With the economy slowing down – quarterly output in the second quarter of 2013 expanded by only 4.40 percent over the same quarter in the previous fiscal, the lowest in four years – Congress strategists are hoping that the relapse to a ‘Hindu rate of growth’ will help the party attract Hindu nationalist voters to its fold and blunt the BJP’s appeal based on its philosophy of Hindutva.
The Congress top brass has accordingly instructed party rank and file to not be defensive about the economic slump and instead proudly proclaim it as the government’s biggest achievement. “People need to be educated about why the ‘Hindu rate of growth’ is something to be proud of. Good economics may make for bad politics but bad economics certainly makes for good religion. It’s not a question of whether or not we can do it. Karna hi hai,” Sonia thundered during a social media workshop for eNREGA workers about the new poll slogan.
The ‘Hindu rate of growth’ is a pejorative term coined by economist Raj Krishna, who probably did not like Hindus, to describe the Indian economy’s performance from the 50s to 80s when annual growth stagnated at 3.5% and seemed to imply that the Hindu outlook of fatalism and contentedness may have been behind the sluggish performance of the economy.
The relapse to Hindu rate of growth of 5% or less is already attracting many religiously inclined Hindu voters into the Congress’ fold. “Ah, rising prices, shortage of jobs, talk of rationing, and Soniaji’s rhetoric of garibi hatao. Reminds me of the 70s. I’ll certainly vote for the Congress,” said Pt. Ganga Ram, a traditional BJP supporter, based in Varanasi.
Even the RSS was overtaken by the euphoria of low growth with chief Mohan Bhagwat suggesting that RSS should support the Congress if it is indeed serious about ushering in the so called Hindu rate of growth. “First they brought in Raghuram Rajan. Ahh…what a nice name. And now there is talk about Hindu rate of growth and all. Perhaps these Congress chaps are more in tune with our ideology than the BJP chaps,” felt RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, before an incensed Arun Jaitley explained what the term ‘Hindu rate of growth’ connotes.