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India will have another five years of stability under Modi govt, says Indian-American author Rajiv Malhotra
Founder of Infinity Foundation, he said that minorities and poor people of India have benefitted under the Modi-led regime.
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Rajiv Malhotra, founder of Infinity Foundation, during an interview with New India Abroad. / Courtesy Photo
Indian-American Rajiv Malhotra, founder of Infinity Foundation and author of several books on India and Hinduism, highlighted the positive changes in India under the Narendra Modi-led government, stating that the country will have another five years of stability if the BJP leader wins a third term.
“India will have another five years of stability and maybe have enough clout and enough power to make some constitutional changes which are necessary,” Malhotra said during an interview with New India Abroad.
Malhotra said that India can face challenges from outside the country with “courageous action”.
“Regardless of how critical some of the press are [of India] because they are jealous and they are not supporting a united India, they are supporting a breaking India. And the irony is that there are political parties in India who are aligned with some of these ‘breaking India’ forces. I've been writing about it for 30 years, mentioning names of people,” he added.
“India can courageously counter all this,” Malhotra said, inducing hope.
“And the reason India can counter all this is because I think the Modi government, despite all the things that people claim, argue and criticize, the fact is that they've delivered development,” he continued. “A lot more development is needed but they have delivered it and you can show statistically that every segment of society has benefited. Poor people have benefited, minorities have benefited and so on.”
Countering external forces
Malhotra, who has over the last few decades authored several books in opposition to the Western academic study of Indian culture and society, said he agrees with the recent statement of Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Jaishankar had recently remarked that external forces (Western media) were trying to influence the results and nature of Indian elections.
“He (Jaishankar) is able to react. He is not able to anticipate where it's coming from, where the vulnerabilities are, where the next attack is coming, who are the bad guys, who are the ones doing it,” Malhotra said.
“They haven't done a diagnostic, they haven't done deep enough research. So, because of that they are running around wondering where the next attack will come from. And you cannot survive long term when the other side is deciding when and how and where to attack you and then you will respond,” Malhotra added.
Malhotra emphasized the need to focus on intellectual attacks and narrative control, such as those related to Khalistan, Kashmir separatists, and woke movements.
“I think in the field area of physical attacks and terrorist attacks, India has become pretty good. The intelligence agencies are able to stop the attacks or anticipate the attacks and respond before they happen in many cases and there are many instances where they've been able to pre-empt attacks.”
Creation of a merit-based think tank
Malhotra suggested creating a merit-based national think tank, led by accomplished intellectuals rather than political figures. These think tanks “should include people who are already proven because whenever there is a gathering of so-called thinkers, 90 percent of them have never published anything”, he said.
Independent intellectuals, who are not necessarily affiliated with RSS or BJP, should be included to ensure diverse and unbiased perspectives, Malhotra said.
Malhotra also emphasized the importance of vigilance in safeguarding democracy against the risk of fragmentation and vote bank politics in India. “That fissiparous tendency is there in India. It will remain there, and one has to be vigilant. So whenever there's a chance to consolidate and counter that and have a central government which is powerful bringing all these factions together is a good idea,” he said.
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