Truth and non-violence. The world knows these two words defined Mahatma Gandhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, however, rarely referred to truth and non-violence in the context of Gandhi, insolently reducing him to ‘Swachhta & Swadeshi’. Be it Gandhi’s birth anniversary on October 2, or death anniversary on January 30, Modi’s tributes revolved around cleanliness and self-reliance. Truth and non-violence probably aren’t in tune with the Sangh Parivar’s doctrine of force.Modi sprang a surprise this year by making a reference to non-violence on January 30. He tweeted, “Pujya Bapu ne manavata ki raksha ke liye hamesha ahimsa par bal diya. Isme wah Shakti hai jo bina hathiyar ke duniyan ko badal sakti hai (Revered Bapu always laid emphasis on non-violence for protection of humanity. Non-violence has the power to change the world without weapons).” Difficult to guess whether this realisation dawned on Modi after the genocidal assault on Gaza by his “dear friend” Benjamin Netanyahu, or apparent helplessness against the hostile attitude of America and China. Though Modi hasn’t talked about ‘truth’, he has ultimately taken note of the significance of non-violence. He has understood Gandhi can’t be boxed in by lesser virtues like Swachhta and Swadeshi. Will Modi now give a tutorial to Sangh Parivar outfits on the “power” of non-violence that he has discovered all of a sudden? He must call the self-proclaimed vigilante gangs that lynch Muslims and harass inter-faith lovers, the sundry Hindutva outfits and godmen who spew venom on “others”, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs, MPs and chief ministers who deploy low-grade tactics of intimidation and coercion to polarise the society for a meeting and explain to them the virtue of non-violence. He should reprimand his supporters and colleagues who idolise Nathuram Godse and demean India’s non-violent freedom struggle. He should, at least, reclaim India’s moral authority on international forums, avoiding ambiguous or amoral positions on such issues like mindless massacres of children and women in Gaza.Modi, and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), urgently need to learn another lesson from Gandhi if their respect for the greatest apostle of peace is genuine. They should pay heed to what Gandhi thought of Hinduism and other religions. Gandhi wrote: “If I were asked to define the Hindu creed I should simply say: search after truth through non-violent means. Hinduism is the most tolerant of all religions. Its creed is all-embracing.” Gandhi further wrote, “Not being an exclusive religion, it enables the followers of that faith not merely to respect all the other religions, but it also enables them to admire and assimilate whatever may be good in the other faiths. Hinduism believes in the oneness not of merely all human life but in the oneness of all that lives.”Gandhi believed in equality of religions. If the Sangh Parivar understands the essence of Gandhian philosophy, India will have its gravest political problem instantly solved. The minimum Indian democracy can expect from political parties is this: No misuse of religion in politics and an unflinching faith in constitutional principles. Traitor’s wrathIt’s impossible to count how many Congress leaders want to rectify Rahul Gandhi. They call him arrogant, insecure, apolitical, unwise and what not. It’s not only traitors and turncoats, many of those who are still in the Congress so desperately want to train, correct, condemn or reject Rahul. Some will say Rahul’s choice of people is wrong, others will explain how apolitical intellectuals spoiled him. This disgruntled lot nurtures fascinating pretensions. Some cunning fellows will claim they are running the risk of personal losses only to drum sense into the immature leader, others insist the Congress and the Indian democracy can be salvaged only if a seasoned politician is at the helm of opposition grouping. Most of these dissenters are now rooting for Priyanka Gandhi, describing her as more pragmatic, committed and political. Scratch the surface and you discover the real intent behind the pretence of saving the Congress. If some people are dying for a suitable post in the party, others are upset because lesser aspirants got into the Rajya Sabha or became spokespersons. Someone is angry because his or her recommendations for tickets were ignored; someone else is infuriated because Rahul is not giving an appointment for a meeting. The worst dissenter will become a loyalist overnight if he gets what he desires. Personal greed, or ambition, overrides political rationale in the majority of cases. Also read: The Eternal GandhiLeaders who might not have added fifty votes to the party’s support base over a decade are questioning the sincerity of a leader who traversed thousands of miles to mobilise people in the battle for protection of secular democracy. Those who got everything in the party slipped into the BJP’s lap only for loaves of power. Some of them proclaimed irreversible ideological aversion to RSS-BJP but started speaking a different language seconds after crossing over. A few sang for the rulers in anticipation of some largesse coming their way. These people can barter anything – their conscience or national interest – for personal aggrandisement. If smothering morality fetches a ministerial berth, or insurance against witch-hunt, so be it. The design is clear: abuse the Nehru-Gandhi family and take the cake. Politics has become that cheap. Ideology is a football; conscience is a toy and language is changeable attire.There is enough evidence to show that India is grappling with a unique crisis of politics; the reasons for victory or defeat aren’t linked to an individual’s capacity. Abnormal circumstances where institutional capture, unprecedented money power and technical manipulations combine to overshadow objective realities, failures and successes shouldn’t be judged for individual merit. Many shrewd politicians have been devastated and rendered completely defenceless. In these difficult times, inventing petty skirmishes to run away from the real war is the worst form of cowardice. Only those for whom petty desires and vested interests aren’t bigger than national and social responsibilities will fight this battle. Strong leaderA strong leader is expected to strengthen the legal framework for transparency and accountability. Politicians nursing pretensions of courage and robust leadership will offer themselves to public scrutiny and uphold principles of constitutional morality. Cowards suffer from perpetual insecurity, blocking any serious examination of his conduct and promises.The suggestion in this year’s Economic Survey for review of the Right to Information Act has rightly alarmed activists and intellectuals, necessitating a debate on whether Modi, a so-called “strong” Prime Minister, has reinforced the legal framework for transparency and accountability or hollowed it out. While opposition parties and activists have repeatedly slammed the Modi government for systematic dilution of the RTI, the Supreme Court ruled that the Electoral Bond scheme destroyed transparency in political funding by the corporate. The much hyped supreme watchdog Lokpal drew national attention only once in the last decade when they ordered purchase of some luxurious cars. Reports by the Comptroller & Auditor General of India (CAG), which rattled governments in the past, are not even debated in the parliament.The Election Commission, the pillar on which democracy rests, has not only been accused of discarding transparency and accountability, it is now branded as the government’s most potent weapon to defeat any political challenge that the BJP could face. The Modi government went so far as to overrule the Supreme Court which tried to reform the appointment process of election commissioners. Worse, election commissioners now enjoy full immunity from law. The CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) have faced constant allegations of functioning like the government’s coercive instruments. Other legal instruments to enforce accountability – WhistleBlowers Protection Act & Prevention of Corruption Act – have been diluted. The government’s approach to corruption is also manifested in stubborn refusal to order investigation into several corruption charges in the last decade. While the Congress levelled over a hundred charges against the Adani group, an American court felt constrained to observe that the Modi government was not cooperating in delivering summons to Adani. Ironically, the Economic Survey, instead of calling for a healthy investment climate and warning against perils of crony capitalism, suggested strangling of RTI. The chief economic adviser probably takes care of Modi’s political agenda more than nursing the fundamentals of economy. The truth, however, is that a person who cannot appreciate empowerment of citizens in a democracy is doomed to fail in understanding the real malaise affecting the economy. The Survey said, “The RTI Act was never intended as a tool for idle curiosity, nor as a mechanism to micromanage government from the outside.” Beware of the authority that sees a precious instrument of accountability as a tool for idle curiosity. Remember that couplet Zulm khud karna ilzaam kisi par dharna, ye naya nuskha hai beemar bhi kar sakta hai (To oppress oneself and blame someone else, this is a new recipe and can even make one sick).Sanjay K. Jha is a political commentator.