General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: The Indian Election of 2014 (informed ramblings) [View all]Vehl
(1,915 posts)Great write-up Laelth!
I might have to disagree on the term "center-right" applied to the NDA though.
They are pro big government, pro public education and pro investment in national infrastructure(eg: highways). As someone originally from that region of the world, I find that me and most of my friends of my generation (Millennial's) are pro NDA/AAP. Hardly anyone in my varied friends circle supports the congress. They are seen as utterly corrupt, and stuck in the 1950s. The way the Congress party seems to be approaching the election is virtually unchanged. They swoop in on their limos, make promises , give handouts to the poor and promptly vanish when the elections are over.
The Educated and the Youth of India have grown out of the "we need to be helped/need handouts" mentality. They now demand opportunity so they can help themselves. The biggest hurdles for India's development at this moment are corruption, the lack of investment in national infrastructure and lackluster funding for higher education. Unlike republicans, or Ronald Reagon; Modi is not against big government or taxes, nor is he pro big business. However Businesses do like him not because he supports less regulation, but because he has never been accused of corruption. If you are a young Indian entrepreneur, your chances of making it big are really slim under the current Congress government. The moment your endeavor starts making money, the local politician's goons would pay a visit, asking for their "cut". Want to bid for government tenders? forget it...unless you are willing to pay millions in bribes. The current election results are a window into the changes happening in India. Times have changed, and the congress lost because it did not keep up with the changes.
*storytime *
With Regards to the "Hindu Nationalism/Communalism" of the BJP, there is an interesting back-story. Often news media just parrots the "Hindu Nationalists" title without hinting at their origins or what they stand for. The BJP's origins can be traced back to Sarvarkar http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinayak_Damodar_Savarkar. He , along with Subash Chandra Bose http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subhas_Chandra_Bose were once members of the Indian national Congress; the parent party out of which the current congress party originated. However, Unlike Gandhi and Nehru, Bose and Sarvarkar were not fans of the non-violent struggle. They were pro nonviolent struggle early on, but decided that it is not worth it when the early non-violent protests were crushed by the British. Subhas Chandra Bose was the president of the Indian National Congress then.(And would have been the first PM of India had he stayed).
This resulted in a considerable segment of the members of the Indian freedom movement cutting their ties to the Indian national congress and forming their own parties. Subhas Chandra Bose would end up forming the formidable Indian National Army, and die fighting the British, and Sarvarka would lay the groundwork for the current BJP.
Naturally it would not be correct to claim that Sarvarkar was the sole originator of the core ideals of the party, but rather he was one of the most vocal proponents of it. And he was an Atheist. Yes...this is not something most people are aware of..and is not something the news media events hints at. The term "Hindu Nationalist" might configure up notions of some frenzied group of religious cultists frothing at their mouth at a chance to have a go at the religious minorities, however the "Hindu Nationalist" as defined by Sarvarka simply meant someone who considered himself the son of the soil.
The word "Hindu" is not of Indian origin. Its the bastardization of the word "Sindu" . Sindu is the name of a river on the northwestern part of India, and the Persians called those who lived around and to the east of the river the "H(S)indhus". S morphs to H in Persian. Sarvarkar's Hindu Nationalist is defined thus in his own words.(shamelessly copied from wiki yet again )
that People who live as children of a common motherland, adoring a common holyland
Scholars, historians and Indian politicians have been divided in their interpretation of Savarkar's ideas. A self-described atheist,[2] Savarkar regards being Hindu as a cultural and political identity. While often stressing social and community unity between Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains, Savarkar's notions of loyalty to the fatherland are seen as an implicit criticism of minorities e.g. Muslims, Christians, etc. who regard Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem, etc."
I digress. There were a huge number of Indians who supported the ideals of Subhash chandra bose, and Sarvarkar. They considered the path Gandhi took to be very demeaning and believed that freedom should not be begged in a non-violent manner, but fought for using any means. My grandfather, and great grandfather were supporters of the Indian national army, whereas some of their relatives supported Gandhi/Nehru. It was based solely on personal preference and not because one faction was considered more liberal and the other more religious.(Both my grandparents were Atheists).in fact both factions were (and are) very liberal and are hardly different when it comes to social issues; even to this day.
Modi, was a child laborer (as a child,sold tea to support his family),is from one of the "lowest castes" and had neither money nor dynastic power. The Opposing candidate is the scion of the ruling dynasty, was born with a silver spoon and belongs to the "highest" caste. While Modi is not perfect, he sure is way better than what the opposition has to offer...and his story is one of the unlikeliest stories in India.
A former child laborer getting elected as the Prime Minister of a Billion people? This is indeed a proud moment for Indian democracy, and a testament to how far it has come in the past 65 years.
PS:
I created a thread on Bose a couple of years back, in case anyone is interested in checking it out
Divergent paths to the same goal, Gandhi and Bose
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9244480