What I want the Indian PM of India to say:
Over the past half century we have fought wars with each of our neighbours, but we have not waged war upon our own people who attack the weakest in in our own country. We are a Hindu Nationalist Government. We are a Government of Hindutva.
That strikes fear into the hearts and minds of minorities I am told. It should. If those minorities are rapists and murderers of women. If those minorities are village elders who order rape. If those minorities are men who gang rape. If those minorities are men who attack their wives.
All these Indian minorities should be afraid. They say my Government will not be liberal. They are right. We will not be liberal with finding rapists, with capturing rapists. We will not be liberal with the police forces and the judges who do not take rape seriously. All those expecting us to be so liberal will be disappointed.
They say my government will be hard-line. That I am a simple chai-walla not of the calibre of a PhD from Cambridge University as the previous PM. They are right. I am a simple man and I know the biggest problem facing India is not the interest rate, or the trade deficit or the current account balance, experts far knowledgeable than I can be hired to think on those problems.
The biggest problem for a chai-walla like me to solve is how to stop our sisters, daughters and mothers being raped. A PhD from Cambridge will not give you the answer to that. But we common men and women have a few ideas born of harsh common sense. And yes they are hard-line answers.
So I pledge to you, in this the land of Ram and Sita, where the most noble of all the revered Gods of this ancient land strove to save his wife from evil, we as Hindu Nationalists are compelled by our believes, by our own values and doctrines to commit to saying here and now: we will rid the country of sex slavery and rape crimes by the end of this decade. For the banner we wrapped ourselves in, the saffron cloth, demands it off us.
For a Hindu Nationalist takes utmost pride in his religious beliefs and in his country. And so it is we have to do this. We must. We cannot call ourselves patriots or Hindus unless we do this.
It has been said also of me, that I raised and encouraged a mob in Gujarat in 2002, that I did it secretly, tacitly, quietly, conspiratorially, so there was no evidence of it. Well I say to you now, I say publicly, openly, loudly, to all the citizens of India, raise a mob and mobilise against this slur of rape and sex slavery which is destroying the good name of our country. I shout – show me a mob, move now, do everything, every citizen to destroy these crimes.
Don’t just thump your chests and ask for me and my Government to solve all your problems, this crime, this is your country – you wage a war of education, not of violence, in every village, in every town, with the same energy you came out to support me. You voted for me, so you could take back your country, but it is you who have to take it back, not any Government for you.
Let fear be in the hearts of those of ill-will and then all will love Hindu Nationalists.
Alpesh Patel
Political Animal 