Sunday, May 04, 2014

Why 2002 Gujarat riots still matter...

If someone had told me five years ago that Narendra Modi would be favourite to win India's 2014 elections, I would have advised them to stay on their meds. It was inconceivable that the conservative Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would even nominate him.

The Gujarat state chief minister had a reputation as a recalcitrant authoritarian, and was disliked by many within his own party. His unabashed commitment to 'Hindu nationalism' was viewed with suspicion by India's vocal middle class and he seemed to lack strong political patrons. By all accounts, Modi was a wild card for voters and the BJP.

But that was a very different country to the one going to the ballot box today. That was the India before GDP growth slumped from an annual nine to below five percent. It was before the ruling Congress-led government became embroiled in multi-billion dollar corruption scams, and before tens of thousands of ordinary people took to the streets to demand an end to graft.

It was also years before a 23-year-old physiotherapy student was gang-raped and murdered in the country's capital, New Delhi, brutally exposing the apathy of the country's ruling elite, and their failure to fulfill their most basic responsibilities.

In this climate of economic gloom and political disillusionment, Modi has risen as the Messiah. His authoritarian tendencies are now interpreted as efficiency, his commitment to right-wing Hindu ideology as healthy patriotism. Full story...

Related posts:
  1. The dangerous Mr Modi...
  2. "Cyber-Hindus" - India's new breed of political activists...
  3. Hindu-Muslim violence erupts as India's electoral battle looms...
  4. Gory Muzaffarnagar killings in India shake doctors...
  5. Final Solution - Gujarat genocide of minorities in India...
  6. Nandita Das: "Firaaq" is a personal response to the Gujarat carnage...
  7. Former Gujarat minister convicted for her role in 2002 anti-Muslim pogrom...

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