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If Prime Minister Narendra Modi was indeed sounding the poll bugle during his visit to Bhakti saint Kabir's final resting place at Maghar in Uttar Pradesh, a better place to kick off couldn't have been chosen. Kabir preached communal harmony, opposed casteism, and demystified religion among the poorest of the poor five centuries ago. Even today Kabir's example and message of syncretism strikes a chord in the country, cutting across social groups. But India, and especially UP, is in the throngs of extreme political and social polarization. It behooves that none less than the PM seeks to echo Kabir's message, even if tailored to his trademark political rhetoric, which increasingly seeks to portray himself as a pro-poor messiah.