Narendra Modi has many role models. He aspires to be a decisive, bold leader like Sardar Patel, a social reformer-cum-preacher like Vivekananda and borrows heavily from the ideas and ideals of Mahatma Gandhi.
He has, simultaneously, shown glimpses of deep aversion to Nehruvian politics and economics and contempt for his daughter Indira Gandhi. But his first six months in power suggest that Modi may be more in the mould of the one PM he has ignored so far: Rajiv Gandhi.
The extraordinary interest in his foreign policy, his fascination for technology, his ever-growing appeal within the middle-class and the feeling that India has found a leader who will take the country to a greater height are all reminiscent of the heady days that marked the beginning of Rajiv's tenure and his anointment as India's 'Mr Clean.'
Rajiv, like Modi today, was a rage across India and at international summits during his early years. His role in the creation of the SAARC, diplomatic parleys with Benazir Bhutto that led to the non-nuclear pact with Pakistan, the highly-successful visit to the US in 1985 turned Rajiv into a global heavyweight.
At home, his pact with Saint Harcharan Longowal in Punjab, his success in dealing with separatist movements in Assam and Mizoram and his relentless verbal attacks on corruption and middlemen gave rise to dizzying hopes from Rajiv.
Alas, we judged him too early. As it turned out later, during his term there was a 'flood of promises and a drought of action', a phrase made popular later by his nemesis VP Singh. And by the time the next election came the streets of India were resonating with slogans like 'Gali, gali mein shor hai…'
The point here is this: politicians can flatter to deceive in the end. And six months is a very short period for assessing a PM.
His fans - whose numbers are growing today - are convinced that Modi has been a huge success. As evidence of Modi's success they point at the lower fuel prices, falling inflation indices and prices of commodities of gold. Since their approval of the PM's six months is a reflection more of their hope and blind faith in him, it is futile to argue that all these developments are a result of developments in the international markets.
0 Comments