In this interface with The DayAfter Editor-in-Chief Sunil Dang and Think Tank Director Yogendra Bali, former Prime Minister H. D. Deve Gowda, expressed his sharp disappointment at the failure in several sectors but also expressed hope in the future of India. He was particularly amused and pained at the clamour for proving who was the real author of the Metro-Rail idea in the Capital. He interrupted the discussion for a few minutes, went inside and brought a copy of the decision taken by his Cabinet giving the go-ahead for the construction of the Metro Railway in Delhi. He said he was not invited for the inauguration. We reproduce some extracts from the discussion with the former prime minister, sharing his perspective, hopes and disappointments.

He said: "You go back to the history of this country from the days of Ghazni and Ghauri. This country has faced several challenges. Whatever may be the present political atmosphere, the fractured mandate by the people will continue. Whatever may be the compulsions and constraints in the coalition era of today, the country will be a guiding force in the comity of nations in the days to come. India has got rich resources and talented people in every walk of life with abundant common sense. Why do I use this term ‘abundant commonsense?’ This country does not comprise only the elite class. This country means 1,002 million people. In 1996-97, the literacy percentage was hardly between 32 and 34. Indira Gandhi brought a draconian law, the Emergency. Several persons from the highest strata supported it. All this type of gimmickry went on. At that time more than 65 per cent of the population of the country were illiterate. If at all the country’s second freedom was achieved, it was because of these people. These 65 per cent illiterate people reversed the system, and brought back the second freedom. Referring to the verdict in Gujarat in favour of the BJP with the thumping electoral victory of the hard-liner Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, the razor-sharp comment of the former Prime Minister was: "Whatever happened in Gujarat is not going to be repeated in other States in the country".

Asked why he thought so, he said: "I’ll tell you why. I am very clear in my mind. The pseudo-Hindutva wand adopted as a last weapon has lost more than 28 by-elections in the last three years. In some, cases, candidates have lost their deposits. Whatever may be the misuse of the print or electronic media, they have not been able to make their mark. They have not been able to maintain their electoral base. That is why they adopted Hindutva as the last weapon with the blessings of the Centre."

Deve Gowda insisted that "all these communal eruptions were with the co-operation of the Centre. It had given them some political mileage. At the same time, the Congress behaved as if it was going to sweep the election (in Gujarat). See what had happened in the previous election in Jammu and Kashmir. The Congress leaders thought that Gujarat will also fall into their laps because of the reputation they had made in J and K. The election battle was on Hindutva. The Congress could have taken this issue very seriously by taking the help of secular parties. It failed."

Analysing the future, or the shape of things to come, the former Prime Minister said: "Every State has no Narendra Modi. Every State has no scope to create incidents like the one that took place on the Sabarmati Express. Who has done it? There are many different versions. That is why I was the first person to demand an impartial inquiry by a sitting Supreme Court judge. This is not what will happen in other States. As I told you, because there is no Narendra Modi. And there are different political parties. After tasting blood in Gujarat, the parent organisation of the BJP, on the first day of its working committee meeting,, party president Venkaiah Naidu said: ‘We’ll go on the lines of Gujarat’. The second day the Prime Minister tried to amend it."

Asked to look into the future, he said: "Having tasted blood in the Gujarat election, the parent bodies of the BJP like the VHP and the RSS have been threatening the BJP. The next two or three months in the country will depend upon how the hidden agenda comes out." He referred to the apprehensions and discomfiture of the BJP allies like Karunanidhi and Chandra Babu Naidu and their statements indicating they might opt to part company with the NDA if the BJP was forced to pursue that agenda. Sharad Yadav had also said that ‘if there is a change in the agenda we will be out’. He said: ‘These political events have significance to indicate how future political happenings will be affected.

Deve Gowda said: "This is why I said this country has a great future, whatever might be our present political atmosphere."

He was pointedly asked the question: "With tall figures like him, Chandra Shekhar and Inder Gujral, all on the side of secularism, even leaving the Congress out, why was it that the secular forces were always in disarray and those whom they considered non-secular were always in a coalition mode?" Deve Gowda explained: "Neither Gujral nor Chandra Shekhar, nor we are ever prepared to compromise with fascist forces. Chandra Babu Naidu at this stage in his State has his main adversary in the Congress. The regional parties on their own strength and in their own States are in a position to challenge the Congress.