Narendra Modi, a man of
substance, power and spunk. He is, undoubtedly, India`s one of the most successful
Chief Ministers after having served Gujarat for the longest tenure only to add to
the glory of the state. His indomitable spirit is evident from the fact that he
has always managed to emerge out strong despite of all the opposition against him by the Central Government and some
of the paid-sections of the press and media. He has been, time and again,
subject to several controversies to defame his reputation. But it is his
resilience and hard work that spoke for him, making him one of the most sought
after politicians in the country.
With the 2014 Loksabha elections
just round the corner, it is an issue of national debate that who will be the
next Prime Minister of India ? The ‘Modi v/s Rahul Gandhi’ war has fueled up.
With Congress trying its best to demean BJP by attributing Modi for being the
reason for several disputes in the country, it is evident that Congress is
certainly aware of Modi`s outgrowing popularity and is thus playing foul to
sully Modi`s reputation.
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Well, the question that arises here is, what makes Narendra Modi different from others? Why India needs MODI-fication? Well, the scale to measure a leader’s potential is the quantum of his work. Taking Gujarat into consideration, it is no less of an achievement for Modi to have been chosen as Gujarat`s CM thrice in a row (even after the 2002 Godhra riots in Gujarat which have been a dark patch on Modi’s reputation). Gujarat has shown some tremendous developments, as compared to other states, in Modi`s era. Gujarat has shown a growth rate increment from 6.22, before the modi-era , to 10.22 in the last decade of modi-era, which is an achievement in itself. Also, Modi took over to Gujarat`s administration when the state`s growth was low and economy was severely affected following the 2001 Gujarat earthquake.
Gujarat was never known for its
agriculture in the past. Despite of Gujarat having a major desert region and
facing water scarcity, Gujarat`s agro-economy has shined with 11% agriculture
growth which is more than the national average. All for the state government`s
price friendly reforms that benefited the agriculture as a whole. New
agriculture universities have been setup, farmers have been made aware of
advanced farming techniques and every possible step has been taken to revolutionize
agriculture despite of all the barriers it had. And today Gujarat is said to be
India`s ‘farming paradise’.
Also, Gujarat is the powerhouse
of several giant manufacturing plants and projects. 16% of India`s industrial
production comes from Gujarat alone and Gujarat alone accounts for 22% of the
total investments in the country. Gujarat is an automobile hub, leading in the
solar energy sector with Asia`s biggest solar energy plant situated in Gujarat
and also leading in oil refineries. It is the first state to reform solar
policy by offering it at 13 rupees per unit where the central government offers
it at 19 rupees per unit.
The state also claims to have not
increased the taxes in last 12 years. They have managed to become revenue surplus.
Also, every single village in Gujarat gets 24 hours of electricity. Gujarat has
evolved and implemented many innovative and far-reaching solutions to India's
old and historic problems. Be it water conservation or electrifying rural areas.
Be it ensuring institutional deliveries or enrolling the girl child in
education. There are concrete roads all over Gujarat. The state provides ample opportunities
for budding industrialists and traders. Gujarat was never a tourist
destination. But with Modi’s correct vision and efforts, the tourism industry
has flourished phenomenally in Gujarat.
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| Modi on the cover of TIME magazine |
People accuse him of being
communal but with the fact that Modi had
ordered for the demolition of 120 small Hindu shrines to make way for a four-lane
highway in Gujarat , you certainly can`t call him biased towards Hindus. He stands
for what is right irrespective of the religious sentiments attached with it. The
2002 Godhra riots are analogous to what happened with the Sikhs post the assassination
of Indira Gandhi, during the Congress regime. Armed persons went around the
streets of Delhi to look for innocent Sikhs, who were slaughtered mercilessly
and were even burnt alive. CBI is of the
opinion that the acts of violence were organized with the support from the then
Delhi police officials and the Central government headed by Indira Gandhi's
son, Rajiv Gandhi. Rajiv Gandhi was sworn in as Prime Minister after his
mother's death and, when asked about the riots, he said "when a big tree
falls, the earth shakes". Never did the Congress apologize for these
mishappenings but the Sikhs were generous enough to forgive Congress for
these atrocities and BJP, forgetful enough to not use this point as a trump
card against all the blames Modi has been subjected with.
It is for his vision and perseverance that Gujarat has shined. For a corruption driven country like ours, where the Central government itself plays a host to several corruption scams, where the economy has hit lowest in a decade, the industrial production growth is lowest in two decades and where the political and social reforms are proving to be futile, a patriot and visionary like Modi would be a saving grace. Modi has brought in some phenomenal progress in Gujrat and the state`s development model has been applauded not only in the country but also across the globe.
Economic development and progress
is more important than court verdicts and he can deliver growth and prosperity
for everyone just like he did for Gujarat. There are no two ways about it. He
has all that it takes to be India`s next Prime Minister – the vision, the
potential and the dedication. He is the future of India. NaMo !
