Narendra Modi is finally back to Hindutva — political Hinduism that his party, BJP, used to become a force in Indian politics in the 1980-90s.
Throughout the campaign for the 2014 Indian parliament elections, the BJP’s current Prime Ministerial candidate has avoided playing up the Hindutva factor.
Rather he has focused all his energies in projecting himself as the Vikas Purus (the man capable of development).
That until he landed in the country’s Northeast this week.
Addressing a huge rally in Silchar, the administrative headquarters of Assam’s Barak valley region with a Bengali-predominant population, Modi raked up the issue of illegal migration from Bangladesh.
“There are many who come from Bangladesh for economic reasons, there are some who come to create trouble here. We have to stop them from coming. But we can’t stop Hindus who flee Bangladesh for fear of persecution and torture,” Modi told the huge rally.
He said Hindus who have fled Pakistan and sought refuge in his state Gujarat have been provided shelter.
“We have taken care of them, we have to take care of them, India cannot turn its back on Hindus if they come here because they entertain serious threats wherever they live,” Modi said.
He also lashed out at the system in Assam, where any voter whose nationality is in doubt is marked “D-Voter” or “Doubtful Voter”.
Mostly Bengalis, irrespective of his or her religion, face this problem in Assam, where locals tend to view them as illegal migrants from Bangladesh.
Once marked a D-Voter (Doubtful Voter), he or she is prevented from voting but have to live in a detention camp.
Modi promised to put an end to this practice, if his party forms the next government in Delhi.
By doing so, he reiterated BJP’s well-known political line on the emotive migration issue in Assam, where the party differs from local Assamese groups who tend to see all coming into the state from Bangladesh or erstwhile East Pakistan as ‘unwelcome migrants’.
The BJP makes a difference — for it , the Hindus who have come from Bangladesh or East Pakistan should be treated as refugees and given citizenship because they fled to escape persecution, whereas others who migrate for economic reasons should be prevented from doing so.
By pushing this line, the BJP seeks to pursue the politics of ‘Hindu consolidation’ in Assam rather than allow dissipation along ethnic lines which would not help its cause.
Modi also played the ultimate patriot while addressing a rally in the state of Arunachal Pradesh, a state claimed by China.
“China should learn to live peacefully with India and accept it as a partner, not seek territorial expansion. Arunachal is a part and parcel of India and will stay that way,” Modi thundered.