The “Modi Mantra” of a 20-year-long success story is, ‘Though I’m miles away from you, I can feel your problems and difficulties’. Narendra Damodardas Modi—the winning charm of the BJP, who wrote the “victory story” by serving the nation for the last 20 years. Several top political guns across the globe lost power due to anti-incumbency. But in the case of the Modi regime, the story is completely different. His popularity is rising with each passing day. Moreover, he has set an example that one can hold the top political position by constantly serving the motherland.
Narendra Modi’s miracle journey continues. First, he successfully served as the chief minister of Gujarat for 13 years. Now, he has completed seven years as the Prime Minister of India.
How Modi Governs
I have keenly observed the working styles of CMs and PMs for several years as a journalist. As an editor of a business channel, I’ve visited Gandhinagar several times. During this period, Modi was the CM of Gujarat. Without any hesitation, I can say that no leader today can match Modi when it comes to efficiency in work. Achieving the top post is definitely a tough job. But the mammoth task is cementing your position for such a long period. The country has seen a number of CMs and PMs but they are no match for the one-and-only warrior: Narendra Damodardas Modi.
The public doesn’t tolerate a non-performer. Voters don’t take much time to show the door to such leaders. To remain in the Prime Minister’s seat, one has to face the ballot battle on several fronts. Modi has conquered these fights and has faced tough tests in his political journey.
Cracking Political Exams
On October 7, 2001, then chief minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi did not have even a single day’s experience in governance. He had not served as a minister before taking the CM’s post. The opposition leaders had raised questions regarding his capability. But he gave a befitting response through impressive governance. There is no one leader in modern politics who can compete with Modi.
Modi’s strength lies in his administrative skill and a brilliant track record in efficient governance. In a democratic system, public support and faith is the supreme power for any leader. And only a performer can enjoy citizens’ endless support.
Because of Modi’s governance, the BJP achieved more than two-thirds majority in Gujarat for three consecutive terms. At the central level too, the BJP won majority in two back-to-back elections in the name of Modi. He rode to power with more seats and public support, every time.
Modi Governance Model
Narendra Modi’s administrative model works at six levels, which are:
1. Facilitating public
2. Practical approach
3. New technology
4. Accountability
5. Transparency
6. Improvement in people’s standard of living
He often says there should be flexibility in government schemes. When Modi was the chief minister, he used to say that each state in India is a separate social and geographical unit. Therefore, we cannot implement the same rules and norms across all states. Schemes or projects for hilly states such as Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh cannot be the same as those for states in the plains, like Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
After taking charge as the Prime Minister, he launched several schemes for states, keeping an eye on state-specific factors. He instructed officials to design the projects by adopting a practical approach. With his determination, commitment, passion and performance, Modi has proved that political hurdles can’t be excuses for not making fundamental changes for development.
Modi’s Biggest Achievement
I think Prime Minister Modi’s biggest achievement is people’s growing faith in the system. Citizens were fed up with decades-long corruption, nepotism and dynasty politics. Modi has proved that elections can be won with firm decisions and better governance.
Strict and Practical Administrator
Despite being a strict administrator, Modi is flexible when it comes to resolving people’s problems. Modi has travelled to almost every state, and therefore, has ground-level understanding of people’s problems. After taking charge as India’s Prime Minister, Modi has made endless efforts to rid the country of corruption. For this mission, he has utilised technology on all the fronts.
Out-of-the-Box Ideas
Jan Dhan Bank Account: Modi decided to help the public through direct deposit of the subsidy amount to their accounts. He launched the zero-balance Jan Dhan bank account scheme for the poor and underprivileged. Modi himself monitored the implementation of the scheme. In a short span, more than 45 crore Jan Dhan bank accounts were opened across the country. The subsidy under a government scheme is now directly transferred to the accounts of the beneficiaries. The biggest outcome of the Jan Dhan Yojna was controlling corruption and checking leakage of government funds.
Mudra Yojna: PM Modi has realised the problems of the small traders and shopkeepers. He knows that they are skilful but are not able to grow their businesses because of lack of sufficient capital. Keeping this in mind, he launched the Mudra Yojna wherein one can get a loan of up to Rs 10 lakh without any guarantee. In the last six years, nearly Rs 15 lakh crore worth of loans have been disbursed. These two schemes have helped a lot of Indians prosper.
Good Governance-centric Politics
First in Gujarat and then across India, Modi’s prime agenda is development. You can see it getting reflected in his speeches, which emphasize development and governance. Good governance’s Gujarat Model has gained huge popularity among citizens. Consecutive election wins have proved that political power can be gained through good governance. As a result, a number of chief ministers have followed in Modi’s footsteps. A healthy competition has started between states on development and good governance. We can give credit to PM Modi for the healthy competition between states to attract investments and launch development projects.
It started with the Gujarat Model
After becoming the CM of Gujarat, Modi started working on a different model of development. He invited investors from all over the world to invest in Gujarat. For this, the Vibrant Gujarat Summit was held in 2003. After this, Vibrant Gujarat became an annual opportunity for investors and industrialists from all over the world to invest in Gujarat.
Sanand in Gujarat became the auto hub of India overnight, because of quick decision-making and an end to red-tapism. Many foreign companies that have been operating in India for a long time were surprised that a state government could work in a fast and efficient manner. As an editor of a business news channel during that period, I frequently interacted with businessmen and industry leaders on growth and investment. During these discussions, many industrialists admitted that it was probably the effect of the Gujarat model that many states were now competing to attract investors and industries.
As part of the good governance model, PM Modi focused on making Gujarat a power surplus state. Within a few years, 24-hour electricity supply was ensured in every village in Gujarat. Power companies were enabled, power theft was stopped by improving distribution, industries and farmers started getting electricity 24 hours a day. End result: Along with industrial growth, Gujarat also witnessed rapid growth in agriculture. The increase in farmers’ income played a big role in increasing the prosperity of the entire state.
Modi’s Decisiveness
The key feature of Modi style of governance is that it is public-centric. If a decision is causing trouble to the people, the government knows how to rectify it immediately. The biggest examples being the decisions on demonetisation and GST implementation.
Demonetisation: Symbol of Modi’s Trust in People
The decision on demonetisation showed how much the people of the country trust Modi’s cause. After the implementation of demonetisation, people had to face difficulties for a long time. They stood in queues outside banks for several hours. But despite these difficulties, their faith in Modi was intact. People openly said they have faith in Modi, and believe that he has acted in public interest. This trust is the result of Modi’s performance on governance.
According to Modi, the purpose of demonetisation was to rid the country of black money and corruption. The billions and trillions of rupees that the corrupt had hidden away would be brought into the system and used for development. Although a tough administrator, he understands when people face problems. When he realized that people were suffering due to demonetization rules, he immediately made necessary changes to reduce their troubles.
Implementation of GST: Revolutionary Decision Like Demonetisation
GST can be called the most revolutionary decision in the history of India’s taxation policy. It changed the entire system of taxation. But the road to this change was difficult, the implementation of GST was like a bitter pill. Politically, implementing GST was a very risky decision. But Modi knew that this would benefit everyone in the long run and would make doing business much easier.
As soon as Modi realized that businessmen were facing some practical problems, he took the initiative and made necessary amendments to GST. Slowly, the glitches were resolved and people adopted the new system. Now, the GST system in the country has been overhauled to a great extent and there are record collections every month.
Social and Responsible Leadership
For any politician to be perceived as an effective leader, it is necessary that he takes a stand on social issues. PM Narendra Modi has the courage to speak openly on the flaws in the system and also does not shy away from calling out social evils. He is different from other leaders in this matter. Remember campaigns like Swachh Bharat Mission, International Yoga Day, Fit India, Open Defecation-Free India, Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao and Ujjwala scheme.
Tech-savvy Modi
Earlier, only the well-to-do had access to technology. But Modi has opened the highway for benefits of technology to reach the poor. He challenged the myth that people in poor and backward areas do not need technology. The success of Aarogya Setu and CoWIN in checking the spread of the coronavirus is the biggest example of good and effective use of technology. With the help of CoWIN, 90 crore COVID vaccines have been administered; the platform has been highly appreciated globally.
Evidence of how a large section of population today uses technology can be seen in over 55 billion real-time digital transactions that take place annually. According to estimates, India has become the largest digital payment system in the world.
Due to the Modi model of governance, villages across the country are getting electricity for more than 20 hours a day. Similarly, ambitious schemes like toilets in every house, tap water and housing for all are proof that the government is committed to improving the standard of living of everyone.
End to Decades-old Disputes
The political leadership of our country has always tried to stall disputes so that they can reap political benefits. But during the seven years of Modi’s tenure, the disputes that had been raging for years ended, like the removal of Article 370 from Kashmir, abolition of hundreds of non-essential laws, and the resolution of the Ram Mandir issue.
Modi’s Influence in Policies
Prime Minister Modi’s signature is clearly visible in every policy decision. Let me explain with three examples.
1) Economic Policy i.e. Modinomics
2) Foreign Policy
3) Direct communication with administrative officers
Economic Policy (Modinomics): The credit of mainstreaming economics in Indian politics must go to Narendra Modi. Before Modi, elections were usually fought on purely emotional issues. To bring the country’s economy back on track, Modi started taking big institutional decisions. Post that, rapid economic recovery began. Modi says the government’s job is not to run hotels or airlines. Only private companies can run them in better and effective ways. The job of the government is only to keep a watch.
The reason for fast development in the infrastructure sector is the successful public-private investment model. Infrastructure is being rapidly developed for road, rail, water and air transport. The work on providing air services to the small towns is on the right track. The disinvestment of Air India, which has been running in huge losses for decades, is in the final stages.
The result of all these decisions is that India’s ranking among business friendly countries is improving every year, leading to a record increase in foreign investment.
Redefining Foreign Policy: Modi is in the driver’s seat on foreign policy, and as a result, the country’s international standing has only improved. If India can hold eye-to-eye conversations with China, then big powers like America and Russia would also want to take India’s side.
The biggest feature of Modi’s administration is his extensive international engagement. India has been recognized as an international leader that helps countries by rising to the occasion in a crisis. India’s outreach during the pandemic was appreciated internationally and it helped in raising India’s status and prestige.
Modi’s approach to foreign policy is completely different from previous governments. Modi knows that to be an effective global power, India has to be strong, both financially and militarily. Therefore, along with Atmanirbhar Bharat, the Make in India campaign was also implemented.
Direct connection with Bureaucracy: Modi believes in direct communication with officers. As the CM, he used to take direct information from the DM and SP of every district of Gujarat. While this ensured accountability among the officers, it also made him aware of the political difficulties they faced.
After becoming the Prime Minister, he started connecting directly with collectors and police officers across the country. Modi takes suggestions from officers regarding practical problems in administration or implementation of government schemes, so that necessary changes can be made.
During the pandemic, this initiative helped a lot in fixing the shortcomings of the system. This is also the result of Modi’s out-of-the-box style of working.
Why Modi is Different from Others?
The credibility of leaders in India has so far been low, and this is because they pitch new ideas and grand promises but never try to turn them into reality. But Modi’s record is different. After taking oath, PM Modi gave the slogan of Minimum Government and Maximum Governance. Even his biggest opponents, both privately and publicly, believe that different thinking, new methods, transparency and novelty make Modi style unique.
The list of the achievements of 20 years of Modi is very long and it is not even possible to sum them up in one article. Although he has been working at the top for 20 years, his zeal has not diminished.
For those in the corridors of power, staying stain-free is next to impossible. But the track record of Narendra Modi, even after being in power for almost 20 years, remains unblemished. The reason, as he puts it, is that “politics is a way of improving people’s lives, not a means of self-fulfillment”.
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