Narendra Modi - The man who can change the destiny of India.

Narendra Modi – The man who can change the destiny of India.

The unprecedented success of Bharatiya Janata Party under the leadership of Narendra Modi in the General Election of 2014 has put him among the galaxy of leaders who changed the destiny of India since Independence – Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and P.V.Narasinha Rao.

An eminent professor and author,Ashutosh Varshney, has compared his overwhelming majority to that of Jawaharlal Nehru in 1952 when the newly enfranchised people of India voted for building a modren and democratic India. The 1952 election established India as the largest democracy in the world, and enabled Nehru to lay the foundation for a modern state. Similarly, Indira Gandhi received a massive mandate with the slogan of "Garibi hatao", and she changed the direction of the country towards socialism with the nationalisation of banks and insurance companies, and abolishing the privy purses of the princes. Narendra Modi highlghted the need for good governance and development for the country in his campaign speeches, and now, he has the chance to usher in an era of economic, political and social progress. He has already declared that his government would work for the betterment of the poor – farmers, workers and backward classes.

The campaign.

The huge response for Modi's campaign for good governance and development is the most positive sign of the 2014 election. He talked mostly of development, but his critics from the Congress and other "secular" parties repeatedly mentioned the Godhra riots though the SIT ( Special Investigating Team) constituted by the Supreme Court did not find any incriminating evidence against Modi.

While Modi called Rahul Gandhi as ' shehajade' (prince), the Congress leaders derided him with epithets like 'Hitler', 'fascist', and Sonia Gandhi said Modi indulged in ' khoon ki kheti'. She had called Modi ' mouth ka saudagar' ( dealer in death) during the 2007 election and handed over a big win to him in that election.This was a clear indication that Congress has no achievement to talk of and in consequence, failed to catch the imagination of the people.

Congress did not dwell much on its achievements ( rural employment, subsidised ration and fuel etc.) as these programmes had failed in many states due to corruption and mismanagement. These programmes benefited only a limited number of people. It was a repeat of NDA's 'India Shining ' campaign.

Modi spoke mostly about 24-hours of electricity and availability of water to all the villages in Gujarat. Commenting on the Indian election, The Economist of London, under the headline, Modi's Mission, writes, " many firms in Gujarat say that the bureaucracy works well, that the courts are fast and that graft is non-existent. The state has some impressive bureaucrats, ministers, and institutions."

Many jouralists like Tavleen Singh had felt the Modi wave during the state elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Delhi. The immense majority that Vasundhara Raje obtained in Rajasthan is a testimony to this wave, and Raje had acknowledge it. Modi wave had also helped Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh. The Modi wave was stemmed by Amm Admi Party to a certain extent in Delhi.

The Congress had started a number of programmes on health, old-age pension, rural employment, roads and housing. However, it was not implemented properly. There were health centres but no doctors or medicines. Most of the poor did not get 100 days of work, and many were not paid in time. Old people had to pay a bribe to get pension. These were the result of collusion between the politicians and bureaucrats.

However, the things were different in Gujarat. Many people from Rajasthan, UP, Bihar, West Bengal and Orissa go to work in Gujarat, and they painted a rosy pictures of Gujarat to their friends and relatives back home. They took their friends and relatives to Gujarat for work. They were the real supporters of Modi who validated his words in these states. Whereever Modi spoke, he asked people whether they got 24-hours of electricity supply, and when they said 'no', he would say that Gujarat has it. He told them that if they supported him similar changes would be possible in their states. He sold them a dream of a better life.

Keen observers of political scene have noticed that expectation of the people have risen, thanks to television, education and migration to other states. They are no longer happy with doles and freebees. They want jobs and they want a better life. P.Chidambaram, the Finance Minister in UPA II, acknowledged as much when he said, " India has moved from a petitioner society to an aspirational one.Treating people as petitioners is a mistake...even the poor demand a better life and no longer resigned to their fate."

Gujarat Model of Development is based on good governance and development – providing basic amenities such as 24-hours of water and electricity, good roads netwrok, responsive administration etc. This was the theme of Modi's campaign. People of the country overwhelmingly suported him to bring about the change in the governance in the country. Response for his campaign transcended the barriers of caste and creed. Young want jobs and opportunities, and nothing else matters to them. They catapulted Modi to power.

What is surprising is that the groudswell of support that he received almost all over India was not recognised by his detractors in all parties and the media, and even by stalwarts like L.K Advani and Murali Manohar Joshi in his own party.

Some have pointed out that BJP and Modi have spent a large amount of money on TV and newspaper advertisements, in addition to Modi's whirlwind tours all over the country, which gave him the victory. However, as has been pointed out by the ad agencies themselves, without a good product, advertisements alone cannot a sell a product.

Historic victory of BJP..

No election since the 1984 has given such a huge mandate to any party. BJP scored an astounding 282 out of the total 543 seats of the Lok Sabha, and with its alliance partners, it gathered 336 seats for NDA, 72 seats short of two-thirds majority.

Winning 104 seats ( including 11 of Apna Dal, LJP & RLSP) out of 120 in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar was a feather in the cap of BJP. It is the result of social alliance forged by Amit Shah, the mastermind and the trusted lieutenant of Modi. BJP managed to get support from 28 small political parties all over India.

BJP completely wiped out Congress and other parties in Rajasthan (25/25), Gujarat (26/26), Chhattisgarh (10/10), Himachal Pradesh (4/4), Uttara Khand (5/5), and in Goa (2/2). It bagged 27 (out of 29) in Madhya Pradesh, 17 (28) in Karnatak, 7 (10) in Haryana, 12 (14) in Jharkhand, and 7 (14) in Assam. The party won the majority of seats in collaboration with state parties in U.P. (71/80 with Apna Dal), Bihar (29/40 with LJP & RLSP), Maharashtra (42/48 with Shiv Sena & Swabhimani Paksha), Seemandhra (17/25 with TDP), Punjab (6/13 with Akali Dal).

BJP has representation from all parts of India except Kerala. However, it was able to increase its vote share to 10.3% (18.56 lakh), thanks to Modi. Observers have noted that there is no elected representative from the Muslim community in the ruling party for the first time in the Indian parliamentary history. In fact, Muslim representation has fallen down to 22 in the present parliament, the lowest in all the elections since 1952. Shahnawaz Hussain, a minister during the Vajpayee's regime, could not make it this time. BJP has to reach out to Muslims to remove their misunderstnding about BJP, and the Muslims are receptive. Many Muslims have said they require equal opportunities, not any special treatment.

Of the total 83.05 crore voters of the General Election of 2014, 55.05 crore voters exercised their franchise, an voter turnout of 66.38%, highest since 1952. Vote share of BJP was 31%, highest since its inception, as against the vote share of Congress, 19.3% , which is probably the lowest since 1952.

The time has come for Congress to introspect. It cannot depend on dynasty for ever, nor can it depend on their old slogans and old programmes which have not brought any prosperity to people all these years. That about 400 million people are below the poverty line is a grim reminder of this fact. People want dignity, not charity. People want jobs, not freebees. Congress has to come up with new ideas, new programmes and new faces to renew itself.

The future.

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declared that the BJP government would be a government of all 125 crore Indians, including those have not voted for the party. He has already started working furiously.

He invited all the heads of SAARC ( South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation) countries to the swearing-in ceremony of Modi government to build personal relations between the heads of countries and to promote common welfare. He has asked his ministers to prepare a 100-day programme of action. He has asked the secretaries of various ministries to prepare a list of pending projects and how to expedite their execution.

He has issued a 10-point agenda which includes providing people-oriented government and governance, ensuring time-bound implementation of policy, promoting e-auctioning in government tendering, improving inter-ministerial co-ordination, empowering bureaucracy, reforms in infrastructure and prioritize in sectors such education, energy, and water.

Modi's experience in Gujarat has given him the confidence to run the Indian government like a CEO. His quality of leadership is on trial now. If he is able to achieve what he has set himself up do, he will create a new and vibrant India within the next ten years. Then, he will join the galaxy of leaders who changed the destiny of India.

June 9,2014.

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What is Gujarat Model of Development ?

What is 'The Gujarat Model' of Development ?

Most of the political commentators in newspapers and politicians of various parties have derided, if not dismissed, the Gujarat Model of Development. Some economits have pointed out that the human development index in Gujarat is average as in so many other states.

However, some impartial observers have praised many initiatives taken by the Modi administration. " Chief Minister Narendra Modi has", states a report of the US Congress, " streamlined economic processes, removing red tape and curtailing corruption in ways that have made the state a key driver of national economic growth." According to the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, corruption in Gujarat is " very low."

Providing basic facilities to the people is main purpose of the Gujarat Model of Development, and they are : electricity, water supply and infrastructure such as roads. Modi brought good governance to Gujarat by creating transparent processes (e-governance) and serving the people by empowering the bureaucracy.

Introduced e-governance : Digitized procurement process which enabled businessmen to submit bids online ensuring transparency in government contracts; Every village was provided with internet connection; All basic services such as birth and death certificates, income certificates, applications for government schemes and tax payments were made available at e-panchayats. With this process, scope for corruption and speed-money has come down drastically.

Empowering bureaucrats : Frequent and arbritrary transfer of officers has been done away with. This gave stability of tenure to bureaucrats which in turn promoted good governance. Inter-departmental co-ordination was achieved through ' Chintan Shivirs' where presentations were made on the activities of the various departments and this allowed top bureaucrats to discuss among themselves and exchange ideas. Modi has mentioned in one of his speeches that he was able to do many things with the help of the bureaucrats – bureaucrats, like all human beings, like to be respected and appreciated. Bureaucracy is like a horse which goes where the rider wants it to go.

Reform of the power sector : Modi appointed an efficient and upright officer, Manjula Subramaniam, as the Chairperson of GSEB ( Gujarat State Elecricity Board) who re-organised the Board. She separated agricultural, industrial and domestic feeder lines. While domestic users get 24-hours power supply, agricultural sector gets 8-10 hours of high voltage supply at subsidised rates. The Planning Commission has other states to follow this example.

GSEB has been able to stop theft of elecrticity. All these maesures have transformed GSEB from a loss-making PSU into a profit-making entity. GSEB was able to reform its functioning as there was no political interference.

Agricultural growth story : Almost 70 percent of land of Gujarat state is arid or semi-arid. How did Gujarat under Modi becaman agricutural power ? Modi is aware of the value of water. His government built more than 1,00,000 check dams and encouraged micro-irrigation projects which increased from 10,000 ha to 5,00,000 ha in ten years. To achieve his objective he provided a very attractive incentive to the farmers. While the farmer pays 5% of the cost of the micro-irrigation facility, state subsidizes to the extent of 50% and the banks give 45% loan.

Government also has promoted high-value foods crops ( mango, banana) and non-food crops (cotton). " Bt cotton led the charge in Gujarat's agrarian miracle," states Ashok Gulati, the famous agricultural economist, " supported by investment in check dams and other irrigation schemes. More than 50 percent of Gujarat's cotton is irrigated while in Vidarbha,Maharashtra, it is only 5 percent. That explains why cotton is a success in Gujarat, not in Maharashtra."

Gujarat pioneered the issue of soil-health cards to the farmers. The card has information such as soil properties ( mineral composition, water retention capacity, productivity) and suitable crop for the land. It also has information on the fertilizer and pesticides to be used. This has helped the farmers to increase the productivity of the land. Gujarat has encouraged contract farming to provide ready market for thie produce.

Annual Krishi Mahotsavs organised by the government bring the farmers in direct contact with agricultural experts to improve agricultural practices and impart new knowledge to the farmers. Another initiative is the animal health camps for cattle.

Infrastructure : Gujarat has a road network of 74,000 km and almost all villages are villages are connected by all-weather 'pucca' roads. Gujarat has undertaken massive widening and upgradation of roads to smoothan the transport of agricultural produce to the cities and industrial goods to the ports.

The Publi-Private Partnership model adopted by Gujarat has increased the port capacity hugely. Port capacity has more than doubled from 135 million tonnes to 284 million tonnes during the period 2001-11.

Industry : Modi's pro-active initiative in the industrial field is well-illustrated by the famous sms " Welcome to Gujarat" to Ratan Tata when he lost the land in Singur ( West Bengal). Now the Tata Motors is manufacturing its famous Nano in Sanand, Gujarat. Many other automobile manufacturers are flocking to Gujarat creating more employment opprtunities for the people. If there is no red-tape, water and power are availbale, if there is industrial peace, what more can an industrialist ask for ?

Apart from the above, Modi government has taken many other initiatives for the economic progress of Gujarat. Kutch Festival has made the barren land into a new tourist destination giving livelihood to artisans in that remote area. The Kite Festival has attracted international attention and increased the income of all people involved in this trade. Solar energy has been given boost by the government.

Gujarat's economic success was recently testified by workers from UP who are working in Gujarat.

" Modi often speaks of migrants from UP and Bihar flocking to Gujarat," reports Avishek G.Dastidar (Indian Express, May 9), and adds, " Seen through the eyes of the migrants, Gujarat almost assumes the proportion of a fabled land. ' What roads! Nowhere will you find the roads that you see in Gujarat. And if you have a pair of able hands and don't mind working hard, you will surely get a job.' says Behraj Khan,32, a driver in sugar mill in Bardoli near Surat. Ever since he shifted to Gujarat in 2003, Behraj has helped six of his relatives near Lucknow to migrate to Gujarat. ' I started with Rs.6000, now my salary is Rs.17,000 with a yearly allownace to visit home. Where would I have managed this in UP?'.

" 25-year-old Raj Mohammad from Rae Bareli, went to Ahmedbad five years ago to work in a pipe fabrication company." writes Avishek G.Dastidar in the same report. " In Rae Bareli, he says, he would have been either unemployed or become a helper to a mason. Over the years, he got his brothers and some friends to join the company."

" Rama Chandra Tiwari, a farmer in nearby village Gandhiyon tell you," writes Shekhar Gupta, on his tour of Poorvanchal, (IE, May10), "many people from here go and work in Gujarat and come back to say the same thing (24-hour power). Many also work in Mumbai and Delhi, but the calm and productive environment that you find in Gujarat is unmatched. So is the power supply. This,therefore, is an entirely verifyable claim and requires no further propaganda or vendication,holographic or otherwise."

No wonder that Modi's election speeches received unprecedented response in UP and Bihar, and would get unprecedented votes as well.

The Gujarat Model of Development is providing the basic amenities such power and water supply to every village and house-hold, and improvement of infrastructure such as roads network as well as employment creation. This has received enthusiastic response from the people of Gujarat, and now from the people of India. Verdict of 2014 is people want Gujarat Model of Development all the states of the Indian Union.

May 16,2014.

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