I was recently at a meeting with the Indian diaspora in Australia and every person spoke of the renewed sense of confidence and sense of being known as an Indian. Each of those present at the event categorically mentioned the sense of respect for our country — India and Indians — across the world. This is what I consider one of the biggest intangible achievements of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the past eight years. He has instilled a sense of pride and confidence in the idea of being Indian.
BEING A PROUD INDIAN
This is a collective journey and there is no doubt that our country is on the road to regain its position of leadership of the world— when you speak to a woman entrepreneur from a self-help group who has just taken a Rs 10 lakh Mudra note or the people that I met in Australia, who were working in quantum computing, they all have a renewed sense of confidence and trust in the government. It has only further strengthened the idea of India being the leader of the world.
MODI’S MICRO-REVOLUTIONS
While the above-mentioned points are intangible, there are a multiple tangible changes on the ground. There have been a multitude of micro-revolutions in India — for example, more Indians have opened bank accounts for the first time in the country under the leadership of PM Modi than in the past 70 years. India has got more toilets and access to drinking water than in seven decades. Most number of Indians have been lifted from poverty in the shortest period of time under Modi. These are very real transformations that have taken place at the grassroots level. These basics have empowered the poor of India to finally aspire to fulfil their full human potential.
Today, unlike before, the fight for daily existence does not exist. For seven decades, Indians didn’t have basic facilities and had to fight each day for survival. Under PM Modi, with these basic facilities taken care of, it is not a challenge anymore. This is true empowerment under the multitude of micro-revolutions.
TRUSTING PEOPLE OF INDIA
Having said this, there are certain intangible, cultural and behavioural changes that have happened under Modi. The first major change is the despondency and indifference that was associated with the government, politics and politicians. That has now changed to trust, faith, sense of togetherness and participation with the government. A major contributor to this is trust.
Trust is a two-way street, be it in personal relationships or one with the government. While politicians of yesterday did not trust people or their possibilities, Modi trusted them. The detractors said there was no point in opening zero-balance accounts, but Modi trusted the poor of India and today, the Jan Dhan account is the biggest savings repository.
STRONGER, DIGITALLY AND ECONOMICALLY
The Opposition said that UPI or digital transactions will not take off in India because people are illiterate and poor. Modi trusted people and India today has more UPI transactions in the world than any other country.
Earlier, governments did not trust people and asked them to get a character or examination certificate attested. Modi trusted people and asked them to self-attest and that has led to the ease of living in India. All of this was possible because Modi trusted the weak, poor, women, farmers and youth of the country and they, in turn, trusted him and the government.
INDIA’S ENTREPRENEURIAL GROWTH
Historically, India and Indians have been entrepreneurial. If one reads about the Indian civilisation, one would know of India of entrepreneurs and traders that made a mark across the world with their dreams, talent and crafts.
Thousands of years of slavery, invasions, colonisation and later seven decades of Nehruvian socialism suppressed this natural and entrepreneurial spirit of India.
India now houses hundreds of unicorns, has been part of the start-up revolution and the mushrooming of millions of small-scale and MSMEs across the country is only a start. In the coming decade or two, one will truly witness India’s entrepreneurial abilities worldwide. This is going to being great in proportion to India and different parts of the world, including African nations.
DEVELOPMENT: A MASS MOVEMENT
Another important aspect that Modi has instilled in people is the sense of collective participation. The one where people have been allowed to be invested in the government as a full and equal partner and be part of India’s development journey, something that was a forgotten trait over the years. We could put it this way — Mahatma Gandhi’s biggest contribution to India’s freedom struggle was making it a mass movement. Modiji has made development a mass movement.
Today, a child knows not to litter as he is an active stakeholder in the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan. Female infanticide has decreased as even in rural panchayats, local caste leaders feel ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ is part of their social responsibility. Movements such as ‘Vocal for Local’, ‘Fit India’ and yoga are people’s movements. These are just a few of the major behavioural changes that we have seen under his leadership. It is all about involving people and not operating in a silo.
DEMOLISHING NEHRUVIAN SECULARISM
Nehruvian secularism had hit the very root of Indians taking pride in their civilisation, culture, history and ethos. The fact that we are inheritors of a 5,000-year-old culture that has survived the test of time is a reason to be proud of. However, the Nehruvian secularism had sapped Indians of their vitality and they could not come out of this colonised mentality and inferiority complex. People were not taking pride in our culture, languages, dance, attire and there was a sense of being inferior to the world. Modiji has given a deathly blow to this Nehruvian secularism and India today finds true pride in its own.
CONNECT WITH THE YOUTH
Modi’s connect with the youth is incomparable to others as he is sincere and genuine. His sincerity is what connects him with the masses. Modi is not a creation of the media or one that has been built over a day or seven years. It is one that has been a product of 70 years of tapasya (penance), relentless hard work, dedication, personal conduct, integrity and unimpeachable character.
The impregnable trust that people have in him is built over several years of relentless hardship and work towards the larger cause. Even a well-thought-of PR campaign by a smart brand manager or an effective media house can neither destroy, nor create a brand like Modi, or even compete with him.
THE SOUTHERN CONNECT
As the Yuva Morcha President, I have covered more than 1,50,000 km across the country and I am amazed each day by how one man can be a unifying force. Whether it is the South or the North, Modiji is singularly the most popular leader in India, even while it is true that the organisational structure of the Bharatiya Janata Party is not as effective in some southern states to convert Modi’s popularity into electoral dividends.
That is rapidly changing and with stronger organisation of the BJP in these states, it is just a matter of time that we see these states being ruled by the BJP.
(As told to Rohini Swamy)
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