Is Modi really offering an alternate vision on real issues?

Modi's skills as an orator are no doubt splendid but his substantiative promises need to be fleshed out

Narendra Modi's Hunkar rally in Patna on 27 October could be the turning point for Modi's fortunes in north India. Everyone now knows his name in north India. But they are not yet sure if they should vote for him. Bihar is arguably more sensitive about politics than any other state in India. Modi will no doubt get a rousing reception in Patna. This will be his first visit to Patna as a BJP public leader: he has been in the state to attend party functions and on social visits. So it will be the most-watched political event this month.

Having said that, has anyone tracked closely what Modi is saying at his rallies? To be sure there is the sarcasm, the attack on the Nehru Gandhi family, the wit, humour and parry and thrust which is the delight of any rally-goer. But think harder. What has he actually said on policy issues, on fundamental contradictions in Indian society and governance? Not a lot.

Take his rally in Rewari. To a crowd of ex-servicemen (but not only ex-servicemen) he said:

*My origins are humble.
*I always wanted to be an army man. It is a job that should be prized by the nation above all jobs, it is akin to what India's 'rishi' 'muni' used to do.

*Pakistan is eyeing our borders, China is eyeing our waters.
*The problem is not with the Army, it is with the leadership in Delhi.
*India should build its defence equipment itself. Importing it creates distortions.

To be sure there was applause and the response was rapturous. But at the core of the Indian armed forces is the concern about its relationship with the civilian bureaucracy. Over the years, the armed forces' position has been whittled down in the Warrant of Precedence. This has created multifarious problems which have to be dealt with elsewhere. Modi would have won the respect of the soldier if he had said: 'I will restore your honour in the system, I will make sure no soldier has to suffer at the hands of patwaris and undersecretaries'. He made them feel good about themselves, no doubt. But that is not the same as offering an alternate vision.

Even worse was his about turn on 'sona'. He ridiculed the government for digging for gold and asked it to get black money stashed abroad back to India. But how? And then he did a u-turn by saying the dreams of seers were precious and he had not meant to be dismissive about them.

The most interesting is his constant recent refrain about the constitution. But many of the things that the BJP is committed to – like scrapping article 370 and the imposition of a uniform civil code – are at odds with the constitution.

Narendra Modi's substantive promises – relating to policy and governance – need to be fleshed out. Actually, we know as little about him in this respect as we know of Rahul Gandhi.