Modi has introduced "a newer, truer secularism" and is appealing to "a modern India, an aspiring India": Surjit Bhalla to Karan Thapar for The Wire.
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In an extremely arguementative if not outrightly quarrelsome interview, the well-known and highly regarded economist, columnist and author, Surjit Bhalla, has said that he personally believes Narendra Modi has introduced “a newer, truer secularism”. Dr. Bhalla at first refused to answer follow-up questions but then agreed to do so. However be disregarded the fact BJP MPs and MLAs call Muslims Babar ki aulad and tell them to go to Pakistan or that the Chief Minister of UP taunts them with abba jaan or that Muslims are wrongly accused of love jihad, land jihad and cattle lynching, or when dharma sansads threaten genocide the government keeps quiet and has nothing to say. He would not answer the question how can this be true secularism.
In the interview to mark his new book ‘How We Vote: The Factors that Influence Voters’, Dr. Bhalla strongly defended his claim that “Modi’s consistent appeal is to a modern India, an aspiring India”. He refused to accept that Narendra Modi’s speeches of the last three weeks, which demonize and attack the Muslim community and create the fear that Muslims are going to grab reservations meant for OBCs, SCs and STs, contradict his claim that Modi is appealing to a modern India and an aspiring India.
The interview also discusses Mr. Bhalla’s claim, made in his book, that “economics determines elections”. It is pointed out to him that Mr. Modi, who won three consecutive victories in Gujarat and could be poised to win three more in Delhi, belies that analysis because for the last three weeks he has not campaigned on his government’s ten year economic record but, instead, by attacking the Muslim community and thus seeking to polarize Hindus and Muslims in the belief this will unite Hindus behind him and deliver the majority he wants. Dr. Bhalla vigorously denies that Mr. Modi’s campaign has belied his analysis.
On all three issues mentioned above, the interview was quarrelsome and aggressive. I will, therefore, not tell you more about the interview but leave you to see it for yourself. To be honest, its one huge and, often, unrelieved ding-dong. A fairly brutal punch up. You must decide for yourself what you make of the interview. I will not tell you more.
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5 май 2024
