Politic: Modi and the Craft of Selective Silence

Prime minister Narendra Modi responds with alacrity when the American president Donald Trump announces the “peace deal” for Gaza. But Modi ignores Trump’s outrageous claim about his assurance on purchase of Russian oil. He had more or less sealed his lips when Trump’s ceaseless chatter on the American role in stopping the India-Pakistan war created a political storm in domestic politics. He remained silent when Indians, chained and humiliated, were sent home in military planes. Isn’t Modi animated by national interest? His “India-first” slogan is crying for substance and validation.

Trump, affectionately hailed as “my friend Donald” by Modi, has rubbed salt on India’s wounds by his extraordinary admiration for Pakistani Field Marshal Asim Munir, whose toxic views on religious animosity should have alarmed the world. Modi ignored that as well. Does the selective communication, and silence, betray signs of political, or personal, compulsion? Doubts emerge because Modi refused to talk about Chinese encroachment in Ladakh after being effusive on his friendship with Xi Jinping. Instead, he gave that infamous dialogue: “Na koi ghusa hai…”

These gutless traits scarcely define robust leadership. A strong prime minister will speak in national interest irrespective of situations and consequences, political or personal. A strong prime minister will boldly face scrutiny to remove doubts over his probity if serious charges are made, instead of going to courts to block investigations. A strong prime minister will address press conferences across the world and honestly answer questions instead of suppressing them. Modi, whose confidence is bolstered by tele-prompters, should introspect whether credentials of robust leadership can be constantly refurbished by deception and escapism.

Above all, a strong prime minister will protect India’s distinguished moral position on international conflicts. After unseemly vacillations in voting on Gaza genocide at the United Nations on several occasions, India should have clearly articulated its views on the Trump peace plan. We are too important a country to toe the US-Israel line. We should have emphasised that Benjamin Netanyahu’s genocidal rampage cannot be erased from memory. India should have outlined its views on reconstruction of Gaza, the fate of Palestinian state and Israeli occupation. Trump’s boastful declarations cannot be taken at face value. Any leader who showers “love” on Netanyahu cannot be blindly trusted on peace initiatives. The world has seen the disastrous outcomes of American misadventures for “promotion of democracy” across the world both before and after the Cold War. Never forget that Nazi Germany too was on a “historic mission” to save the world from annihilation. In these wretched times, India could indeed have played a critical role as a peace-maker if our leadership pursued the path shown by Gandhi and Nehru.

Clues from Bihar

“Gaddha bhar chuka hai (the ditches have been filled),” Union home minister Amit Shah proudly declared. So, the government hawking pretensions of becoming the “Vishwaguru” is delighted because the ditch has been filled. “Fifteen years gone in filling the ditch,” he thundered, conceding that the process of real development will start over the next five years. Now is the time to build the castle, Shah insisted, addressing a meeting in Patna on October 17. One of the biggest states of the country is in such a miserable plight, where real development is yet to begin, when the national dream of becoming the global leader, by defeating America, China, France, Japan, Germany, and so on was about to be fulfilled!

Nothing mirrors ground reality better than electoral discourse. Shah said villages of Bihar had got toilets, roads and electricity and the next five years will see rapid industrialisation. He said Bihar’s development will trigger development of the East. Does that mean the entire eastern India is waiting for real development? How many more decades will be required in becoming really developed? The speed of work is phenomenal; AIIMS for Darbhanga was first announced in the 2015 budget and not much is visible in 2025. It is another matter that both the prime minister and the home minister have said AIIMS is ready in Darbhanga. What’s treated there except the tendency to lie is not known.

The same day, chief minister Nitish Kumar also addressed a public rally in Jagdishpur. Apart from creating fear of “Jungle Raj” that apparently prevailed when Lalu Prasad ruled, he too gave details of electricity and roads in villages, appointment of teachers and basic facilities in primary health centres. He also talked about boundary walls of cremation grounds, bridges and technical colleges. It is not difficult to guess whether such achievements in 20 years as chief minister are laudable or not. “Pahle kucch tha ji (there was something before),” he lamented, as if Bihar is duty-bound to sustain the rulers’ political ambitions because they filled the ditch in two decades.

A professor, who passionately supports BJP, defended the incumbent regime saying, “Rs 10,000 given to women is a great move because millions of women here don’t earn even Rs 10,000 in a year.” The country where people don’t earn Rs 10,000 in a year is dancing to the Vishwaguru music! While some states are developed, Bihar is an agonizing saga of socio-economic adversity, grappling with shocking demographic indicators in both urban and rural areas. Let’s take the infant mortality rate for example. In Kerala, five children died per 1000 births in 2023. In Bihar, the number was 38. Per capita income in Bihar is Rs 43,000 whereas it is Rs 2.6 lakh in Kerala.

Bihar needs a radical overhaul of education and healthcare infrastructure, apart from heavy investment in horticulture and industry. Hope the prime minister attempts to reignite the confidence that Bihar has lost, setting a constructive agenda instead of wasting time on mangalsutra, bhains and mujra. Bihar needs big vision and sincere commitment for transformation, not diversionary ploys and deceptive tricks. Both Modi and Shah have begun on a distressing note, harping on the non-existent “infiltration” crisis. Shah said the other day, “Rahul Gandhi doesn’t have any agenda; he took out a ghuspaithiya bachao yatra (save the infiltrator rally).”

Bihar can do without lies. Rahul’s yatra was aimed at highlighting “Vote Chori”. A leader who can’t identify the real problem can’t provide genuine solutions.

Redefine democracy

You run into “educated” people every now and then who feel exasperated at oppositional politics, wondering how elected governments can be questioned or challenged at every stage. They insist democracy means rule by majority and that should be respected. They all nurse a special grudge against Rahul Gandhi who doesn’t spare the Modi government on any issue and goes so far as to criticise “India” on foreign soil. While the media’s shameless alignment with the BJP and intellectual bankruptcy of famous TV anchors have deepened the crisis, opposition leaders’ inability to effectively communicate with the masses have also allowed misconceptions to flourish.

These “educated” people have conveniently forgotten that the BJP too was in opposition and built its career abusing every prime minister. Now they can’t tolerate any opposition. However, patient conversations with these people help in demolishing bogus presumptions – many still recognise and understand the value of democracy.

Another distressing myth is that criticising rulers is anti-national. Patriotism doesn’t entail closure of critical faculties. The ruler is not the nation. Nothing has vitiated the understanding of democracy more than the bogus maxim: of the people, by the people and for the people. Democracy is about the protection of the critic and the dissenter. We see chief ministers and ministers display a pathetic understanding of democracy. They are always itching to dance on the grave of contrarian views and read electoral victory as the license to thrust their opinion upon everybody. They will emphatically ask: How dare you defy the elected government? Munir Niyazi’s lovely couplet flits through the mind: Kisi ko apne amal ka hisab kya dete/Sawal saare galat the jawab kya dete?”

Sanjay K. Jha is a political commentator.

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