Beleaguered and hounded by the opposition and the media after the BJP’s crushing defeat in the Bihar assembly elections and the campaign against the party for ‘intolerance,’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi has found something to crow about with his emphatically successful visit to the United Kingdom.
Modi seemed to have got a trifle carried away when he lauded Indo-British relations, in perspective, so glowingly in his Wembley stadium address to an audience of 60,000 people of Indian origin.
While any reference to the atrocities perpetrated by the British as a colonial power would have been misplaced going by the occasion and the setting, there was little need to exaggerate the heritage of goodwill between the two countries.
Looking to the present and the seemingly bright outlook for the relationship, the prime minister was, however, justified in indulging in hyperboles about the future especially when his British counterpart, David Cameron, went out of his way to show his warmth for him and consequently for India.
That Cameron was with Modi at practically every event that the latter took part in, including the Wembley public address, was a tribute to not only the clout that modern India has acquired globally primarily due to its economic strength but also a recognition of the British premier’s respect and admiration for Modi.
There is indeed a fascinating parallel between Indian professionals working abroad and Modi. Both are weighed down by the all-round negativity in India but thrive when they are abroad. Politics has seeped into every walk of life in India and most Indians working abroad have tales to tell about how their creativity and enterprise was marred by official red tape and envy of colleagues as they sought to give expression to their innovative instincts.
With the manner in which Modi articulates his thoughts, as he did in the British Parliament and then at Wembley on his UK visit and earlier in the US, China and Australia, among other nations, he stands out as a statesmanlike figure endowed with robust common sense. But back in India, he goes into a shell, often not speaking out when he needs to counsel his people.
Time and again, he has been keeping mum when it is necessary to rein in motormouths in the Sangh Parivar. That has been spreading the impression that he is not interested in containing the hotheads who have a stake in keeping the embers of hatred burning between the Hindus and Muslims. True, that is an erroneous impression but his silence tends to deceive to his detriment.
With the manner in which Modi articulates his thoughts — as he did in the British Parliament and then at Wembley on his UK visit and earlier in the US, China and Australia, among other nations—he stands out as a statesmanlike figure endowed with robust common sense. But back in India, he goes into a shell, often not speaking out when he needs to counsel his people.
On his visit to the United Kingdom, Modi broke new ground. But what he got in return from the British media was prejudice, innuendoes and ridicule. Remarkably, by the time his visit ended he was beginning to be seen in better light.
With the Opposition and the media in India working overtime to exaggerate notions against the Modi government, especially on its ‘level of intolerance’, Modi was able to stem the tide of scepticism to some extent that has been pervading the country. Both Modi and Cameron used economic diplomacy to the fullest and together they forged deals that were of mutual benefit and with far-reaching implications.
It is not for nothing that India now tops the charts for attracting the highest foreign direct investment among countries in the world. The high-pitch economic diplomacy of the Modi government is doubtlessly a factor in the way India has surpassed China as the most favoured destination for investment. This is despite a poor infrastructure which we are doing precious little about to improve and for which the Modi government must share part of the blame with State governments.
Ironically, Modi put up a spirited defence of India’s economic record on foreign shores. This included the improved ranking in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business index, likewise in the Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index and in the World Economic Forum’s Competitiveness Report.
Indeed, Modi needs to focus on his government’s achievements more strongly within the country too. His interactions with business and industry and with other forums representing various other streams of activity need to show that he is proactive and reactive to public opinion. A fair amount of positive work is being done but the fears of some sections need to be allayed more effectively.
Prime Minister Cameron clearly took the lead in lauding Modi’s achievements in the business arena in the year and a half that he has been in the saddle and earned the gratitude of the Indian prime minister.
Global corporations operating out of London announced a slew of investments in India worth $15 billion in sectors like retail, telecommunications, alternative energy, healthcare, logistics, education, among others. How much of this will actually translate into actual business decisions is too early to say but the mood was clearly one of scepticism laced with hope.
The British are salivating at the prospect of getting a fair share in India’s military modernisation programme. They are also enthused by the involvement of UK in India’s counter-terrorism measures. But what was of special interest to India, in the plethora of deals entered into, was the much-touted rupee-denominated ‘masala bonds’ that will raise capital in London for India’s modernisation of railways, housing, and green energy.
All in all, Prime Minister Modi’s visit to UK has been a path-finder.
But where we have been found wanting in the recent past has been in regard to follow-ups. That is an area that needs close attention if the in-principle agreements are to translate into reality.
