HT interview: Oppn is openly trying to divide society, says Modi
PM Modi, ahead of final phase of 2024 elections, discusses Kashi's significance, development, and 'one nation, one election' with Hindustan.
As the campaign for the 2024 elections draws to a close, leaders across parties have travelled the length and breadth of the country, often in punishing weather, to make their voices heard — none more so than Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Ahead of the final phase on June 1, when his own constituency of Varanasi goes to the polls, Modi spoke to Hindustan’s Shashi Shekhar about the importance of Kashi, the gruelling campaign trail, issues of development versus the narrative of division, and the idea of ‘one nation, one election’, among other issues. Edited excerpts from an interview:
Let’s start with a simple question. In 2014, when you were getting offers to contest elections from different parts of the country, why did you choose Kashi?
I believe that I did not choose Kashi; Kashi chose me. The decision to contest the elections from Varanasi for the first time was taken by the party. I followed it as a soldier of the party. But when I came to Kashi, I felt that destiny was also involved in it. Kashi is a land of fulfilling objectives. Ahilyabai Holkar chose Kashi to fulfil her resolve of building a grand temple for Baba (Mahadev; Shiva) . Mahadev chose Kashi to make it a pilgrimage for salvation. Tulsidas came to this city with the purpose of writing the biography of Ram. Mahamana came here to make it the capital of all knowledge. Shankaracharya chose Kashi for Shastrartha. Inspired by the penance of all these, and with the blessings of all these, I am taking forward the work of serving Kashi.
The kind of experience I had in Kashi is unprecedented. That is why when I came here, I said that Maa Ganga has called me, now I also say that Maa Ganga has adopted me. I got a lot of love in Varanasi. The people of Kashi have adopted me like a brother, a son. Perhaps the people of Kashi have seen some of their qualities in me. The love and affection I have received here, I want to return it in the form of development and I am returning it.
Secondly, Kashi is the cultural capital of the whole country and the world. For thousands of centuries, people from all over India have been coming here. The hearts of the people here are so big that whoever comes here, people accept him. You will find a miniature India in Kashi itself, people who have come and settled here from different parts of the country are enhancing Kashi, beautifying it. They are still connected to their roots, but have become Banarasi at heart. No matter where someone comes from, the people of Kashi make him a Banarasi. Kashi and Kashi residents have also accepted me.
There are only a few days left for the elections to end. What kind of change do you see in the current elections?
The biggest change is that today the voter wants to see the politics of the 21st century. It should talk about performance, vision to take the country forward, and a road map to make a developed India. Now people want to know what the political parties will do for our children; what steps will the leaders take to build the future of the country?
Today people want to hear all this from politicians. People also look at the track record of the parties. Voters also calculate what promises a party made and how many of them it has been able to fulfil.
But the leaders of Congress and the INDIA bloc are still living in the 20th century. Today people are asking what are you going to do for our children, then they are talking about their father, grandfather, great grandfather, grandmother, great grandmother. When people ask what is the road map for the development of the country, then they start claiming that it is the family seat. They are dividing people into castes, raising issues related to religion, doing politics of appeasement. These people are bringing such issues which are completely different from the thinking and aspirations of the people.
Don’t you think that there is a need to improve the election system and political conduct? Will you take any initiative from your side?
The people of the country are constantly rejecting those political parties that believe in negative politics. Those who do not tell positive things or their vision, they are not able to win the trust of the people. Those who believe only in the politics of opposition, who oppose just for the sake of opposition, such people are constantly being rejected by the people. In such a situation, those people will have to understand the mood of the people and improve themselves.
I am giving you the example of the Congress. The Congress today is completely cut off from its roots. It is not able to understand what the culture of this country is. The things they have said during this election show that it is not able to grasp the basic elements of Indian democracy.
Congress leaders are not able to come out of divisive rhetoric, personal attacks, and using abusive language. They must be thinking that if their three-four sycophants clapped for it, then that is enough. They are happy with this, but they are not realising that the public is very angry about all these things.
The Congress is arrogant, it does not listen to the public; it cannot change. But their allies should see what is the mood of the public, what they are saying. They have to understand that if they follow this path, then they are going to get continuous rejection. I think people will teach them by rejecting them. The people themselves bring about the reforms that are needed in politics with the power of their vote. People themselves will teach political parties, especially those doing negative politics, and bring about change.
Have the questions of caste and religious divisions emerged more in this election? When the elections started, the agendas were different, and by the last phase, they were different?
This question should be asked to those who first divided the country on the basis of religion. For the last 60-70 years, they are doing the politics of division. On one hand, they try to divide a society on the basis of caste. On the other hand, they look for ways to keep a strong vote bank by uniting it.
Secondly, this question should be asked to those who want to snatch SC, ST, OBC reservations and give reservations on the basis of religion just for the sake of appeasement politics. For this, they are ready to take steps against the Constitution.
This question should be asked to the Congress and the INDIA bloc because they are the ones who are talking about vote jihad. This question should be asked to those who are openly writing in their manifesto that they will snatch the property of the public and divide it among others.
This politics of division, this thinking of division is now being openly put forward by the opposition. Now they are not even hiding it. They are openly demonstrating it, so all these questions should be asked to them. The public will teach a tough lesson to such people who divide the country and society in these elections.
You had taken the initiative for ‘one nation, one election’. Do you think this is possible in such a big country, if yes, then how will it be implemented?
‘One nation, one election’ has been the idea of BJP and our government, but we want a consensus to be built around it. The report submitted by the committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind ji explains in detail about ‘one nation, one election’. There should be a discussion, debate, dialogue across the country on this, there should be a discussion on its benefits and disadvantages, there should be a consensus on what can be done in this, how it can be done.
With this, we can reach a good, positive solution. In the current system, elections are held somewhere or the other all the time. This current system is not suitable. It harms governance a lot. There is a need to change it, but there is a need for dialogue on how we will do it.
You also asked whether this is possible in our country. So you can see in history that even when resources and technology were less, ‘one country, one election’ was being held in our country. After Independence, the first few elections were held in this manner. Changes have been made only after a few years. Even now, in one or two states, elections for state assemblies are being held along with the Lok Sabha. If the Election Commission is working in the entire country to conduct an election, then state elections can also be held in the same. There is no problem in this.
Due to low voter turnout owing to heat, there is a demand again that elections should not be held in this season. Are you also in favour of any change in the election calendar?
Heat does cause some problems. You can see that in the letter I have written to all the candidates in my party and to the common people, I have mentioned the heat. It is written in the letter that there are a lot of problems in summer, you should take care of your health. Still, we should fulfil our duty towards democracy.
I know what problems are there in summer. But what should happen in this, what changes should be made, should happen or should not happen, this cannot be the decision of one person, one party or just the government. There should be a consensus of the entire system, people, voters, political parties, workers. When a collective opinion is formed that some changes should be made in this, or should not be made, only then something can happen.
In the last phase, elections are remaining in 13 seats of eastern Uttar Pradesh and eight seats of Bihar. You have said that Purvanchal, which is suffering from poverty and deprivation, has been electing the Prime Minister for the last 10 years. Much remains to be done for this. What is that much, would you like to tell us?
Look, the attitude of the previous governments towards eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar has been very disappointing. Votes were taken from these areas, political ambitions were fulfilled but when it came to development, these areas were called backward and left behind. People in Purvanchal were made to crave for basic facilities like electricity, water, roads. There were many areas of Purvanchal and Bihar among the 18,000 villages in the country that did not have electricity. When I got toilets constructed for the dignity of my sisters and daughters, a large number of people of our Purvanchal benefited from it.
Today we are creating the Ganga of development in this area. From expressways to rural roads, we are improving and changing the infrastructure. We are also creating health infrastructure. Today there are AIIMS in both Purvanchal and Bihar. Apart from this, we are creating a network of medical colleges in these areas. We are also upgrading the old infrastructure.
Now we are also promoting the local economy here. We have to move forward, but a lot of our time, resources and energy is being spent in filling the holes of the last 60-70 years. We are continuously working fast for this. I want to bring that day when the youth of these areas do not have to migrate for education and employment. They can go wherever they want but they should not be forced to go.