Let’s talk about the BJP – Bhartiya Janata Party. The so-called Center-Right political party of India. The custodian of Hindu rights in a non-militant way. BJP boasts of the largest support system in India, a backing system which is largely volunteer based. Which means that BJP doesn’t pay to get supporters. People who understand and esteem BJP’s philosophy support it. Such support is said to be unyielding and unbending. Right?
Wrong.
BJP has the worst supporters amongst all political parties.
BJP supporters are impatient, shallow and often incoherent. BJP appeals to the educated, tax paying, urbanized middle class. It doesn’t take a lot of fact finding to establish this truth. A cursory glance through various open/closed political Facebook groups infested with Political observers or WhatsApp broadcast lists or twitter threads or discussion forums should be sufficient. Supporters of BJP, most of whom become political commentators over time are found debating about why BJP needs to be kicked out of power? Yes, that’s right.
BJP Supporters hatch conspiracies to bring the downfall of their own favourite political party, supposedly to teach them a lesson. I have personally been a read only member of many such deliberations. One such discussion declared BJP a party of eunuchs because they weren’t doing anything for the Hindus of West Bengal. They completely ignored the fact that Law and Order is a state subject and the constitution of India doesn’t leave much margin for the government at the center to meddle in state affairs. The political commentators also tend to ignore the fact that the electorate of West Bengal has tried its best to keep the “Communal and Fascist forces:” at bay by siding with the Left for 33 years and then by swearing allegiance to Trinamool Congress. But BJP supporters want Modi to lay siege on Bengal and capture Mamata Banerjee.
In another discussion, one political commentator told me that BJP is playing safe by aligning with the elites. And this was reason enough to plot for its ruin. It was quite shocking for me because in my humble opinion this was the first government in the history of India that didn’t make any deals with the rich and mighty that constitute the all-powerful ‘Lutyen Elite Circle’. Modi’s very first project as the PM of India was cracking down on the NGOs and breaking the backs of the Elites. Even Vajpayee had to enter into a comfortable arrangement with the elites when he realized that the elites control the nation’s narrative. But the Non-English-speaking Modi never felt the need for an arrangement with the elites. Modi is anything but an elite appeaser. He connects with his voters directly. But no, the political commentators who are visibly and vocally BJP supporters believe that Modi is clinking scotch pegs in Delhi Drawing rooms with Lutyen Elites.
Ever since Donald Trump sat on what is considered to be the most powerful chair of the world, Desi Trump Fans have started likening every move of his with Modi’s and they realized that instead of a maverick doer that Trump is, they got a sad Dhimmi. Likening America and India is bizarre enough but likening Trump and Modi is an overstretch of the most unadulterated kind. Trump represents White Christians. Modi represents Hindus. Can Hindus and white Christians be likened? Hindus have always felt the need to look nonpartisan, secular and pure. And I am talking about the majority of it. So, a heterogenous mixture of warring castes that lacks the willpower to even mouth strong words expect their leader to issue Trump like diktats? The reality is that if Modi does even half of what Trump has done, Hindus will be the first ones to censure and criticize it.
A large number of BJP supporters are finance nerds too. When Finance geniuses like Surjit Bhalla called the budget futuristic and ‘game-changing’, BJP supporters went on to claim that the Budget is socialistic. I am no finance nerd but I fail to see even one new socialist invention by the BJP government. I found it pretty balanced.
Blind following must always be avoided because blind following can only create AAPTARDs and I consider them a social abomination. But over-curiosity must be avoided too. We got to realize that we have given the government an authorization to rule for 5 years and edginess is not going to help our cause. This remains a fact that Modi Government rekindled and fast-tracked an economy that was collapsing fast. BJP government initiated the historic land swap pact with Bangladesh that Congress could never even dream about. BJP Government restarted OROP that Congress had stopped. BJP Government gave Pakistan a befitting reply and made it a global pariah. BJP government showed the will to challenge institutionalized corruption by demonetising the highest denomination currency bills. And do google data about crackdown on Maoists, the findings will be liberating.
So, it is only just that the supporters show the respect that the government deserves. No PM will be happy leading a supporter group full of anxious and edgy people ready to jump onto the nearest boat on the slightest provocation.