In a few days, Narendra Modi will complete three and a half years as Prime Minister of India. National and international leftist media has often painted him as a Hindu nationalist. However, apart from his intermittent public displays of personal religiosity, neither he nor any of his government colleagues has paid even a lip-service in favour of the Hindu cause.
On the other hand, sectarian schemes designed specifically to benefit only the non-Hindu population of the country initiated during the previous regime, such as scholarships, monetary gifts during weddings, etc., have continued unabated. Absence of demonstrable intent from Modi and his government to resolve any of the long pending demands of the Hindu community such as control over temples, freedom to run educational institutions, equal rights to propagate religion and non-interference of state in cultural matters has led to disenchantment in a section of the coalition that powered his march to New Delhi in 2014.
But if one moves away from emotion and assesses things objectively, it’ll be clear that we are living through a period of enduring transformation when seeds are being sown for a lasting Hindu renaissance in this country.
As much as we may hate it, there is no denying the fact that at this time point, a vast majority of Hindus in India do not have the option of being distracted by who controls the temples or whether you can burst crackers during Diwali.
I use the word “distracted” consciously. When you are preoccupied with being able to feed, clothe, shelter your family, afford water and electricity or put your kids through school, worrying about temples or festivals will seem a distraction. When you have to fight for every morsel, that is all you have the time for. What do you care for the survival of a civilization when your own survival is not guaranteed?
This is more so if you are born into a non-dogmatic religion that doesn’t require the you pray to, or even believe in, god. The leftists deciphered this very early into independence. They came up with the socialist planning to ensure that the cronies prospered while the masses continued to slog through their impoverished existence. To create a mirage of light at the end of tunnel, empty slogans like garibi-hatao (poverty eradication) were thrown around. This kept the Hindu masses distracted with hope of a better life; meanwhile they continued with enforcing their agenda – of destroying every institution that would remind Hindus of their civilizational glory and instill a sense of self-respect.
What Modi has been doing in these three and a half years is an attempt at undoing the leftist machinations of the last 7 decades. He is now laying the foundation for a glorious Hindu future that can not only resist social and political challenges but also withstand the test of time. He is creating an economic structure that will free the Hindu mind from being distracted with the fight for daily survival.
Be it the eradication of corruption, the tax reforms, the direct transfer of state benefits, promoting native manufacturing, every action of his government is aimed at creating an environment of economic security for the citizens. Once freed from the burden of securing one’s survival, the Hindu mind will certainly turn to securing matters of civilizational importance (I hope!).
Once our society reaches that stage, we will by default exert our power of numbers over politicians. We will not need to beg the political establishment for help. We will fund our own NGOs and supportive media outlets and mount legal battles. Once we start asserting ourselves, the establishment will bow and bend to our wishes.
Does that sound incredible?
Don’t take my word; just look at how the politicians from Congress party are bending over backwards to please the Rajput community over the issue of Padmavati movie. These fellows are naturally programmed to support anyone denigrating the Hindu history. But the current election in Gujarat and the upcoming one in Rajasthan have forced them to feign a respect for the Rajput history.
That is what Modi’s steps to eliminate corruption and formalize economy will do; instill economic security and free the Hindu mind to think about the larger issues of society, civilization and culture. An assertive Hindu society that is prepared to fight for respect and dignity will force a change in the establishment’s attitude.
I do concede that this might all be wishful thinking. Ensuring legal parity for Hindus and protecting the dignity of Hindu institutions may not be anywhere on Modi’s agenda. His attitude towards these issues could even be similar to that of the ‘sickular’ Congress politicians. However, there is no doubt that, by design or as an incidental consequence, Narendra Modi’s governance agenda will lead to a lasting Hindu renaissance in this country. And that is the reason I will continue to support and vote for Modi despite his inaction in ensuring constitutional equality for Hindus in India.
