Gujarat Elections 2007 :: Modi Wins

Mike Ghouse, December 24, 2007

Congratulations to Modi for winning the elections, he now has an opportunity to win the heart of every Gujarati regardless of his or her affiliation.

The Jain community sets an examples of practicing one of the most beautiful principles,  “Michami Dukadam”, meaning forgiving and asking for forgiveness. This helps clean the slate of the mistakes one has made and help clean others slate, so every one can start the year with a clean heart. Why should one do that? Simply for purification of one’s heart and soul and live an enriched life. Nothing beats the feeling of being a good human being.

Hate, malice and anger eat away one’s peace of mind. It has to be brought to an end for living a serene life.

My appeal to every Gujarati is to pause and seriously consider the option of forgiveness. Let it not hinge on others doing it first or not doing at all, the forgiveness benefits the forgiver more than the forgived. Be selfish and reap the benefits of forgiveness and see your own demeanor become admirable.

Be good to yourselves and your soul.

I have selected a few pieces that extol him, as well as those turn the amber light on and those that and vindictive. In an open society, all the cards have to be put on the table to understand the full picture and play a decent game.

1. It's time to show large-heartedness, says Modi

2. Figuring out Gujarat

3. NRIs raise a toast to Modi's victory

4. I'm jewel in India's crown: Modi

5. Narendra Modi and Adolf Hitler

6. Modi's Victory: Portents for Indian Democracy

7. Time to build an inclusive Gujarat: British NRIs to Modi

8. If Modi wins on Sunday

NRIs raise a toast to Modi's victory

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2646345.cms

AHMEDABAD/VADODARA/SURAT: NRIs from across Gujarat, who ran passionate campaigns during the assembly election, gave a thumbs up to Narendra Modi being re-elected for a third term. Many of them were also hoping that Modi would now become an advocate for their demands, including giving them the right to vote.

Anuj Zaverchand, an IT professional from the United States, told TOI that the mandate was for growth and development. "Issues like corruption have been handled well by Modi. It has made Modi strong and he will become stronger if he continues the same policies," he said.

In Anand and Kheda, teeming with NRGs (non-resident Gujaratis), Congress making significant gains did not dampen their spirit. Manubhai Patel of the UK-based Dharmaj Society of London (DSOL) said that many NRGs in UK were expecting a Modi victory.

"Although we are a charitable society and most of our associations have stayed away from declaring their support to any party, majority opinion in the UK is in favour of Modi as chief minister. NRGs can’t vote but they want BJP to win the elections," said Patel.

Bholabhai Soma Patel, an NRG from Akhaj village in Mehsana, said, "Now that Modi is back in power, he should work for the rights of NRGs. We are ready to adopt villages and give funds to the state government, but NRGs should be allowed to vote in parliamentary and assembly elections." Natwar Patel, another NRG from Akhaj village, added, "We admire Modi. He should press for the dual citizenship from NRGs."

US-based Ajit Patel, who was campaigning for his brother and Congress candidate Niranjan Patel in Petlad, packed his bags for the US as soon as his brother won the seat. "I am excited as my brother has once again emerged as winner. Although I was hoping that Congress gets more seats."

Rajiv Patel, 26, a resident of the US working as a social worker in Ahmedabad, said, "Development has definitely taken place in last couple of years. There are good roads and electricity across the state."

However, Thakor Patel, 75, an NRG now living in Ahmedabad, was unhappy. "I feel the Congress should not have allied with the BJP dissidents. It diluted their influence over the voters. Modi has digested Hitler and Mussolini quite well which shows in the way he manifests himself. I believe in a secular democracy which is slowly getting eroded here."

Many supporters of Modi and members of pro-Hindutva groups in the US had gone to Gujarat to campaign for the BJP.

I'm jewel in India's crown: Modi

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2645924.cms

Narendra Modi and Adolf Hitler

Sujai

December 24, 2007

In a state where Mahatma Gandhi was born, we have a leader who confesses his targeting of Muslims, and yet, people vote him back into power. Hitler used to openly confess his contempt for Jews and yet people backed him. India is going through similar circumstances that Germany went through in the late 1800s and early 1900s- revival of nationalism based on historic achievements closely tied to certain cultural roots that are unique to certain people of certain identity (in this case Hinduism, back then it was the Germanic race); targeting of the enemies within the state (in this case it is Muslims, back then it was Jews), who are not patriotic, and who incessantly 'stab the nation in the back'.

A long campaign of such hatred and instilling of superiority preceded the rise of Hitler and his Nazis. Theories abounded which glorified the Germanic race and its achievements while continuing to distance itself from the enemies (mostly Jews, but also Slavs, and other inferior races). Efforts were made to find achievements of the Germanic race in distant past, including their links with other great culture elsewhere (Hindus and Tibetans).

Hitler came on board only to channel those sentiments to do something only he could do - Mass murder of millions of inferior people.

Modi comes onto the stage in a similar setting. Demonizing of Muslims in India began long ago. It has now reached unprecedented levels, even backed with scientific and elitist arguments. Theories abound why Muslims are different and how they cannot be integrated into a nation-state, how they are unpatriotic, how they keep 'stabbing us in the back'. As in pre-WWII Germany, pogroms that target and kill these enemies of the state keep occurring.

Modi, like Hitler, targets certain sections blaming them for all ills of the society. Hitler unleashed his goons to target and kill people of one community while the state apparatus stood by to support, abet and sometimes participate in those killings. Modi did similar stuff in 2002.

Germany saw economic prosperity like never before under Hitler. Industrial output was at its highest. Production of coal, steel, etc, was unprecedented. Today's Gujarat boasts of very high economic growth under Modi.

According to many people in India, the opposition parties, the Congress and the Left have no better track record when it comes to protecting the interests of minority religions in this country. The difference is that Narendra Modi just accepts what he does. A known, strong and honest criminal is better than a hypocrite, weak and dishonest criminal - that seems to be the attitude of Indian people.

It's unfortunate that we have come to this. It's unfortunate that our leaders could not set right examples. The examples of Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru, Ambedkar, Shastri, Patel, Radhakrishnan, etc, are long gone. We are bereft of good examples. When everyone is a criminal, an honest and strong one is a definitely preferred. Hence, Narendra Modi!

Adolf Hitler came to power riding similar sympathies like Modi enjoys right now. Whenever Hitler was accused of a wrongdoing, he used that campaign to expose the weakness of his opposition and he grew stronger. He did not lie. He did not falter. That brought him more public support. When the Tehelka expose was circulated, Modi's supporters used it to further their support for Modi. When Hitler spoke, he did not hide his contempt for Jews, and neither did he hide his agenda on how he is going to take care of Jewish Problem. When Modi speaks, he spews forth venom and contempt and openly confesses he subverted law of the land to kill the enemy. The people of Germany who were surrounded by weak-hearted and corrupt leaders that colluded to make marriages of convenience just to be in power, voted this man to power because they thought he would at least tell them what he does and what he intends to do, honestly. Many people in India admire Modi for his blatant honesty.

While some observers of the early twentieth century spelt doom on the rise of Nazis in Germany, many other politicians (in Germany and outside), weak at heart, diffident, and completely involved in their petty politics underestimated the rise of Hitler. They thought he was a tiny figure who would be swept away very soon. That never happened. They kept giving into his demands. He fed on that support and mass hysteria, and became a megalomaniac who plunged the whole world into its greatest war which ended up killing more than 50 million people in less than ten years.

Modi is on the rise in India. It is not a good sign for India. It bolsters and gives support to other elements that harbor similar thoughts in India. Hindutva forces already talk about emulating and replicating Gujarat in other states of India. People explain his win as a mandate of people. That's a sorry state of affairs. What if a majority of Indians vote to kill all the minorities in one stroke, will we accept that mandate? Is the law of the land and our Constitution subservient to people's mandate? We have a skewed and distorted view of what it means to be a democracy.

Indians have not learned to draw the line between what is acceptable and what is not. Here, in Gujarat, we have blurred those lines. We have legitimized crime that targets certain people based on their identity. The future is bleak. All this economic prosperity is not going to save us. Instead, this prosperity will only fuel such hatred to take it to the next level, where state participates in marginalizing, demonizing and then targeting of certain identities.

[Here is a Indian version of what is was published in Time Magazine on August 28, 1989]

First they came for the Sikhs, and I didn't speak up,
because I wasn't a Sikh.
Them they came for the Muslims, and I didn't speak up,
because I wasn't a Muslim.
Then they came for the Christians, and I didn't speak up,
because I wasn't a Christian.
Then they came for the Communists, and I didn't speak up,
because I wasn't a Communist.
Then they came for the Liberal Hindus, and I didn't speak up,
because I was a conservative Hindu.
Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left
to speak up for me.

Here's what one of the perpetrators of the Gujarat killings has to say. [Bhatt] [emphasis mine]
… pick up AK-56s because if you have to develop Hinduism, it is clear who the enemies are… There are two who are against Hinduism… Muslims, who are open… but the Christians… they are like a bacterial virus … and there's a third, the Communists, who are developing now… red waale… If you have to fight them, you need power and that power will not come from the lathi… only the bullet will do…0674024826 we go to RSS shakhas … pick up the lathi and use it… All that is fine but now they should be replaced with AKs and a Hindu brigade should be formed…
I maintain most of my blogs at sujai blog. E=mc^2.

Modi's Victory: Portents for Indian Democracy

Ram Puniyani,

Surpassing many predictions, Modi did very well in the recently held assembly elections, (Dec. 2007) bringing his victory tally to the one close to post carnage elections of 2002. While 2002 elections were preceded by an unprecedented polarization of the society, in the current one it appeared as if there are many a factors which will go against Modi, the internal dissidents, the incumbency factor, the efforts of secular groups and slightly better efforts by Congress. This gave the impression that the results will be touch and go, but they turned out to be similar to the previous one giving him a massive mandate.

This makes many a things clear for us. One, the polarization has seeped in very deep in the Gujarat society. The observation is that after every communal-violence, the major player of the violence, in this case, RSS affiliate, BJP, becomes stronger. In this electiona also, as was the case in the last elections, BJPs performance has been best where the carnage was maximum. In other parts of the country the polarization is reaching towards the critical line from where the rupture in fabric of society becomes irreversible. It seems that it has already become so in Gujarat. Gujarat which began as a Hindu Rashtra laboratory seems to be turning in to a factory of Hindu rashtra. One of the major success of RSS combine has been that it has been able to propagate successfully that Hindu Rashra is for the benefit of all the Hindus, there is a struggle between Hindu and Muslim interests, RSS is on the side of Hindus, while others are against the interests of Hindus. The real fact is that in the name of Hinduism, RSS is merely playing with the identity of Hindus and enhancing an agenda which is against the social transformation of caste and gender, which is against the interests of majority of Hindus.

Further it has succeeded in instilling the fear of Muslims in the majority community. The formula used is that all terrorists are Muslims, baying for the blood of Hindus and RSS combine is their only savior. The propaganda is that while so many terror attacks are taking place all over the country, the Hindus in Gujarat are safe due to Modi/BJP/RSS. The fact is in during NDA regime and also during the rule of Modi major terror attacks have taken place including the attack on parliament and Akshardham. This, so called attitude towards terrorists is projected by RSS combine as Nationalism. Nationalism as such should mean sticking to the values of freedom movement and Indian constitution. The second illusion created is that of progress of Gujarat. As such Gujarat was already amongst the leading developing states. Now it is being presented that all this is due to Modi. Goebells is being beaten hollow in the techniques of innovating the propaganda techniques.

Sometimes what matters is not the truth but as to what is propagated and made a part of social psyche. One cannot but draw many analogies from Hitler who went on to create a fascist state, and in due course do away with the democracy. This also led to the disintegration of Germany and its terrible defeat the World War II, rupturing the German national fabric. There also, one saw the charisma of one person overshadowing the party. There also the polarization was brought in and sustained by targeting one after the other community or social group. In Gujarat one sees the targeting of Muslims followed by the Christians. What will follow next will unfold shortly? The only difference between the German and Gujarat analogy is that in Germany the nation came under the impact of the fascist boots at a rapid pace in most of the parts of the state, while here the trishuls are marching at different pace in different states. In Gujarat the RSS agenda seems to have come close to the peak, while in other states, the march is on and is in different stages of intimidation of democracy.

The journey of Hindutva fascism in Gujarat began with the anti dalit riots of 1980-81, followed by anti OBC riots of 1986. Both these crystallized the support base of Hindutva, the upper caste, affluent sections. The NRI Gujaratis, the money order senders, played no mean role in consolidating the native fascism. The alienated NRI Gujaratis fed the local divisive politics with dollars and pounds, aggravating the divisive politics. Conscious social engineering was deployed to co-opt Adivasis and dalits into the Hindutva fold from late 1980s. For co-opting Adiviais, Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram campaigned against the miniscule Christian missionaries and attacked the tiny Christian community. For co-opting other deprived sections, including dalits, intense religiosity was promoted, Pandurnag Shstri, Asaram Bapu and Morari Bapu etc. ploughed the ground for BJP to reap the harvest. Section of urban people saw the benefits of the type of intimidation brought in by RSS affiliate politics. While Muslims and Christians were directly hit the major goal was to subdue the dalts and Adivasis, to ensure that they remain where they are, that the status quo is maintained.

With Ram temple movement, the polarization along religious lines went on deepening. The state sponsored genocide on the pretext of Godhra sealed the issue. The laboratory took clear shape, all necessary instruments in place. The experiment began. Carnage was conducted with RSS affiliates playing the coordinating role. No rehabilitation for the carnage victims, no justice for those who suffered violence and then their gradual marginalization from social sphere. The relegating of Muslims minority as second class citizens has become an established fact and a section of Muslims even started the campaign to reconcile to their changed status. A large section of Muslims saw that the only alternative for them is to be on the bent knees, to join in the victory celebration of the murderer-in-chief of the genocide, which led to their miseries. Yes life has to go on irrespective! Some sheep are beginning to cultivate the illusion that wolf is their savior.

The indirect fall out of this was the eventual ghettoization of the community in Gujarat and its fall out all over the country was in the form of widening gulf between religious communities. It set rolling the similar phenomenon all over the country. While electorally BJP sounds weak at all India level, the seeds of communal politics and polarization have been sown all over.

While comparing the BJP/RSS politics with fascism in the decades of 1990 one was hard pressed to explain the absence of a charismatic leader at the national level at that time. Classically fascist movement has to have a charismatic leader at the helm. While Advani was spearheading Hindutva agenda and Vajpayee was wearing the liberal mask very cleverly, none of them had the requisite charisma to send the crowd into frenzy to call for the extra judicial killing of a criminal. Modi has filled the gap and that too very effectively. Not only he is getting away with justifying the fake encounter, he is able to project it as a sign of bravery and courage. With observations of Gujarat poll, with the type of charisma, which Modi has cultivated, the analogy with Modi-Hitler, Hindutva-Fascism is more or less complete.

History does not repeat it self in the same manner. In Germany Fascism rode all over Germany with uniform speed, with speed which was blinding, and went on to target Jews to begin with. RSS, the patriarch of all Hindu right wing organizations, began in 1925; it is from 1980s that is has been able to actualize its political agenda in a serious way.

While Modi's victory will pave the way for total abolition of liberal space in Gujarat, the party, BJP, has already been overshadowed by one supreme leader. Those dissatisfied with him are shown the door. The plight of minorities and weaker section is going to be worse. A section of affluent middle class will shine while the majority deprived sections' voices will be put under the carpet in the name of Gauravi Gujarat, under the slogan of development. And of course development will never reach them.

At national level, the rising communal forces will derive encouragement from this and in other states like Karnataka; BJP will try with stronger assertion. The BJP ruled states will strongly implement the Hindutva agenda i.e. emotive, anti minority and anti poor policies in a more systematic way.

Modi's victory is a warning signal of transition of sub critical fascism, transcending the critical line to strangulate democratic values in an ideological form all over the country. The disarray in the BJP will give way to strong optimism, to strive for power at center. All this may take place sooner than later if the secular movements do not wake up and broaden their reach. Even today those standing for secular values are much more in number and strength than those who have came under the spell of divisive forces, communal forces. The point is can they come together to ensure that the country does go in the direction being asserted by Modi/BJP/RSS type politics? Need that the vision of founding fathers of India is brought back to the social and political arena, that pluralism, justice and harmony is made the central focus of our movement.  

"With this further term, we hope he will work towards building a inclusive society in Gujarat, working for the development of all sections, not one particular section," said Praveen Amin, a Hindu who heads the National Congress of Gujarati Associations of UK, an umbrella body representing 98 Gujarati organisations.

"After all, Modi as chief minister represents all the religions of Gujarat," he added.

More than 1,000 Muslims were killed in the state in 2002 by Hindu extremists following the torching of a train in the town of Godhra, in which 59 Hindu pilgrims were killed. International human rights groups, holding Modi responsible for the violence, have blocked not only some of his travel abroad but also his access to Western government leaders.

Modi's position is closely intertwined with the activities and interests of British Gujaratis, who are the largest ethnic Indian as well as Hindu community in Britain and number about half a million (there are no official figures of the number of Gujaratis in Britain). They invest heavily in Gujarat and a rising number of them are spending more of their time and money in Gujarat.

Increasingly in a shrinking world, events in India and Britain impact on each other's populations, no more so than Gujaratis.

In interviews with IANS, prominent NRIs said that in addition to the financial and economic stability that Modi has brought in, they want to see religious harmony in the western Indian state - an end to the religious strife and polarisation that has marred the Modi years.

"Let me say one thing to Muslims - it is time to forgive and forget," said Sir Gulam K. Noon, head of multi-million pounds Indian food business empire, Noon Products. "You know, things happen. You can't go on and on about 2002. India's roots of secularism are very deep and all Muslims have a place in India."

"But in the next five years, Modi should build a united community, inject secularism and continue the development of Gujarat," Noon added.

"Modi has the power to be a good administrator - we all know that. I just hope he will learn from history and build community cohesion, so that all Gujaratis can benefit from economic and social stability," said Buddhdev Pandya, a London-based Gujarati community leader and well-known campaigner on immigration issues.

Every Gujarati - both Hindu and Muslim - that IANS spoke to highlighted one particular achievement of Modi: that there had been no violence against Muslims since 2002.

"Obviously all our members are deeply hurt. But many Muslim Gujaratis in Britain take a slightly milder position towards Modi these days," said Shamsuddin Agha, president of the Indian Muslim Federation (IMF) UK. "They acknowledge that Muslims have to live and work in Gujarat and they want to look ahead."

Some 70 percent of the IMF's members are Gujarati-speaking Muslims and many of them, says Agha, realise that "it's no good just being angry."

"Our group has appreciation for his governance. We only hope that in his third coming, Modi will bring justice and punish the people who took part in the 2002 killings," said Agha.

"In the last four or five years there have been no riots against Muslims. There is tension of course, but no riots," he added.

Three British Gujarati-speaking men were among those killed in the 2002 anti-Muslim violence. Mohammad Aswat Nallabhai and cousins Saeed and Shakil Dawood, all from the northern English region of Yorkshire, were killed when their jeep was attacked by Hindu extremists near the town of Himmatnagar.

An Early Day Motion submitted before the British parliament and signed by 46 MPs in May "deplores the decision of the Gujarat authorities not to investigate these horrific crimes properly and uphold justice by convicting those responsible."

But such thoughts are not uppermost among those who count themselves as staunch supporters of Modi in Britain

"Who doesn't have an opponent when he is a rising star?" said Dr Harish M. Rughani, Executive Chairman of Shri Vallabh Nidhi UK, an organisation that is building a large Hindu temple in the London suburb of Wembley

"Only a handful of people in Britain oppose Modi. The majority of Gujaratis here are thrilled. It is a fantastic election victory for a man who has brought so much vibrancy to Gujarat," Rughani added.

Shamsuddin Agha is far less effusive, and for at least one very good reason. The IMF, he points out, was launched in the aftermath of another Gujarat riot - the one in 1969 that is thought to have killed some 2,500 people. That another wave of violence could have swept the state in just over three decades is a bitter experience, not for him alone but more so for those who live in Gujarat.

"People who are not political, who are not educated and who are not strong - people who are hardly out of their mosques - these people are very much scared," said Agha. "We hope and pray Modi will change his mind about Muslims.

http://www.indianexpress.com/story/253013._.html

 If Modi wins on Sunday

Shekhar Gupta

On the eve of the 2002 Gujarat elections, I had stuck my neck out to predict, somewhat audaciously, that if Modi wins, it would alter the character of national politics and that the next general election could be a Sonia versus Modi contest. There were some curious murmurs and questions from the usual suspects of the Congress that Saturday morning. But, surprise of surprises, the only protest came from Pramod Mahajan.

He called early that morning and, for once, was not his usual sugar-coated self. “What’s this, boss, what kind of nonsense are you writing?” he said. Why should it have upset Pramod if I was predicting his party’s victory in Gujarat? That foxed me at that moment and, in any case, six thirty in the morning is not exactly when I am at my brightest. Pramod apologised for calling early and we agreed to meet for lunch that afternoon.

Frankly, I had banked that lunch away for my memoirs, not so much for what we discussed, but because of some interesting sidelights. Like Mahajan asking a startled steward at the Oberoi’s very proper Belvedere for a whole, large onion — “don’t peel it,” he specified. I thought, for a moment, that Mahajan, always a great showman, wanted to use the onion to make a political point about the BJP. He, instead, plonked it on the table, crushed it under his ample palm and plucked out the flesh for himself and me to munch with our lunch. Even in a seven-star environment, the BJP’s most flamboyant star wanted to be his rustic self.

Then he came to the point. “What do you mean by saying Sonia versus Modi in the next general elections? Have we all disappeared? Do we all wear bangles? You think we have spent decades in politics to now hand it all over to somebody who walks in through the backdoor?”

I tell this story because, while the advanced 2004 poll distorted the emerging political scenario then, it is incredible how it is promising to play out exactly the same way now. If Modi wins on Sunday, the stage will be set for an ultimate Modi versus Sonia battle for national power, even if Advani continues to be the BJP’s shadow prime minister. Modi will then be the key campaigner, his kind of politics, his style of campaigning, his lexicon of cryptographic saffronism and even his short-sleeved kurtas will then define the BJP campaign in the next general election. In the long run, too, he will emerge as Rahul Gandhi’s main challenger. He will unite the parties that need the Muslim votes, thereby strengthening any Congress-led coalition. He will put under great strain the members of any BJP-led coalition, particularly those that still value Muslim votes. Nitish Kumar is a key example. But even his worst critics won’t deny that if he wins on Sunday, he will pretty much define the agenda for national politics in the near future.

It is also for this very reason that his re-election will worry many of his party’s national leaders exactly the same way his rise had worried Mahajan in 2002. It is not just because he will then make an immediate bid for the national leadership. On the contrary, chances are that he will let Advani be the prime-ministerial candidate for the next round. But his style and persona will cast a larger than life shadow, not just on the BJP, but on the entire universe of saffron politics. Two important factors that have marked the BJP’s national politics so far will then change. One is the fact that whatever their commitment to RSS ideology and classical Hindutva, most senior leaders of the BJP have risen from the parliamentary system of the fifties and the sixties. They have, therefore, conducted their politics within the broader parameters of constitutionalism and parliamentary sobriety. Vajpayee has sparred with Nehru, and Advani was on talking terms with Indira Gandhi and Rajiv, even after she jailed him and his entire party leadership during the Emergency. Also, whatever their private views, you have never heard any senior leader say nasty things about Muslims in any public discourse. The second factor to have defined the BJP’s politics, so far, is the political leadership’s remarkable servility to the kingmaker of Nagpur, the leadership of the RSS. So strong has that hold been that even at the peak of Vajpayee’s power most key decisions, even privatisation of PSUs, had to be cleared with Nagpur.

If Modi were to win tomorrow, both will change. He may not call Muslims names in public but he leaves very little to chance. Not for him the “lily-liveredness” of the old-fashioned BJP politicians. He will never even nod to a suggestion to reach out to Muslims especially, as he does not believe in “appeasement”. He is not shy of using the expression “Aalia, Malia, Kamalia” to refer to goondas on the streets of Gujarat. And when asked if he isn’t actually suggesting — in code language — that the bad guys are all Muslim, asks with a straight face: So what would you have said in English, Tom, Dick and Harry... Would that have made the bad guys all Christian?

Modi’s rise will completely change the form, style, substance and essence of the BJP’s politics. In the nineties with Ayodhya, Advani had given his party a certain direction. Modi’s rise will now mean that the use-by date on that politics is over. Most interestingly, he will change the second factor too. He may be an icon of aggressive Hindutva, but Modi has emerged as the first BJP leader ever to defy the moral and political authority of the RSS. He has not deferred to them. He has, in fact, defied them. He has even prevented RSS boys and sympathisers the power of making money on the side, something they consider their right in BJP states. The RSS is now returning the compliment by boycotting his campaign. So if Modi wins, he will also be the first BJP leader ever to win in defiance of, and despite, the RSS.

And if he loses, which, though unlikely, is not an impossibility, it will also have far-reaching consequences, most of all for the BJP, as its old leadership and the RSS — already sharpening their knives — turn on him.

So come Sunday, you will see the rise of a new politics, one way or the other.

PS: I have a sneaking feeling that this time, too, my phone may ring (hopefully, not at 6.30 am) and someone from the BJP will call to say, “What nonsense are you writing?”

sg@expressindia.com