Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday participated in an event to commemorate the martyrdom of two sons of Guru Gobind Singh, a day after he hosted a Christmas lunch at his official residence, signalling an effort to woo minority communities amid a loud Hindutva pitch in the run-up to the inauguration of the Ram temple.
Modi is scheduled to inaugurate on January 22 the Ram temple constructed on his watch in Ayodhya, and outfits of the wider Sangh parivar are out to use the event to spark a strong Hindutva fervour across the country.
In this backdrop, Modi appears to be trying to send out comforting signals to the minorities and also win over their support ahead of the Lok Sabha polls next year. Having established dominance over the majority community votes, the BJP managers feel that now they can use the perception of Modi’s imminent return to power in 2024 to get sections of minority community voters to back them.
Participating in the event at the Bharat Mandapam, Modi said the Sikh Gurus have taught Indians to live for the glory of their land and served as an inspiration to make the country better.
On Monday, Modi had said at the Christmas lunch he hosted: "The Christian community has played an important role in India’s freedom movement… The Christian community has continued to play an important role in giving direction to society. It actively participates in social service, and is always at the forefront of serving the poor and the deprived.”
Despite its best efforts, the BJP has not been able to spread its wings beyond the heartland states. The ruling party does not have a credible presence in Sikh-dominated Punjab, in Kerala where Christians and Muslims are a sizeable section of the population, and in the Christian-dominated northeastern states. In Meghalaya, Nagaland and Mizoram, the BJP banks on regional partners to draw the Christian community votes.
While winning over the Sikh community has been a much sought-after goal, the Christian community is also high on Modi's target, according to BJP leaders. Many senior BJP leaders believe that the main reason for Modi taking back the three farm laws was to ensure that it doesn’t send a wrong signal to the Sikh community. The Sikh farmers had led the protests against the farm laws.
Since taking back the laws, Modi has been seen going out of the way to woo the community. The “Veer Bal Diwas” event that Modi participated in on Tuesday to commemorate the martyrdom of two sons of Guru Gobind Singh was started by his government.
“Veer Bal Diwas is a symbol of the resolve to do anything to protect ‘Bharatiyata’ (Indianness), ” Modi said.
Modi had paid a visit to Delhi’s Sacred Heart Cathedral on Easter this year and it was seen as a deliberate political outreach. On Christmas Day, BJP chief J.P. Nadda drove to the Delhi cathedral. The guest list for Modi’s Christmas lunch covered a wide spectrum, drawing prominent Christian community members from different fields.
Addressing his guests, Modi drew parallels between the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Upanishads. “The Holy Bible says that whatever God has given us, it should be used for the service of others. This is what ‘Seva Parmo Dharma’ is,” he said, stressing the spirit of “Sabka prayas” (everyone’s effort) for nation building.
After the BJP’s encouraging performance in the elections to three Northeast states early this year, Modi had claimed that the results had shattered the portrayal of the BJP by “political pundits” as heartland party and predicted that soon it will capture power in Kerala.
“I am sure in the coming years, as it has happened in Meghalaya and Nagaland and has been happening in Goa, the BJP’s alliance will form a government in Kerala too,” Modi had said addressing BJP workers.
Modi at closed-door party meetings has been directing party managers to make a sustained outreach towards the Pasmanda or backwards and Sufis among the Muslim community. The BJP has been organizing events, particularly in Uttar Pradesh, to win over Pasmanda Muslims, stressing on Modi government’s welfare schemes.
