Trump Ke Sarkar

B L Saraf
In run up to the election, while speaking in the congregation of American Hindus who were campaigning for him, candidate Donald Trump   raised the battle cry “Ab Ke Baar Trump Sarkar.” Obviously, Trump borrowed  the Mantra from Narendra Modi’s book , who  chanted it in 2014  national election  with such an authenticity that the Indian electorate made it come true, for him. Also, for Trump the American electorate ensured that  the slogan is made good. Trump was voted in by majority of the whites, school graduates, below the age of 45 and those who suffered due to the sectarian terrorism.  He called his campaign ‘movement’ – whose slogan was “Make America Great Again.” And offered  hope to the disillusioned angry Americans. He was successful in forging a bond of sorts with them. Trump  was viewed as someone who challenged the old order.
Trump  came on the American scene when the country wanted to get rid  of the  eight year  status- quo. Visualize the Indian scenario. Narrandra Modi  arrived  when Indians were fed up with the  UPA’s  decade long corrupt rule. Trump’s  campaign  reminds us of  how Narendra Modi’s  fashioned his  march to Delhi. His victory in 2014 election was largely on account of  his articulation of ideas and programs that gave hope  to the young and old. People saw in him a person who could challenge the old corrupt order and bring some relief to their lives. That belief found, for him,  a connect with the multitude of Indians. His genuine disregard  for the  highly over rated principle of  ‘ political – correctness’ which inhibited people  to tell truth and take substantive action on the issues  of  terrorism and  national security , his   track record as a three time CM of Gujrat  and  jettisoning the ‘ policy of appeasement ‘ contributed to his success at the hustings.
Donald Trump promised, more or less, same to his electorate and instilled hope among the original inhabitants of America. On positive side, a similarity of sorts could , therefore , be found in campaigns of a leader of the  largest democracy  and  the  other of an oldest one, existing today on the planet Earth.
Then, Trump  and Narendra Modi  both had to suffer calumny of their pathological  opponents, the rage boys , libertarians, pseudo-secularists, beneficiaries of official patronage , entitlements , prophets of doom , who emphasize on their non – existent and contrived  features , just to belittle their achievements. They did it after Modi’s Victory in 2014 and are doing now on Donald Trump’s victory in 2016 .
Narendra Modi was demonized : the Award Wapsi brigade  was let loose  to hound him , in addition to  creating of  a fear psychosis among some sections of Indian population. Now it is the turn of  Trump  to have a taste of it. Hillary Clinton, his adversary in the election, called him leader and advocate of the deplorable.
Donald Trump’s victory has sent shock waves  across the   U S A. It is evident that mainstream liberal  USA was not ready to accept him- just as the so called  secularists in India  felt tremors to accept Narendra Modi as the PM. The Republican  candidate was projected as a maverick- a misogynist, a xenophobe, racist  anti minority, ignorant who despises liberals  and a man of loose morals. Some of their tribe felt that he has ripped apart the Americans  and bemoan that  the ripped fabric of American society will take huge time to be mended. They are fearful that with Trump in office the liberal America will face many more setbacks in the coming  time for multitude of reasons. And  have a advice; “unless Trump takes on a very different tone towards healing the self – inflicted wounds of his countrymen, four years might seem like an eternity to many.”
It is the copy  of how so called liberals in India portrayed Modi’s rule and labored under so many contrived  misconceptions to deride  him. To them, India was just to fall apart  on Modi’s advent.They played on the insecurities  and the  baseless apprehensions of the minorities. But in both cases,  people  in India and America  showed these “worthies” value of their impaired judgment and the disconnect they have  had with the ground realities. As expected, Narendra Modi has left behind  the  prophets of doom by the dint  of his  fairly good governance. It is now turn of  Donald Trump to prove his detractors wrong by coming up with balanced internal and foreign policies.
(The author is former Principal District & Sessions Judge)
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