It is frustrating that people who believe in secular ideals, free market economy and meritocracy are aligning with a Hindu bigot and a despot. How can people be fooled so easily? I am not yet willing to accept that the Indian masses will let such a man come to power at the center.
Cheers, Santosh > On Monday, March 31, 2014 10:44 AM, Marshall Mendonza <mmendonz...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > As the country prepares to vote in a crucial election, here is a well > thought out article on the dangers that we face. It is a must read for all > those who value freedom, values and ethics in public life. > > Journey towards soft fascism > KANTI > BAJPAI<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/toireporter/author-KANTI-BAJPAI.cms> > | Mar 29, 2014, 12.04AM IST > The general elections are barely a week away and voters must consider how > they will vote and with what consequences. The frontrunner in the campaign > is BJP, led by Narendra Modi. With its allies, the party may well have > enough support for a majority government. What does the rise of Modi > represent, and if he becomes prime minister what kind of India will we get? > > There is every danger that a Modi-led India will be an India marked by soft > fascism. At its core, fascism stands for state authoritarianism, > intimidation by conservative-minded extra-legal groups, national > chauvinism, submission of individuals and groups to a larger-than-life > leader, and a Darwinian view of social life (the strong must prevail). A > society living under soft fascism is simply a society marked by less > extreme levels of authoritarianism, intimidation, chauvinism, submission > and social Darwinism. > > India, at least in the first instance, will feature soft rather than hard > fascism because it is big, diverse, and argumentative, and the > administrative arm of the government remains weak. Those who want a harder > fascism will not be able to exert their will immediately over the length > and breadth of the country. But to the extent that the various state > governments feature soft fascism as well (many do) and to the extent that > the Modi-led elements of > BJP<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Bharatiya-Janata-Party> > prevail > in the states, a harder fascism may not be far away. > > What accounts for the rise of soft fascism? The short answer is: > Modi-ology, the preferences of the market (big and small business), middle > class disaffection and media. > > Modi-ology is the view that only Modi can "save" India, that Modi is > the > only decisive, effective, clean, visionary and astute leader in the > country, and that he has a record in Gujarat which "proves" he can > "deliver". In Modi-ology, Modi has delivered human development, > economic > growth, social stability and good governance, unmatched anywhere else in > the land. Many Indians who do not particularly like Modi, BJP or soft > fascism increasingly think that Modi is the saviour. It is another thing > that virtually every claim of Modi-ology is open to argument and rebuttal. > > The second force in the rise of soft fascism is the market -- big and small > business, especially corporate India. Fascism everywhere depends on the > coffers and cooperation of big business. It is no different in India. The > uncritical cheerleading of Modi by big business is tactical and rather > shameful but is an existential reality. Small businesses are pro-BJP > anyway, so it is no surprise that they are backing him. Big and small > business are fed up with costly social programmes, ramshackle > infrastructure, suffocating regulatory structures (including environmental > ones) and interminable procedures; and they think Modi is the medicine for > all these ills. > > Behind the rise of Modi-ology is also disaffection of the middle classes. > They are disaffected because they are pinned between the upper classes and > the lower classes and for 10 years they were ignored by Congress. The upper > classes have done well in a globalising India. The lower classes have > either given up on the possibility of doing well or have had some help from > various UPA programmes (NREGA etc.). The middle classes therefore hate > Congress as well as corruption and the chaos of urban and semi-urban India, > and they seek redemption in Modi. > > Big business and middle classes are helping line up media behind soft > fascism. Media is influenced by big business, which funds it through its > advertising, and by the middle classes, who work in it. Today, both stand > behind Modi and together they have helped rally millions of Indians behind > Modi-ology. It is another matter that media may well come to regret its > role. Those who were in the media when BJP was last in power seem to have > forgotten that this is a party that is not particularly interested in, or > indulgent of, journalistic independence. > > Soft fascism rises, establishes itself and consolidates its hold through > the structures and systems of democracy. Even as we celebrate our elections > and openness, we should be worried about right-wing opportunism and > political exasperation leading to political suicide. > > > > http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/opinion/edit-page/Journey-towards-soft-fascism/articleshow/32863642.cms >
