‘The Saffron Storm’: Saba Naqvi presents a contemporary history of the BJP’s journey to domination
As India chooses its next government, the book re-traces the staggering rise of the BJP from the political margins to centrestage.
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As India goes through crucial national elections, questions have risen from various quarters as to what it may mean for the country, not least because the incumbent prime minister, Narendra Modi, is expected to return to office. Because the BJP is now nearly synonymous with Modi, many observers who are not well versed in India’s modern history would hardly be faulted for believing that the party can never be decoupled from brand Modi.
The difference
However, The Saffron Storm: From Vajpayee to Modi by journalist Saba Naqvi – recently republished in an updated edition – which traces the staggering rise of the BJP from the country’s political margins, tells us otherwise. Naqvi weaves her narration through the years between former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Modi, hammering home a clear picture of two contrasting personalities.
For those who don’t have a memory of the Vajpayee days, and associate BJP solely with the persona of Modi and his authoritarian impulses, the book has many surprises to offer. Consider this: In the run-up to the 1998 elections that gave the BJP its first major electoral victory at the Centre, Vajpayee projected himself as a defender of India’s federalism and promised to end the misuse of Article 356, the...
