Wednesday 9 April 2014

Should Mr. Modi be the next PM of India or not ? --- My two cents

The biggest democratic game in the world's biggest democratic and diverse country has begun.  I'm not a big political analyst to judge to decide why or why not, who can and who shouldn't become the next Prime Minister of India.  As most of the people who'll vote for what they feel is the right party and right candidate, I'm going to do the same no matter what. 

Towards the running to this election and still, there has been a lot of sayings about BJP's prime ministerial candidate Mr. Narendra Modi and not wanting him to be the next PM of India.  The main reason for many people rejecting his candidature for the post of PM is the 2002 Gujarat riots.  Since 2002 the only thing these people opposing Mr. Modi have done is to accuse him of being the only man responsible for the riots. I am not trying to justify here that what happened in 2002 is right.  People being killed in the name of religion, caste or sect is totally unjust, uncivilized and the culprits should be punished.  No where killing of innocent people can be justified, after all we are all humans first.

I just want to draw the attention of all these people towards the numerous 'communal' riots that have happened in independent India. The 1984 Sikh riots, the latest Muzaffarnagar riots, Mumbai riots and many more.  Many central governments and state governments should be held responsible for all these riots and the PM's and CM's during these riots should be banned from contesting just like these people wanting to ban Mr. Modi.  But this hasn't happened and still is not happening.  And we all know why?

People have labelled Mr. Modi as a communally polarizing political figure who if elected to be the next PM might create havoc in a religiously diverse India.  But that's a thing of the future and only time will decide it. 

What I'm looking at today when I go to caste my vote is the development and governance track record of the parties and it's PM candidate.  If I go and look at the current ruling alliance of UPA led by Congress, no way would I want to give them the chance to mis-rule India once again.  In the last ten years of their governance they have broken all the records of scams, corruption, indecisiveness and policy paralysis on economic reforms.  And yet they are arrogant enough to defend themselves for running a good government and portraying themselves as the only option available.

Another option is the new party of AAP under Arvind Kejriwal which for me really is like a big joke.  They really should have had the patience of first giving good governance in Delhi and than prove it at the national front.  Today AAP will just divide the Congress or BJP votes and take the parliament towards a more hung parliament, again very detrimental for the country.  And than lastly comes the so called Third front with the outside support of Congress.  The Third front is the worst option that India can have.  It will take India further deep in its economic crisis and each regional party in the third front would pull for favors towards each region and after few months or years ultimately it'll fall.

So what's the best option that we have got at hand?

1)  BJP led NDA with Mr. Modi as the Prime Minister

2)  Congress led UPA (PM candidate yet not declared)

3)  AAP with Arvind Kejriwal

4) Third front govt. formed of regional parties (who call themselves secular) supported from outside by Congress.

Out of the above as of today my common sense and logic would definitely go for Mr. Modi and why not?

Yes I know most who believe that it was Mr. Modi behind the 2002 riots will say how can we vote for such a person responsible for these acts of cruelty? The facts behind his involvement that are out in public domain has not found him guilty.  But till now many facts must have been erased or hidden and might never be made available to the public. So largely it remains to an individual whether to accept Mr. Modi as a person responsible for the riots or not. As such India as a country have never been religiously a tolerant nation.  Still today many or I should say most parts of the country are not tolerant when it comes to religion, caste, or economic and social status.  Be it urban or rural areas.  Shouldn't we blame ourselves for still being in this mess or should we blame the past governments?

As we stand today at the cross roads of electing the best possible government and the best possible person for the most important government post I found it very difficult to elect the right person.  When I say right, most candidates from all the political parties would not fit in the definition of the right person to the post of PM.  And those who fit are not in the foray for being the PM or are not given the chance.  But still we the people of India shall have to vote and elect the best possible person out of the choices available.  

As I mentioned earlier, I don't want a to see a fractured mandate.  I don't want a corrupt, hopeless, scam ridden govt. and so I don't want the current ruling alliance forming the next government.  Hence I'm left with the only choice of NDA led by BJP and Mr. Modi as the PM.  And for me why not?  

*  12 years of total peace in Gujarat.
* Rapid development in agriculture, tourism, infrastructure, industrial growth.  
*  24 x 7 electricity in even the remotest villages of Gujarat which no other state in India has.
*  Good highways connecting urban and rural regions.

And many more such economic development that Gujarat has seen under his 12 years of governance.  I don't say there aren't any social & economic problems in Gujarat and that it's the best place to live in India, but at least it's a much much better place than most of the cities in India and Gujarat is among the top 3 if not on top when it comes to economic development. 

I very strongly believe that a country will get a government just like the population it has.  Politicians don't descend from heaven or from some alien planet.  They come from among us.  The kind of government we get is a reflection of the mentality of majority of the population.  

And as the nation votes for the next government we hope that this time we get a government and PM which actually leaves behind governance on religion and communal lines, leaves behind governance on social and economic lines, but governs India on the basis of equality.  Equality on religion, equality on gender, equality on economic basis.