Multiple choice question is an integral part of examinations and education system. In such questions, you have to pick the correct answer out of four choices given.
There are two ways to solve such questions. The first and preferred way are that you know the correct answer and you mark it instantly. The second way is that you don’t know the answer but you arrive at the answer by eliminating three incorrect options.
This is selection by elimination. In this method, you are not sure which one is the correct answer, but you are fairly sure on three incorrect answers so by default remaining one is the right answer.
So what relevance this narrative has here; it would be clear in just a while.
PM Narendra Modi is one politician, who conjures extreme feelings; at either side. There are people who love him or those who just ridicule him. The majority of these people, who are sitting at either of extremes, love him inexplicably (called Bhakts in social media these days) or loathe him inexplicably. But naturally those who love him outnumber the other segment and that’s why Modi seized power with a historical mandate in 2014.
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Each individual having his own opinion is the very founding principle of democracy and thus people with a different opinion is a very healthy sign. So we can’t be intolerant to those who criticise Modi. This is a gospel truth that no person is perfect and Modi is a human too.
Leave behind all those obvious jibes and rants from political adversaries; there is a legion of eminent personalities, who never shy away from demonstrating their discord with Modi and his working style. Modi is over authoritative, he is a despot, Modi is dangerous for the secular fabric of the country, are few of the perennial charges on Modi.
A couple of months before general elections in 2014, eminent journalist Late Vinod Mehta wrote a piece in TOI, wherein he minced no words on his apprehension on the state of the country beyond May 2014 if Modi gets elected.
Famous author and known intellectual Ramchandra Guha made a vicious attack on Modi when he stated around a year back that Modi regime was the most anti-intellectual regime country has ever had.
Ram Guha believe that more than Islamic fundamentalism, it is Hindu fundamentalists who are dangerous for the country and Guha is not able to delink Modi with Hindu fundamentalism while assessing him. Nobel laureate Amartya Sen has also been a known Modi-baiter and so is that awardwaapsi gang.
Just recently, I read a column on demonetisation by a Modi’s critic, who weirdly compared him with Chinese leader Mao.
So let’s see this whole issue with a different perspective, the way we solve multiple choice question. As described above, for the time being, assume that Modi baiters are correct and Modi may not be the correct answer among all the alternatives. Then assess all the alternatives, as if it is not Modi then someone else has to rule the country.
So those who think Modi is not worthy enough to lead the nation; they need to tell who actually is?
The first natural alternative is Congress. Congress still has its old legacy somewhere alive but that legacy has gone to oblivion because of the blind and illogical obsession of Congress cadre towards one family. The one truth that merit does not prevail in Congress but a particular the name does, completely negates whatever positives Congress has.
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Politics is an obsession, a full-time engagement. Either you have it in you or you don’t have it in you. So please, Rahul Gandhi over Modi is just unthinkable. Notwithstanding all the poll drubbings Congress has over the past three years, Congress still has that national connect alive but Congress sans Rahul as its chief is out of the question and thus Congress is out of the question as well.
Arvind Kejriwal & AAP had the potential to be an alternative but by now it is amply clear that they are far away from being an alternative at the national level.
So who else can be the correct answer? I would name few and probably without any reasoning even Modi baiters would knock them off. A third front, led by either of Mulayam Singh Yadav, Lalu Yadav, Mayawati, Sharad Pawar, or Sitaram Yechuri? Holy crap, can’t even think of.
The only leader, who can match with Modi in mettle somewhat is Nitish Kumar but he does not enjoy pan India backing and there is no chance that JD(U) can ever become a party of this stature. The only possibility for Nitish being PM is that he gets supports of the entire names above.
This formula has failed several times in past so it is out of contention. If PM doesn’t have numbers on his own, he would be crippled.
No matter what good intention and conviction Nitish carry as PM, in a third front coalition government he would be like another, Charan Singh, Chandrashekhar or Deve Gowda only.
So among all the alternatives available, you may not be sure whether Modi is the right answer, but arguably it is sure at this point in time that other alternatives are incorrect answers.
However, in case Modi critics feel otherwise then they should tell the alternative. After all more than telling that what is incorrect, you ought to tell that what is correct.
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Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher coined a term TINA, means there is no alternative. Thatcher raised this in a different context altogether but it is so much true for Modi today, notwithstanding whatever shortcomings are there in him and his critics may be somewhat true in their criticism