While he is engaged in a fierce fight for the survival of his Hindutva brand of politics, he came under severe criticism from the Freedom House of USA for his overdrive to demolish the democratic institutions and gag the freedom of expression and freedom of media.

Obviously in this backdrop his recent advice to BJP leaders, cadres and saffron vigilantes not to indulge in name-calling or abuses and keep the campaigning positive has indeed not come as a pleasant surprise. It was a strategic move to placate his critics, cleanse the sneers and offer a clean image. Though his government has decried the report as misleading and incorrect, the Freedom House continues to hold ground. It has demoted India’s freedom score from “free” to “partly free”, decreasing it to 67 from 71, with 100 being the ranking for the most free country.

It was at a high level meeting attended by those who matter in party and government that Modi who collected “the real picture at the ground” with one-to-one meetings with leaders urged them to ensure that the narrative in the party’s campaign is not vitiated. What was noteworthy the leaders have to maintain restraint even in the face of diatribe against the party and its leaders from the ruling TMC. He asked each one of them to see to it that the BJP’s campaigning is civilised.

Modi wanted that the leaders give him the real picture, their limitation, drawbacks in the campaign so far. He asked to brief him honestly. He asked them to speak about them before they talk about the advantages and the gains we have made so far.

This was indeed the master stroke from Modi. He wanted to counter the accusation that he an autocrat. In fact the party sources maintain that the tactical change that he was talking owed to two main reasons. First, a section of some senior leaders, like Rajnath Singh, have in recent days have started asserting their authority. This was perceived as a challenge to the hegemonic politics being pursued by Modi.

The second reason was, in recent days the people of West Bengal had been showing resentment to the campaigning narratives of some of the BJP leaders. Their style of campaign has especially hurt the feelings and sensibilities of the women of the state. It is worth mentioning that poll strategist Prashant Kishor, has released a card with CM Mamata Banerjee's picture and the slogan "Bangla Nijer Meyekei Chay" ("only wants its own daughter"). The slogan aims to appeal to the state's women voters while also visiting the theme of Bengali sub-nationalism. Unfortunately some of the BJP leaders had started making jibes at this slogan. This was disliked by the women of the state.

Trinamool Congress strategists have decided to make women empowerment the theme of the party’s election campaign. She will also lead a road show of women in Siliguri on Sunday. On Monday (March 8), which coincides with International Women’s Day, she will hold a similar show in Kolkata Trinamool strategists have trained their focus on women who make up more than 49 per cent of the voters in Bengal to cement the chances of Mamata’s third term in the chief minister’s office. Kishor had taken up a number of initiatives in the past few months to garner women’s votes. The party has floated Banga Janani Bahini, a new forum for women.

The battle ahead of Modi is really tough and challenging. The report of the Freedom House may not be the major source for embarrassment for him in other election bound state, it has already provoked high decibel debate in Bengal. The most talked about issue has been observation on the rights and civil liberties, which says “being eroded since Narendra Modi became Prime Minister in 2014”, specifically referring to attacks on Muslims, use of the sedition law, and the government’s coronavirus response including the lockdown.

Freedom House downgrade is a warning to the civil society, government and democratic institutions. Modi can push it under PR carpet at his own peril. It would also be an attempt to undermine the report by describing it as a “sinister foreign hand” . The fall in India’s status, from “free” to “partly free”, comes from an assessment that takes into account performance on 25 parameters and indices, measured and measurable, and concludes that “rather than serving as a champion of democratic practice and a counterweight to authoritarian influence Modi and his party are tragically driving India itself

The report talks of every important issue, from the “dangerous and unplanned” displacement of migrants due to the COVID-19 lockdown to the “scapegoating” of Muslims in the wake of the Tablighi Jamaat episode; from “love jihad” laws against religious conversion in BJP-ruled states to the use of the sedition law to “deter free speech, including discussion of a discriminatory citizenship law, from a “pattern of more pro-government decisions by the Supreme Court”, to an increasing number of internet shutdowns.

India’s slide in rankings such as those of Freedom House must be a dig not just for its government. The demotion by the watchdog is a cue for an alert and vigilant democracy. Modi must realise that world order is changing and the initiative has been taken by the American President Joe Biden to transform it. India’s refusal is not going to bring about any significant attitudinal change among the global fraternity.

What is matter of concern is, Freedom House observation:“Under Modi, India appears to have abandoned its potential to serve as a global democratic leader, elevating narrow Hindu nationalist interests at the expense of its founding values of inclusion and equal rights for all.” According to the report, the Modi government and its state-level allies continued to crack down on critics in 2020.

“Political rights and civil liberties in the country have deteriorated since Narendra Modi became Prime Minister in 2014, with increased pressure on human rights organisations, rising intimidation of academics and journalists, and a spate of bigoted attacks, including lynchings, aimed at Muslims. The decline only accelerated after Modi’s reelection in 2019,” the report said.

It has been critical of Election Commission; “The Commission is generally respected and had been thought to function without undue political interference. In 2019, however, its impartiality and competence were called into question. The panel’s decisions concerning the timing and phasing of national elections, and allegations of selective enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct, which regulates politicians’ campaign behaviour and techniques, suggested bias toward the ruling BJP.” (IPA Service)