Prime Minister Of India Narendra Modi 2.0

It is a month since Indian elections are over. It was one where India found itself and came home, without a GPS or an algorithm but with a heart for a compass and hope on its sleeve. Hopes of 1.3 billion people in Prime Minister Narendra Modi who in his second term has to create jobs on a war footing to rise to challenge we have reposed in him. More importantly, government has to get out of way to enable an environment that primes entrepreneurship and risk that are some of basic tenets of growth and development. A gainfully employed people are also peaceful people. Goods and Services Tax (GST) of Modi 1.0 was a major start.

Read here: Making GST Happen Is Everybody’s Business, Especially Media’s

Much more must kick in if we want to become a $5 trillion ecomy by 2024. Eminent people have been consulted for budget to be presented in two weeks. We must remain alert to its details about how ecomy will be spurred and intelligently attentive about its ambition. It is our future at stake and this column turns to a few questions beginning with big one - what do we want to achieve by giving unexpectedly massive mandate to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and rejecting Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA)?
 
Many things, some of which ne can elaborate yet as in Elections 2019 we spoke to ourselves about ourselves and for ourselves without guilt or guile. In this affirmation is t a rejection of or as some continue to believe. Democracies confirm all people and re is problem with Indian democracy, world’s largest, unless you think divergent views are a problem that must be crushed. Our growing-in-literacy people and empowered citizens did have a problem though with one thing - a vast majority felt marginalised, rejected and left behind by a few who saw thing but self-interest in socialism and communism with drizzles of capitalism for longest time since India became independent. 

, Fascists and Nazis have t taken over India – Indians have and se foisted-on-us labels have thing to do with our history or geography, people or culture. refore y have thing to do with our ambitions. Among us are people with several leanings including all hues of political spectrum but heart of India is a roaring democracy.  It is up to us to drive and secure it because nation-building is t an exclusive exercise of a group.  Our vote just proved it. 

Over past few weeks, I spoke to lawyers, activists, politicians and voters in Europe about democracy as Continent renewed its Parliament a few days after us. ir comments had a common thread – liberal democracies in largely western context that emerged after WW11 were t delivering anymore. Capitalism and later globalisation had cut people from people, lawmakers from voters, entire populations from ir roots. If system was t working for common people, who was in danger - European Union (EU) or people living and working in it? How could two be separated given that peace and cohesion is EU’s strongest gift to itself? 
 
In two generations, Europe rose from devastating wars to ecomic prosperity. Once where grandparents starved and fled, grandchildren flourished looking for leisure activities. Yes, re was Marshall Plan and related ecomic investments and defence umbrellas, but at base of it all was a work ethic and a commitment to never repeat deadly past. A lot of that is currently under strain, but where will it snap. I do t for a moment believe EU is collapsing as pundits across Atlantic and ir friends on or side of English Channel hope, more than I believe Modi has returned to spell India’s doom and gloom. His naysayers make little sense – ir view is to say an ocean has water but waves have water in m!
 
Nations need an identity be that ecomic, linguistic, military, religious or all and more. Shared conversations, shared exchanges and shared hope. Without a debated grounding in se areas, nations can stagnate as a people that does t recognise its past cant go forward toger. In EU elections most eyes were on Germany, ecomic bulwark of Continent. far right AFD party made inroads, but Greens did better, doubling ir score. Something is happening in Europe just like something is in India – very diverse, but very interesting in terms of mature and maturing democracies. 
 
Prime Minister and his cabinet have work to do and promises to keep. Employment, public health, education, infrastructure and trade are as important as social conversations that respect difference and diversity. How new team will eng with a gaping hole of an Opposition in Parliament will be a to watch especially as latter is petulant and angry with drubbing at polls. False fears will continue to be fanned – irrelevance is an ugly companion. 

Ten years ago if someone had said Congress would be decimated one would have believed it, more than anyone would have seen Modi’s landslide victory in 2014 scoring even better in 2019. Congress party and Opposition groupings have lost India’s langu and rhythm. It doesn’t naturally follow that BJP has fully understood ermity of people’s expectations. 

We cant grow into a major power if we celebrate mediocrity in our national political discourse wherever it comes from. current government formation has some ministers holding many critical ministries. Perhaps this is a holding pen as re’s talk of lateral induction.  “First rate people pick first rate people, second rate people pick third rate people,” Abhijit Iyer Mitra, one of India’s top defence and national security analysts told me recently. Think about this deep as people are brought in to positions of responsibility to lead country. We deserve best. 
 
Indian ecomy is slowing down and qualified people will tell us how y are dealing it. From m we have right to expect answers that don’t swing between percents and parody. We expect our government to speak to us, with us, about us and t at us. We will keep faith in our vote we expect leaders of our democracy to be worthy of it. pull is longer between liberal democracy and populism. It is w between accountability and strength. voter is strong today. This much I kw and I keep faith.