They love him, they love him not

Madhu Kishwar, as the editor of Manushi, set the feminism agenda for many Indian women decades ago. Madhu Kishwar as chief media admirer of prime ministerial hopeful Narendra Modi is another story completely. The first Kishwar has been declared missing, never to be found. The second is everywhere. Most recently, she was seen more than heard, on television in a series of interviews being telecast as Narendra Modi specials: Know all about the man you want to know so much about.

But, sadly, these interviews were actually done for Kishwar’s book and articles on Mr Modi and Gujarat and she was already a fan by then. So strong questioning was replaced by simpering. So Mr Modi droned on and on about what he did when he was first sworn in as Chief Minister with little clips of him being sworn-in, walking, waving, being sworn-in... Kishwar understandably was miffed when the channel pulled the interviews after two days. She alleged all kinds of conspiracies on Twitter.

It is best to ignore what Kishwar said about Mr Modi in Manushi soon after the Gujarat riots of 2002. Why dredge up stuff about fears of fascist rule or punishment for those who engineer riots. Everyone is entitled to change their opinion. Kishwar feels that Mr Modi is now the answer, the only answer and quite possibly the question as well. There is nothing else for her. All things are Modi things as the Buddhists would say (about Buddha, not Mr Modi, of course).

Kishwar fights a tough battle for Mr Modi on Twitter. But her most trenchant criticism is reserved for members within the Bharatiya Janata Party who she thinks are colluding to destroy Mr Modi’s chances of becoming India’s Prime Minister. She has dubbed them the “club 160”, alleging that they are working hard to ensure that Mr Modi, err, sorry, I mean the BJP, does not get more than 160 seats in these crucial Lok Sabha elections. Her current targets are Sushma Swaraj, for cancelling three rallies in Orissa (“brazen sabotage” is how Kishwar sees it) and Rahul Gandhi for attacking

Mr Modi on his somewhat overdue acknowledgement of his wife in his election nomination form.

Far away on the other side of the spectrum are those who cannot stand the sight and sound of Mr Modi. Unlike Kishwar, who changed her thinking, Leftists and those referred to dismissively as “left liberals” have been unflinching in their dislike of Mr Modi. Many of these people are those who used to be referred to scathingly as “pseudo-secular” in the decades when Kishwar herself belonged to that brigade.

Now they have all gotten together and written a letter to the Indian people begging us to keep Mr Modi out of that Prime Minister’s chair. Actually, to be fair, they sent the letter to the Guardian. But that’s a sure way of reaching their core constituency in the UK and in India, although perhaps they should have sent copies to Ganashakti and any of the media houses which are currently seen as “paid Congi agents” and not to those seen as BJP supporters.

It is not always clear which is which as these media houses are very shifty and the sand moves every other day.

These Indian and international intellectuals, writers, artists, activists, academics and filmmakers say in their letter: “Although some members of Narendra Modi’s government are now facing trial, Mr Modi himself repeatedly refuses to accept any responsibility or to render an apology. Such a failure of moral character and political ethics on the part of Mr Modi is incompatible with India’s secular Constitution, which, in advance of many constitutions across the world, is founded on pluralist principles and seeks fair and full representation for minorities. Were he to be elected Prime Minister, it would bode ill for India’s future as a country that cherishes the ideals of inclusion and protection for all its peoples and communities.”

The signatories include author Salman Rushdie, sculptor Anish Kapoor, film directors Kumar Shahani and Deepa Mehta, photographer Dayanita Singh, academic Chetan Bhatt — all big names in their fields. Not all of them live in India even if they are of Indian origin so it is hard to see just what difference this well-expressed pain will make. Rushdie’s Satanic Verses was, after all, banned by a Congress government.

Still, perhaps, it is enough that everyone knows that they disapprove of the man which is a far cry from corporates, banks and business houses which have become buglers at the front of the Modi brigade. Deepak Parekh of HDFC Bank who was once critical of Mr Modi’s role in the riots has now exercised his Kishwar privilege and decided that economic growth trumps everything else.

And so the discussions continue amongst the pained and impassioned who stand far left of the Centre: how far is it okay to call some fascist (all right, as long you use words like otiose and dialectical, but I digress), what is fascism, is Mr Modi bigger than the BJP or not, should we choose development over secularism, is a “strong leader” the answer to everything (Kishwar does not hold any such discussions because she knows what she wants) and more on those lines.

In every end lies a beginning, so those who believe in circular arguments like to say. Between the love of Kishwar and the dislike of the rest (middle, left and far left and, according to Kishwar, even some on the right) for Mr Modi, you can’t run away from the man. Kishwar will have to make sure that her idol delivers on all those promises if he comes to power. The good thing about being a commentator is that the world is round. Everyone, in the end, is just column fodder. Left, right or centre. And even Narendra Modi.

The writer is a senior journalist who writes on media affairs, politics and social trends