The Truth is Powerful
PM Modi at the MSME Idea Hackathon, 2022. | Praveen Jain | ThePrint Political scientist Yogendra Yadav has argued in his recent column that Narendra Modi and the present Bharatiya Janata Party dispensation are now trying to achieve “total dominance over all other sectors of power—social, cultural, religious and economic.” His premise is that the BJP has parliamentary numbers in its favour and is going full throttle to control other spaces from the position of strength. But I disagree. The BJP is still not comfortably placed in the power structures and its brazenness is the result of its weakness and insecurity.
In the power discourse, politics, especially parliamentary numbers, is only one form of power. Power also vests in civil society through ideas, culture, ideologies and narratives. Perhaps it’s the BJP’s inability to control the vast swath of Indian civil society that is making it uncomfortable. Interestingly, elite spaces, personified by the BJP as ‘Khan Market gangs’, are still out of its control.
BJP can impose its will on people, groups and institutions and can do almost everything it wants. It can destabilise almost any state government or business. The Enforcement Directorate, the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Income Tax […]