Opinion View from the right: PM on tolerance

The Organiser editorial interprets PM Narendra Modi’s recent speech on religious freedom not as a message to Hindutva outfits.

The Organiser editorial interprets Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent speech on religious freedom as an emphasis on Indian ethos and cultural identity and not as a message to Hindutva outfits. Taking a swipe at “intellectuals and media with secular mindset” who tried to read Modi’s remarks as an attempt to project himself as a secular leader, the editorial says: “PM Modi only reiterated the ethos of this civilisational nation for all segments of society. He repeated his convictions about ‘acceptance of all and appeasement of none’, which he has been saying since he was the chief minister of Gujarat. This ethos is being cherished and practised in India from the Vedic period, irrespective of way of worship. That is why Indian society does not limit religious faiths to tolerance, which connotes reluctance and compulsion, but extends it to acceptance.”

For instance, when the PM said “ ‘Our Constitution did not evolve in a vacuum and it has roots in the ancient cultural traditions of India,’ “ he was talking about the Hindu way of life being a torch bearer for religious harmony. The editorial reminds those wearing “British spectacles” that Indians were practising freedom of religion much before the “secular” word arrived on India’s political scene: “What all these preachers of different faiths spoke about India’s civilisational ethos is not different from what the PM said while giving a call for unity. Unfortunately, denouncing our national identity has become a sign of being progressive and intellectual…” Pointing out that this mindset has resulted in “intolerant persecution of the only woman editor of a Urdu newspaper, Shireen Dalvi, of Avadhnama, for reproducing cartoons from Charlie Hebdo,” the editorial concludes: “The hypocrisy of ‘secular intellectuals’ is more harmful to our society… Unless we unequivocally reiterate our cultural identity, our role as a nation on the global stage cannot be fulfilled. Prime Minister has very timely reminded us of that role.”

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BUDGET ENGINE
The Organiser’s cover story is on the coming Union budget, titled “Changing the engine”. An article says that people have large expectations from the budget and it is an opportunity for the government to demonstrate how “sab ka saath, sab ka vikas” would be actualised, what Make in India means for government policy, how the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan would revolutionise the quality of life of the poor and the Jan Dhan Yojana would enable the poor and the disadvantaged to become more active participants in the economy.
The article, written by Shakti Sinha, says that although widening the tax base is necessary, honest taxpayers at the lower end, who often resent that the big cats escape, should not be penalised. The “first thing the finance minister must announce is an increase in the exemption limit to at least Rs 4 lakh, and that of working women to Rs 5 lakh.” Another piece of advice is simplification, transparency and certainty, as integral to an improved investment climate.

HYPOCRISY ALERT
Citing the case of Shirin Dalvi, editor of now closed Urdu publication Avadhnama, who has been hounded after reproducing the cover of French magazine Charlie Hebdo, the Panchjanya editorial comes down heavily on the “secular intellectuals” in the country. Alleging that their worldview is “upside down”, as none of them staged a protest march or a candlelit procession nor organised a seminar condemning the Charlie Hebdo attack, it cites two examples: Nandita Haskar, whose article in a Hindi newspaper justified the Islamists who attacked the Charlie Hebdo office. And Dalvi. There was no statement from the “secular brigade” rejecting Haskar’s views nor any appreciation for Dalvi.

Compiled by Liz Mathew