The grand festival of the world's largest democracy is over with a clear-cut identification of winners and losers. For the first time in the post-independence democratic history of India, a PM aspirant has been so much aggressive in his campaign that he rendered a scare to everyone who was not on his side. The PM designate Mr. Narendra Modi did not fight an election, he virtually fought a war albeit sans usage of any violent weapons. He did not treat his political opponents as mere rivals for power but as real enemies. He followed the dictum that'Everything is fair in love and war'.This gesture and the strategy to use all the four classic means(as cited in Chaanakya Neeti) to get anything done or get better of an adversary - Saam, Daam, Dand and Bhed(cordiality and counselling, money or favour, punishment or fear for that and creating a rift in the rival camp through discrimination) put Mr. Modi in a class of his own, quite apart from that of his political rivals. This democratic war in which ballots were exercised instead of bullets was, from Mr. Modi's viewpoint, more or less a mini Mahabhaarat in which nothing was more important than or even equally important to victory. Winning at any cost and by any means was the motto.
Mahatma Gandhi always stressed that when the means are vicious, the ends are bound to get polluted howsoever pious they might be. Well, that philosophy of his seems to have died with him only. Mahatma Gandhi was ruthless as far as crushing the vices was concerned but he was not ruthless in dealing with the people who were on the other side. But in a war, one has to be ruthless, else the likelihood of defeat exists even in the most favourable circumstances. To eradicate even the remotest possibility of loss, one has to be cruel, insensitive and devoid of any principles. After winning, the winner has the luxury of treating the losers well and applying(somewhat) ointment on their wounds but such a winner still never allows them to stand up to their feet and be able to challenge him in the foreseeable future. And that Mr. Modi has started doing now even before taking the oath as the Indian premier.
Now in the noise of victory trumpets being blown for Mr. Modi, his strategy to win is not going to be discussed because what's important is the result and not the way to get it as it was for the Father of the Nation. Mr. Modi wooed the voters all over the country with his smart talk, aggressive gestures, hard-hitting assertions and tall promises. The proportion of sincerity in them will be assessed after some time only. Today's fact is that he marketed himself successfully and demonstrated that not only cinema but politics also is an art to make believe. The main rival party has been crushed like anything in the election and a clear mandate for Mr. Modi has given him a free hand to rule the country without any need to pay attention to the uncalled for demands of a supporting party. The masses have done their bit. Now the onus is on him to deliver to their aspirations and expectations. The democratic system prevailing in India has done more harm than good to the nation. Mr. Modi fought the election on the lines of the Presential election in the USA and ultimately won it in style. I wish him all the best and pray that the pride of this victory and a sense of having absolute power do not go to his head.
Good luck Mr. Modi. You have won the war. Now go ahead to build a stronger India and respond to the love that the people have shown towards you.
