29

Jan

Double Speak a Hallmark of Saffron Party Leaders

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Today’s Editon

New Delhi, 29 January 2024

Atul Cowshish

 

The brazenness with which Narendra Modi and leaders of his party indulge in doublespeak is unparalleled. How else do you square up the reality of systematic assault on dissent in the country while asserting that India is the ‘mother of democracy’? The prime minister declares that after the consecration of the Ram Temple at Ayodhya he has acquired ‘divine’ powers that are beyond the reach of ordinary humans, but he exhibits many human frailties like lack of compassion and disrespecting those he does not like.

The lofty words and expressions that the prime minister and his followers use in their speeches sound hollow when these words have often been found to be half-truths. Just the other day, a report, hidden by the pro-government media, said that India had become the top nation—‘Vishwaguru’—in circulation of fake news. No doubt, the government would have either dismissed it as a ‘conspiracy’ against India or blamed it all on the Opposition parties, which will be hard to believe when the government has armed itself powerfully to smother all unfavourable news, including fake news that target the ruling party.  

Let’s illustrate with a few examples. After conferring the nation’s highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, on Karpoori Thakur, Narendra Modi wrote an article in newspapers that paid glowing tributes to the sterling qualities of Karpoori Thakur’s simple life and dedication to the cause of social justice. In the process, he said he was inspired by his life!

Modi himself makes it a point to demonstrate to the world that he does not like to lead what Indians call ‘a simple life’. Modi lives in a big bungalow—actually two bungalows joined through a corridor--in the heart of Lutyens Delhi that has a mini zoo and plenty of greenery. But he is keen to move on to something bigger and grander—and more expensive that will be built near the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

In his article, Modi himself had referred to the fact that leaders who went to pay tributes to Karpoori Thakur after his death in 1988 were moved to discover that his ancestral home was so modest. According to an anecdote about him, Karpoori Thakur was never shy of wearing a torn Kurta—something that cannot be even imagined about Modi. There are plenty of stories that confirm that he believed in ‘simple living, high thinking’.

The award for Karpoori Thakur was no doubt given with political motives, to upstage those in the Opposition campaigning for social justice and enlarging the scope of affirmative action. It is rather rich of Modi to write about social justice when his party is not known to be too keen on reservations for the various backward communities. But the BJP or Modi swearing by the reservation policy of Karpoori Thakur looks shocking when considered in the background of the Jana Sangh (precursor of the BJP) consistently opposing and berating Thakur and even derailing his government in Bihar.  

Modi and a whole host of top BJP leadership habitually runs down the Opposition for wrecking proceedings in Parliament, describing it as an un-democratic practice. Public memory cannot be so short as to forget that the BJP, when in the Opposition, earnestly took to this practice, hailing it as an essential component of democracy!

For Modi or any other BJP leader to accuse the Opposition of un-parliamentary conduct or speech is hypocritical. In the last session of Parliament, one BJP member had created a record of sorts by hurling vulgar abuses at an Opposition member belonging to a minority community and instead of being upbraided, he was assigned by his party an important political task during the recently concluded assembly polls in Rajasthan.

It also needs to be added that on many occasions, it is the treasury benches that create ruckus in Parliament so as to help the government escape from facing awkward queries from the Opposition. At the root of the chaos is the government’s refusal to comment on subjects raised by the Opposition.

Blame this party or that party for political developments in Bihar, but two widely circulated statements of two important actors—Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar—also illustrate the shamelessness of indulging in doublespeak.

When Nitish Kumar had parted company with the BJP about a year and half ago to form the Mahagathbandhan government (that he has deserted now), he had said on camera that he would rather die than shake hands with the BJP again.

Amit Shah’s retort was equally strong. Raising his voice at a public rally, he had said that the doors of the BJP were ‘permanently’ closed for Nitish Kumar. Amit Shah can be quite brash when confronted with uncomfortable questions. At a Press conference he was asked about his reaction to the BJP admitting certain Opposition leader declared to be among the most corrupt. ‘Such questions are not asked,’ he said brusquely and added that he did not want to answer the question. The government cannot be grilled in the ‘mother of democracy’.

(Words 855)

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