Prof. Christophe Jaffrelot is one of the leading political scientists and writers, and he has contributed much toward a proper understanding of Indian politics through his profound research and voluminous writing. One of his famous works was on how Narendra Modi used Gujarat, “Gujarat Under Modi: The Blueprint for Today’s India,” as a testing ground for the politics and policies Modi is now replicating at the national level while functioning as the incumbent Prime Minister of India. In this article, we take a look at how Jaffrelot elaborates on Gujarat as the laboratory for today’s India and how Modi’s governance in Gujarat laid the groundwork for Modi’s national agenda.
Jaffrelot believes that Gujarat is a microcosm of the greater socio-political changes that Narendra Modi envisions being put into place in India. When Modi took over as the Chief Minister of Gujarat in 2001, he inherited an ideal economy but a socially lopsided state. Indeed, the fast pace of industrialization and rapid economic growth have been the hallmarks of Modi’s governance, which identified Modi as a pro-business leader. According to Jaffrelot, this economic success has been joined at the hip with a certain kind of politics blending Hindu nationalism with neoliberal economic policies.
More Read
According to Jaffrelot, one of the central characteristics of Modi’s tenure in Gujarat was the politics of polarization. The 2002 Gujarat riots, which happened right after Modi took office in Gujarat, were such a defining moment of politics in the state. More than one thousand people lost their lives in this period of violence, mostly Muslims. The event drew national and international condemnation, with many critics accusing Modi’s
