The Verdict : India votes for
stability, the world salutes
The world’s largest democracy has just concluded a free, fair and peaceful election, and the world is applauding.
International newspapers praised the complex process of conducting the elections and noted that Indians had rejected Right and Left parties and voted for middle path politics. “The governing coalition led by the Indian National Congress sailed to a surprisingly decisive victory in India’s grueling parliamentary elections, vaulting Manmohan Singh, a soft-spoken economic reformer, to a second term as Prime Minister, and sweeping away the prospect of political instability in the world’s most populous democracy,” said the New York Times on May 16.The Times, London, said the election results would help in consensus and unity. “That means the ruling coalition should face fewer internal divisions over reforms desperately needed to stimulate growth and spread its benefits to the 880 million Indians who live on less than 2 dollars a day," it said.
“Congress wins election, Singh to remain PM: India votes for hope; rejects religion, caste”, said the headline of Daily Times, the Pakistani newspaper, on May 17.
“This is a very, very significant moment for India,” said Zakaria. “China’s coming-out party was the Beijing Olympics. India’s coming-out party as a great power may well turn out to be these elections.”
India had till now been “hamstrung” from playing its appropriate role on the world stage because its government had never been able to mobilise national power.
“There always has been a sense that India is divided, decentralized, defused between castes and regions, classes and parties. For the first time in many years you have sense of a government that has a national coalition behind it that is purposeful,” said Zakaria. “If that happens I think you will see a very different reception India will get on world stage.”
India, America, and the world
The Western media has commented that the clear verdict would allow Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to push for economic reforms. Will Singh’s test be his ability to implement reforms?
“The government has demonstrated the capacity to reconcile policies that encourage growth with policies that are attentive to the need of the dispossessed and marginalised,” said Tharoor. “We should not do anything for anybody
’s approval. We do what is right for us.”US President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh are the two “most erudite” chief executives in the world, said Zakaria. “The key issue is does have the energy to play a responsible world role--without being hobbled by fears of being seen as pro-American or being seen as part of the capitalist world.”
The election result gives Singh the opportunity he always sought in foreign policy. “This allows him to move forward, and I think the Obama people will be very willing partners,” said Zakaria.
Tharoor believed the new government, with a clear mandate in its favour, had the opportunity to pursue a foreign policy guided by India’s interests and not dogma.
“If a Indo-US nuclear deal achieves national goals you don’t worry if that makes you look non-aligned. You are being empirical--you are looking at what the world offers you; what is needed by your people and then you proceed,” he said.
What next for BJP
The BJP has gone into a shell after its electoral defeat but it is the country’s main Opposition party. What does it need to revive itself?
“In almost all parts of the world where you have democracy there is a backlash against globalization and against modernization that takes the form of nationalism or some form of Hindutva,” said Zakaria.
Zakaria believed Hindutva-like ideologies had no answers for
the modern world. “The BJP has got to recognise that it can no longer prey on people’s fears or scratch their hatreds or incite them. They have to answers to the modern world.“Unless they can embrace the agenda of modernity rather than the agenda of resentment I think they are going to have a tough time. They say their ideology is not for sale or change, but I think they are not going to walk alone.”
The BJP calls secularism “pseudo-secularism, tokenism and minority appeasement.” What will the Manmohan Singh government be doing to prove that its secularism is genuine?
“Opportunities must be extended to all (minorities) because it is not in the interest of India for any segment of the population to feel that somehow their opportunities are less because of a fact of birth,” said Tharoor.
Zakaria’s final comment: “I think Manmohan Singh is the most intelligent decent, incorruptible Prime Minister India has had since Nehru. He should do what is in his heart and in his mind.
“He knows what India needs. Just go for it, don’t worry about the short-term political costs. This is your moment; this is the chance to take India to a whole different stage. Don’t hesitate now because you probably won’t get this opportunity again.”
SMS poll on ‘has this election result boosted India's image abroad?’
Yes : 96 per cent, No : 4 per cent.
