India Elections 2014 and beyond

In the analysis of the recent election scenario, one can see that no secularism being advocated against Modi, but only Hinduphobia. On the other hand there was no fight between “Hinduphobia” and an “India for everyone” as some analysts put it. 

The fact is that majority of Indian voters find a strong Personality in Modi, capable of leading India, not because of he is a Hindu ultra-nationalist but a strong personality. Indian Psyche, may be because of its ‘orientalist’ leaning, always looking for strong leaders than ideas.  This was true in the past elections with ‘landslide’ victories. The 1980 congress victory of more than 350 seats was mainly on Living Indira Gandhi where the 1984 victory of 415 seats was on Dead Indira Gandhi. 

This election was not really about ‘choosing between secularism and religious extremism as it was made out to be’

The issue of Hindu fundamentalism is different than it is in Christianity or Islam. It is true that even centuries before militant traditions existed within the Hindu fold, but these did not or cannot aspire to found Indian society on a set of Hindu doctrines or principles; mainly because of no single text, teachings, or body of law was considered central to the so called Hindu traditions.

In fact, when Christian or Muslim travelers, merchants and missionaries denounced the indigenous traditions as ‘false religion’ and preached conversion to ‘true religion’, it was an incomprehensive problem to the Indians.   The answer to the charges of falsity and idolatry was only that their ancestral traditions were very old and could not therefore be false. However, the content of this ‘principle’ has varied over time. Today, we can say that it exists as quest for a common set of principles around which all Hindus should unite and its advocates argue that Muslim and Christian minorities should also accept these.

Coming to Modi, it is a un- doubtful fact that he knows that the aspirations that have swept him to power must be satisfied, may be in part, because they could never be satisfied in full. And for the congress, a comeback has become almost impossible because for that they need to invent a towering personality equaling Shri. Narendra Modi.