Ever since Narendra Modi was declared the Prime Ministerial candidate of the BJP and opinion polls started hinting that he had an edge over others, his so-called critics turned into compulsive haters that they always were (but masqueraded as neutral commentators).
These haters fall into various groups and they could have different reasons to hate Modi – the common factor being an intense loathing for Hindutva – but now they have started hating India itself after Modi became the Prime Minister of the country.
That they would start hating India itself was indicated when many started issuing statements about them leaving India if Modi became the Prime Minister. The implicit message was “I will hate a country that is represented by Modi.”
And now they have started hating the country. Recent events confirm this development.
Consider these three major events in the last three months that would still be fresh in your memory:
1. Openly distrusting and attacking the navy and the coastguard of India when a rogue Pakistani boat sank in the Indian Ocean. The Modi haters were more vocal and passionate in supporting Pakistan than the Pakistani establishment itself. Pakistan never claimed that India killed its innocent citizens, but Modi haters painted India as a nation that carries out extrajudicial murders without any provocation.
2. The widespread cheering of Indian culture as “rape culture”. While no one can deny that a lot needs to be done for improving the condition and status of women in our society, calling Indian culture as “rape culture” was as hateful as it can get. Statistics show that rapes cases are higher and conviction in those cases are lower in many Western and developed countries (even if we factor in for underreporting of cases), still Modi haters cheered and clapped when India was painted as the global den of rapists.
3. Stupid wish to see India fare poorly at the Cricket World Cup. As per Modi haters, a World Cup victory will fuel “extreme nationalism” that could spoil Indian harmony. This is as ridiculous as it can get. On the contrary, Cricket is the only thing that unites Indians of all ethnic backgrounds together. When India wins, and people hug each other to celebrate, they don’t care for the religion and caste of fellow supporters. Wishing for defeat of India only shows how a person has started hating the idea called India.
And there are many more examples, e.g. commentators wishing for Modi’s “Make In India” campaign to fail. They are trying to convince everyone that India’s manufacturing dreams will fall flat in wake of competition from China. They are virtually praying that India fails and China progresses.
These events clearly prove that Modi haters are now India haters.
So what explains this? Well, their hate itself explains this transformation. Such a thing happens when a person hates someone or something beyond redemption. It is like ISIS hating “infidels”. ISIS hates everything about the infidels, so they genuinely don’t believe they are doing anything wrong when they destroy monuments or burn people alive.
Modi haters have similar hatred for him. Their hatred is intense and absolute; and thus they have started hating everything about Modi. And now that Modi is the Prime Minister of India, they hate India.
And they think, like the ISIS guys, that there is nothing wrong in what they are doing.
The question now is – can India survive this extreme hatred?
Can the idea of India survive these people who ironically claim to represent the idea of India?
