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 A Rebuke to India’s Prime MinisterNarendra Modi

During a national election in India last year,Narendra Modi promised “development for all! As

prime minister, "e "as yet to deliver big economic

improvements, but in t"e meantime, members of "is

government and political party "ave s"redded "is

promise of inclusion by inflaming sectarian tensions

No#, voters in t"e country’s t"ird most populous

state "ave sent Mr Modi a message$ Put an end to

t"e "atemongering

Poisoning politics #it" religious "atred is bound to

s%uander t"e country’s economic potential at a time

 #"en India s"ould be playing a bigger and more

constructive role in &out" Asia and t"e #orld India’s

"istory is filled #it" e'amples of religious and caste(

 based violence t"at set t"e country back )"ose

conflicts subsided during India’s rapid economicgro#t", but many Indians no# fear a resurgence

*n &unday, Mr Modi and "is +"aratiya anata Party

lost a legislative election in t"e nort"ern state of

+i"ar, #"ic" "as a population of more t"an -..

million A “grand alliance! of secular parties united

 by t"eir antipat"y to t"e /indu nationalist +P #on

-01 constituencies in t"e 234(member legislativeassembly  to t"e +P’s 54 Many political analysts

see t"e loss as a repudiation of Mr Modi because "e

and "is top aides campaigned vigorously in t"e state

and many ads carried "is image, rat"er t"an p"otos

of local politicians

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/09/world/asia/narendra-modi-bihar-india-bjp-concedes-defeat.html?ref=worldhttp://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/09/world/asia/narendra-modi-bihar-india-bjp-concedes-defeat.html?ref=worldhttp://censusindia.gov.in/2011-prov-results/data_files/bihar/Provisional%20Population%20Totals%202011-Bihar.pdfhttp://censusindia.gov.in/2011-prov-results/data_files/bihar/Provisional%20Population%20Totals%202011-Bihar.pdfhttp://eciresults.nic.in/http://eciresults.nic.in/http://censusindia.gov.in/2011-prov-results/data_files/bihar/Provisional%20Population%20Totals%202011-Bihar.pdfhttp://censusindia.gov.in/2011-prov-results/data_files/bihar/Provisional%20Population%20Totals%202011-Bihar.pdfhttp://eciresults.nic.in/http://eciresults.nic.in/http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/09/world/asia/narendra-modi-bihar-india-bjp-concedes-defeat.html?ref=worldhttp://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/09/world/asia/narendra-modi-bihar-india-bjp-concedes-defeat.html?ref=world

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In t"e mont"s leading up to t"e +i"ar election, "ard(

liners in t"e +P and organi6ations affiliated #it"

t"e party stoked India’s long(simmering sectarian

tensions )"e party’s la#makers pus"ed for beef bans

around t"e country ostensibly to protect t"e co#,

 #"ic" many /indus consider "oly, but really as a

ploy to divide /indus and Muslims, some of #"om

eat beef

Mobs riled by t"e anti(beef crusade "ave killed four

Muslims suspected of slaug"tering, stealing or

smuggling co#s in t"e last seven #eeks And in

 August, unidentified attackers s"ot andkilled Malles"appa Madivalappa 7alburgi, a sc"olar

and vocal critic of /indu idolatry /undreds

of #riters, filmmakers and academics "ave protested

t"e gro#ing intolerance by returning a#ards t"ey

received from t"e government(supported bodies

Mr Modi "as not forcefully condemned t"e beef(

related killings, despite pleas by Muslims and ot"erminorities /e "as tolerated "ateful and insensitive

remarks by "is ministers and by +P officials

 

During a campaign stop in +i"ar, Mr Modi tried

to e'ploit sectarian divisions by telling voters t"at t"e

secular alliance #ould reduce affirmative action

 benefits for lo#er(caste /indus and tribes in favor of

“a particular community! 8 an apparent reference to

Muslims And t"e president of t"e +P, Amit &"a",

one of Mr Modi’s closest advisers, told voters t"at a

 victory for t"e alliance #ould be celebrated in

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/05/world/asia/hindu-mob-kills-another-indian-muslim-accused-of-harming-cows.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/05/world/asia/hindu-mob-kills-another-indian-muslim-accused-of-harming-cows.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/04/opinion/sunday/sonia-faleiro-india-free-speech-kalburgi-pansare-dabholkar.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/18/world/asia/india-writers-return-awards-to-protest-government-silence-on-violence.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/25/world/asia/battling-superstition-indian-paid-with-his-life.htmlhttp://thewire.in/2015/10/26/modi-plays-anti-muslim-card-at-bihar-rally-to-woo-dalits-obcs-14079/http://indianexpress.com/article/india/politics/bihar-polls-amit-shahs-firecrackers-in-pakistan-remark-an-insult-to-biharis-says-lalu-prasad/http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/05/world/asia/hindu-mob-kills-another-indian-muslim-accused-of-harming-cows.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/05/world/asia/hindu-mob-kills-another-indian-muslim-accused-of-harming-cows.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/04/opinion/sunday/sonia-faleiro-india-free-speech-kalburgi-pansare-dabholkar.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/18/world/asia/india-writers-return-awards-to-protest-government-silence-on-violence.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/25/world/asia/battling-superstition-indian-paid-with-his-life.htmlhttp://thewire.in/2015/10/26/modi-plays-anti-muslim-card-at-bihar-rally-to-woo-dalits-obcs-14079/http://indianexpress.com/article/india/politics/bihar-polls-amit-shahs-firecrackers-in-pakistan-remark-an-insult-to-biharis-says-lalu-prasad/

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Pakistan, t"e Muslim(ma9ority neig"bor t"at "as

foug"t several #ars #it" India since -:30

 ;oters in +i"ar sa# t"roug" t"e +P’s attempts to

divide t"em )"ey, like most Indians, are looking forleaders #"o #ill improve t"eir standard of living

+i"ar is one of t"e poorest states in India but "as

gro#n fast in t"e last -. years under t"e leaders"ip of