Great Expectations cloud over Modi regime’s Goodwill

Swati Deb

The good old saying, the beginning does not know our end seems to work in perfect harmony with politics. Politics is also an art that cannot be predicted. Thus, the political journey of country’s 15th Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi exemplifies these definitions. Son of a tea seller from a little known Gujarat township, Vadnagar, Modi’s rise is also significant as he belongs to a lower caste.

 In the words of BJP spokesperson, Pinki Anand, Modi represented “different aspirations to different sets of people”. Thus the catchword for his government would be more than mere performance – probably it’s called miracle. People of India, now given a new phraseology ‘aspirational India’ needs answers to job shortage, electricity crisis, high food prices, corrupt babus and cops and basic amenities in villages. These could be tough order as only recently Mckinsey Global Institute report said that nearly 56 per cent of Indians – that is about 680 million people cannot afford basic needs like food, water, housing and sanitation and health care. Another survey had said, nearly 70 per cent of Indians are dissatisfied with the country’s sense of direction in the new world order and an underperforming government regime practically at every stage. 

"The new Prime Minister Modi, who campaigned tirelessly in the northeast, has tried to understand the ‘security’ as well as ‘foreign affairs’ elements vis-à-vis north east"

So we know; where the shoes would pinch Modi. Broadly there would be few areas he has to perform quickly and with results coming much quicker. The growth graph has to change from near around 4 per cent as of now, the prices of essential commodities at least should remain where they are even if they cannot come down and he has to ensure that minorities are not let down.
“So far, he has been making right noises,” says a senior political commentator Jose Kavi, who refers to his maiden Parliamentary speech in both Houses of Parliament as fairly accommodative and inclusive.

Others say, one major difference between Narendra Modi and his predecessor Dr Manmohan Singh is that the present incumbent enjoys far greater mandate and thus greater authority than Manmohan Singh, who was too dependent on the whims and fancies of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her sets of advisors.

One vital fact that came to Modi with the landslide victory is that the new Prime Ministers needs to take along the disgruntled segment of 18 per cent of Muslim population into his mainstream. The bigger challenge perhaps from a northeastern perspective is similar apprehensions remain about the Christian tribal populace of the northeast India. It is only obvious as the people of northeast are easily vulnerable “to be misled to plunge into violence” and also embrace the easily available route of militancy.

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