Narendra Modi's Nine Year long journey as PM : Old stories, achievements and anecdotes from old blogs (Part 1)

"Narendra Modi could have been hyped as an economic moderniser or a catalyst of development; to his detractors in Indian politics he could be still a divisive figure; to the Hindutva hardliners, he could be a man not living up to their expectations; but Prime Minister Modi at the end of the year in the global scene has emerged with his clout." - blog piece Dec 29, 2014

The America visit by PM Modi in September 2014 was definitely a high point in India’s diplomatic calendar of the year. This marked a forward looking venture from the gory past when the US had denied Visa to Modi for 2002 mayhem in Gujarat. Both the nations took onto the road of mutual win-win situation.

During his visit, Modi’s Madison Square speech was a run away success.

“Although Modi remains a divisive figure, the event at Madison Square Garden, is a sign of his appeal not just at home but also the growing clout of the 2.8 million Indian-Americans. It's one of the wealthiest diaspora communities in the US, and can help Mr Modi spur trade and foreign investment,” 

- wrote journalist Jessica Winch.

In 2015, the Patidar agitation in Gujarat left PM Narendra Modi in a challenging situation.

“It is my appeal to my brothers and sisters that the occasion calls for a single mantra – “peace”. Each and every issue can be resolved through talks," Modi said. 

Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to the Chief Minister Anandiben Patel trying to explore ways to bring things under control..... questions are being raised everywhere who all are behind this successful orchestration of Patel power.

“I would not take this movement lightly at all. It appears to have a deep rooted purpose to reach a particular goal not necessarily reservation alone,” says Dinesh Trivedi, a Gujarati himself, but a Trinamool Congress MP from Mamata Banerjee-ruled West Bengal.

Lok Sabha Speaker 2015: Sumitra Mahajan

Ending a fortnight long logjam over the Lalitgate and other issues, the Lok Sabha on August 12 (2015) finally could take up the Congress party sponsored adjournment motion to discuss on the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's alleged involvement in the controversy concerning former IPL administrator.

Undoubtedly the QUOTE OF THE SEASON IF NOT FOR 2015 came from 

Arun Jaitley, a master orator by any standards:

-- The problem with Rahul Gandhi is, he is an expert                                                       without knowledge. - Arun Jaitley 

# I want to tell Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, you are used to go for long holidays, this time when when you go on holidays, sit in solitude and read the history of your family. - Sushma Swaraj

# ......The Rajiv Gandhi Government had allowed Anderson to flee as a quid 
 pro quo arrangement with the United States on giving Presidential pardon to one
Adil Shahryar. …Adil’s father, Muhammad Yunus, former Indian Ambassador to Spain and long time Chairman of the Trade  Fair Authority of India was close to Gandhi family. Adil, who was given a federal sentence of 35 years in prison for various crimes was given a Presidential Pardon  by the United States President Ronald Reagan on June 11, 1985. - Sushma Swaraj

2016: The most significant announcement was on 8th of Nov, 8 pm

The ban on high denomination currency on November 8 by Mr Modi was certainly the most striking political decision of the year if not the last decade. 

Now the answer to the question - whether demonetisation turns out as a master stroke or the last nail in the coffin for political career of  Modi - remains only in the womb of time.

The charge of "personal corruption" against Mr Modi by Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi at the fag end of the year generated much the political heat. 

Often slammed for trying to emulate Hitler or Indira Gandhi,  Mr Modi however gets the backing of party lieutenants and ministerial colleagues. "Do you mean to say, none in Congress ministry feared Rajiv Gandhi?," asked Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan informally once.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley says Prime Minister could have "played safe" and look the other way to  allow status quo vis-a-vis black money menace. "But he chose to fight it out".  

Friends and Strategists

Experts interpreted verdict in his native state (Dec 2017) - a formerly Hindutva laboratory and a hub of 'Gujarat model' of development - as a "wake up" call. Sadly, for Mr Modi - his style of campaigning - often vitriolic especially against his predecessor Manmohan Singh was also seen as unbecoming of a Prime Minister.

But in the ultimate for the party, Mr Modi remains its star face and it was purely his 'mass appeal' that saw BJP successfully brave 22-year-old incumbency in Gujarat -- even as the number of seats declined by 16 from what was in 2012.

Speaking politically, BJP consolidated its hold across the country gaining power for itself and its allies across 19 states - a record by itself. Previous best haul of Congress party was 18 during the hey days of Indira Gandhi. The saffron party - often underestimated and slammed for its pro-Hindutva politics, wrested power in another northeastern state of Manipur.

(In 2016 it had stormed to power in Assam. In March 2017, BJP captured power in Uttar Pradesh as well.)

2018::

On Nov. 28, 2018, Pakistan's iconic cricketer-turned-politician and prime minister, Imran Khan, laid the foundation stone for a four-kilometer corridor connecting Indian Sikhs with their holy place Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan's Kartarpur village, where Sikhism's founder Guru Nanak died in 1539.

The corridor connects Kartarpur with Dera Baba Nanak, a Sikh holy city in India's Gurdaspur district, helping Sikhs travel between these holy places without restrictions. Indian Federal Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who attended the Kartarpur function, brought a handful of clay from the place where Guru Nanak spent the latter years of his life.  Religious sentiments apart, a bigger question remains: Will this help peace between India and Pakistan?

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his pro-Hindu party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are viewed warily in Pakistan because of their hard-line Hindu nationalist position. It is generally believed that Pakistan's military was not keen on previous efforts by civilian leaders like Nawaz Sharif to improve ties with India.

However, at the Kartarpur function, Pakistan premier Khan sought to claim that even the army is on the same page as him regarding friendly ties with India. But that claim is easier to say than to prove. 

There is much skepticism in India too. In 1999, the then BJP prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee travelled to Lahore in Pakistan by bus to try to achieve greater peace, but Pakistan's army staged the Kargil conflict when over 1,000 soldiers from the two countries died. That actually revived the rivalry more strongly.

2019 marked the arrival of Modi-2.0 : It also marked the emergence of a powerful Modi-Shah duo

2019 in Review: Youths & minorities finally challenge ‘Moditva’

(Blog - Dec 31, 2019) 

First time in years the religious minorities especially Muslims are flexing muscles – literally.

'Moditva' as a political phenomenon and with combined magic of pro-Hindutva tilt and push for development as a catalyst looked invincible.

Empowered by sympathetic support of youths in general and students in universities and of course the opposition parties against the newly enacted CAA, the minorities have able to take the battle into the rival camp – the so called ‘Hindu-nationalist zealotry’.

“For me as a youth and as a tribal from north east, we are against immigrants. But we want a government that will not focus on promoting one religion and work against others,” said a Naga youth Neingulie Sakhrie during anti-CAA noisy protest of December 15 in the capital.

The anguish of youths getting onto the streets have transformed Indian politics more than once in the past.

The JP movement also rested heavily on youth power, so was the anti-Mandal Commission protest during V P Singh’s tenure.

Similarly, the youths played a pivotal role in 2011 Anna Hazare-led Lok Pal movement against corruption – which BJP somehow benefited in 2014.

But Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s re-election in 2019 had bolstered fringe factions of his political base.

There was already apprehension about protecting plurality in India. Since 2014, episodes like mob lynching against cattle meat sale and movement against ‘Love Jihad’ made news. But in a historic mandate, Mr Modi and his party were given a second term with more number of Lok Sabha seats to run the world's largest democracy.

Mr Modi also became the first prime minister since 1971 to return to power with an absolute majority.

Things looked too good for BJP till the opposition to the CAA gained momentum.

On Aug 5, 2019, Art 370 was abrogated and on Nov 9th, the Supreme Court gave its verdict in favour of Ram Temple at Ayodhya.

(second part will have references to journey from 2020 to 2023 and a peep into 2024)