Exploring Modi’s About-Face on Hindu-Muslim Politics: Unpacking the Triggers

PRIME MINISTER Narendra Modi’s latest statement, “Main jis din Hindu-Musalman karoonga na, us din main sarvajanak Jeevan main rehne yogya nahin rahoonga. Aur main Hindu-Musalman nahin karoonga. Yeh mera sankalp hai”, has come as a big pleasant surprise for many and a rude shock for his “andh bhakts” who had been feeding on communal narratives all this while.

What prompted Modi to take a U-turn during an interview with a TV Channel will be debated for a long time, but there is little doubt that most people, including his followers, would take the statement with a grain of salt.

Perhaps it was the apprehension that the sustained communal campaign was proving counterproductive, or perhaps the realization that with this campaign “se daal nahin pak rahi hai.” It could also be that the narrative needs to be changed.

The current elections, more than any other in history, will be remembered for the attempts to communalize it with blatant displays of racism by the Bharatiya Janata Party’s campaign.

Only a few days ago, the prime minister said during a speech in Banswara, Rajasthan: “Pehle jab unki sarkar thi, unhone kaha tha ki desh ki sampati per pehla adhikar musalmanon ka hai. Iska matlab, ye sampatti ikhatti kar ke kisko batenge? Jinko zyada bachche hain unko batenge, ghuspaithion ko batenge?”

It is evident to even a child that the reference was to Muslims. In another speech, he claimed that the Congress manifesto says that they will take stock of the gold of mothers and daughters, and then they will distribute their wealth… they will not spare even the “malgalsutras” of my mothers and sisters”.

In yet another speech, he said the Congress manifesto “bears the stamp of the Muslim League”. The Congress has rebutted the charges and said there was no reference to wealth redistribution or taking away gold anywhere in the party manifesto.

However, the speeches made by BJP leaders and candidates have been spewing venom, with the social media army of the ruling party spreading the word.

Any criticism or a different point of view was met with strong aggression and even abuses from social media “activists” who are either paid or believe in what has been the party’s narrative.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, however, has never been apologetic or shy about its stand on Hindu-Muslim relations. There are so many occasions on which it has made its stance clear.

The outgoing government had no Muslims in the council of ministers, nor did it give party tickets to any Muslim candidates or appoint any members of the religion to any top posts.

While Modi had displayed no hesitation in tying a pagri or any other headgear, the only cap he has declined to wear is a skull cap of the Muslims. Almost all speeches made by BJP leaders during the current elections reek of communalism.

Yet, the party in its reply to the notice sent by the Election Commission of India, has not only justified the speeches made by the prime minister but has accused the Congress of denigrating Hinduism.

It goes on to say that by not attending the Pran Prathista ceremony of the Ram temple at Ayodhya, the Congress had committed a “sin”.

Bharatiya Janata Party’s background teams too had been working overtime to add fuel to the fire by digging out old or biased reports to claim “threat” from Muslims.

In a well-timed release of an old report, actually not even a report but just a “working paper” prepared by none other than the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, the share of the Hindu population decreased by 7.82 per cent between 1950 and 2015 in India, while that of Muslims increased by 43.15 per cent.

The “working paper” conveniently missed out two major points:

Number one is that the growth percentage is a misnomer as the Hindu population was approximately 84.68 per cent in 1950 while the Muslim population stood at 9.84 per cent.

As per the 2011 census, the last census figures available since the census was not conducted in 2021 due to COVID and has been postponed even till now without a valid reason, Hindus constitute 79.8 per cent of the population while Muslims are 14.2 per cent. There are several reasons for the comparatively sharper increase in the population of Muslims, including poverty and lack of literacy.

Second, and even more important fact which the BJP leaders and supporters overlook, is the current fertility rate among Hindu and Muslim women. It is 2.1 and 2.2 respectively.

This would mean that the fertility rate among Muslim women is higher by just .1 per cent and given the current rate of population growth among the two communities, it would take thousands of years before the Muslim population can ever come closer to the Hindu population not to talk of overtaking it.

However, the “working paper” report led to a flurry of campaigns, including on social media and electronic media besides newspapers, about the “imminent threat” of the Muslim population overtaking the Hindus in the not-too-distant future.

Although there would be few takers for the prime minister’s U-turn on the issue, a change of heart is certainly welcome. It would be still better if his blind followers and supporters also take the cue and refrain from spreading venom and begin talking about the real issues which affect the common man like unemployment, inflation, and corruption.

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