Can the Modi brigade show some tolerance?

M. Gautham Machaiah

I am not a Narendra Modi fan, but I have no issue with those who hero-worship him. Perhaps they see some virtue in him which I do not.  But what makes me apprehensive about Modi’s accession to power is the complete intolerance that is displayed towards those even remotely opposed to him.

Anybody who is not favourable disposed towards Modi is dubbed anti-national or a Congress agent, while even an innocent comment against him on social networking sites instantly invites a barrage of expletives from his supporters and PR managers. Modi supporters do not seem to realise that democracy is not just about having diverse opinions but also about respecting each other’s views.  

Running roughshod over people who have conflicting opinions is autocracy. Is this the brand of democracy that Modi subscribes to? Why is it that Modi and his followers lack even basic tolerance? If this is the attitude before Modi assumes power, I shudder to imagine what will be the fate of his opponents if and when he becomes the Prime Minister.

Sudheendra Kulkarni, an aide of BJP stalwart L.K. Advani has described Modi as a polarising leader. My biggest fear is that if Modi comes to power, the country may be polarised into two sections, one supporting him and another opposed to him, with the latter being persecuted and harassed, as it is happening now. I do not know if this has the tacit approval of Modi himself. If it has, the prospects are even more frightening.

Though I am no Congress supporter either, I must admit that the party’s response to the rabid campaign of the Modi brigade has been mature and dignified.  Modi might be a great leader and it is possible that a majority of the people in the country support him for Prime Ministership, but the “tyranny of the majority” over the minority does not bode well for the country.

I have no grudge against Modi supporters, but my only request to them is, be tolerant to divergent views. That is the essence of democracy. You cannot run a democracy by holding the gun to your opponent’s head. Let us live and let live.