Since 1947 as the British left and Indian acquired Independence, politics has mainly centered around the Congress party, who ruled the country for a total 52 years with the odd interval. It was a dominance that waned in 2014 and the 2019 results officially ended it. Now the people and electorate has placed BJP at the center as the new national party.
At the center of BJP stands irreplaceable Narendra Modi. A man who made a synthesis of Hindu ideology and development. With Modi and BJP now securely affirming their place, Indian political history is sure to shed its status quo.
A leader India was waiting for. A leader – whom millions see as a ‘messiah’ – who can perhaps solve all their problems.
A leader – who cannot be wrong even for taking away their legitimate currency notes; and a leader who will unleash the true economic potential of the world’s largest democracy.
Many unhesitatingly laud his image of a mystic Indian – a yogic in meditation but yet someone who connects so well via video conferences and Twitter.
He is also a leader who says that the country of about 22 per cent poor people can embrace an imaginative world of ‘Digital India’.
2019 in Review: Youths & minorities finally challenge ‘Moditva’
New Delhi, Dec 30 First time in years the religious minorities especially Muslims are flexing muscles – literally.
'Moditva' as a political phenomenon and with combined magic of pro-Hindutva tilt and push for development as a catalyst looked invincible.
Empowered by sympathetic support of youths in general and students in universities and of course the opposition parties against the newly enacted CAA, the minorities have able to take the battle into the rival camp – the so called ‘Hindu-nationalist zealotry’.
“For me as a youth and as a tribal from north east, we are against immigrants. But we want a government that will not focus on promoting one religion and work against others,” said a Naga youth Neingulie Sakhrie during anti-CAA noisy protest of December 15 in the capital.
The anguish of youths getting onto the streets have transformed Indian politics more than once in the past.
The JP movement also rested heavily on youth power, so was the anti-Mandal Commission protest during V P Singh’s tenure.
Similarly, the youths played a pivotal role in 2011 Anna Hazare-led Lok Pal movement against corruption – which BJP somehow benefited in 2014.
But Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s re-election in 2019 had bolstered fringe factions of his political base.
There was already apprehension about protecting plurality in India. Since 2014, episodes like mob lynching against cattle meat sale and movement against ‘Love Jihad’ made news. But in a historic mandate, Mr Modi and his party were given a second term with more number of Lok Sabha seats to run the world's largest democracy.
Mr Modi also became the first prime minister since 1971 to return to power with an absolute majority.
Things looked too good for BJP till the opposition to the CAA gained momentum.
Another vocal refrain from protestors has been that the Modi government has tried to push the line that Muslims are ‘not patriotic enough’ and they must be taught a lesson through CAA and NRC.
Such an attitude is not acceptable, they screamed.
Now, the virtual challenge to the ‘Moditva phenomenon’ has forced the BJP leadership to go back to the table to redraw it campaign strategy especially on social network.
The fact that the BJP has been put on back foot is proved as no less than Prime Minister himself has been forced to reach out to the ‘restless’ youths and also use the hashtag ‘IndiaSupportsCAA’ on Twitter.
On December 29 Mann-Ki-Baat radio broadcast Prime Minister tried to strike an emotional chord with the generation next and said the country's youth detests “anarchy of any sort”.
Later in the evening hours, Prime Minister in a tweet wrote: “What is certain is that the coming decade will see those born in the 21st century playing a key role in national progress".
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