Narendra Damodardas Modi was sworn in as the 15th Prime Minister of India yesterday. He is a man who evokes strong emotions. You either love him, or hate him - it is tough to be neutral about the man. I have been watching him for the better part of a decade, and I have gone through a roller coaster of feelings about him through the years. So I thought it appropriate to write down what I think on the dawn of the biggest political change in independent India, with Modi leading the charge.
I believe Modi is an extraordinary human being, and most people who hate him or adore him fail to understand the man. He is not perfect - no one is - and he made one grave mistake in 2002. There is a lot of anecdotal evidence to suggest that he is complicit in, if not responsible for, the deaths of many people. Most people think that since he has got away with 2002, he will be emboldened to commit similar acts on a larger scale. I disagree and believe that he will live the rest of his life atoning for that mistake, creating a positive impact on a large number of people, leaving his legacy as a statesman.
2002 is the reason Modi has been unstoppable. He is a man on a mission, an extraordinarily intelligent and driven person, attempting to have people remember him for something other than Godhra. He knows he made a mistake, but he doesn't want that to be his legacy. It will take a lot over the next 5 to 10 years, but I don't underestimate this man.
He had to win the election, and win it convincingly to be able to drive his agenda as India's PM. The entire election campaign is the stuff of an HBR case study. He used every trick in the bag, touched the intellect and emotions of crores of people, and when he was sure of victory, pushed for that extra support to help him cross 300. He is not making this superhuman effort to be remembered as a Hitler or Jinnah. He is doing it for redemption. That is what makes him so compelling and powerful.
Modi is a man in a hurry. His first few days in office have seen more activity and intent than the first 100 days of the Manmohan Singh regime. The change from the pre-election street fighter to a post-election statesman is not just a pleasant surprise. It is an extraordinary transformation that has taken many people's breath away.
Very few doubt Modi's capacity for hard work and great administration. For all our sakes, I just hope that I am right about his intent.
I believe Modi is an extraordinary human being, and most people who hate him or adore him fail to understand the man. He is not perfect - no one is - and he made one grave mistake in 2002. There is a lot of anecdotal evidence to suggest that he is complicit in, if not responsible for, the deaths of many people. Most people think that since he has got away with 2002, he will be emboldened to commit similar acts on a larger scale. I disagree and believe that he will live the rest of his life atoning for that mistake, creating a positive impact on a large number of people, leaving his legacy as a statesman.
2002 is the reason Modi has been unstoppable. He is a man on a mission, an extraordinarily intelligent and driven person, attempting to have people remember him for something other than Godhra. He knows he made a mistake, but he doesn't want that to be his legacy. It will take a lot over the next 5 to 10 years, but I don't underestimate this man.
He had to win the election, and win it convincingly to be able to drive his agenda as India's PM. The entire election campaign is the stuff of an HBR case study. He used every trick in the bag, touched the intellect and emotions of crores of people, and when he was sure of victory, pushed for that extra support to help him cross 300. He is not making this superhuman effort to be remembered as a Hitler or Jinnah. He is doing it for redemption. That is what makes him so compelling and powerful.
Modi is a man in a hurry. His first few days in office have seen more activity and intent than the first 100 days of the Manmohan Singh regime. The change from the pre-election street fighter to a post-election statesman is not just a pleasant surprise. It is an extraordinary transformation that has taken many people's breath away.
Very few doubt Modi's capacity for hard work and great administration. For all our sakes, I just hope that I am right about his intent.
2 comments:
Agree to that .... For all our sake, I just hope that I am right about his intent.
Cheers to that Haddock. Let us keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best.
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