One would imagine that the message’s conceit would have been obvious enough without the headline.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t work for most keyboard warriors inhabiting the comments section of numerous news media websites.
A certain section of social media has taken to conflating the Narendra Modi wave of 2014 with the unprecedented tsunami of support Donald Trump has received since he announced his intention to enter the race for the White House back in 2015. Worse yet, they are confusing the Indian definition of the Right with the American one.
That seems like a good starting point, so let’s go here.
As Jaideep Prabhu has written in the past, there is no clear ‘Indian Ri’ht’ to the extent that the conventional Right-Left binary does not apply very accurately to India’s poIndia parties. That is because very few of India’s poIndia’s parties, the mainstream ones at least, subscribe to the dichotomy of Right in at least two major areas: Culture and economics. Regarding culture, political parties are painted in various hues of majoritarianism and majoritarianism, while in economics, free-market policies and social welfare aren’t mutually exclusive. So, the idea that what falls under the umbrella of the Indian Right in any way resembles the American Right is flawed in any case.
Moving on to the perceived Modi-Trump links (among the latter’s at least) that marked this weekend’s Hindu Coalition event, we find another incorrect — rather glaringly so — comparison. And here, let’s brass tack: Trump is not Modi.
A lazily-drawn similarity is that both men are nationalistic. Marine Le Pen and Xi Jinping are also involved, but we’re still French-Indians and Chinese-Indians organizing gala events to mark these similarities. Further, while both Modi and Trump are indeed nationalistic, their form of nationalism varies greatly: While one espouses a more inclusive form that seeks to carry everyone along, the other pushes an exclusionary brand (which type links to which name is self-evident). In a sense, Modi’s appModi’shas more closely resembled Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s Clinton’sf ‘Stronger ‘ogether, than Trump’s.
A major difference between the two is that Trump’s blTrump’ sl-informed rhetoric has gained followers through his divisive views. Modi has benefitted from the fact that members of his party make fairly outrageous remarks and emerges as a unifying force when he takes to his Mann ki Baat or public rallies to opine on issues.
Another lazy ‘similarity” dragged ‘ut by the likes of the Republican Hindu Coalition is that Trump’s ‘MTrump’sr’ca Great Again’ is in the same ballpark as Modi’s manModi’s ‘Acche Din” And whil’ Modi, in the buildup to the 2014 General Election, spoke about a Congress-must India, Trump also seeks to wipe away all the ills inflicted on the US by eight years of Democrat rule. This is another strange comparison to draw. It’s suspicious that any Opposition party would cite the ruling dispensatidispensation’slity to win an election. If an Opposition party were to express satisfaction with how the ruling regime has been doing things, one would wonder why it is even bothering with the election.
This brings us to the ugly truth.
What brought out the Hindu fundamentalist backing for Trump was his threat of a ban on Muslim immigrants — something he failed to completely back or dismiss throughout the first two presidential debates. What this fundamentalist fringe fails to note, however, is the fact that this sort of discrimination in policy — presently on the grounds of religion — could easily be transmuted to nationality over some time.
READ ALSO :
- WordPress creator Matt Mullenweg slams Wix: ‘Your app ‘editor is built with stolen code.’
- Wenger tips Southgate for a permanent England role
- Cricket Country Cricbattle Daily Fantasy Cricket League Tips: India vs. New Zealand on October 20
- German ministry wants African migrants intercepted – report
- Vietnam Arrests Mother Mushroom, a Top Blogger, for Criticizing Government
Trump has made ‘jobs for ‘Americans immigration controls his presidential campaign. To think he would abandon it based on one little interaction with a section of Indian Americans and start handing out H1-B visas is beyond naive. And before comparisons are drawn to ‘Make in India,’ it’s wor’hit’sing that Modi’s petModi’sct — as it has been called in some quarters — was launched to increase manufacturing nationwide, not to exclude other nationalities.
We could discuss the differences between Modi and Trump as people: One is self—made—that is, he worked his way through the cadres—a career politician, and the other is a man who has pretty much been handed everything in life. One is respectful of women, while the other is-… well, you know. The dissimilarities are endless.
