Fear psychosis
Amit Shah’s anti-Bangladeshi pitch won’t help domestic politics or foreign policy.BJP won the 2014 general elections on the back of a positive message of hope and inclusive development. And, in the run up to 2019 general elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dedication of the Ayushman Bharat scheme to the nation, and statement that the health cover scheme transcends caste or community, is also along these lines. However BJP president Amit Shah, who has characterised migrants as “infiltrators” who are “termites”, has struck a contrary note by invoking a politics of fear and paranoia.
Shah asserted, extraordinarily, that several crore “infiltrators” have entered the country and that after winning the 2019 polls BJP would identify each and every one of them. Shah’s repeated statements around this theme suggest that BJP plans to make the ‘illegal Bangladeshi’ the Enemy No.1 and whip up passions around this issue. Shah’s negative tactic elicits comparison with Trump’s characterisation of Mexicans as “rapists” in the US. If the idea here is to appeal to the “base” of BJP’s electoral support, then it’s worth noting that Trump’s current popularity is declining and a strategy of appealing only to the “base” is yielding diminishing returns. The core vote alone won’t be enough for BJP in 2019.
Besides, Shah’s tirade against illegal infiltrators risks being exposed as a gimmick and ruining relations with Bangladesh. Although there’s no proof that crores of illegal Bangladeshis reside in India, even if one takes Shah’s statements at face value there is still the question of what is to be done with these people. India isn’t China in that they can’t all be herded into vast detention camps – it does have a democratic Constitution. Nor does Bangladesh recognise large scale migration to India after 1972; it is hardly likely to take back anyone India chooses to deport. These are stubborn realities that cannot be conjured away.
In fact, Shah’s termite comment has already attracted Dhaka’s ire with the latter describing it as an unfortunate remark. Bangladesh is perhaps the only country in the neighbourhood today that has excellent relations with India. Credit for this goes to the Awami League dispensation in Dhaka. But if BJP continues with its anti-Bangladeshi tirade it will harm the Awami at upcoming polls in Bangladesh and put the future of India-Bangladesh ties in doubt. A witch hunt for enemies “within” is not going to help either domestic politics or foreign policy. Its outcome can only be a self-goal for BJP.
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