The Hindu : Don't be ashamed of Hindutva: Modi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 13, 2003

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Don't be ashamed of Hindutva: Modi

By Mahesh Vijapurkar

MUMBAI Jan. 12. The Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, today came here with a forthright message: "Do not be ashamed of Hindutva," regardless of what others said, but "fight its opponents through Hindutva," which, in itself, was "unconquerable'' and immortal.'' Those who opposed Hindutva "have no future.''

In an hour-long speech, Mr. Modi placed those who were against Hindutva on par with Pakistan and said fighting the former was as good as fighting the latter. "Use all means," he urged, because Hindu liberalism was being undermined under some pretext or another.

Addressing a rally at the Shivaji Park, home turf of the Shiv Sena chief, Bal Thackeray, Mr. Modi held forth on Hindutva in a manner that would make the Sena do a re-think on its ability to articulate issues. He thumped his chest standing inside a lotus and said "I am fortunate I fought the opponents of Hindutva.''

The rally was organised to showcase Mr. Modi to Mumbai and convey subtly to the Sena that the Bharatiya Janata Party too had an icon, who could fill the Shivaji Park — hitherto a Thackeray preserve — and enthuse its workers on a new platform to take on the ruling Congress-Nationalist Congress Party combine during the next elections.

Mr. Modi started off with Godhra and demanded to know why the Congress was "scared" of raising the issue. He asked the Congress to identify those who were "sending star hotel food to the Godhra accused in jail'' and examine the links between them and the lawyers defending them.

After 50 years of neglect — amounting to "disrespect" — of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel by the Congress, "I forced them to use his picture in their campaign in the Gujarat elections. Now I am determined to force the Gandhi-Nehru clan to go to his birthplace and bow to him,'' Mr. Modi said adding that the party lost the Gujarat elections due to its "negativism.'' But what amazed him was the fact that the "daughter of Italy chose to give homilies to Indians on Hindutva... "

The Congress was now caught in its own trap and its Chief Ministers in 14 States had vowed to bar his entry. And "the Bihar Chief Minister said I would be booked under POTA... give me the date and I will land in the Patna airport. Keep the jail doors open for me.''

An electoral win for the BJP did not mean a victory for Hindutva. Nor did a BJP defeat amount to a setback to Hindutva because "it is eternal." By drawing such conclusions, Hindutva was being belittled.

So taken up was the BJP with Mr. Modi that its national vice-president and former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister, Gopinath Munde, dared the Congress and the NCP to "show courage and call for elections to the Assembly here and now.''

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