And Now Mr. Narendra Modi In His Own Words
You may also like to read: Narendra Modi's Little Saffron Book
[The following is not a work of fiction. Neither is it a satire. These are real statements of a real Mr. Narendra Modi made in real time in a real world]
"What should we do? Run relief camps for them? Do we want to open baby-producing centers? Hum paanch, humaare pachhees. [We five, our 25]"
This remark was made by Mr. Modi in a speech during his very well received Gujarat Gaurav Yatra in 2002. He was referring to Muslims. According to Mr. Modi, riot-scarred people of the minority community, surviving in refugee camps, were busy having sex. Paanch, pachhees is Mr. Modi's pun on his version of an ideal Muslim family - one man with his 4 fertile wives.
"We have to teach a lesson to those who are increasing population at an alarming rate."
This remark too was made during the same Gujarat Gaurav Yatra. Anybody who is even faintly familiar with views and opinions of Mr. Modi can recognize that this warning was directed towards the same Paanch, pachhees community.
"We brought Narmada waters during Shravan, but the Congress would have wanted it in Ramzan."
Shravan is a Holy Hindu month that often falls on July-August. Ramzan is the ninth month of the Muslim year in which fast is observed from sunrise to sunset. This statement must be seen as another instance of Mr. Modi's tendency to force communal symbology into issues that have nothing to do with religions.
"Is James Michael Lyngdoh from Italy? Or is he helping the Congress President Sonia Gandhi because he is also a Christian?"
During his election campaign for the Gujarat state elections in 2002, Modi was particularly miffed by Chief Election Commissioner JM Lyngdoh. Mr. Lyngdoh was being a minor irritant for continually raising objections to certain parts of Mr. Modi's speeches that were considered to be offensive to Muslims. So Mr. Modi made it a point in his campaign speeches to refer to Mr. Lyngdoh by his full initials of James Michael. All in order to emphasize the religion of Mr. Lyngdoh which did not sound Hinduish.
"With the entire population of Gujarat very angry at what happened in Godhra much worse was expected".
These words of wisdom were said during a press conference on February 28, 2002, a day after the Godhra tragedy when 58 Hindus pilgrims, out of which 40 were women and children, were allegedly burnt alive by a Muslim mob in the S-6 railway coach of the Ahmedabad-bound Sabarmati Express train. What did Mr. Modi imply by 'much worse was expected'? Was it a signal to the rioters? Did it reflect his disappointment in (till-that-time) so low-scale killings? Whatever be his intention, anti-Muslim violence was renewed with a new vigor from the next day onwards.
"We should be happy that curfew has been imposed only at 26 places while there is anger and people are burning with revenge."
These are the words of a Chief Minister of a state that was still reeling under the shock and outrage of the daylight burning of 58 Hindus, and where attack against Muslims, as a form of revenge, had just started taking place . The statement was made a day after the Godhra killings.
"Every action has an equal and opposite reaction."
Mr. Modi applying the balm of Newton's Third Law on the riot victims of his state, when asked to comment on the unprecedented violence that spread through Gujarat following the Godhra burnings. This statement was made two days after the Sabarmati fire. More than 600 Muslims were killed within two weeks of the Godhra tragedy. And many more, after. Clearly, it was not a replay of the Newton's Law. This must had been Modi's Law of Motion - Every action has an opposite and bigger reaction!
Epilogue: Mr. Narendra Modi may not be very different from various other politicians, but what makes him unique is that he does evil things in broad day-light when the rest have conscience enough to patiently wait for the night to proceed with their sinister schemes. True, there are still some, like the Gujarat Chief Minister, who are too shameless to depend on the cover of darkness, but they usually linger on the fringe lines of our political map. However Mr. Modi happens to be a popular, mass politician which makes him altogether more dangerous. But India is a strong entity and will survive him, as it has others whose samadhis now litter the memorials.
