11/6/13

Narendra Modis lack of knowledge on Sardar Patel, history matter of big concern: Shashi Tharoor - Economic Times

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You are here: Home > Collections > Narendra Modi

Narendra Modis lack of knowledge on Sardar Patel, history matter of big concern: Shashi Tharoor
CL Manoj, ET Bureau Nov 5, 2013, 06.30AM IST

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Narendra Modi is an intelligent and shrewd man. But, frankly, he is not a very particularly well-educated and wellread man, Tharoor tells ET What do you think about Narendra Modi's and BJP's attempts to lay claim to the legacy of Sardar Patel? Modi is trying to redefine a certain standing that the BJP historically lacks. The BJP traces its origin to leaders who were not particularly active during the nationalist movement. (Narendra Modi is an intelligent) The lack of inspiration for the people in the parent body of BJP means people like Modi will have to look for role models elsewhere. But in looking for someone who would be both a respected pan-India figure and have affinity for his home state Gujarat, Modi would have found three great Gujarati leaders in the nationalist movement - Gandhi, Jinnah and Patel. In Gandhi, of course, Modi could not have found anything common with him. Jinnah, for him, is reviled. And that leaves Modi with Patel as the only viable option. It helps that Patel is widely admired for his extraordinary role in forging India that gave him an unchallenged standing as the Iron Man. Patel represents both a national appeal and a Gujarati origin that suits Modi. Patel represents an image of decisive and firm actions, which is what Modi wishes to convey through his political appeal. Now we can understand the motivation. But we have to nonetheless raise some legitimate questions about Modi's blatant attempts at appropriating someone else's life and records.

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What kind of questions? Modi is trying to say he is walking in the footsteps of Sardar Patel. But then he has to really look at how Patel conducted himself in certain situations and whether he can show that either he conducted in the same way or showed inclination to do so. The most obvious parallel is that both Patel and Modi were faced with serious breakdown of law and order in their respective domains involving major violence and riots against the Muslims. How did Patel handle it and how did Modi handle it? In Delhi in 1947, Patel immediately and effectively moved to the protection of Muslims. Because Patel was afraid that the local security forces might

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Narendra Modis lack of knowledge on Sardar Patel, history matter of big concern: Shashi Tharoor - Economic Times
have been affected by the virus of communal passions, he even moved troops from Madras and Pune to Delhi. Patel also made it a point to go and pray at Nizamuddin (Dargah) to convey a clear message. Patel also went to Amritsar when there were attacks on Muslims and he pleaded with both Hindu and Sikh mobs to stop that. In each of these cases, Patel succeeded and there were literally thousands of people who were alive precisely because of his interventions. But we all know what happened in Gujarat in 2002. Whether or not you ascribe direct blame to Modi for what happened, you can certainly give him no credit for acting in the way Patel did in Delhi. In Gujarat, there was no direct and immediate action by Modi as the chief executive to protect the Muslims. Nor did Modi make any public communication to convey it was wrong. Nor was there any symbolic action from Modi of going to a masjid or the Muslim areas. On the contrary, there was a tendency to provide protection and comforts to the rioters and not to the victims. Do you think Patel was a 'Hindu Nationalist' of the sort that Modi is trying to project himself as? Sardar Patel, above all a Gandhian, believed in equal rights for all irrespective of their religion or caste. It is true at the time of partition Patel was inclined to believe, unlike Nehru, that an entire community had seceded. In my biography of Nehru I have given some examples of Nehru and Patel clashing precisely on this issue. But I have to stress that there are an equal number of examples where Patel, if he had to choose from what was the right thing to the Hindus and what was the right thing morally in the Gandhian way, invariably plumped for the Gandhian approach. An example, so often distorted by the Sangh Parivar apologists, was his opposition to Nehru's pact with Liaquat Ali Khan, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, on the question of violence in East Pakistan against the Hindu minority. The Nehru-Liaquat pact was indeed criticised by Patel and both of them disagreed quite ferociously. But when Nehru insisted on his position it was Patel who gave in and the reason for which he gave in was very much a Gandhian reason, which was that violence in West Bengal against Muslims essentially took away our moral rights to take steps to condemn violence against Hindus in East Pakistan and resort to attack. That was not a Hindu nationalist position but a classically Gandhian fair approach as an Indian nationalist. And look at Modi, who has openly declared himself as a Hindu nationalist and has made speeches with thinly concealed contempt for Muslims. Patel would have been truly outraged by the kind of remarks that Modi has made against minorities.

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How do you react to the argument that Patel, not Nehru, should have been the first PM of India?

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Narendra Modis lack of knowledge on Sardar Patel, history matter of big concern: Shashi Tharoor - Economic Times

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Readers' opinions (453)

Sort by: Newest | Oldest Narayanan Gangadharan (Thiruvananthapuram (Triv) 06 Nov, 2013 11:33 AM We can only simply ignore when Tharoor challenged Modi to fight against him in the next parliamentory election from Trivandrum.His calculation is genuine. If it happens so Tharoors contest will be noticed Otherwise even if he gets ticket he will be one among the 500 and odd insignificant contestenats. Tharoor is an Upstart in Indian Politics. Let hem answer these questions. 1. Is the Congress which claims the legacy of Indian freedom Movement take the responsibility of the massacre of more than 5 lakh innocent people and the biggest exodus in human history to the tune of 25 lakhs.( Read Freedom at Midnight) 2. Is Nehuru resposible for a shattered foreign policy and an area more than the size of Kerala State is still under thwe Chineese occupation. 2. Is Idira Gandhi reposible for the massacre of thousands of Sikhs inthe blustar operation against the holy shrine of Golden temple. 4. Is Rajeev Gabdhi resposible for the massacre of more that 3000 sikhs after the assacianation of Indira Gandhi. 5. Is Congress responsible for the atrocities committed by Sanjay Gandhi during the emergency. Tharoor who was just a glorified clerk in Un UN questioning the Modis knowledge of history is a joke. kishor shah (Vadodara) 06 Nov, 2013 11:10 AM Mr. Tharoor may have more qualifications compare to CM Modi but is unimportant in politics. The way CM Modi connects with people, it may not be possible for Mr. Tharoor. In politics the CONNECT WITH PEOPLE is very important than other qualifications, as I think. Krishna Pradyumna (Hyderabad) 06 Nov, 2013 10:46 AM Chandra Gupta and Chandra Gupta Maurya are 2 different kings. Chandra Gupta is the founder of Gupta dynasty, he united all small kingdoms around Ganga river. (Now UP and Bihar). Thats what Modi talked about. Not Chandra Gupta Maurya. So get your facts right Mr.Shashi Tharoor, dont bark like DigVijaySingh Dharamvir Khatri (India) 06 Nov, 2013 10:28 AM Apni -apni dhapli, apna - apna raag. Na tu. Meri sunta hai , na mein Teri sunta hoo. Intention is one to lay down each other's. Nothing more to say. Bodan (India) 06 Nov, 2013 10:20 AM The 'minister of love affairs' is giving sermons. He should read what Advani has revealed about the true colour of Congress attitude to Sardar Patel. READ ALL COMMENTS

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