From Sangh Pracharak to World Statesman

Much has already been said and written about Prime Minister Modi’s US visit. Therefore, I would not like to dwell on the specifics of his sojourn there. I would prefer instead to broaden the scope of this article, to highlight the man’s evolution from an RSS pracharak, of whom nobody had heard, to a world statesman, with whom most world leaders wish to engage. By any stretch of the imagination, it has been a remarkable journey. Who would have imagined that a young lad—a humble chaiwala’s son—who had left home to serve his country, would someday rise to the position of the prime minister of his vast and diverse nation? Clearly, to borrow a Churchillian phrase, he was “destiny’s man”.

What makes the Modi story so special is that it could well be construed to be the stuff of folklore by future generations. The man was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He did not belong to any of India’s premier political dynasties. He did not go to Doon School or attend St. Stephen’s College, leave alone pursue his higher studies at Oxford, Cambridge or Harvard. He grew up going to a Gujarati-medium school and assisting his tea-vendor father after school hours. Yoked to a girl he never knew, in what was obviously a child marriage, which he did not even consummate, young Modi left the comfort of home to “serve his country”. That is what his family recalls him having told them.

For many years as an RSS pracharak, Modi operated out of a single-room, rented house and led a simple and frugal life. Hardly anybody outside the RSS had heard of the young man. He was nobody’s blue-eyed boy, not even in the BJP, a party that is supposed to have always been supported and nurtured by the RSS. In fact, often, he seemed to be out of favour with state-level politicians, many of whom used to accuse him of promoting factionalism. That was why, at one stage, he took a sabbatical and travelled to the US where he spent a few months reflecting on his life.

As pointed out by a famous TV anchor covering his US visit, interestingly, it was Vajpayee who asked him to return to India when he had visited the US as the prime minister. Little did Vajpayee know that the man who had very few friends, leave alone benefactors, would someday become the prime minister of India himself. In fact, even Vajpayee was soon to bay for his blood in the wake of the post-Godhra riots in Gujarat. Even the great Atal Behari Vajpayee must not have imagined in his wildest dream that this same Narendra Modi who win the BJP a majority on its own in the Lok Sabha. That was something even Vajpayee was unable to do despite his long innings in politics and his obvious gifts.

Narendra Modi had held no political office previously, leave alone contest elections at any level, and was only seen occasionally in TV studios defending the BJP. And suddenly, he was catapulted to the position of the chief minister of Gujarat, at a time when the state unit of the BJP was battling factionalism, defections, and low morale. While he had to contend with Shankar Sinh Vaghela on the one hand, he had Keshubhai Patel to deal with on the other. Barely had he managed to calm the storm and get a grip over the administration of the state that the post-Godhra riots broke out. With almost the entire Indian media turning hostile towards him and even Prime Minister Vajpayee publicly reprimanding him, many would have thought his days were numbered. Had the then home minister, L.K. Advani not stood by him, Modi’s political career may well have ended there and then. And, in retrospect, perhaps, L.K. Advani rues that decision… No prizes for guessing why!

Once he had weathered the storm of constant media scrutiny and criticism, not to mention judicial activism and international slurs, all stacked against him, there was no turning back for Narendra Modi. By now he had honed his skills as a shrewd tactician. He unobtrusively shifted the discourse of the political class in his state to development and assiduously cultivated the image of a chief minister who had a liberal outlook on life. His sartorial elegance also began to get noticed in his home state, so much so that he even lent his name to a popular brand of half-sleeved kurtas. The workaholic chief minister, who gradually consolidated his position in the party and the government at the state level, was eventually able the deliver the miracle of three successive election victories for the BJP. Clearly, he had begun to position himself for a bigger role in national politics.

That he should have eventually been officially declared to be the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, despite stiff opposition from party stalwarts like Advani, was not entirely surprising. Atal Behari Vajpayee had gracefully retired from active politics owing to ill-health and Murli Manohar Joshi was never in the reckoning for the top job. Jaswant Singh did not enjoy the confidence of the RSS. And, Advani himself was too old. Besides, he had failed to deliver results for the BJP during the general elections in 2009, when the UPA was re-elected with a stronger mandate, so much so that they did not need the Left to prop them up by extending outside support to them in the Lok Sabha any more. Surely, the ‘Lauh Purush’, as Venkaiah Naidu had branded him, had become rusty with age!

The election campaign of the BJP in the run-up to the 2014 general elections, spearheaded by Modi himself, would make for an interesting case study for psephologists across the globe. The first-of-its kind presidential-style campaign with deft use of social media was truly remarkable. Modi’s emphasis on development with catchy slogans such as, “Sabka saath, sabka vikas”, succeeded in touching a personal chord among an ever-eager electorate desperate for change. That is why his promise of “achhe din” resonated with the masses who gave him a massive mandate, the first in 30 years at the Centre. Modi crisscrossed the length and breadth of India, living largely on dhal soup and lemon juice during his hectic electioneering, during which time, he sometimes addressed up to five rallies in a single day. His message was clear to Indians all over: if they cast their vote for a BJP candidate, they would be voting directly for him. In the ultimate analysis, that won Modi the elections. In any case, with the Aam Aadmi Party in self-destruct mode and the Congress bent double under the weight of anti-incumbency, the BJP emerged as the clear choice of the people of India.

The first 100 days of Modi’s government have definitely shown much promise. The prime minister has repeatedly emphasized that he has been elected for five years and has insisted that he be judged for his performance at the end of that period. Time will tell whether Modi is able to deliver on all his promises, and go back to the people with a good report card, just before the next general elections. However, a job well begun is a job half done. If one were to use that maxim as the yardstick to evaluate Modi’s first 100 days in office, he has certainly done a reasonable job.

Narendra Modi symbolizes the hope of ordinary Indians who aspire for a better life. Even NRIs and PIOs have been enthused by his assuming power in New Delhi. The rock-star receptions he received in the US clearly indicate his popularity among the Indian diaspora abroad. That he holds no grudge against the US, despite having been shunned for close to a decade and treated like a pariah on account of the Gujarat riots, exhibits his ability to rise above petty personal grievances. The very same country that withdrew his visa for close to a decade rolled out the red carpet to him. The manner in which Modi conducted himself throughout his US visit warmed the cockles of the heart of many a patriotic Indian. His understanding of global geo-politics, his grasp of current economic realities, and his deft diplomatic footwork, have won him the admiration of his counterparts abroad.

His speech at the United Nations General Assembly, in Hindi, was that of a world statesman. His call for constituting a “G-All” as against constituting smaller groups for economic gains will be specially remembered. His refusal to get drawn into a bilateral spat with Pakistan over Kashmir should have convinced the US and other major world powers that the time had come to de-hyphenate India and Pakistan, and deal with the former as an emerging world power that was positioning itself to do business with the rest of the world as an equal. Surely, the metamorphosis of Modi is complete. The humble RSS pracharak has come a long way. He has evolved into a world statesman. Who cares if Delhi’s elite still turn their noses up at the humble chaiwala’s son? Well, I for one don’t! Do you?