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| (Image source: news.oneindia.in) |
Narendra Modi, the Prime Ministerial candidate of the NDA (National
Democratic Alliance – the coalition headed by the Bharatiya Janata Party) was
in Kolkata on the 5th of February, 2014. He addressed a rally in the
Brigade Parade Grounds in the heart of the city. This week, we bring to you our
first post in the series, “What Did Narendra Modi Say?” We say ‘first’ because it is certain that he will address a
lot of rallies in the run-up to the elections and many of them will go on to
become the week’s biggest news/headline.
Mr. Modi’s speech was a combination of political statements,
facts and his vision for the future of the state. We take up some of the
highlights of his address here. In case of political statements and facts, a
counter from the other parties or a background regarding the issue, if
available, is included.
The Bong Connection
In his trademark style of using the local language first,
Mr. Modi started his speech in Bengali, saying that the crowd that he witnessed
made his heart say, “Amar sonar Bangla.
Aami tomay bhalobashi.” (Bengali for: "My golden Bengal. I love you.”)
He went on to explain the connection between Bengal and
Gujarat (he is currently the Chief Minister of Gujarat) using life incidents of
historical personalities like Rabindranath Tagore, Swami Vivekananda and Subhash
Chandra Bose.
Political Statements
#1 Third Front is third class in
governance!
Modi: Highlighting the crowd in his rally, he exhorted the Third
front leaders to come to Kolkata and see for themselves which way the wind is
blowing. In the latter part of his speech, he said that the third front parties
had ruled most of eastern India and they had done a third class job in
governance and hence, they should be banished from the political landscape of
India.
Background: Third Front is nothing but a collection of political parties
who are strong in their respective states. Like, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in
Odisha, AIADMK in Tamil Nadu and so on. These parties say they want to give the
country a non-Congress and non-BJP alternative. Interestingly, just on the day
of Mr. Modi’s rally, leaders from 11 such parties met in Delhi to discuss their
combined strategy in this session of Parliament.
#2 Congress didn’t make Pranab Mukherjee
Prime Minister!
Modi: Mr. Modi
invoked history to prove a point against the Congress. He said that there were
two occasions when Pranab Mukherjee (Presently, the President of India, and
formerly, a Union Minister and a senior Congress leader from West Bengal.)
could have been the PM. Firstly, when Mrs. Indira Gandhi was assassinated and
he was the senior most member of the Cabinet. But Rajiv Gandhi went on to
become the PM. Secondly, he said that if in 2004, Sonia Gandhi (the President
of the INC) didn’t want to become the PM, then why did she overlook Pranab
Mukherjee and make Dr. Manmohan Singh the PM.
Counter: The
Congress accused Mr. Modi of playing to the gallery by invoking the Bengal leader.
Fact: a) On both
the occasions mentioned by him, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee could have become the PM.
b) However,
in the July of 2012, when the Presidential elections had taken place and the
INC had fielded Mr. Pranab Mukherjee as their candidate, the BJP had chosen to
oppose his candidature.
#3 Mamata in Kolkata, Modi in Delhi,
Pranab on top!
Mr. Modi first congratulated the people of Bengal for
ushering in a revolution by defeating the Left. But then asked the crowd that
did they get the “poriborton (Bengali
for change)” they were promised by the Mamata Banerjee led All India Trinamool
Congress (AITC).
He asked the people of Bengal to vote for the BJP in the Lok
Sabha elections and elect all the BJP candidates on the 42 seats in the state.
(Fact Check: BJP has just one MP in Bengal from Darjeeling, and that too was
won because of the support they got from the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha in return
for their promise to create a separate state called Gorkhaland if they came to
power)
He said, “Ensure a win
for BJP in these Lok Sabha polls - why? Let me explain - here you have the
Trinamool government - who has promised action, work on ground - they will do
something - ask them about their achievements - about their promises and by
voting for BJP you come and ask me Modi ji what have you done? What is your
balance sheet? Let us have a friendly competition - let Mamata ji's government
work for the betterment of the people of West Bengal and in 2014 when the BJP
govt comes to power in Delhi - let them too work for you - who will benefit? If
we have this friendly competition who will benefit? Ask for their balance sheet
in the state and ask me of the balance sheet at Delhi - it will be the best of
both worlds for you. If you elect someone else how shall you ask us of our
balance sheet? We believe in democracy - we shall come and explain ourselves
anyways but the work of the West Bengal government will not be enough to turn
the luck for its people - there must be a sympathetic government at Delhi too -
and I am before you today to take up that responsibility.”
Facts
#1 Electricity in villages!
Modi: Modi
contended that in spite of being close to coal reserves, Bengal faced a shortage
of electricity. He also highlighted the achievements of Gujarat in this sphere.
#2 Toilets and electricity in primary
schools!
Modi: He went on to say, “Brothers
and sisters there are schools here that are revered, recognized across India -
despite that why is the primary education system in tatters? West Bengal is
known for its tradition of honoring mothers - females - yet only a small
percentage of schools have toilets for girls. What change are you bringing?
Only 35 per cent schools in West Bengal are electrified. How will you grasp
modern technologies without electricity how will you ensure real education?”
Counter: "The honorable Chief Minister of Gujarat made
a few statements which were factually incorrect," said a post in Trinamool Congress' website.
“98 per cent schools
in West Bengal have toilets while most primary, upper primary, secondary and
higher secondary schools have uninterrupted power supply," the
statement said. It pointed out that West Bengal is the only state in India
to have a power bank.
"As of December
2013, West Bengal achieved 60 per cent rural electrification (up from 10 per
cent during the Left Front rule)," the Trinamool Congress said.
Vision
In the end, Modi said, “How
should India be - how should we sum up our vision? To say in Gurudev
Rabindranath Tagore's words - My Idea of India - (in Bengali)
Where the mind is
without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.”
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.”
He then went on to ride on the crowd’s love for the
slogan, “Cholbe na” (Bengali for not
acceptable) by asking them to repeat the words after statements like, “goonda
raj and political violence - corrupt governance - daily strikes - power cuts -
industrial exodus - insecurity to women - unemployment”. The crowd responded
with “Cholche Na, Cholbe Na.”
(Bengali for Not acceptable now, won’t be acceptable in the future) to each of
these statements.
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