Belying the indictment of the BJP leaders that opposition unity was a mirage and a convergence of the corrupt leaders, the Bengaluru conclave of the opposition parties has delivered a new ideologically sound and adorable body, the INDIA, or the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance.
On July 18, India witnessed assemblage of two conclaves at two different places having two divergent political approach and identities, with two distinct discernments of the national priorities and compulsions. While the newly floated INDIA of opposition parties resolved to mend the damages done to India by RSS and BJP, the NDA conclave was reduced to singing the paeans of Narendra Modi and projecting him as the saviour of India.
While the NDA conclave could rightly be described as “Modi Show” which was nonetheless a flop show and did not reflect the aspirations of the NDA partners, with PM Modi resorting to soliloquy, virtually speaking his “mannkibaat”, and making the participants believe in his assurance that he would come to power for the third consecutive term, the INDIA conclave sent a distinct and clear message that its primary mission was to repair the democratic institutions which have been endangered and defaced by the Modi government during its ten years of rule.
The NDA conclave could at best be dubbed as entertainment show where the sole performer was Modi. The rest were simple deaf and dumb viewers having no right to speak or question their captain. Even the participants from Manipur failed to muster courage to ask Modi why he was neglecting the state and not taking initiative to bail out the state of the present ethnic violence crisis.
While the NDA conclave did not have any vision or new narrative to offer to the country, the INDIA showed its commitment to reverse Modi’s narrative of hate and divisiveness. Yet another interesting development that did not go unnoticed was delaying of the NDA session. The trio – Modi, Amit Shah and JP Nadda – waited patiently for the end of the INDIA summit. It was only after the summit ended Modi talked to his supporters.
It is unbelievable how could the leaders striving to rule India behave in a gutless manner. Their attitude and behaviour clearly reflected that material lust and gaining political power were the sole reasons why they were too eager to be subservient to Modi, garlanding the prime minister in the most sycophantic manner. While the INDIA conclave sent the message that all the participants shared the vision of equality and respected the individuality of other, the NDA show was one-man affair. Modi was the only leader, the biggest amongst all the leaders assembled there. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the leaders of smaller parties had assembled to cheer for Modi, pay their obeisance.
INDIA, on the other hand, points to the ideological imperatives and compulsions of the anti-BJP forces and parties. The challenges before the INDIA are massive. They are united by a common purpose to protect democracy, constitutional rights and the independence of institutions. International bodies have also echoed the concern over Modi government destroying democratic institutions and trampling on human rights. Barely a week back, the parliament of European Union adopted a resolution at its session attended by representatives from its 23 member countries.
Some time back, Narendra Modi had boasted on the floor of the Parliament that he alone was heavier than all the Opposition leaders clubbed together (“ekakela sab pebhari”). One wonders why then he approachedthe leaders of smaller parties and restructured the NDA. Obviously, the primary factor was the threat perception Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat have come to feel. Rahul Gandhi, whom Modi has nick named ‘Pappu’, unfortunately for him and saffron brigade, has emerged as a major threat and enjoys more support than Modi, according to recent mood assessing polls.
It is ironical that the most despised and ridiculed person by Modi has started dictating his politics and setting agendas. He has made Modi and his ilk to follow him and listen carefully to his words. TMC leader Derek O’Brien was absolutely correct in saying that opposition at the Bengaluru meeting “was clearly setting the narrative”, while the “BJP is reacting”. He claimed that out of the NDA allies, eight do not have a single MP, nine have one MP each and three have two MPs each. This is a plain fact that neither BJP’s ‘Chanakya’Amit Shah nor the RSS chief has been able to compel Rahul to follow the agenda set by them.
Modi-Shah combine is scared of the resurgence of the opposition. The visibly bitter Modi at the NDA conclave has sent a wrong message to the state-level cadres,already upset with the electoral reverses and the party losing some crucial by-elections. The cadres wonder that till recently Modi boasted that he alone could take on the entire opposition, then why was he getting more than 30 parties together and restructuring the defunct NDA.
The insiders maintain that the state leaders and cadres feel disenchanted at the rhetoric of Modi veering around Gandhi family. They expect some positive directives and programmes from him. The sources cite recent defections from the party in some states as the sign of their disillusionment.
Even at the conclave, Modi ranted: “In democracy, it is of the people, by the people and for the people. But for the dynastic political parties, it is of the family, by the family and for the family. Family first, nation nothing. This is their motto… There is hatred, corruption and appeasement politics. The country is a victim of the fire of dynastic politics. For them, only their family’s growth matters not that of the poor in the country.” Evidently, the prime minister’s words ring hollow now, especially after Rahul Gandhi’s epic Bharat Jodo Yatra, where even the staunchest of BJP supporters agreed that the Congress leader did not seek power, but instead wanted to connect with the people across the length and breadth of the country, so as to share their woes and make a difference to their lives.
The cadres also question the political acumen of the BJP president J P Nadda. Barely a year back, while speaking in Patna, he had threatened the regional parties of finishing them off. But now, the same Nadda was busy appeasing them. It is ironical that the leaders of most of these regional parties cannot even claim to get the votes of their wives, sons and daughters in the elections. Most of them are paper tigers who have floated their parties for publicity.
In sharp contrast, unlike the NDA constituents all the 26 parties (like TMC, RJD, DMK, JMM, NCP, Shiv Sena, SP, RLD, NC, PDP, CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML) RSP, Forward Block, MDMK, IUML, Kerala Congress) participating at the opposition conclave have deep anchors and command strong support in their respective states. BJP leaders claimed that NDA was a time-tested alliance, but the fact is the NDA has been dumped in the grave over the course of the decade-long Modi rule. This even got reflected in the tweet of Modi which said that the coming together of NDA allies is a matter of “immense joy”. This is the first meeting of the NDA during the second term of the Modi government.
Referring to the name of the opposition alliance, Mamata said, “BJP, can you challenge INDIA? We love our motherland, we are the patriotic people of the country, we are for farmers, Dalits, we are for country, for the world.” The only job the regime at the Centre does today is to buy and sell governments, she alleged. The name of the opposition front was suggested by TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, which had the support of Rahul Gandhi.
That Modi has come to realise the intensity of the peoples’ hostility and rejection of his leadership is also manifest in his offering apology to the leaders of constituents. Asserting that NDA would work like a team, he said; “In the last nine years, some of you may have tried to contact me but I may not have been able to meet you because of my busy schedule. Some of you may also have not got your due place due to my SPG security. But despite these things, you never complained and I’m grateful to you for this.”(IPA Service)
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