China is a little wary of Modi the nationalist, says Simon Denyer, author of 'Rogue Elephant'

Simon Denyer's book Rogue Elephant released in March 2014 to critical acclaim. The book assessed Indian democracy by clinically analysing Indian politics, politicians, as well as public protests. 

Having previously worked in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan and as The Washington Post's bureau chief in India, he is currently the newspaper's bureau chief in China. In an email interview, Denyer speaks about books, Narendra Modi's governance and press freedom, apart from commenting on the state of Indian politics. 

What are your 5 must read books on India? 

1) India After Gandhi, by Ramachandra Guha.
2) Freedom at Midnight, Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre
3) Being Indian, Pavan Varma
4) The Land of Naked People, Madhusree Mukerjee
5) The Meadow. Kashmir 1995 - Where the Terror Began, Adrian Levy and Cathy Scott-Clark

and if I am allowed a sixth– Maximum City: Bombay Lost & Found, by Suketu Mehta.

In your book, you refer to the issues of law and order– especially regarding safety of women. How important is this aspect in forming the India narrative for readers outside India?

The Delhi gang-rape appalled people all over the world and had a profound effect on India's image abroad. Now if you talk to women in China or the West about travelling to India, their first question is whether the country is safe, and whether they will be constantly hassled by men. In my book, I outline the hope that India is waking up to the problem, but, judging by the constant stream of cases in the news, there is a huge amount still to be done. I hope the new government takes this issue seriously, because it is vitally important in the nation., for every Indian, every man and every woman.

India has been called as a "functioning anarchy" in the past. Is that why you decided to call your book Rogue Elephant?

I believe Indian democracy is tremendously powerful -- just like an elephant, it can achieve a huge amount if its power is harnessed properly. But the elephant has not been tamed -- many of the institutions that form India's democracy are not functioning effectively. As a result, democracy does not always propel India forward in a straight line. Like a rogue elephant, it is powerful but somewhat chaotic in its behaviour! It's only a very rough analogy of course, and a simplification. But I think you are now seeing the power of democracy in action. Modi has harnessed the power of Indians' aspirations for growth and governance -- in a sense he has begun to harness the power of democracy.

 
In your book, you talk about the fact that parliament had become dysfunctional towards the end of UPA 2. Given the scenes that have unfolded in Parliament in the current session – do you still see this as being an issue?

This will always be an issue to watch. As I said in the book, some simple reforms would help parliament function much more effectively, and create fewer incentives for the opposition to adopt disruptive tactics. That remains true. However, in a democracy, the opposition obviously has a complete right to vote against legislation.
 
If India takes the ordinance route to legislation, would it induce foreign investment, or will FDI still wait for the legislation to be passed by Parliament?

I believe that foreign direct investment will only really flow when it sees legislation passed by parliament. These are long-term investments, and investors will want to see real commitment from parliament before putting large sums of money down. But an ordinance can of course be a useful tactic to create momentum behind reforms and put pressure on the opposition.

RTI – how important is this in empowering people. There are those who say that the threat of RTIs keep administrators from making decisions, especially towards the end of their tenure

The RTI Act has tremendous value in empowering India's most vulnerable and least powerful members of society. It is shining the light of transparency into corners of India's administration that have purposely been kept dark, and that has to be a good thing. It has introduced a brand new concept into the bureaucracy -- being answerable to the people instead of just answerable to one's immediate boss. It gives people an alternative to bribery to get service from their government. 

But it is not working perfectly -- far from it. I believe that constant pressure will need to be applied to prevent the bureaucracy from subverting the RTI, at least until a new culture of transparency becomes embedded in the culture of governance, and that could take a long time. To an extent, transparency may have paralysed governance, but I strongly believe this cannot be used as an argument against transparency. India's governing institutions (and the people who staff them) simply have to learn to become answerable to the people -- otherwise there is very little hope for the nation to progress. In the past decade, we had a government that often seemed paralysed, and too often accepted paralysis within the bureaucracy. I do not believe Modi will so readily accept such excuses for inaction.
 
Any advice for Rahul Gandhi & the Congress in reviving themselves ?

Rahul Gandhi may have to decide if he passionately wants a career in politics. If he does, he needs to translate that passion into action, those fine words into deeds. He missed a glorious chance to develop a track record as a minister while the UPA was in power -- now he needs to go back to square one. Could he become a chief minister somewhere and prove he has the ability to govern effectively? Or is that challenge beyond him?
Congress needs to decide what it stands for. Representing the Gandhi family and not being the BJP is no longer enough. It needs to rediscover a passion for governance, it needs to introduce internal democracy and a meritocracy within the party, end the senseless sycophancy around "the family", and bring up young leaders who can govern states effectively.

This should be a long-term project. Modi came to power with a track record in Gujarat behind him. In a decade, who will Congress have coming up to challenge the BJP, with a track record of running a state? Is there a plan

You have followed Narendra Modi’s career, first as the CM of Gujarat, and now as the PM of India ... how do you rate him?

That's too complicated question to answer in a couple of sentences. The paperback edition of my book includes two chapters trying to evaluate that very question. But, to simplify, I find much to admire in his determination to revive the economy, to inject much-needed energy into the bureaucracy and governance, to fight corruption and address social issues including the availability of toilets. But equally, I found his record as chief minister of Gujarat to be a divisive one. I am worried about the company he keeps, and am wary of signs of an ugly form of Hindutva creeping into his government. 

I welcome the optimism his election has brought in its wake, and I hope he can sustain this mood and succeed in meeting the extremely high expectations he has raised. I absolutely understand why so many Indians voted for him -- but I believe it's too early to be joining his fan club just yet.

You wrote extensively about the anti-corruption movement and the rise of the Aam Aadmi Party. How do you think the Delhi Assembly elections will pan out?

I haven't been following the run-up to those elections closely, and I am not going to forecast the result. Nevertheless, it is obvious that Arvind Kejriwal's credibility as a politician was badly damaged by his chaotic spell as chief minister. He still has supporters, but I believe many people will be sceptical this time around, and that is bound to benefit the BJP. Many people will want Delhi to surf the 'Modi wave'.  

You have written at length on Indian media. Will major business groups acquiring Indian media pose a threat to democracy and press freedom?

Of course it threatens press freedom. The role of big business in corruption and cornering the benefits of economic growth remains an issue that deserves more attention in India, but I fear that many media groups will not want to shine a light into that particular dark corner of India. That is a pity.

The recently amended Juvenile Justice Act has reduced the age of juveniles from 18 to 16 years and has a clause that allows them to be charged as adult criminals. How do you feel about this, since you have written about the challenges the Indian youth and children face?

I believe a punitive approach towards juveniles is not the right way to approach the problem. India needs to address the massive human trafficking industry that thrives within its borders with almost complete impunity. That is trafficking for industrial labour, for prostitution but also to satisfy the huge demand for young girls to work cheaply and submissively as maids in people's houses. Address those issues with determination, and then we can talk about what else needs to be done.​

Has China's outlook on India changed since Modi came to power?

To an extent. I believe that China's government welcomed Modi's election, as someone who would be straightforward and decisive as a leader, and as someone who was seen as a "friend" of China after visiting the country and expressing admiration for China's economic model. There is hope for greater economic partnership, and a perhaps a hope that Modi will be more predisposed towards China and less favourably inclined towards the United States than Manmohan Singh was. 

But of course China is a little wary of Modi the nationalist, and it remains to be seen how the two sides manage their disputed border. Overall, though, India does not occupy minds in Beijing nearly as much as China occupies minds in New Delhi. 

Tell us about your experience (personal and professional) in China after your stint in India?

China is a fascinating, important and complex country to report from, just as India is. It's been a challenge to get to grips with China, but learning about a new place is one of the things I love about my job. There are frustrations, of course -- the censorship of the Internet and of free speech,and the lack of independent, local journalists to uncover what is happening outside the capital, the controls on my own reporting -- these all have an impact on my ability to report, and to an extent on my quality of life. There are definitely times that I miss India. But overall, it is another great experience.