Modi doing an Indira

Ranajoy Sen
Political commentator

While campaigning in Patna, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dwelt upon the menace of terrorism. A chain of events, from the Pulwama attack, the Indian Air Force strike on Pakistani terror camps, attempts of Pakistani retaliation, capture and subsequent release of an IAF Wing Commander, to a successful turning of an international spotlight upon Pakistan-sponsored terrorism by India, a resolute and uncompromising response to terrorism is bearing heavily in the Indian public consciousness. The BJP-led NDA dispensation at the Centre wants credit and adherence for it. 

  From the rostrum at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan, Modi stated that his political opponents spoke of removing him from power. But, he is keen to provide leadership that would root out the scourge of terrorism from the country, thereby removing an obstacle from the path toward greater socio-economic amelioration. By doing so, it seems that Modi is trying to turn the focus of the electoral narrative around himself, to the disadvantage of his opponents. The method reflects an uncanny resemblance to the principal narration of another parliamentary election that took place nearly five decades ago.

During the 1971 parliamentary elections, the then PM Indira Gandhi campaigned arduously. The preceding two years witnessed critical watersheds in the trajectory of Indian politics. It played out in the form of Indira Gandhi’s struggle for complete supremacy in the Congress against a handful of leaders, who controlled the party. To achieve it, she had, on some pretext, initially refused to support the party’s official candidate for the post of India’s President. Thereafter, the failure to paper over differences between the party bosses and herself led to a split in November 1969. Consequently, continued administering of a minority government with the support of other parties was irksome to Indira Gandhi.

 In December 1970, mid-term parliamentary elections were announced for March 1971. Just before that, she had undertaken what was then dubbed radical, progressive and people-oriented measures: nationalisation of several banks, certain insurance companies, and abolition of privy purses. Just before campaigning begun, a ‘grand alliance’ was formed against Indira Gandhi. It coined the slogan ‘Indira Hatao’. She came up with a resounding electoral battle cry of ‘Garibi Hatao’. 

Its appeal was instant and electric. The overwhelming majority of the poor, which then constituted an even greater share of the electorate than it is now, was overwhelmed with the belief that they had at last found their redeemer. At almost every election meeting, Indira Gandhi stated that while her opponents wanted to remove her from power, she was concerned about removing poverty from the country. Everywhere, people shouted approval to her. She drew most attention to herself during that election. When the results were declared, Indira’s Congress had won a sensational victory. Is Modi trying to emulate that campaign approach?

Modi and other leaders of the BJP are inveterately opposed to and unremittingly critical of the Nehru-Gandhi family. But, the principal import of his speech at Patna indicates that despite explicit articulations, he might have unspoken admiration for some facets of Indira Gandhi’s political style, personality and leadership. His manner of presentation on the subject of national security today sounds keenly akin to that of her utterances of wanting to remove poverty in 1971. Would it provide an electoral edge to the BJP? The response, at this stage, would be an incomplete affirmative. 

Bold acts against terrorism resonate well with the people. But, there are other issues of governance, political approach and economic development, which would get aggregated with it. The Modi government has often been accused of political high-handedness. Issues of social cohesiveness and religious arguments that require a more sensitive approach have allegedly been given more short shrift than otherwise. Furthermore, as several recent Assembly election defeats of the BJP bear out, the party possibly requires administering correctives within than prolonging its alleged hubris and contemptuous approach toward the Opposition. 

On the economic front, appropriate reforms and an emphasis on infrastructure building has been given an earnest heed. But, the just-released data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy indicates a relative increase in unemployment compared to the previous year. Nevertheless, there has also been a relative decline in the number of job seekers. Even then, however, weak prices in the farm sector, attendant farmer woes, and a prevailing low rate of job growth could cast a negative fallout on the electoral prospects of the BJP and its allies.  

The Congress and regional parties are chastising the BJP for maladministration and dissatisfactory economic policies. They accuse the BJP of politicising the laudable acts of the country’s armed forces. Nevertheless, the key to victory for a political party in the approaching elections would be largely determined by the extent to which its unquestioned political leader can successfully convey to the people about being the better option. Something that Indira Gandhi so successfully gave effect to in the beginning of 1971.