ANALYSIS
To sum it up, the message is clear and loud in the last three years both for domestic and international audience that, ‘India’s postal address is not Nehru, it’s Modi’.
The year 2014 marked a new beginning in the history of post-independent India. A new set of people with an alternative narrative to define India’s nationalism, culture, federalism, secularism and development received a thumping mandate. It was also a rejection of the old model of governance and social philosophy which the earlier regime pursued.
This was well acknowledged by the British newspaper The Guardian soon after the election results. In its editorial on May 18, 2014, it wrote that this “may well go down in history as the day when Britain finally left India”. It further elaborated that after the transfer of power in 1947, the same colonial political culture and social philosophy, as well as the same structures, have continued to dominate governance in the country. This was a farsighted critical forecast about the new regime. Three years of Modi government vindicates The Guardian’s envisioned editorial.
It has been a history of change, reforms and radical corrections. Democracy remains symbolic as long as the rulers are privileged with elitist status and mindset. The latest decision of the government to abolish the use of red beacons on vehicles ended the extra-legal and social status claimed by thousands in the elite club consisting of ministers, judges, and others. It is preceded by the insistence of PM Modi to ministers to not employ relatives and caste men in their staff. These are small decisions but have a far-reaching impact on the political culture, and go a long way in boosting substantive democracy.
But the most critical step was demonetization which, besides downsizing the black money market, disseminated the message that there is an Indian State, whose hegemony has been resurrected by Modi beyond the impact of private capital and market. Demonetization was a referendum for welfare state and Modi led the first and the biggest economic Satyagraha.
Meanwhile, Modinomics has emerged as a force to be reckoned with. It has three dimensions. First, the state must reach the poor and the marginalised sans the middlemen. Essentially, the poor should get subsidies; connect with the banking system; should enjoy convenient insurance, and gas connections should reach their kitchens.
Second, there should be wealth creation. Modinomics believes in generating wealth which can boost infrastructure and welfare measures. Earlier regimes failed to create wealth and despite their intention to benefit the poor, they could not move beyond populism.
Third, Modinomics seeks to bring in beneficial capital from the international market and explore cultural capital in contrast to crude capital. New development partners know very well that India cannot be exploited and its economic sovereignty cannot be undermined.
Also, Modi represents an ideological movement whose narrative on nationalism is rooted in the Indian soil, history and has a civilizational trajectory. It gives India an identity which is much more than a nation state — that of a civilizational nation.
The biggest outrage against Indian democracy and secularism has been perpetuated by a majority-minority division that has undermined the message of the Constituent Assembly.
Modi has firmly rejected such divisions and its outcome is evident. Modi’s pursuit of the secularisation of governance and discourse faces two roadblocks. The first is the remaining vestiges of the old system against which he has been fighting, and the second being euro-centric and Marxist intellectuals who have dominated the national discourse under State patronage.
The latter have been creating noise and giving ideological and communal colour to any undesirable incident, and in their misadventures, they often ironically solicit support from their counterparts in the western world. This is not far-fetched. History will attest to the fact that all transformations have been resisted by supporters of old regimes.
And the last, Modi, to his credit, has also restored the credibility and confidence of the Indian Army, which has been under attack by forces inimical to India. And unfortunately, many of these forces have been legitimised by some Indian political actors and parties.
To sum it up, the message is clear and loud in the last three years both for domestic and international audience that, ‘India’s postal address is not Nehru, it’s Modi’.
The author is founding Honorary Director of India Policy Foundation, a Delhi-based think tank
Watch: Australia star inquires Rishabh Pant about his next IPL team, gets 2-word reply
Shah Rukh Khan’s house Mannat was first offered to his industry rival…, but he refused because...
The Visionary Who Promises a Blue Sky for India: Holger Thorsten Schubart’s G20 Climate Speech
The Surge of High-End Living: Luxury Residential Market to Outpace Other Segments
FeFCon 2024 to be Held in Bangalore: A Premier Event on Fever Management
London Airport evacuates passengers over security threat, thousands stranded
The World’s First Innovative Iron Supplement to Combat Iron Deficiency and Anaemia
Meet grandmother who became fashion icon after trying on her granddaughter’s clothes
IND vs AUS: Rishabh Pant joins Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma in elite WTC list, becomes 3rd Indian to...
'All scripted drama...': Puneet Superstar allegedly assaulted by influencers in viral video, watch
Actress Ana de Armas caught kissing Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel’s son in viral photos
Oreshnik's Shadow: Will Russia's hypersonic missile force west to back down?
‘You’re So Beautiful’: World’s tallest woman meets world’s shortest woman over tea, pics go viral
Delhi-NCR Air Pollution: Consequences of GRAP-4 are drastic, may have adverse effects, says SC
Delhi-NCR Air Pollution: Schools likely to stay closed till..., check city-wise update
Maharashtra: 3 killed, 9 hospitalised after gas leak at fertiliser plant in Sangli
THIS farm is selling a cup of coffee for Rs 28000, but there's a twist, it is...
Chhattisgarh: 10 Maoists killed after encounter with security personnel in Sukma
Mukesh Ambani's SUPERHIT plan for Jio users, offers unlimited 5G access for 1 year for just Rs...
IND vs AUS 1st Test: KL Rahul's dismissal sparks DRS controversy in Perth Test
Dense fog, heavy rain predicted in these states till November 25; check here
Oreshnik Hypersonic Missile: Which nations are within its range?
Bihar teacher, principal reach school in drunken state; know what happened next
'I have faced a lot of...': Arjun Kapoor REVEALS his biggest fear amid break up with Malaika Arora
How millions of Indians may get affected due to US indictment of Gautam Adani in bribery case
Amid divorce rumours with Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan says 'missing someone is okay but...'
After Bibles, watches and sneakers, Donald Trump is now selling autographed guitars, price is...
Delhi pollution: Air quality improves to ‘very poor’ category, AQI at...
Vladimir Putin's BIG threat, warns he could strike UK with new ballistic missile if...
Shillong Teer Results TODAY November 22, 2024 Live Updates: Check winning numbers here
Somebody misbehaved with Alia Bhatt on Highway sets then Imtiaz Ali had to...
Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal reveals twist behind Rs 200000 job fee, closes application window
Days after Ratan Tata's demise, Tata Group's Rs 131000 crore company inks pact with ADB for...
WATCH: Woman makes Biryani with Parle-G biscuits, viral video fumes internet
Only train in India in which passengers can travel for FREE; check route, timings and more
'Justice for biryani': Parle-G biryani takes internet by storm, video goes viral
DNA TV Show: Why Gautam Adani charged with bribery and fraud in US
IND vs AUS: Records Virat Kohli can break during Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Diljit Dosanjh fans get angry over Ananya Panday's birthday post for her grandmother, here's why
Reddit suffers outage with ‘upstream connect error’ message, says 'currently investigating...'
Border-Gavaskar Trophy: How has Jasprit Bumrah fared in Tests in Australia?