Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Absence of a Brahmin leader makes Modi the best choice' that was published in Newsband

Absence of a Brahmin leader makes Modi the best choice

The mutinous Lal Krishna Advani has retreated, leaving Narendra Modi’s supporters to rejoice and glory in their victory. In other words, the conqueror in the Advani-Modi battle is not either of them but the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the BJP’s real ‘high command’. The episode left Mr. Advani, once beloved of the Sangh, a bitter man, and in his resignation letter he lashed out at the supra body for not leaving the BJP alone.

Mr. Modi’s popularity with the party cadre may have earned him the role of campaign committee chief but it is to the RSS that he will remain beholden for getting there. The next step, or getting the nomination to run for Prime Minister, will be more difficult for two reasons. The RSS has promised Mr. Advani a say in the decision. Secondly, the BJP’s allies will be more watchful than ever, knowing that what possibly awaits them is an RSS-Modi combination.

BJP is a political arm of RSS, used in its multi decade programme of creating a nation based on their idea of Hindu civilisation. Guru Golwalkar's "We or Our Nationhood Defined" is the Holy Book of RSS and BJP. In “We or Our Nation defined (1938)”, he stated: "The non-Hindu people of Hindustan must either adopt Hindu culture and language, must learn and respect and hold in reverence the Hindu religion, must entertain no idea but of those of glorification of the Hindu race and culture ... In a word they may stay in the country, wholly subordinated to the Hindu nation, claiming nothing, deserving no privileges, far less any preferential treatment—not even citizens' rights".

The main problem here is Modi is hated by many Hindus themselves.  Why? Maybe because he is not a Brahmin. But in absence of a Brahmin leader, Modi is the best choice. After several decades, people are placing hope on a single person to bring real development to the country. Why are many Hindus so seriously against this person?

Modi is loved and venerated because he has assumed the role of psychological defender of religion and culture - educated and well placed people too find a spiritual reason to recognise him - he is succeeding in impressing the intellectuals too. He has turned out to be today's mythological hero that Indians love to have every decade at least!

RSS is a Hindu organization and its political wing is BJP - what is wrong with that? The BJP is not a religious party like the Muslim league - but it is Hindu majority party - there is nothing wrong with that. What is wrong is not to question the credentials of a party openly labelled "Muslim League". Why do you allow an openly religious party like the Muslim League to function?

So what if in BJP, the ideological conclusion is left to the Sangh which rose with "cultural nationalistic" ambitions? Isn't Congress, which proudly boasts itself to be the oldest democratic party, revolving around the "High Command" which mostly have no ideology on which its decisions are based?

What's wrong in BJP having RSS as the Head? Every political party, in fact a person is based on an ideology. Yes, some aspects of the RSS might be communal. But it is better than a Party like Congress whose ideology is not clearly known.