When Sickularism had 'lost' a war ? Narendra Modi embarked on a victory lap !!
2023 - G20 in Delhi ..... Sept 11/2023
Narendra Modi had concluded the G20 Summit in Delhi with a lap of honor around the convention center that hosted the international gathering of the leaders of the world’s 19 largest economies and the European Union.
The Hindu nationalist, who is often elusive with the media, smiled and waved to a mass of journalists who waited almost two hours for him to appear.
He was quick to express his satisfaction at India’s presidency of the G20, although he did not deliver any remarks.
Before his arrival, the venue was subjected to exhaustive security measures by the summit staff, who created a wide security perimeter to separate Modi from journalists, and walked bomb dogs in every corner of the building.
Triumphant Modi caps India’s G20 summit with lap of honor
“Modi, Modi, Modi”, chanted the hundreds of attendees as soon as the Indian leader came through the door and walked a few centimeters away from the press. (French media - efe.com)
The mass of reporters that the prime minister wanted to meet stood in sharp contrast with the posture he usually maintains with the media – he has not given a press conference in India since he came to power in 2014.
Well, he has not given any presser even between 2023 and September 2026. But he remains India's 'perfect' Communicator politician.
Narendra Modi has only held one press conference since 2014 -- March 2023 -- along with US President Joe Biden during an official visit to the United States.
The Indian leader has never answered questions from journalists outside of controlled environments and his interactions have been limited to a few interviews with media outlets seen as sympathetic or close to the BJP government, Modi’s party.
In 2019, he walked in alongside the then BJP president Amit Shah to the media conference (BJP's regular briefing) - but remained guarded while taking questions. He let Shah handled most questions and gave an excuse - on party and political/election matters; the party president matters more than the Prime Minister in office.
2019 - election season presser at BJP headquarters
His lap of honor came (in 2023) hours after he handed over the baton of the G20 presidency to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, whose country will host the G20 leaders’ summit in November next year.
The meeting of leaders of the world’s major economies concluded in New Delhi, with India lauding the consensus among the members in reaching a joint agreement that before the summit began seemed unlikely due to the conflicting positions on the war in Ukraine.
'The Washington Post' reported :
The facelift for the most significant international gathering India has seen in decades comes ahead of an election year (2024 polls) -- and Modi has been burnishing his image as a statesman in recent months.
Earlier in 2023, he made a state visit to Washington, where Biden and Congress gave him a warm welcome.
In July (2023); India virtually hosted the Shanghai Cooperation Organization — a defense and security partnership established by China and Russia.
Now, local news reports are buzzing about a potential visit by Biden to India again in January for the country’s Republic Day.
(Later of course, Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, was the chief guest at India's 75th Republic Day celebrations on January 26, 2024.
US President Joe Biden did not visit India in January 2024 as the Chief Guest for the Republic Day parade or for the planned Quad Summit due to scheduling conflicts and a busy domestic political calendar in a U.S. election year.)
'Commentary in Global Times' (in September 2023 .... had meant a lot)
There is an old saying in China: "When the wound is healed the pain is forgotten."
It means when a person's scars heal, they tend to forget how they got hurt and repeat the same mistakes. As US President Joe Biden was in India to attend the G20 summit, many people naturally thought of the causes and consequences of the G20 summit held in Washington in 2008.
Currently (mean 2023) Washington is eager to transform the G20 into a "battlefield" for competing with China for influence and boosting US global leadership.
According to a Reuters report last week (2023) -- "US President Joe Biden arrives at this weekend's Group of 20 (G20) meeting in India with an offer for the 'Global South': whatever happens to China's economy, the US can help fund your development.''
The goal of Biden's trip to Vietnam and India, as well as his participation in the G20 summit, is to restrain China. Washington has become so keen to contend with China for influence that it is seizing every chance.
What about 14 years ago?
The G20 was established in the late 1990s after the Asian financial crisis as a forum for developed and developing countries to discuss financial stability. It was upgraded to a summit in 2008.
Part of the international brand-making has been India’s efforts to have other countries adopt its digital infrastructures — which several countries have done.
At the G-20 summit, a “Digital India experience zone” showcases India’s online payment gateways and digital identification systems, and delegates receive sroughly $12 in a payment wallet to try out the applications,
ends
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