Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi has yet again hit the cover of the TIME
magazine which has given him a thumping write-up. Remember, the
magazine enjoys a readership of 25 million and to make it to its cover
is no mean feat.
Under the title, “Modi means business — But can he lead India”, it
extols the achievements of Modi in such glowing terms as to make any
Indian reader and wonder whether it is really all about a State or a
politician in his own country. It talks about the State’s phenomenal
success story in all-round development, its emergence as the auto-hub of
India with an expected capacity of 700,000 cars in 2014, the 24-hour
uninterrupted power supply guaranteed to both business enterprises and
farmers in the field, and a streamlined and efficient bureaucracy.
What the run-of-the-mill political bigwigs would find most galling is
about the State being free from corruption and about the family of Modi
being not at all visible.
The TIME’s comment that Modi “does not put his faith on public
display” and that, but for a picture of Swami Vivekananda, he has no
religious icons in his office, must be a revelation not only to
‘secularists’ for whom Modi is the whipping boy but to the general
public as well. The commentary does not even once make any reference to
the 2002 post-Godhra disturbances.
INCREDIBLE
Its punch line is: “…When others think of someone who can bring India
out of the mire of chronic corruption and inefficiency, (and) of a firm,
no-nonsense leader who will set the nation on a course of development
that might finally put it on par with China, they think of Modi.” This
is incredible tribute by any standards. There is no point in being
churlish or petty in reacting to the praises repeatedly heaped on him,
not only by TIME, but also by some other publications of
international repute. They stand out all the more prominently in the
light of the fact that no other Chief Minister has been considered
worthy of such recognition.
They can only come out of some deeply felt compelling urge to write
about him. Otherwise, there is no reason why when there is so much
happening in the entire world and so many other issues are there to be
taken note of, these magazines should focus so much on the leader of a
State in India, and give him so much space so often.
This gives a measure of the extent of the awe and admiration inspired by Modi.
There is no doubt that all other political leaders, particularly those
outside the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), or, perhaps, even including
them, will find this most discomfiting! Their discomfiture must be all
the more acute for the simple reason that it is impossible to dismiss
these laudatory articles as politically motivated or stemming from a
saffron mindset.
UNDISPUTED ABILITY
They are by analysts and observers who have no political axe to grind vis-à-vis
Narendra Modi nor anything to gain by propping him up. They are by
persons with a deep comparative grasp of world affairs and political
personalities whose critical faculties are sharp and who are not afraid
of calling a spade a spade.
So, they would not have built up Modi in such an eloquent and effusive
manner without going deeply into every relevant factor relating to his
performance and without cross-checking it with different sections of the
opinion from grass roots to the top echelons of officialdom.
The question must still be asked: Where does Modi go from here? It is indubitable that, TIME or no TIME,
he is, on all accounts, the most dynamic and effective public
functionary today. It must be borne in mind at the same time that he is
home-brewed and rough-hewn and has so far shone on his home ground where
he knew his way about and the ambience was favourable for pulling off
the Modi magic.
The complexities, chicaneries and machinations of national politics are
quite something else. Maybe, if he were to lead a Government composed of
the BJP with an absolute majority in the Lok Sabha, he will be able to
live up to the reputation he made in Gujarat.
But if it were a coalition in which he is liable to be pulled hard in
different directions by its ruthless and rapacious constituents, the
prospect is not that clear. Even so, I hope that in the coming
elections, the people will opt for a change from the present effete
dispensation, and Modi will get a chance to show his mettle.
(This article was published on July 11, 2013)
Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/columns/b-s-raghavan/modi-does-it-time-and-again/article4905448.ece
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