Narendra Modi tears into Nitish Kumar at Hunkaar Rally

India gets a leader, finally

People see in Modi everything that UPA leaders are not, a man who can deliver our country back to us. All right thinking people who feel strongly for the genuine progress and prosperity of our country have heaved a sigh of relief at the BJP declaring Narendra Modi as its Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2014 general elections. Yes, there was a power struggle, as there is and should be in any real democracy in the world. It was a tough contest and the best man won. But many in India have become so accustomed to dynastic succession, that a democratic succession exercised through contest in the true spirit of democracy is construed as a great aberration, or an indication of a dysfunctional political party. Dynasty has even changed the democratic terminology, particularly among the media. Never before have I heard the words "anointment" and "coronation" recklessly becoming idioms of a democratic leadership change. Some of the despondency that was gripping the country has started to lift. During the last few years, one heard the same questions over and over again across the spectrum: where is this country heading? Is there any hope at all for the future? Because what every patriotic and responsible citizen saw during the last decade of UPA rule was a directionless drift, apathy towards national interest and the welfare of the people, a complete breakdown of the state machinery, and a supreme commitment to corruption. The poor of India experienced the highest form of cruelty inflicted on them through the unprecedented rise in the prices of their already meagre food consumption articles, which all the misleading promises of the Food Security Act cannot compensate. For me personally, it was a momentous event, something that I have been consistently urging the BJP to do for the last few years. And when I say this, I speak about the interest of the nation, and the leadership it needs today, and not about the interest of any particular person. Regardless of the unceasing propaganda hurled against Narendra Modi, his popular appeal among the intelligentsia and the masses had already been acknowledged, even by an unfriendly media, through the series of surveys and opinion polls that put him at the top of the list for future Prime Minister. People believe he has the qualities that are required to forcefully stem the steep descent of our polity into a completely failed state. Clearly, it is refreshing and promising for people that they do not find any resemblance between Modi and any of the present political leaders of the UPA. Instead, they see in him everything that the UPA leaders are not — the last ray of hope that can end our nation's nightmare and deliver our country back to us. However, the road ahead will continue to be pitted with challenges. Narendra Modi's enemies outside his own party, though strangely sobered and bewildered about how to handle this new blazing star on the Prime Ministerial firmament, will continue their vilification campaign against him, despite their previous failures. They know that they don't have anything substantial to attack him with. His record in governance and achievement has been impressive, whether on the development or economic front. There is no taint of corruption in his decade long tenure as Chief Minister. The SIT found nothing to implicate him personally in the unfortunate 2002 riots. Having exhausted these, Modi's enemies have been forced to downgrade their weaponry to a weak propaganda of some vague and non-existent accusations that even they find difficult to substantiate. For example, accusations against Modi have now changed from the political to personal, using hazy, nebulous words. The worst his enemies now call him is a "polarising figure", whatever that means. Well, in my view, if Modi is able to polarise opinions regarding what is good for the country and what is not, I think, the polarisation was long overdue. Next, he is accused of being "divisive", again without explaining what it means. After ten long years of UPA's paralysed governance, it appears that anyone "decisive" is now derisively labelled as "divisive". Do these accusers, supported by some sections of the media, consider it more beneficial for the progress of our nation and people to continue the non-decisive UPA leadership model of "coalition dharma" of corruption and inaction, which has almost destroyed our country, and made us a laughing stock in the world? Today, we are pathetically known the world over as an aspiring global superpower reeking in corruption; a power which has lost the ability to govern or protect its national interest and is ever too eager to sell its national interest for private gain. All opinion polls suggest that India has had enough of the UPA's consensus and compromise leadership model, and instead requires a strong, firm, no-nonsense leader. Modi's enemies have spread another canard, that he is no "team leader", that he's a "one man show", again without providing any details or substance. I can only ask that if he were indeed not a team leader, would he win three elections in succession in Gujarat, surrounded as he was by powerful opponents holding the keys to every national investigation agency in the country and instigating every possible dissenter to revolt against him? I ask these puerile critics to compare the intra party revolts within the Congress and the UPA constituents in states across the country, with the Gujarat BJP, before they loosely throw around terms like team leadership, divisiveness and polarisation. But I do notice that the misuse of the word "communal" to describe him has reduced drastically. I claim that even though I have several admiring friends, and perhaps several critics, neither my admirers nor critics have ever accused me of being communal or in any manner hostile to Muslims. I have repeatedly expressed my deepest admiration for the Prophet of Islam before audiences of all hues. I always impress my students with the Prophet's invaluable words that "he who walks in the path of knowledge walks on the path of God" and "the ink of the scholar is more valuable than the blood of a martyr". I believe I have the perfect credentials for categorically informing the public, who has for too long been bombarded by disinformation about Narenbhai being an anti-Muslim fanatic, that he is not so. I would say the same under oath in any court of law. The Muslim minority is as safe with him as Prime Minister as any other citizen of India. My Muslim friends must accept my guarantee, on which I stake all my reputation. Narenbhai deserves the vote of every patriotic Indian. The people of India and most parties have realised that there is no one with a greater pan-Indian charisma and natural communication skills than Narendra Modi, so much so, that he is evaluated by the electorate on his own merit and nothing else. He has the rare gift of holding an audience spellbound. And no one can deny that charisma and communication skills are indispensable qualities for the leader of a large and pluralistic nation like India. The best example of the lack of these qualities is the UPA government.
Article Credits Sunday Guardian,18th October 2013

The rise and rise of tomorrow’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi - The Sunday Guardian Report

No politician in independent India has been demonised in such a relentless, Goebbelsian manner as Narendra Modi, and no politician has withstood it with as much resilience and courage as him, notwithstanding the entire Central government, influential sections of the media machinery and civil society arraigned against him.
His dark patch started with the unfortunate Godhra train massacre and the ensuing communal riots in Gujarat in 2002, where several innocent people lost their lives. A train carrying non-violent harmless karsewaks were set on fire and nearly 60 persons were burnt to death. Understandably, but regrettably, this provoked retaliation and mayhem resulting in many innocent members of the minority community losing their lives and suffering other indignities.
It is equally true that the desire for revenge did paralyse the will of some law enforcement agencies, including some prosecutors and judges. Serious steps had to be taken to restore the confidence of the victims of revenge in the legal and judicial system of the state.
Today, vast sections of civil society see in Narendra Modi the next Prime Minister of India. I hope he will plant more visible footprints on the international seashore. He has to speak of peace and a durable solution to the Kashmir problem with the rulers of Pakistan.
The most diabolical role was played by the Congress government at the Centre. A bogus commission was appointed to whitewash the Godhra tragedy to establish that the attack on the train was not the result of a conspiracy of some evil minded Muslims, but an accidental stove fire. This serious crime by the Congress government was fully exposed when a Special Investigation Team appointed by the Supreme Court made their own independent investigation and reiterated that the burning of the pilgrims was a concerted plan by those who must have known that it will inevitably lead to retaliation and atrocities against the minorities, a finding fortified by recent court judgments. Their evil calculations proved to be right. Obviously, the planners wanted India to get a bad name, its national unity and integrity shaken and its defence against scheming neighbours enfeebled.
The unfortunate riots were followed by the state elections, the results of which made the psephologists run for cover. One is reminded of a story, which may well be apocryphal, but is fairly apposite and bears repetition. The Viceroy of India, Lord Linlithgow, wanted to hold an open air reception in Simla and sought, and received, the assurance of the weather bureau that there wouldn't be any showers on that day. But while strolling on the mall, he encountered a farmer and his donkey. Proletarian as he pretended to be, he struck up a conversation with him and made the same enquiry. The farmer looked at his donkey and said, "Whenever my mate's ears shake the way they are doing now, it just pours." The Viceroy made light of the donkey signal, but his evening party was a big fiasco. In anger, he had the weather station removed to faraway Pune as punishment. I hope the media will never again mess with Narendra Modi or Gujarat elections. Modi won a landslide victory, which even he and his followers could not have imagined or hoped for. I congratulated him for his brilliant victory, but I sincerely advised him that he should wear a look of absolute humility; he should publicly own that something had seriously gone wrong and that he should loudly proclaim that India could never go forward and retain its independence and sovereignty unless Hindus and Muslims were locked in an embrace of love and mutual understanding. He must declare his firm resolve to bring back to the minorities a feeling of absolute security and an assurance of every kind of protection by the powers of the state. Modi thought out and reasoned his strategy and since then his stature has risen manifold to heights rarely attained before. Today, vast sections of civil society see in him the next Prime Minister of India. I hope he will plant more visible footprints on the international seashore. He has to speak of peace and a durable solution to the Kashmir problem with the rulers of Pakistan. He must project himself as a great democratic leader of the world and a fighter for human rights and justice the world over. On the domestic front, I am proud to see him winning Muslim hearts by presenting to them the real Hindutva, which even the Supreme Court had to acknowledge and admire. Let not the real Hindutva be confused with its counterfeit version, which unfortunately gains currency during the course of electoral battles. The policies and conduct of Narendra Modi may be compared with those of the late Rajiv Gandhi. The sad assassination of his mother led to what may accurately be described as a virtual genocide of the Sikhs. Armed bands of hooligans and murderers went around the streets and colonies of Delhi in search of innocent Sikhs, sought them out and slaughtered them mercilessly. We saw some Sikhs being burnt alive on public roads while crowds watched the heartrending scenes. Even the then Sikh President could not move a finger to help the unfortunate followers of Guru Nanak. I cannot forget those shameful days even now. All that the new Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had to say was a defiant, "When a big tree falls the earth must shake". Never did the Congress leadership apologise for the atrocities and the murders. It is the greatness of the Sikh community that they have forgiven the Congress. In a corruption ridden country where the chief source of corruption is the Congress and its leaders, Narendra Modi shines for his impeccable integrity. He has focused his entire energy on building in Gujarat an able administration and good governance. He has achieved phenomenal development and economic growth, and at the same time bolstered social inclusiveness. Through these he has worked hard to regain the confidence of the minorities, even as the relentless and pervasive hate campaign against him has continued unabated in the electronic media, among the fashionable intellectuals and civil society activists, who have become the media sweethearts.
This is the first of a two-part article on Narendra Modi
Article Credits Sunday Guardian,17th October 2013