VINAY SAHASRABUDDHE, the National Vice President of the BJP, delves into the first year of the government and provides an emphatic answer to what Modi has brought to the table
Exactly about two years before his elevation in BJP as its Prime Ministerial candidate. The party brought Natendra Modi on the national scene. For multiple reasons, this decision marked a kind of breaking of the mould. Through this decision, the party was decidedly rewarding merit and recognising a popular leader. In a largely dynasty-based party-politics canvas, the selection of Narendra Modi marked a refreshing change. His almost hassle-free ascent provided a ray of hope in an otherwise frustrating polity with hardly any intra-organisational democracy. Besides, the fact that an unfathomable pressure of grass root level party workers had hastened his anointment underscored the importance of ideology-driven party cadres and their opinion.
Harold Laski, renowned British political scientist had once said that a true leader leads the masses and, more importantly, refuses to be led by the masses. For a State Chief Minister who had won thrice, back to back, without succumbing to populist pressures, to get a party nomination largely because of the cadre sentiment, was noteworthy without doubt.
In this backdrop and after one complete year in the office, one would naturally be tempted to ask, what is new that Narendra Modi as Prime Minister has brought to the table? The obvious answer is: NaMo, known for his innovative ideas and out-of-the-box thinking, has truly added value with his grand ideas, refreshing approaches and sincere, honest efforts.
Firstly, some grand ideas, and there are many. Prime Minster Modi’s ability to think big is just unmatched. Swachchh Bharat is the most popular of his big ideas that has caught the imagination of the people. A media house survey in fact brought this out clearly. A leader with his ear always to the ground, NaMo seems to have rightly realized that clean environs and basic sanitation is inherent to the idea of an aspiring India. It’s an ambitious project and making a small but significant beginning with independent toilets for girls in schools spoke volumes of the priorities of this Government. As also its down to earth approach. Another extremely grand and equally courageous idea is that of clean Ganga. Obviously not unmindful of the dangers of limited success involved—thanks to the innumerable bottlenecks— in implementing such grand plans, the Prime Minister is heavily banking upon the emotive appeal that may ensure huge popular involvement.
Similarly, his proposal to declare June 21st as International Yoga Day is a grand idea that makes every Indian proud of the recognition given to one of its cultural treasures. Again, rejecting the conventional notion of blocks of countries and established groupings of nations, when Prime Minister Modi wondered as to why there cannot be a G-All (instead of G-8 or G-20) at least conceptually; several experts of international politics must have felt, why none of them could even think of this?
Another noteworthy aspect of Modi’s scheme of things is his refreshingly new approach emerging from his innovative thinking. A commission devoted not to the obsolete idea of centralized planning but collective policy evolution is highly relevant and timely as well. Again, when he talked of Team India and had a daylong meeting with Chief Ministers giving them a sense of participation in shaping national developmental agenda, it was an equally remarkable idea for its freshness and originality. With just one idea, he has disarmed those who wanted to paint him partisan. Again, why so many of his certified liberal and progressive predecessors could not articulate this approach anytime in the past, one wonders. From introducing self-attestation of documents to soil-health-card scheme for farmers and from using railway fiber-optic network for skill development and introducing insurance schemes at dirt cheap premium rates, Narendra Modi easily comes out as ‘a man of ideas’. Simplicity is an essential characteristic of his innovations. Look at the slogans he coined. Perhaps after Garibi Hatao, the only slogan that could occupy mind space of the commoners very effectively and enduringly remains Sab Ka Sath, Sab Ka Vikas!
In an age of innovations, leaders experimenting with new ideas may not be in too small a number. But what makes Modi stand tall, heads and shoulders above, is his sincerity. People from almost all quarters receive his ideas well because of the honesty of his thinking and passion behind his efforts. Never does he comes across as someone who is sending balloons after balloons in skies bereft of any home work and detailing. The talk of solar energy is around for several years, but it was Narendra Modi who went in for covering river water canals with solar panels, giving a double benefit — preventing loss of water due to vaporization and generating solar energy.
The strength of Narendra Modi lies is in his courage of conviction and purity of purpose. Nationalism, as he had pointed out several times, is his ideology. Besides, unlike several established politicians who are insecure from within as they are scared of the uncertainties and their impact on their present status, Modi comes across as a leader with no personal agenda. To be passionate and resolute about national goals and free from worries about the future of personal comforts at the same time requires a deeper philosophical bent of mind. Even this singular characteristic makes NaMo stand apart.
People may assess Modi’s performance in multiple ways and with different yardsticks. But on one point, plausibly, all would agree: that he is one of the very few thinking politicians who have a huge political will! It is this ‘will’ that drives him, motivates him and strengthens his resolve to make it happen. Tomorrow, historians and analysts would ask whether Modi has made any difference? Evidently, the answer is bound to be affirmative.
Vinay Sahasrabuddhe is the National Vice President of the BJP
