Weight of words

PM strikes the right notes. His party needs to hear there will be no impunity for those who make the wrong noise

Narendra Modi, BJP, Narendra Modi minority, minority Narendra Modi, RSS, Modi RSS minority, parliament speech modi, elections 2019, indian express — PM Modi’s words will need to be heeded by his own partymen and Sangh Parivar footsoldiers, who will need to acknowledge both what the PM said and didn’t say: Minority fears and insecurities are real, they are no illusion or myth.

In his speech in Central Hall in Parliament on Saturday, the first after being elected leader of the BJP-led NDA, Prime Minister Narendra Modi struck a heartening note of magnanimity. Among other things, he said the new government would make efforts to earn the trust of minorities, and of those who disagree (with the BJP-NDA). He urged the newly elected MPs to puncture the “myth” or illusion of fear among the country’s minorities: “The way the poor have been cheated, the minorities have been deceived the same way…”. He spoke of owning even those who express strong opposition to the BJP, “jo hamara ghor virodh karte hain, woh bhi hamare hain”. These are statements of inclusive intent. But it will take more for them to reassure.