Saturday, February 25, 2017

Why PM Modi Cant be like Trump and Why he shouldnt be like Obama

26% of American voters are Evangelical Christians and 81% of them voted for President Trump.  Let that sink in.  Trump is a twice divorced, womanizing, liberal and former Democrat.  Yet this band of voters rallied behind him like they havent for even the most virulent Christian warriors. 

Hindus who are upset with PM Modi on his lack of aggression against anti-Hindu forces must reflect on the following:

You will get your Hindu PM, when you create a Hindu vote bank.  

The term "Hindu Vote bank" is an oxymoron.  Consider both Bihar and now UP.  In assembly elections in both these states India's most popular PM was portrayed as a 'Bahari' i.e. Outsider.  By voters who were up in arms against Raj Thackeray's treatment of their brethren as 'Outsiders' in Mumbai.  

Yet this is how they chose to paint India's PM.  Lets face it.  Hindus dont vote as Hindus.  

Here's a hierarchy of importance in the Hindu socio-economic universe (in order of declining importance)

Family 
Sub-caste
Caste
Region
Language
State
Hinduism 

A very slim sliver of Hindu voters would vote purely on basis of Hinduism.  Unlike Muslims and Christians who have repeatedly voted for the devil with a single aim in mind - protect their religious identity.

And there in lies the rub.  Hindus have never been a united Ummah.  We blame casteism for the Bihar debacle but refuse to exorcise the demon of caste identity. 

16 years after becoming CM of Gujarat, PM Modi is still looking for this ephemeral Hindu vote bank.  It does occassionally coalesce when the country has its back to the wall but for the most part elections are won or lost based on aforementioned hierarchy of social preferences.

Consider aggressive 'Hindu' programs such as Ghar Wapsi which were started with much fanfare were dead-on-arrival thanks to a lack of strong back end support infrastructure.  Neo reconverts found it impossible to assimilate into a hierarchical Hindu social structure.

Demonitization is strategy designed to break this deadlock and create a vote bank of Hindus but not necessarily a Hindu vote bank. -  http://inflextionpoint.blogspot.com/2016/11/demonitization-aftermath-class-clean.html

Trump on the other hand has a large dedicated, politically active Christian constituency.  One which will vote for him as long as he delivers on core promises - Guns, Gays, God. 

Trump is backed up by the world's largest economy and military.  To suggest that PM Modi can throw his weight around and ban Muslims (for instance) is ridiculous.  

PM Modi cannot and should not act like President Trump (and he hasnt).  But most importantly he should be careful not to act like Obama. 

The big problem for PM Modi is that he cannot tom-tom his big successes on the Hindu agenda.  Perhaps his greatest success has been the drastic slow down he has administered in the machinations of proselyitization agenda of foreign NGOs. 


It has been a brilliant strategy, implemented with a military precision and a Seal team like stealth.  But its success must remain under wraps so as to avoid eliciting the wrath of Western countries who (not surprisingly) kow-tow to Jihadis but target Hindu India to prove their dedication to freedom-of-religion.


To put it in other words - PM Modi is repairing a house engulfed by flames while keeping the residents safe so that they keep voting for him.


 Having said all that surely PM Modi could do more to address the wanton killing of BJP/Sangh foot soldiers.  And as BJP supporters we're completely justified in venting our frustration.  But we must understand that PM Modi is trying to use his powers to affect much larger changes. He must pick his battles carefully.

Getting tied up in local issues could severely undermine his agenda. 

An agenda that is on track to deliver something very very big in first quarter of 2018. 

But BJP must stop the Commie-Jihadi complex from shedding blood of BJP's foot soldiers.

There's one way for the BJP to do this without jeopardizing its brand.  Large companies do it all the time so as to protect their primary brand.  They launch a low end brand to compete with upstarts who are nipping at their feet with cheaper options.  

BJP must find a way to launch an outfit which can go toe-to-toe with the Commie-Jihadi alliance that is hell bent on wiping them out in key states of Kerala, WB and UP.

Engineering a public split between mother BJP and a more hardline faction may help them create just such a more aggressive brand.

Actions of this brand could then come with 'plausible deniability'.  

However, such a strategy comes with a huge risk - similar outfits such as - Hindu Mahasabha, VHP, Shiv Sena - grew political ambitions - either direct or indirect - of their own.  PM Modi has worked assiduously since his days in Gujarat to counter them and would be wary of creating an alternate power center.

Another strategy could include use of state apparatus to target big names in the Communist party and expose their double lives and corruption. 

Done correctly such a strategy could keep Commie cadre involved in internal battles and turn their energies from targeting BJP cadre.

2019 is becoming even more important than 2014.  Support your PM.  He's our only hope and his nationalist credentials should not be doubted.