Modi’s time has come

The writing is on the wall- Narendra Modi is going to be the next Prime Minister of India. He has proved to be a leader who can galvanize popular support quite quickly. He has led the aspirations of the majority in Gujarat for some time now and a large number of people (at least the middle class) elsewhere in the country have shown faith in him. In a country doing badly on economic front at the moment, he represents ‘hope’ of millions. Congress will come down to two-digits and AAP is not quite there; third front, as always will just be in the ‘also ran’ category. So, Modi’s time has truly come. However, there lies my concerns.

1. Modi has all the traits of Indira Gandhi (if not a Hitler), who subverted democratic systems and undermined individual freedom. He is authoritarian and deals with aggression any dissenting voice. He can be even dangerous than Indira. I hope my fears will be proven wrong in the long run.

2.  Modi’s developmental propaganda is only a rhetoric. He has been able to maintain Gujarat as a developed state, but Gujarat has not moved ahead among the top performing states in his time. Gujarat has always been a developed state, since time immemorial. Once upon a time Ahmedabad was called the ‘Manchester’ of the east. So, Gujarat’s development is because of its entrepreneurial people, not the political leaders- not in the past, not now. I hope he can set a development agenda for the country and deliver too.

3. Modi's record of governance in terms of corruption is not bad- but if 'governance' also includes living up to the expectations of the minority communities, he fails miserably. The Supreme Court's acquittal in the riots case not-withstanding, the minorities still feel insecure under him. Somehow, he and BJP have to reach out to the minorities and make them feel safe and cared for. The idea of India is not based on a 'one faith' model; India is pluralistic and Mr. Modi has to uphold that. If he can do this, it would be good enough as there is hardly any other major difference between BJP and Congress. Let's hope Modi will be a leader for all, and not just the majority community.

Spirit and Flavour of Democracy

There is no other form of governance that is as interesting and empowering as DEMOCRACY is. In spite of all its weaknesses, it provides a platform for people to express themselves and fight for their rights. It provides a level playing field for everyone. Irrespective of the class and caste, it gives everyone the freedom to represent and be represented.

Universal adult franchise or elections are reflections of the dynamism and the spirit of democracy. Especially in India, the 'Election' is time for people to show their power and feel their power....the hysteria, the drama, the frenzy, the excitement, the energy and the enthusiasm on part of the common people during this time is unparalleled in the world. Perhaps this is the time when the common man and the lower sections of the society feel most empowered; this is reflected in the higher voter turn out on part of this section in comparison to the upper section of the society.

During a recent tour to a village near Sanchi in Madhya Pradesh, I came across this man (in a red sweater) in the picture above.

He is contesting in the elections from a party floated by him; he is the only one in his party, he does his own campaigns, goes from door to door and reaches out to people. He spends out of his own pocket in spite of the fact that he is struggling to feed his family.

In a candid discussion, he revealed that perhaps he knew that he was not going to win that time, but for him, 'winning' or 'losing' did not matter as much as 'standing up for himself and his fellowmen' did. He was convinced that he was standing for a great cause and that was what gave him courage, motivation and energy.

This is the true spirit of democracy.