Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while giving a speech in Rajasthan, asked a very powerful question to the crowd. He asked, “Will my being a good/pure Hindu help you in any way? Do you vote governments for these issues or for roads, water and electricity?” He asked whether the Congress had in any of their speeches spoken about the development activities they would undertake in Rajasthan, if voted to power.
To many this might seem like a simple question, especially given the fact that PM Modi’s speech today was comparatively muted. But there is nothing simple about this speech. In fact this was the highlight of the speech. He was not criticizing Congress as much as he was trying to change people’s perception of vote-based politics. As a keen observer of PM Modi’s strategies, I feel that he has worked continuously in changing the perception of people, right from the day he set foot into Parliament.
PM Modi changed the perception that sarkaar works slowly and that it was OK: By calling himself the ‘Pradhan Sevak’, he signaled to the Nation that his would be a team which worked tirelessly. Anyone who takes one look at the phenomenal work done by the Railways, Finance, Defense, Road Transport and Highways Ministry, to name just a few, will know for sure that this was indeed a team which worked tirelessly to fulfil the basic wishes of Bharatiyas. Today, the result of this is that the young Bharatiya expects more from this Government, more than he or his earlier generation ever expected from the Government of the day. I remember waiting for more than 10 years to get a telephone connection and instead of blaming the Government for inefficiency, we used to think that it was normal. Trains would be late forever and we just said, “It is running as per Indian Standard Time”; but today we expect trains to be punctual and can’t even tolerate a train running 1 hour late. Today, if the petrol prices do not reflect the international petrol prices every day, we complain. We want an efficient Government at the Centre.
Who is the boss?: I remember that when Shiv Sena ruled Maharashtra, Balasaheb Thackeray was the leader of Shiv Sena and Manohar Joshi ji was the CM of Maharashtra. But when any major decision was to be made, it was Balasaheb who had the power to decide. Who can forget the time when foreign dignitaries visited Bharat during Manmohan Singh’s rule and MMS was asked to sit on another chair, while the chair meant for the PM was taken up by Sonia Gandhi? Today, the PM is the Boss not the puppet. After years we have a PM who is responsible for his decisions. Can any Bharatiya today say that they would be ok with having a puppet at the Centre again?
Regime change: Why is the Congress hopping mad even today about the demonetization and the fact that it was successfully implemented in Bharat? If you said that it was because of Black Money, you would be only partially right. Jog your memory and try remembering what happened every time a foreign dignitary came to Bharat in 2014 after PM Modi was voted to power. Almost all of them paid a visit to Sonia Gandhi. But after demonetization, the perception of all the foreign countries has changed completely. They know that the Regime has changed and the old one no longer wields any control, for all practical purposes. Yes, we know that the bureaucracy, judiciary, Press – all still favour the Congress, but can they pull any strings in Protecting the Nation, making Economic policies, deciding on Foreign policies? NO! Amnesty International has gone hoarse crying about PM Modi “bullying charities”, but they know that they have to follow the new rules. The perception abroad is now about the PM of Bharat being one who thinks Nation First and who is willing to take risks and challenges for the better of the Nation. No longer is Bharat called a ‘developing country’ – we are now aiming to overthrow the United Kingdom to become the 5th largest Economy. Beat that! Demonetization was actually a success.
What’s new?: Everyone knows that in India elections are fought on Caste and Religion. Right? I’m sure that Narendra Modi will lead BJP to victory in 2019 and soon, Caste and Religion will no longer play a major role in winning elections. The subdued Hindu will definitely ask to be treated as an equal and even the Muslims will shift focus from asking for doles to actually utilizing existing facilities for self-improvement. The misuse of the Dalit and other Caste politics too will undergo a sea change, I feel. The day they realize how they have been misled by the Congress and other regional parties into staying poor, they will stop voting for these parties. And going by PM Modi’s speech today, this perception change is just a matter of months, not even years.
“A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.” Martin Luther King, Jr. “The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves.” Ray Kroc … Both these quotes define our PM Narendra Modi.
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