Narendra Modi’s icon is (Narendra-turned) Swami Vivekananda and not without reason. It was Swamiji who invoked this ancient land’s glories and spoke about the power of an individual and what he or she can achieve if only the person strengthens the will and remains steadfast in action. He aroused and awakened a nation steeped in political and mental slavery, thus laying the foundations of the freedom movement.
Modi has followed his great mentor’s formula in letter and spirit to engineer an history-changing feat for his party, nay, the nation itself: His mind was set on a singular goal ever since his party named him the PM candidate; He translated his will into an unprecedented action plan on paper first and kept fine tuning it all through; and implemented the same with as much precision as is humanly possible in a polity seemingly in confusion. And yes, incidentally Modi has freed the nation from slavery to a dynasty!
It was all about M from the day he was made BJP’s PM candidate. The resounding victory, an unbelievable simple majority for his party, not to speak of the NDA sweep, naturally redounds to him. It is unlikely the party would have turned up this kind of a performance sans Modi. And all this was achieved in the most trying of circumstances: An extremely hostile media that is now at its fawning best: the arrogant taunts (tea-seller, and what not) and lowly slander by an entrenched lineage and its palanquin bearers: detractors amidst ‘friends’; anti-national forces within and without. A hugely dice, indeed. Now, who is he, who is now credited with altering the course of history against such odds with his sheer personality? That’s where the real story of Modi’s victory lies. The story of an underdog who breached India’s elitist (political and casteist) stranglehold on power; the story of leadership; the story of clean and efficient governance. A story in which, performance, not the face, defined the personality.
He belonged to no dynasty in a country that has, er, had, a penchant for nurturing political families for long, even if to its own detriment. He inherited no individual leader’s legacy or succession and was on the contrary democratically elected as his party candidate after much inner dissent and difficulties. He did not enjoy any reflected glory from a charismatic mentor nor did he hail from a calling like filmdom that imparted a head start in terms of familiarity. Indeed, Modi’s rise from absolute oblivion a dozen years back to the zenith of national glory and power is a story that every Indian should be proud of.
Modi’s victory cannot be reduced to just numbers for behind those changed numbers is a completely changed India. In a way, the country is starting its political life afresh. Though hangovers from the earlier regime of ten years will be very tough to shake off, the many positive tidings can be expected to gradually clear the air. In my view, the biggest take away is the voters washing away the Cong and Commies, both of whom have been getting away with their left-of-centre, secular bluff for far too long along with a host of ‘intellectuals’ who made a living out of these futile debates. People’s welfare and communal harmony are everyone’s concern, not just of these self-styled progressives. Hope they dont now claim that the EVMs are communal! Another blessing: A simple majority for the BJP and an enlarged one for the NDA makes legislation and decision-making easier without the hassle of going with begging bowls behind corrupt or unreliable politicos. The voters have taken pity on themselves -a self-sympathy vote? – and broken free from the prevailing paralysis through the only way and man possible.
From M to M Singh now. I will miss him in these columns and of course he himself is already a distant blur in the nation’s memory. Even Rahul forgot him quite fast, despite him lending his so-called good name to Sonia family, a cover that it used to the hilt. I would like to call the honesty humbug and the honourable hoax one last time. Any honourable person who values his self-respect and also respects the Constitution would not have accepted the puppet PM post that undermined the PM’s office, the ‘keystone to the arch of cabinet’. And it is no sign of honesty when an enlightened economist with a legal duty to safeguard the national treasury allows loot after loot under his watch. We are happy you are gone, Mr MSingh. We couldn’t afford your steep ‘honesty bill’!
We mentioned in passing about a changed India. Modi’s real test lies there. An awakened nation has overwhelmingly expressed its unreserved wish and trust to be led by him. Naturally expectations run high and the days to come will unravel the challenges. For now, it is celebration time. A sort of summer Deepavali.
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