Almighty has chosen Narendra Modi for ‘Ram Mandir’ and Modi has chosen Dhami for UCC: Dr Jagdeesh Chandra
Explaining in detail how destiny played a hand and chose PM Narendra Modi for various ‘correctional roadmaps’ like Abrogation of Article 370, Ram temple construction and now UCC, Dr Jagdeesh Chandra reveals the vision behind such major changes being brought to the Indian laws. He elucidates how the essence of Syama Prasad Mookerjee’s mantra, “Ek desh, Ek Vidhan, Ek Nishan,” has been actualised by Modi, distinguishing him from his predecessors Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani. He further examines how the BJP, leveraging Modi’s popularity, could secure a resounding victory with over 370 seats, and how Modi has faith and trust in Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami’s capabilities. Excerpts....
- How would you define Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Uniform Civil Code?
Dr Jagdeesh Chandra: The single line vision of Prime Minister is ‘one law’ for each individual of the nation, be it Hindu or Muslim or any other community. Furthermore, he is crystal clear that there can’t be any appeasement. He is clear in his thought that there can not be different set of rules for different people in the same family, there can not be different laws for citizens in one country. This is the vision.
- Do you think that the responsibility to see through the three major agendas of RSS and BJP lay on Narendra Modi’s shoulders?
It was Narendra Modi’s destiny, it was his luck to have got these done and the hard work that it took to get it done, it makes one wonder if there was any pending work of the past life which Modi completed in this life. Modi and Shah got Article 370 abrogated, then he got the Ram Temple built and the idol was consecrated. Now, we are talking about UCC which at one point, seemed impossible. It seems as if the original agenda of the Sangh and the BJP, which hadn’t been fulfilled for long, was destined to be fulfilled at the hands of Narendra Modi. It so happened and Modi, the BJP & the RSS were congratulated by the people.
- Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee had said that two symbols and two laws will not be applicable in one country. Do you think that agenda has been fulfilled?
Hundred percent! Syama Prasad had said so in 1951, but nothing happened then, rather it took all these years and it happened at the hands of Narendra Modi. The dream of tearing apart the structure that lent power to ‘2 vidhaan’ in the nation was removed. Then Article 370 was abrogated. So definitely, the slogan was given by Syama Prasad Mookerjee, but it has been brought to life by Narendra Modi.
- BJP had two stalwarts in former PM late Atal Bihari Vajpayee and former Home Minister Lal Krishna Advani. Now the party has Narendra Modi as its leader. What are the differences between those two leaders from the bygone era and Modi?
The difference is that Narendra Modi is extremely decisive and he is completely surrendered to the ideology. He is brave, decides on issues, his delivery is superb, works round the clock and his thought process is clear which is based on Hindutva, nation building and development. Atalji too was PM and Advaniji was like deputy PM, but they lacked moral courage on these topics and no decision was taken on these issues. But Narendra Modi is different and that is why, these decisions have been taken during his tenure and this is the factor that differentiates Modi from Vajpayee and Advani.
- Is there any other national leader or state premier on whose face elections can be won?
There is no one today and it seems that there won’t be any leader in the decades to come. Look at Modi’s popularity, it stands at 76 percent among the Indians. His popularity is ‘No. 1’ in the world. If you gauge him through his work, then too, 64 % people consider Modi to be a better administrator wherein Germany it is 38 percent, 37 percent in Japan, 11 percent in Russia and 4 percent in China. Thus, when it comes to global vision and popularity, he is supreme as compared to all other ‘World Leaders.’ And all elections are being won on his face. Few months ago, BJP won three Assembly elections held in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, where the BJP was on the back foot. But Modi changed the equation within days and suddenly, the votes were cast in favour of BJP. Hence, it can definitely be said that he is perhaps one of the handful of world leaders whose popularity could enable the party to contest elections solely on his face.
- PM Modi is not only eyeing to repeat his win, but also looking to break his own record. He has said that BJP on its own will win 370 seats while NDA will cross the 400 seat mark. What is the reason behind this confidence of his?
Karma. His hard work, his feedback mechanism, his strong will, his decisions and then there is a factor that luck plays due to which what he thinks turns into reality. He must have thought about forming the government in three states, which we all know happened. Now he has thought of getting 400 seats and owing to the change in equations after Ram Temple at Ayodhya, you can not negate it in any way and therefore, BJP can reach the 370 mark and the total tally may well touch 400 seats. Look at how the opposition leaders are running from pillar to post to join BJP. It’s possible that the NDA could grow so significantly that it reaches the 400 mark. One can take a cue regarding Narendra Modi’s confidence from the fact that he openly says that in his third tenure, he would conduct these many works. He has given a plan for the next 20 to 30 years. He is the first leader of the world, who is so confident about his victory.
- UCC is being started from Uttarakhand. What is PM Modi’s emotional attachment to the ‘Dev-Bhoomi’?
Uttarakhand is close to his heart. Modi visits mountains & KedarnathBadrinath. We have seen he has performed various worships there. He abandoned everything and retreated to the mountains for three years, thus instilling a deep faith in their power within him. Secondly, Uttarakhand stands as a bastion of Hinduism, with its four sacred ‘Dhams’ nestled within its borders. There is a small number of Muslim population there and unfortunately, a riot occurred in Haldwani, where such things normally do not happen. Anyhow, law is taking its course. Thirdly, the PM’s affection for Uttarakhand is matched by his admiration for CM Pushkar Singh Dhami. He has faith in Dhami and his capabilities, and Modi possesses a God-given talent for extracting the best from individuals. He made Dhami the CM even though he lost the polls. There is some trust that PM has in Dhami. Once Dhami had mentioned that when a few years ago, he went to meet PM Modi, he thought he would be given 10 minutes of meeting time with the PM. But Modi listened to him for one and a half hours, engaging in discussions on various issues concerning Uttarakhand. Looking at it from another perspective, Dhami also enjoys popularity within his state. Look at how the bill for UCC was presented in the State Assembly and within 24 hours, it was passed, without any commotion in the House or any law and order situation on the streets. Dhami was superb in floor management and overall management of the issue. Although Dhami isn’t typically associated with strictness or tactful approaches, he rose to the occasion. With the honour of the PM and BJP on the line, it was akin to an ‘Agnipariksha’ for Dhami, which he passed with flying colours. These are the reasons why the PM holds Uttarakhand dear.
- During his first tenure, Dhami had said that if his government is formed, he will go for UCC. Do you think that statement played a major role in bringing back Dhami government in Uttarakhand?
Definitely. At the time the statement was made, the election atmosphere favoured Congress, with speculation that Harish Rawat would become the CM. The surveys said this. In the last leg of campaigning, perhaps he just happened to say it or perhaps it was a well thought out ploy, but he said that if BJP comes back to power, then UCC will be passed in the first Cabinet meeting. The situation changed suddenly. So it is now believed that his announcement turned the tables on Congress, leading to the BJP emerging victorious. Although BJP won, but Dhami lost the election, but the party realised his hard work and chose him to lead the state again as CM. The by poll was conducted, and he emerged victorious, thus securing his position as the Chief Minister.
- Dhami, in a humble demeanour, said that it is his luck that he got the chance for bringing UCC. What is your take on it?
He is lucky. It was Narendra Modi’s destiny to get the Ram Temple constructed and Ramlalla’s idol consecrated. The Almighty chose him for this work. Advani himself said so. He was destined to be the PM and give the responsibility of making UCC a law to Uttarakhand government. Therefore, the Almighty chose Modi, and Modi chose Dhami for this task. The image of Dhami holding the Uniform Civil Code and Constitution has been widely circulated, a sight that was surreal due to his humble demeanour.
- What is your take on Dhami as the CM, specially when one compares him to previous CMs?
He is a young and dynamic leader, known for his silent yet effective leadership style, characterised by a strong image and consistent delivery of results. His proactive stance on the Uniform Civil Code has elevated him to the top position in the State. The State has had a total of seven different individuals as CM. ND Tiwari was the only CM, who completed the tenure of five years and now it seems that Dhami will be the leader, who will complete the five- year tenure as CM. There is also a distinction in terms of success, and Dhami has exemplified the saying that ‘nothing succeeds like success,’ thus establishing himself as a better CM.
- Some critiques are claiming that through UCC, PM Modi has cemented his victory for the 2024 LS polls. What is your take on this?
My analysis suggests that he has already secured victory in the 2024 LS polls. This may well be the first election in the nation’s history to be won without the contest even beginning. Only the vote counting remains. Modi doesn’t rely on the UCC to win polls. In fact, even without the construction of the Ram Temple, Modi would likely have emerged victorious. However, with the consecration of the Ramlalla idol, Modi’s stature has grown exponentially, overshadowing the position of PM and propelling him to the status of a world leader. PM Modi exudes confidence, as if he has already secured victory in all elections up to 2047.
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