Hindu politics in India has undergone a sea-change in the last ten years since Narendra Modi became the prime minister of India. 2014-2024 may therefore justifiably be remembered as the Modi decade or to use the favoured idiom of the times, Modi Kaal. How can we define and articulate this transformation?
I would suggest that it is the change from submissive and apologetic to defiant, even aggressive, Hinduism. We do not know what Modi 3.0 holds in store now that a hat trick for the “Hindu Hriday Samrat” (the emperor of Hindu hearts) seems almost a foregone conclusion.
At least two possibilities, diametrically opposite though they may be, emerge. Hindutva under Modi 3.0 will become even more strident and assertive. Unfinished agendas such as the restoration of remaining historic temples and control of shrines by Hindus, in addition to the repeal of the notorious Places of Worship Act, are perhaps already on the anvil.
These and more such items to tick mark in the Hindutva charter of demands, when carried out, will propel forward the already rapid acceleration of the juggernaut of the Hindu Rashtra. More importantly, given sufficient numbers either on its own or with alliances of expedience with a fragmented and broken opposition, Modi will push through constitutional amendments to turn India officially into a Hindu state.
Muslims and Christians, our principal non-Indic minorities, will be under greater pressure to conform to the majority and assimilate culturally. Else, they will be relegated to the status of de facto even if not de jure second-class citizens. The nation’s agenda as articulated in Veer Savarkar’s Hindutva and Guruji Golwalkar’s Bunch of Old Thoughts will be actualised and operationalised in the body politic.
With the opposition practically decimated, the Indian parliament will increasingly become an irrelevant institution instead of the vaunted and cherished “temple of democracy” that many eminent Indians have termed it. Instead, the Modi-Shah combine will rule a single party state with an iron fist, crushing all dissent and opposition.
If the firm grip of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the Indian state will only get more vice-like, what of civil society? Here the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) will rule the roost. The predication and motto, “Sangh Samaj Banega,” will become reality. The difference between state and civil society will be minimised to the point that it will practically be erased.
Very much like China. India’s “China-envy” will at last reach its logical conclusion. We will become its near twin or mirror-image. If Xi Jinping is the lifelong dictator of the Chinese empire, here it will be Modi as an elected king or monarch. If the Communist Party of China (CPC) owns the state and nation, here it will be the BJP-RSS. If China exists for and at the mercy of the CPC, India — sorry Bharat — will be beholden to BJP-RSS for its very existence. The latter will be able to shape and mould it as they please.
What of dissenting voices and those who do not appreciate the ruling regime or its controllers? They will be crushed, discarded, side-lined, or silenced. Worse, the atmosphere of fear will induce a voluntary self-censorship. Abject compliance to authority will become the second nature not only of our already weakened and spineless intelligentsia, but also of the populace at large.
The latter will be kept busy with “jumlas,” events and extravaganzas, massive infrastructure projects or religious monumentalism. After all, there is an endless number of great temples to be restored and rebuilt if Bharat is to regain its lost glory. What of development? Oh yes, aspirational India loves development. So that cannot be ignored. The efficient management of the economy and the resources of the country, combined with strategic populism and calibrated pacifiers will keep the poor from rebelling. The rich, of course, are already well-looked after and will only get richer.
Modi will retire from politics after his third term or even midway, to demonstrate how great a renouncer he is. If Modi does vacate the exalted office of the prime minister, that does not mean the country will no longer require his guidance. He may well oblige his worshippers to become the President of India. Why not? The people love him and do not want to see him go. No sannyas for him; he has too much still to do, although we cannot quote Jawaharlal Nehru’s favourite line from Robert Frost — “And miles to go before I sleep.”
If Modi does opt to renounce the prime ministership, he may very well instal Amit Shah in his place. One Gujarati succeeding the other will be so good for the nation. Or, keeping in mind the importance of Uttar Pradesh in the overall scheme of things, it will be Yogi Adityanath. What better for Hindutva politics than having a man of the saffron cloth as the head of government? The whole world will come to appreciate how Hindu rule exceeds all others.
The above—and more on the same lines—is one scenario.
The other, as I hinted earlier, is quite different. Modi will actually show his liberal and inclusive side. He will, in his moment of unchallenged triumph, reach out to Muslims, Christians, and other minorities to show how magnanimous and all-encompassing he himself and Hindutva can be. After all, how can we strive for Akhand Bharat — undivided and glorious Bharat — if we cannot be non-exclusive, egalitarian, and respectful of diversity?
Modi, mindful of his lasting legacy, will not want to be remembered as a despot or tyrant. Rather, he will want to invite comparisons with the all-time greats of India such as emperor Ashoka, Chhatrapati Shivaji, or Mahatma Gandhi.
But it is time to bring this speculation to an end. The truth is that only Modi knows what Modi wants or does. No one else. Time and time again, Modi has been famous for surprising critics and admirers alike.
It is therefore futile if not hazardous to second guess what he really has up his sleeve. The only thing that we can be hopeful of is that he will use his augmented power responsible and that the future of our great republic, indeed of our even grander civilisation, is safe in his hands.
Is there really an alternative, one might ask, any check to his unmitigated power and hold on nation? Yes, there is. It is Janata Janardan, the deity that is embodied in general populace—the praja which is always more powerful than the raja or ruler in a Dharmic state.
The writer is an author, columnist, and professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.
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