Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address on the concluding day of the BJP’s national executive in Bhubaneswar on Sunday was not just an exhortation to his partymen to prepare for what he termed a “long jump” to socio-economic prosperity but also became an occasion for an important statement on the triple talaq issue.
“When we speak of social justice, our Muslim sisters too should get justice. We are not questioning the validity of triple talaq to create conflict within the community but want to highlight the need for justice and to end shoshan [exploitation],” he was quoted as saying by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, who briefed the media after the meeting.
The Centre has been at the forefront of the debate on the validity of triple talaq with the government’s affidavit in the Supreme Court stating that “gender equality and dignity of women are non-negotiable, overarching constitutional values and can brook no compromise.”
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has raised fears that the government’s concern for gender justice is just an excuse to meddle with personal laws of the community.
Mr. Modi’s statement therefore assumes significance in the face of such fears.
Mr. Gadkari said that while the issue of triple talaq was mentioned, the bulk of the Prime Minister’s speech dwelt on many facets of his vision for “New India” — something that he had unveiled during a speech he had delivered after the BJP’s massive win in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.
“He said we need to prepare for a long jump forward to socio-economic development with the year 2022 as the deadline. He pointed out that if you listen to Mahatma Gandhi’s speeches from 1922-42, it is focussed on the freedom movement on a mission mode. We too must prepare for a new India like that. Purushartha ko jagaakar, mission mode main kaam karna padega (we must, by invoking human toil, and by switching to mission mode, accomplish this),” Mr. Gadkari quoted the Prime Minister as saying.
“Our party has seen some really bad days, to the extent that we used to made fun of for our reduced circumstances in the 1985 elections with just two MPs elected – we have heard comments like hum do hamarey do (we two, with our two people). The party therefore knows the meaning of struggle. Power cannot be the only aim of the this party. We have to invoke Jan Dhan (power of financial inclusion and measures like the Goods and Services Tax), Van Dhan or sustainable development and Jal Dhan (harnessing of natural resources like the Prime Minister’s Irrigation Programme that seeks to harness water resources for irrigation),” said Mr Gadkari quoting Prime Minister Modi.
Mr. Modi also criticised the Opposition for raising questions on the reliability of Electronic Voting Machines. “Hamarey mitra [our friends] manufacture these controversies, as they have done several before, do not pay attention to them,” Mr. Gadkari said.
If Prime Minister Modi was dismissive of the opposition on the EVM issue, he was equally hard on his party men on just how to handle victory, and the need to maintain a dignified silence on various issues. “ Karyakarta vijay ke baad unmaad main nahin hona chahiye, usko aur namra hona chahiye (party workers should not be too boisterous after a victory but in fact become more humble). When we lose elections, many people come to us to tell us where we went wrong, nobody has any correct explanation for why we won, therefore it is always better to be humble in victory,” he told the gathered national executive delegates. He also told party men, several of whom have been accused of shooting their mouths off with unseemly statements, that they must learn the art of keeping silent ( chup raheney ki kala bhi seekhni chahiye ).
