INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The economics of the Sangh parivar and of Prime Minister Narendra Modi are not based on dogmas or ideology; the RSS is actually like a
rainbow coalition of all kinds of economic views
Modi takes his decisions based more on politics than economics, per se, argues Vinay Sitapati in this concluding part of this
interview.Everybody today tries to guess the deep rooted economic policy impulse, inclination and instinct of Narendra Modi
Some argue he is pro-free markets or pro-corporates
The farmer bill agitation currently hinges on it
You explore the evolution of RSS, the Jan Sangh and now BJP for hundred years
They do not have a fixed ideological view on it
Throughout its history Hindu nationalism has articulated so many different views of economics
You have free market supporters like Balraj Madhok and Dr
Subramanian Swamy as much as centrists like Vajpayee
It also included someone like Nanaji Deshmukh, whose personal honesty was peerless and who would raise funds from businessmen, including say
continued the economic direction that P.V
Narasimha Rao started.In essence, the Hindu nationalist ideology was around organising and uniting the Hindu society but had little view on
The Sangh looks at economics as a flexible tactical political issue, in which the quest for votes is more significant
certainly, but it is that state must play a role and it is crucial
A visceral Gandhian socialist view
These are in the ideological realm, with a long genealogy.Incidentally, they have no strong ideological view on foreign affairs either
Yes, there are vague assertions like Vasudeva Kutumbikam or a goal of becoming a Vishwa Guru, but they are not substantial
hard to defeat in elections?They win for many reasons, but a big one is teamwork and unity
This RSS teamwork is a response to the history lesson that Indians are terrible team players
They fight among themselves and split into factions
RSS uses this simple but deep insight to create organisational unity
The RSS has created in a sense a very un-Indian ideal of unifying Hindus, to habituate them into team work as an ideal
Even Veer Savarkar was an opinionated individual, whereas Hedgewar and Golwalkar were committed to the sangh above all
This is what I call Hindu fevicol, and it is a hard bond to break.Congress in that sense is typically Indian organisation
They fight it out in the open and sabotage their own larger cause for a pettier goal
Congress is not a uniquely nepotistic party but a typically Indian-minded family party
Every Indian wants to hand over their power to their son or daughter
in respectful awe but it is so unlike them
That sense of sacrifice is what puts Modi above others in the minds of common Indians.Talking of Gandhi, we can see a strand of commonality
Does this favour a Yogi Adityanath to inherit the mantle from Modi?It is a very powerful appealing idea, the old Hindu tradition of adopting
Our psyche puts those who accept the monastic life in position of reverence
This is the appeal of Yogi Adityanath also
It obscures many legitimate criticisms of his politics
RSS, Vajpayee was a moderate acceptable to all whereas Modi is a Loh Purush (iron man)
Did the incarceration in Emergency play a role in giving the BJP leaders like Advani and Vajpayee a different experiential perspective in
the issue of personal liberties?Yes, while Modi was underground in Gujarat during Emergency, Vajpayee and Advani (and a plethora of others),
developed a strong view about personal liberties because they were the worst victims of state atrocities during Emergency
The participation of Vajpayee-Advani in the Janata Party government and their later leadership of NDA shows they were willing to engage with
Modi has been electorally freed from the need for a coalition.Coming to Vajpayee and Advani, your jugalbandi book, how did their
relationship evolve?Advani began as a fan to the star Vajpayee
before him, had charisma and magic
He could mean different things to different people
Advani was also under-confident but he had other strengths
He was loyal, disciplined, always willing to make a self-sacrifice
He was for most part underrated
They were great friends too
They are the kind who would go watch Bollywood movies, cry over some scenes and eat pani puri on the roadside.Did Advani stick to Vajpayee
I wish we had spoken before writing the book
But to answer another question of yours, Advani, the rich scion was comfortable with jail life and never complained of difficulties whereas
No one would say that about Modi and Shah
Their jugalbandi is very different
Unlike Vajpayee or Advani, Modi and Shah have never served for a single day before taking power in 2014
They have no background of compromising with smaller and regional parties in Parliament
They were also not shaped by Partition or Emergency
They have been shaped by caste and religious politics in the Hindutva crucible of Gujarat
But the two jugalbandis share more than we imagine
All four of them are team players
