Narendra Modi vs the Dynasty: Contrasting Ideas of India

[RamaY]

The Hijacking of Wharton
Rajiv Malhotra

"Ironically, these Indian professors specialize in scholarship criticizing colonialism, not realizing that now they are serving similar American policies on interventions in India. They are extreme leftists when it comes to protesting against imperialist interventions in places like Iraq, Libya, Syria and other failed states. But they switch sides when it comes to India, and play the same role for America in undermining India's sovereignty as the sepoys did. (The sepoys were Indian soldiers serving the British army to fight against other Indians.)"

"The jealous humanities departments often hold business schools in mild contempt, trivializing their pragmatic approach as "unintellectual." This distance between business schools and humanities worked out well for India. Business school students have been spared the brainwashing by humanities discourse that routinely paints India as a basket case ridden with caste, cows, dowry, slums and other scourges, ripe for rescue by Western interventions"

Meanwhile, the Indian sepoys are gleefully playing a double role -- presenting themselves as representatives of India while undermining it; and facilitating American interventions in India while claiming to be experts on postcolonial studies.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rajiv-mal ... 14421.html

The dichotomy is because Bharat is the only nation where majority belong to non-Abrahamic religions.

If India were to be a Muslim/Christian nation Indian left too would have been nationalistic and anti-colonial.

What is colonialism, if not occupation of nation states by Abrahamic faiths?

[Hari Seldon]

seal-a-butt fabricates stuff in rudiff with her fetid but fecund imagination.... Normally wouldn't give 2 hoots to nameless 'sources' and 'senior BJP leaders privy to Modi's thinking' kind of BS she dishes out....but, but this did catch my eye...

The Modi camp also thinks that Anna Hazare, Baba Ramdev and Arvind Kejriwal have hit the Congress at vulnerable points and they have performed their job to take away few bricks from the UPA edifice. The anti-Congress mood can favour the BJP in states where it is pitted directly against the Congress.

In Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Goa the anti-Congress trends will be further cultivated by the BJP in the coming months.

Please note that the CMO in Gandhinagar is flooded with invitations. Modi is coming to New Delhi on March 16 to give lecture on himself at the India Today Conclave. He will speak on 'Namo mantra -- will it work for India?'

In Mumbai on March 17, the BJP is putting up the mother-of-all-political-shows to greet Modi for his assembly victory in the central suburb of Sion. The state BJP is claiming that it will be a never-seen-before public meeting that will exhort Modi to move ahead. This is all being done to ensure that Modi gets properly invited to join the BJP's parliamentary board and also in the process he wants to get placed above the rest in the race for the top leadership.

More fart mixed with (what is hopefully) fact here:

With a burning desire, unlimited resources, unwavering focus and the RSS's compulsion to back him and a pan-Indian network of supporters he is preparing his campaign to tour India after July. He has solid backing of the party cadre and its infrastructure. Not to forget the money power that makes him best prepared amongst his colleagues to fight the coming election.

So post-july should be a jolly time for this dhaga, eh? Heh. Meanwhile, somebody reinforce the 'journalist's sealed butt pls... "unlimited resources"? really? What BS is this posing as seerio(t)s reportage?

link

[Sushupti]

The Hijacking of Wharton
Rajiv Malhotra

"Ironically, these Indian professors specialize in scholarship criticizing colonialism, not realizing that now they are serving similar American policies on interventions in India. They are extreme leftists when it comes to protesting against imperialist interventions in places like Iraq, Libya, Syria and other failed states. But they switch sides when it comes to India, and play the same role for America in undermining India's sovereignty as the sepoys did. (The sepoys were Indian soldiers serving the British army to fight against other Indians.)"

"The jealous humanities departments often hold business schools in mild contempt, trivializing their pragmatic approach as "unintellectual." This distance between business schools and humanities worked out well for India. Business school students have been spared the brainwashing by humanities discourse that routinely paints India as a basket case ridden with caste, cows, dowry, slums and other scourges, ripe for rescue by Western interventions"

Meanwhile, the Indian sepoys are gleefully playing a double role -- presenting themselves as representatives of India while undermining it; and facilitating American interventions in India while claiming to be experts on postcolonial studies.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rajiv-mal ... 14421.html

The dichotomy is because Bharat is the only nation where majority belong to non-Abrahamic religions.

If India were to be a Muslim/Christian nation Indian left too would have been nationalistic and anti-colonial.

What is colonialism, if not occupation of nation states by Abrahamic faiths?

but why Communists, supposedly non-religious, having problem with non Abrahamic religion?.

[SwamyG]

The problem with Sheela Bhatt's article in Rediff is that she focuses on marketing, imagery and hype that Modi built around him. A well thought out response to that article should be as follows:

Yes, he did that. So what? In a democracy politicians are elected by popular vote, he has to get his image and message across for people to connect and vote. So it is the nature of the game, and he is playing by the rules. The same rules other politicians follow when they visit a Dalit's house, ride a train, hug a villager etc.

Has his government performed? Has he made life better for the Gujaratis? Has he increased opportunities for businesses and individuals to prosper? If no, you have a case, if he has done all the above in various proportions then 'take a hike'.

[RamaY]

but why Communists, supposedly non-religious, having problem with non Abrahamic religion?.

Please read Rudradevji's post on Artha in Bharatiya thread. He posted it 2-3days back.

[fanne]

HS sir,
i have a similar interview for congress. let me complete i will post it soon

[dhruvM]

One of the myths congress chamchas are parroting on MSM is that Modi only makes hit and run speeches and does not give interviews. Compared to the Die-nasty, Modi-ji is faaar better in responding to hard questions. Here's Modi deftly handling the Economist. Must watch!

Another false claim being made is that Modi has not come clean on the 2002 riots and refuses to talk about the issue. This is what he has to say. Here's Shahid Sididqqi, (the former SP, uske pehle BSP, uske bhi pehle Congress MP) talking about the interview and his general views on Modi.

[Hari Seldon]

^^krisna, pls remove that kamment. Its a slippery slope to all sorts of explicit name-calling and characterizations. Dhaga can do without such, IMO.

[fanne]

Another survey ..
http://www.livemint.com/Politics/3odReD ... -poll.html
http://www.myiris.com/newsCentre/storyS ... 2013/03/06
My opinion, doctored survey, preparing groundwork for AAM Admi Party miracle that made UPA-3 possible with help of EVM, since and outright victory of UPA using EVM will lead to Mutiny.


More than four in ten (43%) Indians backed Narendra Modi as the leading choice for the next Prime Minister of India's position. Rahul Gandhi with 36% vote emerged as the second choice for being the next Prime Minister of India, according to the survey conducted by Ipsos, the market research company.

However, about six out of ten respondents (57%) were either against or unsure about Modi becoming the next PM. Support for Narendra Modi as the next PM was significantly higher among males than females. The support for Narendra Modi's candidature was particularly strong in Lucknow (61%), Bangalore (57%) and Chennai (46%). Sentiment against Narendra Modi’s candidature was high in Kolkata (78%), Delhi (64%) and Mumbai (62%).

Rahul Gandhi who emerged as the second choice to become next Prime Minister of India directionally had more female supporters than males. Support for Rahul Gandhi's candidature as PM in the next General Election was particularly strong in Bangalore (49%). Sentiment against Rahul Gandhi's candidature was particularly high in Kolkata (75%), Lucknow (71%), Mumbai (65%) and Delhi (60%).

'Ipsos Mood of the Nation' poll predicts Congress party has to cross a lot of hurdles on its way to be back to power after the next general election. Expectedly Congress party has only 28% of the respondents rooting for it.

Thirty Six percent Indian eligible voters are of the opinion that BJP will assume power after the next general election, this trend though is limited to urban India but can result into a built up in rural India too. Support for BJP's candidature in the next General Election was particularly strong in Lucknow (56%), Chennai (46%), Kolkata (43%) and Delhi (41%). Sentiment against BJP's candidature was particularly high in Mumbai (92%) and Bangalore (77%).

Rahul Varma, executive director, Ipsos Media CT & Public Affairs said, ''Though we are far away from the general elections but if we add the percentage figures of people who said yes and people who are unsure and compare this against similar question asked for Congress and BJP, it's a tie between 3rd Front and BJP, possibly set up a ground for a very dynamic coalition politics in coming elections to hold a stable government. Though this sample may not be representative of India but do project some indications of coming times.''

Surprisingly, more than three in ten (33%) Indian citizen are of the opinion that Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi party may get substantial seats in the next general election. Support for Aam Aadmi party getting substantial seats which can make a difference was stronger in Lucknow (43%), Delhi (40%) and Mumbai (36%). Lack of support to Aam Aadmi party was particularly evident in Kolkata (80%), Chennai (75%) and Bangalore (69%).

Rahul Varma adds, ''This trend showcases a new dynamic voting pattern that may surprise a lot of us (though currently restricted to urban India). Unravelling series of corruption episodes could further give impetus to the Aam Aadmi party and its relevant issues.

[Arjun]

Interesting that a big percentage of Goan Christians voted for BJP and seem to strongly support Modi: 'Modi right candidate for PM post'

[krisna]

^^krisna, pls remove that kamment. Its a slippery slope to all sorts of explicit name-calling and characterizations. Dhaga can do without such, IMO.

I dont see my post at all.

Nothing is from me - it is from kamment section of firstpost.

[Pranav]

Joker-1 - Anna Hazare (what is he doing now?)
Joker-2 - Arvind Kejriwal - Tells that Ambani has 45 rupees in swiss bank and Nitin Gadkari has one lakh rupees unaccounted - Westland payoff (great silence) - Joins the leftist groups. Starts a party so that it can help his masters to win again ...

With such a illustrious pack, India marches on to remove corruption.

See, BJP will have to protect the opposition Damaad who made good money in the chopper scam. They will do their usual song and dance. Our friend AK has been talking about the chopper scam too, maybe unnoticed by well fed folks. But it is not mentioning one scam or another that counts. Who is talking about systemic solutions. For BJP top leaders it is better to sit in opposition and eat the crumbs which Maino throws on the floor. But AAP agenda must be opposed at all costs.

[Arjun]

See, BJP will have to protect the opposition Damaad who made good money in the chopper scam. They will do their usual song and dance. Our friend AK has been talking about the chopper scam too, maybe unnoticed by well fed folks. But it is not mentioning one scam or another that counts. Who is talking about systemic solutions. For BJP top leaders it is better to sit in opposition and eat the crumbs which Maino throws on the floor. But AAP agenda must be opposed at all costs.

Pranav, Kejriwal-related material needs to go in the other elections thread. Even if you notice a comment here, suggest you reply in the other one and only provide a pointer here.

[Arjun]

Backlash results from cancellation on Indian state minister

The strong backlash against the Wharton decision is being taken note of....won't be easy for the Loombas of the world to pull this off again. Aseem Shukla (probably considered a "loony" by some here) of HAF takes an appropriately strong stance, as do others.

[disha]

^^ My post on the DP site:

In recent studies, Gujarat improved most in children malnutrition in India. It is plain wrong to say that "Gujarat is among the bottom five states in India in the categories of malnutrition ...". In fact, under Modi, it improved the most among all states in India. Here is the link to an article with numbers to back it. http://www.firstpost.com/economy/guess- ... 50087.html. The numbers are from Comptroller and Auditor General of India, a fully independent national body of India, again the link is here. http://saiindia.gov.in/english/home/Our ... rt_22.html

So Mr. Ghose is not just plain wrong but may be deliberately mis-leading with extreme bias. In other words, Mr. Ghose is either ignorant or telling lies.

[member_20317]

but why Communists, supposedly non-religious, having problem with non Abrahamic religion?.

Because non-Abrahmic religions will not join in, in the war for the 'Holy Land' and its various versions, in favour of any of its competing uttara-adikaaris of various hues.

Their nonsense has gone on for so long that they now believe this is the only reality. Ergo get the only non-converts involved aka Indians taken to fight WW-1 & WW-2.

Unfortunately for them Indians are now Independent and all of them can screw themselves. We have decided to buy pop-corns and plonk ourselves in the rinkside seat.

Basically under NM we should just concentrate on re-building our base. To hell with these competing claims

[Sushupti]

Guys read Sheela Bhat's piece on Modi in Rediff
http://www.rediff.com/news/slide-show/s ... 0307.htm#1

[Aditya_V]

Guys read Sheela Bhat's piece on Modi in Rediff
http://www.rediff.com/news/slide-show/s ... 0307.htm#1

Funny, the INC is all propoganda so they immediately foist it on others.

[member_22539]

^^Just a bunch of nonsense pulled out of her ass. She usually must be keeping a mighty big dildo in there to pull out such fat lies at random.

[disha]

^^ Arunji, isn't that foul language that needs to be cleaned up? Sheela Bhatt has been a journalist since the days of Chimanbhai Patel. The access and insights she has needs to be parsed. If we can tolerate others on this forum so can we tolerate her? Right? Actually she is clued into lot of local politicos and rarely her insights cross into ELM.

[Hari Seldon]

+1, disha. Agreed

[disha]

In continuation, Sheela Bhat is far better than Gastapo Ghose or the Murkha Bhatt's .... here is why (read between the lines for the highlighted part)

The definition of who is secular and who is not in 2013/2014 will be decided after knowing which party gets 170 plus seats. If the BJP is able to muster 170 plus seats then many regional parties will gravitate towards the NDA even if its leader is Modi.

The Congress party and the Left parties obviously will never join the BJP or Modi. Also the Samajwadi Party will never join any alliance where Modi is leading but the rest of the regional parties will certainly come to the negotiation table maybe after 'fine-tuning' the definition of secularism.

Modi's staunch supporter from Mumbai told rediff.com, "Remember, Delhi is not India. Delhi is not the BJP. The real India and the real BJP live outside Delhi. The BJP outside of Delhi feels for Modi."

Another die-hard Modi follower and colleague says, "The leader who keeps ranting "Hum sochenge, hum karenge" can't be elected in today's India. People see in Modi shades of Indira Gandhi. As nobody looks for an impotent husband to trust her life with, the Indian voters too look for strong leaders like Indira Gandhi."

[member_22539]

^^First of all, I apologize if I offended anybodies' sensibilities. It was directed exclusively at that so called reporter. She might be a senior in the (news whore) industry, but that doesn't make her any less of a paid hack for congi propaganda. I will stop using foul language with regard to her when she does the same with regard to Mr. Modi. I don't know if you read the report, but what gives her the right to call Mr. Modi rude, unsophisticated and a "lout" (all of this conveniently vomited through the words of her so-called sources) and to ask such "blunt" questions that are intended to give a certain impression about him. I hope you realize that there are various levels of subtlety in the congi news prostitute industry. She is obviously of a less hysterical variety than Hark da butt or the other one (u know, the one that insists on going sleeveless just like she probably does at her kitty parties), but that doesn't change what she is. The day she apologizes for calling him a lout, I will refrain from such language with regard to her.

[dhruvM]

http://www.asianage.com/columnists/modi-magic-117

Swapan Dasgupta uvacha.

[Rudradev]

Call to Action, Gentlemen.

Rajiv Malhotra's Huffington Post article on this issue is drawing some serious eyeballs. The Comments section is going to be a battlefield for mindshare when the usual thugs show up. We should not miss this opportunity.

• Go to the article http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rajiv-mal ... 14421.html
  Create a Huffington Post account
  Post your views in the Comments section.

Be forceful and civil. Speak strongly but without embarrassing our side by name-calling or using hyperbolic rhetoric.

This isn't just about helping Modi and his electoral chances (that will be a marginal effect if any.)

It's about informing the fifth-column anti-India Sepoys that mass awareness of their agenda has awoken among Indians in the US, and that we're not going to be pushed around any longer.

[merlin]

I feel that this is a spot-on analysis of the man - http://www.newsinsight.net/Missionaryman.aspx

[RoyG]

The days of these sec-leftists in the social science departments are numbered. These small skirmishes will snowball over time into full blown battles in court rooms, classrooms, and university head offices as India reemerges as a world power. If Modi becomes PM and/or NDA comes to power, this will only intensify.

[Muppalla]

The days of these sec-leftists in the social science departments are numbered. These small skirmishes will snowball over time into full blown battles in court rooms, classrooms, and university head offices as India reemerges as a world power. If Modi becomes PM and/or NDA comes to power, this will only intensify.

FOILs, Sabarangs, Tehelka's will come out with full vigor once NDA comes to power. We will see a thousand Wartons. We have seen that during their previous rule.

[RoyG]

The days of these sec-leftists in the social science departments are numbered. These small skirmishes will snowball over time into full blown battles in court rooms, classrooms, and university head offices as India reemerges as a world power. If Modi becomes PM and/or NDA comes to power, this will only intensify.

FOILs, Sabarangs, Tehelka's will come out with full vigor once NDA comes to power. We will see a thousand Wartons. We have seen that during their previous rule.

To some degree. But it's a losing battle for them. What sort of clout are they going to have when the policies they espouse aren't endorsed by the business community? Our economy is going to blast off while the West is sinking. The world will look to the India which isn't stained by leftism and secularism. Watch, even Tutti Ghose and his ilk will follow the likes of Lawd Desai and Suhel Sethi.

[harbans]

Will Oppose FDI till our last breath: BJP

Yet i think this could be a move to isolate NM and pressure him to confirm to an economic agenda that is left driven if and when he comes to power. There is a divide in the BJP where one group wants revival of temple and assorted issues, a leftist economic kind of model as a frontline. Modi stands firm on the development front as a primary and is building a large support base of his own. Pretty much like ABV who carved himself as the acceptable and saner face of the BJP the last time around. The multitude of people who are still enamored and grew up in left populist 'pro poor' anti investment, votebank guarding propaganda cuts across party lines. And some of the old foggies just don't get it as yet. So this may just be one way of putting up a BJP agenda platform for 2014 and forcing Modi to toe the line.

[Aditya_V]

Amit, BJP is for GST, INC is against GST. NM stated there is no requisite computer infrastructure for GST 3 years ago. WHy hasn't UPA put the infrastructure in Place. Instead of this Rubbish Notification 30 and Import of Service rules 2006 and sending people to jail for it.

[Sanku]

Will Oppose FDI till our last breath: BJP

Yet i think this could be a move to isolate NM and pressure him to confirm to an economic agenda that is left driven if and when he comes to power..

Modi has been one of the worst critics of FDI in retail. Like with dynasty, Sushma Swaraj and Modi both oppose the topic, but Modi's style is more forceful jinogistic and to our hearts, but that does not mean that there is a difference of opinion on the same.

Not to harbans but in general --

Will people PLEASE stop this nonsense about BJP in multiple camps, internal forces on NaMo, BJP being a right wing party etc. This is simply feeding Kangress propaganda machine.

BJP is collectivist, moderately liberal, slightly left of center, simply secular, nationalistic party, with roots in Indian culture. NaMo is part of the party, the party together will win or lose.

Its just as simple.

[Hari Seldon]

I think this kament on the HuffPo article by RM articulates what is going on very clearly indeed:

Could three professors have done this? I'm sure that they had an effect, but I wonder if the current Indian Government and the US State Department are also involved. While the British High Commissioner and the Ambassadors of the EU recently met with Modi, the US has been on the fence on Modi, perhaps in order to tacitly support the current government. It would not surprise me if the Indian government had a hand in this.

Bingo, I say. Without evidence of course, just an opinion onlee.

[Arjun]

Will people PLEASE stop this nonsense about BJP in multiple camps, internal forces on NaMo, BJP being a right wing party etc. This is simply feeding Kangress propaganda machine.

BJP is collectivist, moderately liberal, slightly left of center, simply secular, nationalistic party, with roots in Indian culture. NaMo is part of the party, the party together will win or lose.

Its just as simple.

Sanku, There is a reason this thread is titled Namo vs Dynasty. Most folks who are visiting this thread and practically all of urban India are attracted to Modi because they want HIS ideology and the Gujarat model of development replicated across India.

The Gujarat model of development and Modi's personal ideology is aligned with the Bhagvati school of economics that emphasizes economic growth for achievement of long-term social and HDI improvement. I am Ok to not use the term 'right wing' but then 'left of center' is equally invalid as a description. Perhaps it is best to just to term the intended economics as 'aligned with Bhagvati school' ...which when translated to Western terminology is usually referred to as 'right wing'.

[Sanku]

Sanku, There is a reason this thread is titled Namo vs Dynasty. Most folks who are visiting this thread and practically all of urban India are attracted to Modi because they want HIS ideology and the Gujarat model of development replicated across India.

Forgive me -- that reason is based on poor understanding of reality in general in larger populace.

Modi's policies are no different from BJP policies, and as a administrator he shares a good record with other BJP administrators. (refer to Swapan Dasgupta's articles above for example) -- in ALL the ways I have outlined Modi is similar to his party.

His reasons for difference (again leaning on Swapan da here) is that he is
1) Faced more hostility from congress which boomranged on COngress
2) Has better image management
3) Connected directly with people (even here, Shivraj Chauhan etc are comparable)

The Modi wave is because of two reasons
1) One of the few states which had a LONG BJP innings -- this helped the state (now MP should in the third inning beging to replicate some of the success of Guj, it is already doing very well in agriculture etc)

2) The media focus backtracked.

It is "useful" for BJP to let Modi have a larger than life image since it has a certain "charisma" amongst many voters, but I think on BRF and that too in GDF, we should clearly parse the perception and reality.

The reality is that Modi is great. The reality is also that he is part and parcel of BJP, and drives from it as much as he drives it.

Any visible alignment with Bhagwati school is coincidental (there are after all only a few models, and then somethings will be common) -- rather than deliberately following a school.

Most of Modi's scheme -- in his own words -- are driven by the Antyodaya agenda.

http://bjpantyodaya.org/

As Atri-ji said, let us in our eagerness to see what we understand, not ascribe our models on others, but understand what their models are.

[Sanku]

One of the myth vs reality perception is that Modi allowed the riots to go on to show some people their place --> now this impression is something which may have give advantage to Modi in certain sections -- so Modi never really clarified his role and allowed the ambugity to persist.

But in reality, based on SIT report and all available evidences, Modi exerted every muscle to bring riots to a close as fast as possible in a as even handed manner as possible -- yes, he did not pander to minorities, but no he never pandered to majorities either.

He did his job and allowed the ambiguity to remain and moved on -- but this does not mean that we on BRF share the confusion both amongst some majority members and ALL minority members, that Modi acted in a partisan manner.

We can not have the perception != reality that exists elsewhere.

[Sanku]

PS > I fancy myself as what Atri-ji would refer to as "possible core of a Indian right wing party" (without the money bit )

So I know when some one is not a Indian right wing party.

[Arjun]

Its simple - Modi has on multiple times reiterated his preference for a small government that primarily acts as a facilitator for private initiative and businesses. Both Modi and Jaitley place emphasis on achievement of economic growth parameters as paramount. BJP as a party has been against UPA-like redistribution schemes that bust the budget, in other words BJP has always been supportive of fiscal responsibility and a control on the fiscal deficit. Modi has a track record of acting as an outright salesman for the state in attracting foreign and domestic capital.

All these are more than good enough indicators from my perspective and that of most Western commentators to qualify as 'right wing' orientation. Basically the BJP is not looking to turn India into a welfare state with unsustainable percentage of GDP allocated to redistribution schemes, and the focus would be on unleashing the animal spirits of Indian entrepreneurs.

[Sanku]

All these are more than good enough indicators from my perspective and that of most Western commentators to qualify as 'right wing' orientation. Basically the BJP is not looking to turn India into a welfare state with unsustainable percentage of GDP allocated to redistribution schemes.

And there are enough indicators to show a left wing orientation as well. As mentioned by Atri-ji and as pointed out by me.

In that sense putting the right wing label on Modi/BJP (same thing) is misleading when its own stated principles are moderately left of center from a western perspective.

In fact right/left wing labels should not be applied at all, but if they must be, BJP certainly is no more than moderately left of center. (More leftist than Democrats even I would say)

[Arjun]

And there are enough indicators to show a left wing orientation as well. As mentioned by Atri-ji and as pointed out by me.

In that sense putting the right wing label on Modi/BJP (same thing) is misleading when its own stated principles are moderately left of center from a western perspective.

In fact right/left wing labels should not be applied at all, but if they must be, BJP certainly is no more than moderately left of center. (More leftist than Democrats even I would say)

Which particular indicators and principles are these ? And I would be interested in your comparison with Democrats if you can take it to specifics.

Not in the mood to wade through a lot of Devanagari right now, so haven't spent time on the Antyodaya site.