After an extremely diffident and dilatory Manmohan SIngh whose allegiance was more to a decadent family than to the country and its constitution, the people foisted to power, Modi, a diametrical opposite. Self assured and unapologetic about his roots, and with no family to fend for, he rose like a phoenix and gave the nation a sense of confidence that it perhaps was longing for.
While his electoral demagoguery was unabated, a calibrated dispersion of statistical content in his speeches made him stand tall in front of contenders like Rahul Gandhi, who were still using the old guard's - Dig Vijay Singh - rhetoric to connect with a youth that had since moved on.
In stark contrast to a matronly Sonia, whom it took many decades to even accept Indian citizenship, who had made silence a virtue, who scripted a model that divorced accountability from power, Modi was a man who in a presidential style campaign profusely pledged to take back India to its golden era; he would chest beat to showcase the green shoots of his model in his home state of Gujarat.
A savvy politician, who recognised that perception of performance was as critical as performance itself, Modi took extra care of the optics. Prostrating before stairs leading to the Parliament or addressing POTUS with his first name, all went into defining what he was and stood for. He was poised to lead India on the path of economic vitality, political resurgence and international stature.
His message was loud and clear. His ascendancy would mark the end of decades of plundering and looting of the country by either siphoning off the tax payers money, or conceiving convoluted schemes, which although would pass without demur an accountant’s scrutiny, but fail miserably in the test of ethicality - like the land grab of Vadra, or the National Herald Case for the Congress.
And all these promises he made with an air of Hindu resurgence without any overt reference to it. And it is never difficult to make that, as Hinduism is not a dogma and does not ordain its exponents to interfere, regulate or dominate any other religion, faith or school of thought.
In a majoritarian Hindu country, which though partitioned on religious lines, yet chose to stay secular, where it had become fashionable to appear modern at the cost of tradition, and was led by darned apologists, an overnight shift to Modiism was a transition with its own complexities.
Besides, a perpetually hostile neighbour - Pakistan - upped the ante in Kashmir which further spiked the surging saffron nationalism.
As a consequence of all this, lot of rowdy elements, like advocate Chauhan, till date marginalised under the erstwhile regime of the apologists’ joined what they believed was the ideological mainstream by asserting their nationalism. Prime time TV programs - the contemporary pulpits of society - started streaming a brand of jingoistic nationalism.
While Ma Bharti convalesced under corruption, poor health of its women, under nourishment of infants and joblessness of its youths, the chant “Bharat Mata ki Jai” became the new litmus test of nationalism to which this rowdy fringe started subjecting others.
There is a growing crop of people who proclaim to be more nationalist that others because they are willing to chant Bharat Mata Ki Jai. A lot of such people are residing abroad and from their comforts of their homes incite passions in India. They upload provocative video and try to pontificate to you on nationalism, when they have themselves left the country for a better life overseas.
Ma Bharti is venerable, and is the underlying soul of Indianness. Its a call for nationhood from times when the concept of nationhood was not even born in the western world. But the stage at which the country is, it would be better if nationalism would be tested by ones deeds and the contribution that he makes to the nation and opportunity of personal growth that a person forsakes for a social cause.
Despite having acquired the best education, one is still willing go return to his mofussil town or village to impart education
Despite being a great doctor , one is willing to forsake crores to serve teeming million who lack access to primary health care
Despite being a great actor, one does a social cause commercial like Polio eradication or of Dengue or on the girl child free of cost
One declines positions of political importance because he knows there are others who can contribute more than him in that role
One pays his taxes with honesty
One waits at a traffic signal even when there is no cop on the other side to fine him
One stops to clear the litter of person who was walking ahead of him
A bureaucrat forgoes a sight seeing tour during an over seas trip and works over night to make a good presentation about his country at an international forum and brings back a qualification or membership that would hold his country in good stead.
Corporates vie to bring best quality products and work ethos to be called world class in their respective segments
People ask their representatives if they are working in interest of the people
All of the above is a better test of Nationalism than merely chanting Bharat Mata Ki Jai
That there is no gain saying the fact that Vande Mataram or Bharat Mata Ki Jai of course should be a given for any one of us and not a test.
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