The Modi stalking episode has highlighted the main problem with the defense put up by those who support him. Apparently no one is interested in denying it or saying that the tapes are fake. That’s usually the standard response of politicians – say it’s a forgery, that the footage is doctored, that it never happened etc. But this case is unique.
The defense of Modi has consisted entirely of pointing fingers at others. The motives of the Congress, how the Congress got away with worse, how they looted India for decades and so on and so forth. People who make these statements are missing the point.
For one thing, not everyone who opposes Modi is a supporter of the Congress or the UPA. It might seem hard to imagine that your pet boy is not adored by everyone. You may find it easy to believe that anyone who doesn’t support Modi is a Congress stooge, or wants to maintain the status quo. This is just a friendly wake up call. There are many of us on the fence. Many of us who aren’t sure about who to vote for (if anyone). There are those of us, like myself, who have repeatedly blasted the Congress for its misdeeds in various sectors, but haven’t decided to vote for Modi yet.
So don’t preach to the choir. Those of us on the fence already know about how terrible the Congress is. You’re not gaining anything. Quite the contrary, you’re making things worse by essentially stating that you have no defense other than to point fingers at other people. If your intention is to win over people like me who are just waiting to be sold on an alternative to the Congress/UPA, then you’d better start coming up with better reasons for why I should vote for your boy.
Now that the Supreme Court has allowed the NOTA (None of the Above) option, I am under no obligation to vote either for Congress or for your side. I’m willing to be convinced, but you have to do the job of convincing me! I don’t want a PM who misuses state resources to settle personal scores. You’re not helping by talking about how bad the Congress is and that it’s political vendetta etc. The main question…is it true? If so, is there a justification for it?
So don’t fall into the trap of assuming that everyone who doesn’t support Modi is an automatic votary of his opposition. If I find my choice to be between a piece of shit and a pile of vomit, I will choose neither. But I desperately want a good solution for India. And I’m waiting to be convinced. But pointing fingers at the other person is not the way to do it.
You are not on the fence, my friend. Don’t pretend. We know a bleeding heart jihadi when we see one… Someone like you who thinks “Islamic terror in India is a complete myth” will never vote BJP. We know you are Congress lovers. Yes, you are a little ashamed to admit it these days, but thats about it :)
In reply to Abhishek
Sure, sure. And here I thought you were interested in a serious discussion. Strange as it may seem to you, it’s perfectly possible for me to believe that Islamic terror is a myth and still not vote for the congress. Which of course is not the same thing as being pro BJP, but I’m willing to be convinced.
Still, I won’t write you off just yet. Maybe you are interested in a genuine serious discussion. But I must say that so far you’re not coming across in that light. You’ve made some reasonable comments in the past and that’s why I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt.
But please, if a reasonable unbiased debate doesn’t appeal to you then I’m not sure that this is the best place for you to comment.
In reply to bhagwad
Here is what I said:
“Someone like you who thinks “Islamic terror in India is a complete myth” will never vote BJP. ”
Here is what you wrote back:
“Strange as it may seem to you, it’s perfectly possible for me to believe that Islamic terror is a myth and still not vote for the congress. ”
You seem to be falling prey to the same BJP-Cong dichotomy you are objecting to. I am ready to believe you wont vote Congress. But I am not ready to believe you will vote BJP :) Under any circumstances…ever.
In reply to Abhishek
If you believe I won’t vote for the congress, then what is the need to talk about congress scams etc?
This might surprise you, but before this whole snooping thing I actually was leaning towards the BJP. Now you can call me a liar which is your prerogative and there’s nothing I can do about it. But it doesn’t change the truth.
Modi seems like the symptom of the socialist illness as well in India. He is somewhat authoritarian. The fact that the Indian way of life/constitution is so supportive of socialist ideals kind of makes me believe Modi and the BJP are just products of that, but I could be wrong.
India’s socialism has gotten so ridiculous, you end up with BJP extremists who believe in Nazi-era nationalism and attempts to control EVERY ASPECT of people’s lives.
If you want secularism, don’t have your cake and eat it too.
In reply to Western Point of View
I often feel we Indians got a better Constitution than we deserve.
In reply to bhagwad
On the contrary, I believe, a better constitution would have made a better India. If we ended up lost, it is because we started in the wrong direction. A simple labor laws change, would make our manufacturing so much more competitive. We cannot because our constitution assumes poor/minorities/gangs/groups have different/more/enhanced rights. If the running theme of the document is to sacrifice-few-for-the-sake-of-larger-good, then we end up where we are. If Individual-rights-at-any-cost was the theme, then we would have been elsewhere. People will take advantage of fractures/loopholes/biases in society. The job of the constitution was not to make it possible.
In reply to Murali
True. There are many glaring faults. But there are also many good points that I feel we Indians often fail to appreciate.
In reply to bhagwad
I totally agree that our constitution has many good points. For its times, the document is amazingly modern (even to this day). On hindsight we may find many issues, but when the job was to create a constitution for a would-be billion people in 1940’s, I am impressed & awed by the wisdom & forethought that went into it.
Today’s world is an result of that, both good and bad. I just wanted to put the horse before the cart.
In reply to bhagwad
The constitution itself may be good, however even the COnstitution in India leans toward socialistic tendencies. India’s constitution has a pretty strong grip over lifestyle and the market and no government should be involved in either (if it is a secular government, religious governments have every right to do so).
The thing is also, Indians have become accustomed to the sense of entitlement. Indians believe that all of their products should be subsidized, the state should run everything and not private citizens, people shouldn’t have to think but the government should etc.
It isn’t all the people’s fault nor is it all the government’s fault. It is mere circumstance. India should realize (and so should the US) that all the government needs to do (in a secular society) is to regulate life, liberty and property. Let everyone and everything else fend for them/itself.
Snoopgate – Modi’s Voyeurism.