Monday, May 26, 2014

N-talk shows up Sena; Modi needs to cut it to size

It is appalling that the Sena choose to assert itself with Narendra Modi by talking of exercising the nuclear option against Pakistan.

The comments, on the eve of the swearing of the Modi ministry, not only are inopportune but also shows up the shallowness of the Sena leadership on weighty matters affecting the nation. The Sena either has no knowledge of the cataclysmic consequences of the nuclear option, and the ability of Pakistan to survive a first strike and launch a devastating counter strike, or they lack the caliber to grasp such issues. Additionally, by talking like ruffians engaged in a street power game, they have shown themselves up as unable to provide leadership to the nation.

The very fact that the Sena, an important ally to the BJP and a key Hindutva party, was willing to think of an option that would send billions of living beings into oblivion, is even more worrying. Sena watchers may not be surprised at the statement but the callousness with which it was uttered makes it frightening to think the kind of leadership India is going to get.


Makes it all the more imperative for Narendra Modi to run a tight ship, and if need be, to press the eject button on allies like the Sena. The way the Sena has been carping about getting more cabinet berths shows it is more interested in power and pelf rather than good governance. Modi has made a good start by resisting those pressures. He should now slowly tighten the screws on the Sena and bring it in line -- he can do that; the Indian people have gifted him a majority for strengthening the nation.