In thrall to its own violence

In its second innings, the Modi government has turned its back on conciliation, with dire consequences for the polity

- Harish Khare

As to why the Narendra Modi regime has succeeded in pushing the country into a needless, but harmful, instability, a clue is available in Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s opening remarks when he piloted the Citizenship Amendment Bill in the Rajya Sabha. The Minister cockily argued that his government was perfectly aware that the proposed amendment would be a controversial law, but he was prepared to be disagreeable. The Minister’s refrain was that if there was a ‘problem’, it had to be ‘solved’, because, unlike the earlier ruling arrangements, the new regime was not given to procrastination.

That is perhaps the rub. After the 2019 Lok Sabha mandate, the composition and character of the Modi government stand changed. The new team has gone out of its way to convey a new sense of urgency to take up the old priorities. This clear-headedness has turned out to be a mixed blessing.

Breaking with Vajpayee era