The statement comes from a Prime Minister who led the nation through three consecutive terms in power at the apex of the governance system, but has done too little in confronting the ugly scenarios. Even in the handling of terrorism — in which the Modi establishment made significant progress even in the Kashmir Valley–much more deserved to be done from his side. Operation Sindoor gave India an opportunity to nail the terrorist masterminds in Pakistan, but they are still cocking a snook at India and Modi from the cool comfort of their dens. They are boasting that the gains for Pakistan from this confrontation were six against India’s zero. Modi and his defence minister are yet to open their mouths on who lost and gained what. Modi cites the problems of casteism but such sentiments are getting more pronounced today due mainly to the discriminative nature of the governance system that Modi presides over. The PM cleverly did not cite the issue of corruption that plagues the government, both at the bureaucratic and political levels. This has skyrocketed under his watch even as Modi presents himself as being incorruptible. The money that the BJP pumps into election campaigns in themselves are proof of the huge cuts it manages from governmental deals. The highway development, by far the main progress India registered under Modi, too has an ugly side to it, which was exposed by none other than the CAG.
The ‘unity in diversity’ that Modi stresses has been the stuff that politicians hailed for long; what’s new is his singular ostracizing of communities like Muslims from the main frame, evident also from their glaring lack of representation in his 70-strong ministry, and in his other governance systems. This is over and above their near-total exclusion from the bureaucracy, the preserve of an elite segment of the society. Bhagwat, who also claimed “diversity is our tradition and we must maintain it” too acts like an ostrich — shutting his eyes to the realities on the ground.
