6/2/2015

ModiandhisChakravyuhTheHindu

OPINIONCOMMENT

May20,2015

ModiandhisChakravyuh
PETERRONALDDESOUZA

Illustration:SatwikGade

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ModiandhisChakravyuhTheHindu

PeterRonalddeSouza
TheChakravyuhintheMahabharatawasasevenringed,impenetrablebattleformation.Inhisfirstyear,thePrimeMinisterhas
successfullybrokenthroughtwocircles.Buttherearefivemoretogo.
AbhimanyuwasinShubhadraswombwhenheheardLordKrishnarevealthesecretofhowtoentertheChakravyuha.Buthedidnotlearn
howtoexitit,andthatisthereasonwhyhewasfinallykilledinfiercebattleintheheartoftheenemysarmy.NotsoGandhiji,who
triumphedovertheChakravyuheffortlessly.Notonlywasheabletoenterandexititwithease,hedidsoatatimeandplaceofhischoosing,
dissolvingitwithahimsaandcreatingindependentIndia.
JawaharlalNehrulargelydesignedtheChakravyuhofthemodernIndianstate.EventhoughnotaseasilyasGandhiji,
hedidsucceedinenteringandexitingitdemocraticandsecularIndiawastheconsequence.IndiraGandhigot
trappedintheChakravyuh.LikeAbhimanyu,shegottothesixthcircle,butwasfelledbytheEmergencyand,
becomingincreasinglyauthoritarianandparanoid,foundthecirclesclosingaroundherandshesuccumbedtothe
arrowsfromenemiesbothimaginedandreal.
WecouldcontinuepreparingareportcardforallthePrimeMinistersandtheirChakravyuhasbutthecoming
anniversaryofModisfirstyearinofficeisanopportunitytospeculateonhischancesofsuccessfullynegotiatingthe
Chakravyuhaofgovernment.
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AbhimanyuheardKrishnasayingthatthetrickwastoattackanddestroythesoldierstotheleftandtotheright,sothatirrespectiveofwhich
waythecircleturned,onewouldbeabletoenterit.ThePrimeMinisterhasattackedthepoliticsontheLeftbutisnotquitedecisiveinhis
supportfortheeconomicpoliciesoftheRight.WhiletheLeftisrebellingagainsthissocialandculturalpolicies,theRightisbeginningto
grumblethatnothinghaschangedontheeconomicfront.'NothingischangedonthegroundsaidMr.DeepakParekh.
IntheMahabharata,theChakravyuhwasasevenspiralled,impenetrablebattleformation.LetusseewhatthesevencirclesofIndianpolity
are.
Thesevencircles
Attheoutermostseventhcircleisforeignpolicy.Thisisthecountrysinterfacewiththeworldtheneighbourhood,theregion,andthe
globalpoliticalandeconomicorder.Here,Mr.Modihasbeenthemosteffective,gainingtheattentionofdifferentinternationalpowergroups
andhavingthemcompeteforIndiasfriendship.FromgettingtheUNtodeclareInternationalYogaDayonJune21tohavingtheUS
PresidentasChiefGuestforRepublicDaytoestablishingaBRICSdevelopmentbanktolandswapswithBangladesh,Modihaspassedthe
firstcirclebyneutralisingtheLeftandignoringtheRight.ThereisadistinctNehruviantouchtohisforeignpolicy.
ThesecondcircletooMr.Modihasbeenabletopenetrate.Thisisbuildingapoliticalcoalitionforgovernance.Bywinningelectionswitha
singlepartymajorityandendingtheeraofcompromiseandcoalitionpoliticsandthenwinningseveralStateelections,Mr.Modihas
inauguratedanewphaseofdecisivenationalpolitics.Somepoliticalresistanceremains,fromwithinhispartyandwithout,butthesewont
stophimfromgoingthroughthiscircle.
HispenchantofconcentratingpowerinthePMOwhencollegialgovernanceisrequiredmaypresentdifficultiesduringthereturnjourney,
sincethefeedbackmechanismofpoliticsthatisrequiredtomanagesuchadiversepolitywillbeconsiderablyenfeebled,butthereislittle
doubtthatMr.Modihasbuiltapoliticalcoalitiontogivedomesticpoliticsadecisiveturn.Atthispointoftimeheislimitedonlybyhiswill
andhisimagination.
Mr.Modihasnowreachedthethirdcircletheinstrumentsofgovernance.Here,thestrugglehasjustbegun.Therearesomegoodpolicies,
suchasthePradhanMantriJanDhanYojana(bankaccounts),thePradhanMantriJeevanJyotiBimaYojana(lifeinsurance),thePradhan
MantriSurakshaBimaYojana(accidentinsurance),andtheAtalPensionYojana(pensionfortheunorganisedsector),butthesehavetobe
seenintandemwithplanstoreversethesocialimpactassessmentandconsentclauseoftheLandAcquisitionBill,thehastyenvironmental
clearances,andthenearzerointeractionwiththemediainIndia.Thus,someverygoodinitiativesthatarepeoplefriendly,withsome
questionabledecisionsthatarepeoplehostile.ItisunclearwhetherhismovestodefeatthewarriorsontheLeftwillbeassuccessfulasin
earliercircles.Equally,thewarriorsontheRightarevotingwiththeirfeet.CorporateIndiaisbeginningtospeakaboutadirectionless
economicpolicysteepedinhyperbole.Mr.Modismagicislosingitssheen.
ItisatthefourthcircletherespectfordemocraticandparliamentaryinstitutionsthatModisachievementsbegintolookthin.
Ordinancesarefrequentlyresortedto.InhisfortnightlylettertoChiefMinisters,Nehruwroteon16August1948,Nevertheless,(ordinances
are)adangerouspathtotreadandgovernmentsgetusedtoveryspecialmeasureswhichtheycannotdowithoutlater.Forus,withourpast
recordinregardtocivilliberty,thisisaparticularlydistastefulcourse.
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TheordinancehasbecomeMr.Modisinstrumentofchoicenotjustintheveryvisiblelandacquisitionissuebutalsowithrespecttohisdesire
togiveagovernmentjobtojustonesuperannuatedofficer.ThisemasculationofinstitutionscanbeseeninhisreturningtheSupreme
CourtcollegiumsrecommendationsforelevationtotheBenchofaneminentsenioradvocateinthegovernmentsdefenceofClause66Aof
theITAct,whichwasmercifullystruckdownbythecourtsorinkeepingimportantofficessuchasthatoftheChiefInformation
Commissionervacant.
Inthefourthcircle,Mr.Modiismakinglittleheadway.Itistooearlytodeterminewhetherhehasthecapabilitytostrengtheninstitutionsor
underminethemwithearlyevidencepointingtothelattertendencybutweneedanotheryeartofindout.
Therealtest
ItisinthefifthcirclethatMr.Modibeginstolosehiscapabilitytodetermineoutcomes.Thisisthecirclethatconcernsthepublicdiscourseof
apluralsocietythediscourserequiredtobuildamoderndemocraticstate.Enteringitrequiresinformedintervention,speechandactions
thatsupportandconsolidatethecriticaltemperrequiredbythehumanistaspirationsofamodernIndia.
Byhissilence,Mr.Modihasallowedtheregressiveelementsamonghissupporterstodeterminethetermsofpublicdiscourse.Whenthe
ChairmanoftheIndianCouncilofHistoricalResearchsaysthatWhatweteachtodayinschoolsandcollegeslacksbothmoralandmaterial
content,whichcouldmouldcharacterandconduct...OurhistoryisdeprivedofBharateeyata(Indianness)orwhentheRSSchiefsaysthat
MotherTeresasservicesweregovernedbyconversionmotives,Mr.Modihasremainedsilent,allowingpublicdiscoursetobedictatedbya
rabblerousingminority.
IfMr.Modigetsthroughthefivecirclesdescribedabove,therealtestwillbegininthesixth(politicalphilosophy)andseventh(personal
ethics)circles.OnecannotgovernapluralistcountrylikeIndiawithaphilosophycraftedinashakha.Atitscoremustbeacommitmentto
secularismandsocialjustice.PerhapsadifferentsecularismthanthepartisanonepractisedbytheCongress,butsecularismnonetheless.
Amajoritarianmindset,whichMr.Modiseemscomfortablewith,isunfairtoboththemajorityandtheminorityinthepopulation.Whatare
Mr.Modiscorebeliefs?Whatishisunderstandingoftherelationshipbetweencommunities?Whatstepsdoesheplanfortheempowerment
ofwomen?AndAdivasis?Howdoesheseedignityachievedinasocietyfissuredbycaste?Whatishisviewontheruleoflawevenifit
penaliseshisclosestadvisors?
Thesearenotidlequestions.TheyconstitutethesixthcirclewhereIndiraGandhifell.Then,Mr.Modiwillstillhavetofacetheseventhcircle
ofpersonalethicsbeforefinallyemergingtriumphant.
(PeterRonalddeSouzaisProfessor,CentrefortheStudyofDevelopingSocieties.Theviewsarepersonal.)

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