Call it Narendra Modi 2.0, 3.0, whatever; the development is welcome. Just when everyone appeared to have concluded that the prime minister was too obstinate to change his personality-centric style of functioning and too arrogant to even think of a course correction in matters governance, he delivers a pleasant surprise. His assertion in Parliament that he would work through consensus and not brute majority, and his open acknowledgement that other prime ministers also contributed to the country mark a clear shift in approach.
The reasons for it could be one or many - the drubbing received by his party in Bihar elections; the anticipation of an impending political storm in the form of an anti-BJP axis; possibility of a rebellion within; the realisation that his own popularity may be on the wane due to the activities of the Hindutva groups; the fact that nothing is actually moving forward on the economy front and the frustration is already showing among his staunchest supporters, the corporates and businesses; or the simple understanding that it’s impossible to lay the foundation of a future India without ensuring a political agreement on important issues – but it does not matter; the change does.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PTI
It’s easy to read the windfall of goodwill from this gesture. One, it elevates Modi from a BJP campaigner to prime minister, a status which many feel he has not done full justice to in the last 18 months. The prime minister is expected to be much more than a run of the mill politician; he has to be a statesman and the leader of the country. His party has been overexposing him during the elections, reducing him to a mere pugnacious street fighter. The Bihar campaign was perhaps the worst. If Manmohan Singh was too aloof, Modi had started being perceived as too involved in non-core matters. Now, it appears he wants to be everybody’s prime minister, not just the BJP’s.
Two, by repeating that the six decades before him were wasted years, he was being dismissive of the massive efforts from prime ministers of earlier days to make India what it is now. That the country is a healthy democracy unlike its sub-continental twin Pakistan which shares many of its genetic traits, in itself is a tribute to their greatness. He was coming across as arrogant by refusing to acknowledge the fact that each prime minister faced the challenges of their times and negotiated for the best results amid chaotic circumstances that the country always presents. His gracious statement in Parliament will help erase the bitterness he could have created with his earlier statements.
Three, it takes away a major talking point from Rahul Gandhi and the Congress. Only a couple of days ago, speaking at a Bangalore college he had criticised Modi for running a one-man government. He had also accused the prime minister of adopting a non-consensual approach to governance. If the latter starts interacting with farmers and commoners more often, then Rahul’s suit-boot jibe would lose its potency in no time. He has nothing more of substance to say about Modi.
Four, it sends out a message to the bhakts, a bunch of hopeless hero worshippers which has been doing more bad than good to Modi’s reputation by alienating all his critics, even those with good intention, by their crude combativeness. By default or design they have managed to keep the prime minister tied to an image – that of a domineering Hindutva icon intolerant to any opposition - he would love to escape. If he maintains the tone and temper that he displayed in Parliament on Friday long enough, the bhakts will perceive him in a different way.
Five, the biggest impact of such a change of approach from the prime minister hopefully would be on the nature of the political discourse in the country. Over the last some years politics has made India an insane place. There’s just too much anger, abuse, hatred and partisanship going around. Politicians have started being uncivil and hateful towards one another. It reflects on how party supporters have been behaving on the streets and elsewhere. A strange ‘we are with us or against us’ mindset has come to dominate popular thinking, driving rational people to the margins. This does not augur well for the country in the long run. This needs to change.
The prime minister should lead the move towards saner politics. He has made a good beginning; he should sustain it.
Modi modified: PM surprises with graciousness but will he bring back sanity to Indian politics? - Firstpost
The reasons for it could be one or many - the drubbing received by his party in Bihar elections; the anticipation of an impending political storm in the form of an anti-BJP axis; possibility of a rebellion within; the realisation that his own popularity may be on the wane due to the activities of the Hindutva groups; the fact that nothing is actually moving forward on the economy front and the frustration is already showing among his staunchest supporters, the corporates and businesses; or the simple understanding that it’s impossible to lay the foundation of a future India without ensuring a political agreement on important issues – but it does not matter; the change does.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PTI
It’s easy to read the windfall of goodwill from this gesture. One, it elevates Modi from a BJP campaigner to prime minister, a status which many feel he has not done full justice to in the last 18 months. The prime minister is expected to be much more than a run of the mill politician; he has to be a statesman and the leader of the country. His party has been overexposing him during the elections, reducing him to a mere pugnacious street fighter. The Bihar campaign was perhaps the worst. If Manmohan Singh was too aloof, Modi had started being perceived as too involved in non-core matters. Now, it appears he wants to be everybody’s prime minister, not just the BJP’s.
Two, by repeating that the six decades before him were wasted years, he was being dismissive of the massive efforts from prime ministers of earlier days to make India what it is now. That the country is a healthy democracy unlike its sub-continental twin Pakistan which shares many of its genetic traits, in itself is a tribute to their greatness. He was coming across as arrogant by refusing to acknowledge the fact that each prime minister faced the challenges of their times and negotiated for the best results amid chaotic circumstances that the country always presents. His gracious statement in Parliament will help erase the bitterness he could have created with his earlier statements.
Three, it takes away a major talking point from Rahul Gandhi and the Congress. Only a couple of days ago, speaking at a Bangalore college he had criticised Modi for running a one-man government. He had also accused the prime minister of adopting a non-consensual approach to governance. If the latter starts interacting with farmers and commoners more often, then Rahul’s suit-boot jibe would lose its potency in no time. He has nothing more of substance to say about Modi.
Four, it sends out a message to the bhakts, a bunch of hopeless hero worshippers which has been doing more bad than good to Modi’s reputation by alienating all his critics, even those with good intention, by their crude combativeness. By default or design they have managed to keep the prime minister tied to an image – that of a domineering Hindutva icon intolerant to any opposition - he would love to escape. If he maintains the tone and temper that he displayed in Parliament on Friday long enough, the bhakts will perceive him in a different way.
Five, the biggest impact of such a change of approach from the prime minister hopefully would be on the nature of the political discourse in the country. Over the last some years politics has made India an insane place. There’s just too much anger, abuse, hatred and partisanship going around. Politicians have started being uncivil and hateful towards one another. It reflects on how party supporters have been behaving on the streets and elsewhere. A strange ‘we are with us or against us’ mindset has come to dominate popular thinking, driving rational people to the margins. This does not augur well for the country in the long run. This needs to change.
The prime minister should lead the move towards saner politics. He has made a good beginning; he should sustain it.
Modi modified: PM surprises with graciousness but will he bring back sanity to Indian politics? - Firstpost
