YES, PRIME MINISTER…
20-9-2014 1.05PM IST
Medhaj News: Narendra Modi breaking down in Parliament during his first speech in the new Parliament
It has happened.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a changed man.
How and why is a topic of debate about which there will be reams and reams of analysis…
But for now, what is apparent came through in an interview given to Fareed Zakariya by the Prime Minister.
To be telecast on CNN tomorrow, Sunday, this interview is a milestone.
At one point, Fareed Zakaria asks the PM about Al Qaeda's intentions in India and the appeal to Indian Muslims issued by the organization.
The PM replies that Indian Muslims are patriots, they can give their lives for the nation and they will never respond to appeals made by a terrorist organization.
I quote in full:
"Indian Muslims will live for India--they will die for India--they will not want anything bad for India”.
“My understanding is that they (Al Qaeda) are doing injustice towards Muslims of our country”.
“If anyone thinks Indian Muslims will dance to their tune, they are delusional".
On Al Qaeda, the Prime Minister further said that "I am not the authority for doing a psychological and religious analysis on this. But the question is whether or not humanity should be defended in the world. Whether or not believers in humanity should unite”. “This is a crisis against humanity, not one country or race. So we have to frame this as a fight between humanity and inhumanity. Nothing else."
Responding to Prime Minister’s comments, Mehmood Madani general secretary of Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind said “This is a very good statement he (Modi) has made and should be appreciated without any reservations. There should not be any politics in that…”
Zafarul Islam Khan, President of the All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarrat said that “we welcome PM Modi’s statement that an Indian Muslim will never support a terrorist organization like Al Qaeda. We are happy that he has read the Muslim community’s mood and resolve correctly.”
The PM’s statement should be framed against the background of by-poll results which saw the BJP taking a heavy beating because of anti-Muslim statements made by local BJP leaders and right-wing elements, especially the `Love-Jihad’ allegations.
While sticking to communal statements, local BJP leaders failed to highlight pro-development achievements of the PM, on which he got the historic mandate to rule India for five years in May 2014.
The PM has spoken decisively against communal, right wing elements not only of his own party, but wider Indian society as well. He has condemned Islamophobia.
Before 2014 elections, Narendra Modi was seen by Muslims and secular forces as the man responsible for Gujarat 2002 riots and several anti-Muslim comments.
But since coming to power, the PM has preferred embracing the vast diversity and pluralism of India, striking an inclusive, nationalist position.
Congress, the `official’ secular party of India, while seen as being pro-Muslim, never gave anti-Islamophobic statements of the kind Narendra Modi is issuing forth…
We should also remember what Abraham Lincoln said: “any man can fight against adversity, but to test a man, give him power”!
In power, Narendra Modi has surprised and outmaneuvered his opponents both within and outside the BJP while projecting a non-partisan image, distancing himself completely from the hard-right wing image he held previously; since the time he broke down in the Parliament during his first speech after assuming power, Modi has shown a rare compassion, missing in Indian politics.
Indian Muslims like leaders who while being proud of their religion Sanatan Dharma (Hinduism), reach out and embrace minorities. With a Sikh PM, a hesitant Party President of Christian origin, and a Vice-President who was unable to shed off his soft-boy/anglicized image, the previous Congress led Government was unable to meet up either with expectations of the minorities or the secular aspirations of the majority.
This shift is likely to have monumental implications; India voted in favour of Palestine rather than US-Israel on the Gaza war, and India did not sign the WTO agreement to protect national, pro-peasant interests.
If in power, Congress would also have made the first move.
But it is doubtful whether pro-liberalization, pro-US, right wing forces dominant in the Congress would have made the second…
Modi’s position of trying to build bridges with Russia and China are also being read as his desire to follow the aligned path in foreign policy, maintaining good ties with the US but not being seen in the US `camp’.
Amaresh Misra
Editor-in-Chief,
Medhaj News