JONATHANERNST/REUTERS

I
n

SNAPSHOT March 30, 2017

WhoIsNarendraModi?
TheTwoSideso India'sPrimeMinister

ByKanchanChandra

OnMarch19,ashortmaninsaronrobesandamonksshavenheadwassworninas
chie ministero theIndianstateo UttarPradesh.UPisIndiaslargeststate,witha
populationlargerthanthato Russia.Ithadjustheldelectionsforitslegislative
assembly,andPrimeMinisterNarendraModisBharatiyaJanataParty(BJP)had
taken312o 403seats,securingthebiggestmajorityanypartyhadwoninthestatein
fourdecades.YogiAdityanath,asthesaronrobedmonkisknown,wasModishand
pickednomineetoleadUttarPradeshsnewgovernment.Heistheheadpriesto a
monasticorderinnortheasternIndiaandanaggressiveadvocateforHindu
nationalism.

Theappointmento areligiousleaderasthechie o astategovernmentis

unprecedentedinIndianpolitics.TheBJPhasoftenincludedmemberso theHindu
clergyinitsmobilizationcampaigns,butithasgenerallykeptreligiousguresaway
fromexecutivepositions.(AnexceptionistheHindununUmaBharti,whoisnowa
cabinetministerinModisgovernmentandservedaschie ministero thestateof
MadhyaPradeshfrom2003to2004;unlikeAdityanath,Bhartidoesnotheada
religiousorganization.)

IndiannewspapersexplodedwithastonishmentwhentheBJPannouncedAdityanaths
appointmentnotonlybecauseo hisbackgroundbutalsobecauseo thetimingof
hisselection.TheelectionsinUttarPradeshweretherststatecontestsince
November,whentheModigovernmentdemonetizedhighvalueIndianbanknotesin
anattempttocurbillicittransactions,andtheBJPsvictoryseemedtoreecta
popularendorsemento Modisreforms.Modihimsel suggestedasmuch:the
election,hesaidinaspeechinDelhi,markedthedawno anewIndia,inwhich
citizenswouldvotetoadvancedevelopmentratherthanidentitybasedissues.

Why,then,didModichooseachie ministerwhobuilthisreputationonanextreme
formo identitypolitics?AdityanathfoundedaHinduyouthgroupimplicatedin
HinduMuslimriotsinGorakhpuranditsneighboringdistrictsfrom2002onward
(hewaspersonallyaccusedo incitingsomeo theviolence);hasledconversion
movementsinwhathecallsanattempttobringnonHindusbackhome;andhas
spokenoutinsupporto U.SPresidentDonaldTrumpsbanontravelersfromseveral
Muslimmajoritycountries,sayingthatIndianeedssimilarrestrictions.Inshort,he
representsthefringeo amovementthatisitsel extreme.Modihasactedasthough
hehasntnoticed.Oursolemission[and]motiveisdevelopment,hedeclaredina
tweetpostedafterattendingAdityanathsswearinginceremony.

ThemixedsignalshavethrownobserversintoafrenziedsearchforModistrue
politicalidentity.Ishereallyareformerfocusedongeneratingthejobsthecountry
needs,anarticleinTimeasked,oristhelanguageo development,propagatedviaan
unremittingstreamo slogans,speechesandtweetsbytheprimeministerandhistop
ocials,actuallyacoverforHindutva,anideologythatseesIndiaasaHindu
nation?
WhenModiranforprimeministerin2014,somecommentatorsthoughtthathewas
beginningtomoderatehiscommitmenttoHindunationalism,inlinewithwhatthe
politicalscientistsLloydandSusanneRudolphhavecalledthecentristequilibrium
o Indianpolitics.HisspeechreactingtotheBJPsvictoryinUttarPradeshfedthe
sameexpectation.Infact,ModihasalwaysbeenbothareformerandaHindu
nationalist,andthistwodimensionalpackageistheessenceo hisappeal.

MUKESHGUPTA/REUTERS

REACTIONANDREFORM

ConsiderrstModiscommitmenttoeconomicreform.From2001to2014,aschief
ministero thestateo Gujarat,ModibecameknownforthesocalledGujaratmodel
o economicgrowth,whichinvolvedcuttingredtape,crackingdownoncorruption,
andmakinglandavailabletotheprivatesectoratconcessionalrates.Sincehebecame
primeministerin2014,Modihasgonefurther,workingnotonlytostreamlinebutto
transformtheIndianeconomy.Themostambitiouso hisplansistomakeIndias
economycashless,usingtheresultingtechnologytoaddressissuesfromcorruption
andclientelismtonancialinclusionandsocialsecurity.Onecanargueaboutthe
contento ModisreformpoliciestheGujaratmodel,forexample,hasbeen
criticizedforprivilegingeconomicgrowthattheexpenseo humandevelopment,and
hispoliciesasprimeministerhavebeencriticizedfornotcreatingenoughjobs.But
whatiscertainisthatModiiscommittedtoreform,andthatthiscommitmentisan
essentialparto hispoliticalidentity.

ModisrecordasaHindunationalisthasbeensimilarlyconsistent.Hespenthis
formativeyearsintheserviceo theRashtriyaSwayamsevakSangh(National
PatrioticOrganization,orRSS),anumbrellagroupthatpresidesoveranetworkof
HindunationalistaliatesandistheBJPsparentorganization.In1971,attheageof
21,Modibecameapracharakamembero abureaucracyo celibateHindumen
workingfortheRSS.HelaterenteredtheBJPasapracharakondeputationfromthe
RSS.WhentheseniorBJPleaderL.K.Advanilaunchedthe1990RamRathYatra,a
crosscountrypilgrimagecallingforthedestructiono amosqueinthenorthIndian
towno AyodhyaanditsreplacementwithaHindutemple,Modiarrangedforthe
pilgrimageskickoinGujarat.

ModihasalwaysbeenbothareformerandaHindunationalist,andthistwodimensional
packageistheessenceofhisappeal.

In2001,whenModibecameGujaratschie minister,hewasstillondeputationfrom
theRSS.Thenextyear,underhisgovernmentswatch,theworstcommunalriotsthat
Indiahadseeninatleastadecadebrokeoutinthestate.Morethan1,000peopledied
mosto themMuslim.(Modisgovernmentwasaccusedo complicityintheriots;
in2012,aninvestigativebodyappointedbyIndiasSupremeCourtsaidthatithadnot
foundevidenceo hisinvolvement.)Inthecampaignfortheparliamentaryelections
thatbroughtModitopowerin2014,theBJPcontinuedtoexploitreligiousdivisions
whenitwasexpedient:inUttarPradesh,forexample,itcapitalizedoncommunal
riotsinthetowno MuzaarnagartoobtainHinduvotes.

ThisyearsBJPcampaigninUttarPradeshwasasmuchaboutchampioningtherights
o Hindusasitwasaboutreform.I landisgivenforcemeteryinavillage,itshould
alsobegivenforcremation,ModisaidatarallyinFatehpurinmidFebruary,
referringtoMuslimandHindufunerarypractices.I electricityissuppliedduring
Ramadan,itshouldalsobesuppliedduringDiwali.Thereshouldnotbeany
discriminationonthebasiso religionorcaste.Thatstatementwaswidely
interpretedasanappealtoHindusundertheguiseo nondiscrimination.

PAWANKUMAR/REUTERS
 PAWANKUMAR/REUTERS

THEWHOLEPACKAGE

WhatisnewabouttheBJPsappealstoeconomicreformandHinduidentityistheir
simultaneity.ThepartyhaspreviouslytendedtovacillatebetweenHindunationalism
andeconomicreformism,choosingoneortheotherbutnotbothatthesametime.In
the1991parliamentaryelections,forexample,theBJPalmostdoubleditsvoteshare
from11to20percentafterrunningonaHindunationalistplatform.Thatwasnot
enoughtocatapultthepartytoawinningposition,however,sointheyearsthat
followed,theBJPstartedtoemphasizegoodgovernanceanddownplayreligious
identity.Yetthepartysabilitytoexpandwasstilllimited:inthe2009election,ittook
just19percento thevote.Onlyinthe2014electionsdidModiscombinationof
reformismandHindunationalismhelpexpandtheBJPsvoteshareto31percent.

Thepackagedealworksforatleasttworeasons.First,itallowstheBJPtoreacha
widerfollowing.Whatistrueo votersisalsotrueo thetwoorganizationsinwhich
Modiisembedded.WhereastheRSShasaHindunationalistagenda,theBJPhas
plentyo memberswhodonothaveabackgroundintheRSSandwouldpreferto
bringthepartyintothemainstream.Modihasmanagedtokeepbotho these
constituencieshappy.Whatismore,pursuingnationalismandreformismatthesame
timeoersakindo insurance:whendeliveringonreformisdicult,thepartycan
resorttoidentitybasedappeals,andviceversa.Seenfromthisperspective,
Adityanathsappointmentmakesperfectsense.ItcombinedModismessageof
developmentwithimpeccableHindunationalistcredentials.

Modiisnottheonlyleadertomixethnicmajoritarianismwitheconomicreform.

O course,Modiisnottheonlyleadertomixethnicmajoritarianismwitheconomic
reform.TrumpsailedtopowerintheUnitedStatesbycombiningantiimmigrant
culturalpolicieswithantiglobalizationeconomicpolicies.InFrance,MarineLePen
hasbecomeaviablepresidentialcandidatebycombiningantiimmigrantpolicieswith
promiseso protectionismandtaxcuts.
 Thepointo similaritybetweenModiandtheseotherexampleso majoritarian
nationalismisthatallbasetheirappealonatwodimensionalpackage:economicsplus
identity,ratherthaneitheralone.Inotherwaystheirleadershipstyles,thedetailsof
theirpositions,andtheconstituenciestowhichtheyappealtheseguresdier.
Modi,forexample,doesnotopposeeconomicglobalization.Thefactthattheprime
ministersreformpoliciesarenotespeciallynationalistorprotectionistapointof
departurefromtheplatformso guressuchasTrumpandLePenhasencouraged
himtoturntoquestionso pureidentitytoestablishhiscredentialsasaHindu
nationalist.

ThetroubleisthatnomatterwhethertheBJPemphasizesreformoridentity,the
mainlosersareIndiasnonHinduminoritiesespeciallyMuslims.Evenwhen
minoritiesbenetfromModisreformistpolicies,hismajoritarianpositionsthreaten
thembyplacingtheminapositiono perpetualinsecurity.Andgiventhatthelines
dividingminoritiesfrommajoritiesareuid,ademocracythatisnotsafeforsome
minoritiesisnotsafeforanymajority.

Getthebesto ForeignAairsdeliveredtoyoueveryday.

Enter Your Email

SIGN UP

Browse Related Articles on

India

MAR 22, 2017 SNAPSHOT

The Indian Wedding Crasher
HowDemonetizationHurttheMarriageIndustry
IraTrivedi

Published by the Council on Foreign Relations

Search 92 Years of Foreign Aairs SEARCH

MY FOREIGN AFFAIRS

THE MAGAZINE

REGIONS

TOPICS

FEATURES

From the
publishers of
Foreign Aairs
The Most: Recent Shared Viewed

Global Conict Tracker

by Center for Preventive Action

The Sunni-Shia Divide

by Mohammed Aly Sergie, Robert McMahon, Jeremy Sherlick, and Hagit Ariav

NAFTA's Economic Impact

by James McBride and Mohammed Aly Sergie

China's Maritime Disputes

by Beina Xu, Eleanor Albert, Jeanne Park, Robert McMahon, Jeremy Sherlick, and Hagit Ariav

SUBSCRIBE
2017 Council on Foreign Relations, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use