Harping on development to hide heinous crimes

This article is a rejoinder to the “analysis” of Francois Gautier, published in DNA on May 6, 2011.

To begin with, the timing of the “analysis” is surprising, coming as it is a day after the Supreme Court directed the amicus curiae to have an independent look into the investigations done by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) and report if he finds out that an offence is made out against any person (read Narendra Modi). The so-called analysis is a failed attempt of the Gujarat riots and seeks to project Modi as an innocent victim of national politics and is part of a smear campaign to deflect attention from his role in the communal riots.

The tenor is in the garb of addressing corruption through allegations of “killing the Lokpal movement”. Gautier hastily points out how prominent and tireless civil rights activists and outspoken cops have been used by Sonia Gandhi to further her cause because she intends to protect her son, Rahul Gandhi, from the political onslaught she apprehends from Narendra Modi. Nothing could be more preposterous than this belief.

First, Gautier presumes Modi will be PM of India some day. Ask Nitish Kumar, Navin Patnaik, N Chandrababu Naidu if they would support a BJP government at the Centre with Modi at the helm? Ask the BJP why they lost the 2004 Lok Sabha elections? Ask the BJP poll managers how many seats were won by their party in 2009 where Modi campaigned? The answer would be quite disappointing. In the 2009 LS elections, Modi struggled to win more than half the seats in Gujarat. Modi is just not there on the radar of either Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi; their goal is to work for a secular India. Sonia and Rahul have a stature of their own, which does not get affected by people like Modi.

Gautier mentions that Modi’s effort and claims of a corruption-free state attracted top industrialists of the country, including the Tatas! Corruption is a much larger concept than merely the giving or taking of money for doing or refraining from doing a particular act. Doling out a favour against established rules of propriety, without money coming into play, is as much a case of corruption. Clearing of the “Nano” project against all existing rules is a ready exhibition of corruption. Resorting to an illegal act to establish ones credentials without the exchange of money is also corruption.

Gautier has eulogised Modi for his developmental role with the intention of confusing the public on Modi’s nefarious role during the Gujarat pogrom of 2002. In the interest of the country, it is very important that people like Modi do not find support for their acts that led to the killings of hundreds of people of a particular community besides damaging their psyches permanently. History has been witness to people taking recourse to the politics of development only to conceal their heinous crimes.

Every function that Modi attends is accompanied with aggressive publicity. There probably is no road in Gujarat where you won’t find his massive posters. The ‘Vibrant Gujarat’ summit is presented as the greatest economic spectacle on earth, never mind that only a quarter of it materialises. Every government scheme is in the name of Modi. Every statement that he makes presents the image of a united Gujarat - a Gujarat for the protection of whose interests he is the custodian. And whenever people point a finger at his role in the communal pogrom of 2002, he tries to water it down in the name of “Gujarati asmita” and “Jealousy over the development of Gujarat” or biased activists!

It is these development issues that Modi uses to divert attention from allegations of his involvement in the post-Godhra riots. And, in such an atmosphere, praise from someone of Anna Hazare’s standing provides him additional support to distract public attention. Anna Hazare mentioned both Nitish Kumar and Modi. Yet, Nitish Kumar did not try to gain mileage by writing an open letter to Anna Hazare, but Modi did.

orruption and development are important issues for India, but are only a small sub-set of what we all should strive for - human life, liberty and dignity! Gautier’s analysis should be understood in this backdrop as yet another effort to promote an unscrupulous person and his ugly ideals much against the ideals cherished by the people of India. We are a land of great Indians where we all aim to sow the seeds of good and we all shall reap the benefits. We have to recognize the weeds.