FILE photo: Narendra Modi
New Delhi:
Days before Narendra Modi is sworn-in as India's 15th prime minister, an open letter to him, published in The Hindu today, urges the BJP leader to "reassure the minorities... do not patronise them."
The letter is written by Gopalkrishna Gandhi, a former senior diplomat, who has also served in the past as West Bengal Governor. He is the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi.
He opens his note to Mr Modi by confessing, "I am not one of those who wanted to see you reach the high office that you have reached." (Read entire letter here)
But Mr Gandhi, 69, also stresses, "What a wonderful thing it is, I said to myself, that one who has made and served chai for a living should be able to head the government of India. Far better bearing a pyala to many than being a chamcha to one." His comment appears to be a jibe at Mani Shankar Aiyer of the Congress, who had controversially referred before the election to Mr Modi as "a chaiwallah."
On Friday, Mr Modi led the BJP to a record national victory. For the first time in 30 years, a party has got a parliamentary majority. The BJP won 282 parliamentary seats; 272 are needed to form the government. With its allies, it has 336 seats.
Mr Gandhi cautions, "The BJP has won the seats it has because you captured the imagination of 31 per cent of our people (your vote share) as the nation's best guardian... it has also to be noted that 69 per cent of the voters did not see you as their rakhvala... reassure the minorities, Mr. Modi, do not patronise them. 'Development' is no substitute to security."
(The writer is a former administrator and diplomat. He was Governor of West Bengal, 2004-2009, and officiating Governor of Bihar, 2005-2006)
The letter is written by Gopalkrishna Gandhi, a former senior diplomat, who has also served in the past as West Bengal Governor. He is the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi.
He opens his note to Mr Modi by confessing, "I am not one of those who wanted to see you reach the high office that you have reached." (Read entire letter here)
But Mr Gandhi, 69, also stresses, "What a wonderful thing it is, I said to myself, that one who has made and served chai for a living should be able to head the government of India. Far better bearing a pyala to many than being a chamcha to one." His comment appears to be a jibe at Mani Shankar Aiyer of the Congress, who had controversially referred before the election to Mr Modi as "a chaiwallah."
On Friday, Mr Modi led the BJP to a record national victory. For the first time in 30 years, a party has got a parliamentary majority. The BJP won 282 parliamentary seats; 272 are needed to form the government. With its allies, it has 336 seats.
Mr Gandhi cautions, "The BJP has won the seats it has because you captured the imagination of 31 per cent of our people (your vote share) as the nation's best guardian... it has also to be noted that 69 per cent of the voters did not see you as their rakhvala... reassure the minorities, Mr. Modi, do not patronise them. 'Development' is no substitute to security."
(The writer is a former administrator and diplomat. He was Governor of West Bengal, 2004-2009, and officiating Governor of Bihar, 2005-2006)
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