VIEW FROM SRI LANKA: MODI AND

POPULISM MODIFIED OPED

Modi addressing his frst ra! a"ter #eing de$ared as the Pri%e Ministeria $andidate o" the
NDA at Re&ari' (ar!ana) So*r$e Wi+i,edia -o%%ons)
.! Dr K*%ar Da/id0AU1US2 34' 3567
Nehr* in his frst #road$ast to the ,eo,e o" India as Pri%e Minister on 68 A*g*st 697:
#egan &ith the &ords: ;2oda! I address !o* "or the frst ti%e o"f$ia! as the First
Ser/ant o" the Indian ,eo,e' ,edged to their ser/i$e and their #etter%ent) I a% here
#e$a*se !o* &ied it so and I re%ain here so ong as !o* $hoose to hono*r %e &ith !o*r
$onfden$e<)
It is ftting that Narendra Modi e$hoed his i*strio*s ,rede$essor and $o*d fnd no
#etter ter% than First Ser/ant to introd*$e hi%se" on the o$$asion o" his frst s,ee$h as
Pri%e Minister) (e did not see+ to %at$h the eo=*en$e o" Nehr*es=*e rhetori$> his is a
%ore ho%es,*n idio% as s*its the %an) 2here &ere $o%%on the%es' %ost nota#!
Nehr*?s $a to s,*rn di/isi/eness @;O*r frst and i%%ediate o#Ae$ti/e %*st #e to ,*t an
end to a interna stri"e and /ioen$e' &hi$h disfg*re and degrade *s and inA*re the
$a*se o" "reedo%<B resonated &ith Modi &hose eCe%,ar! re%ar+s I &ish Sri Lan+a?s
eaders &ere $a,a#e o" e$hoing)
We ha/e had $o%%*na tensions "or ages) 2his ed to the di/ision o" the $o*ntr!) We
ha/e had to "a$e the ,oison o" $asteis% and $o%%*nais%) (o& ong these e/is &i
$ontin*eD We ha/e had eno*gh o" fghts' %an! ha/e #een +ied) No#od! has #enefted>
eC$e,t $asting a s*r on Mother India) I a,,ea to a &hether it is the ,oison o" $asteis%'
$o%%*nais%' regionais% or dis$ri%ination' et *s reso/e to ,*t a %oratori*% "or 65
!ears<)
Wh! on! 65 !ears> %a!#e a"ter an a#ste%io*s de$ade re$idi/is% is i%,ossi#e) 2ho*gh
this essa! is not a#o*t ,araes &ith Nehr*' #*t et %e snea+ in that Modi e/en *sed the
Edestin!? &ord @;I ass*re !o* that this $o*ntr! has a destin!<B and no Indian is *n"a%iiar
&ith the ;tr!st &ith destin! ) ) ) at the %idnight ho*r< in the -onstit*ent Asse%#! on
A*g*st 67068 697:)
A ,o,*ist not a neo0i#era
One $annot A*dge Modi "ro% one s,ee$h to the nation' or to #e %ore a$$*rate one
#*dget and one s,ee$h' tho*gh e/iden$e is %o*nting) Li+e others &ho &ere dee,!
angered #! the re,*tation that r*##ed o"" on hi% "ro% the 1*Aarat riots' I a% sti
*n&iing to dro, %! g*ard) .*t "a$ts are "a$ts> the #*dget and this inde,enden$e0da!
s,ee$h "ro% the ra%,arts o" Red Fort' are not &hat one &o*d eC,e$t "ro% a hardened
neo0i#era> &e in Lan+a see this as Indian ,o,*ar de%o$ra$! in %otion) @-a it ,o,*is%
i" !o* are in the $a%, that is disgr*nted that it is not right&ing eno*ghB) Prior to the
ee$tions and in %! essa!s a"ter&ards' I insisted the .FP0Modi go/ern%ent &o*d not #e
a#e to a#andon a %iCed0e$ono%! nor $annot t*rn its #a$+ on the eC,e$tations o" a
#iion ,eo,e) Western e$ono%i$ and ,oiti$a ,*ndits' the E$ono%ist' Finan$ia 2i%es'
WSF and s*$h tra$ts' and Indian and Lan+an $o%%entators &ho I heard or read'
,redi$ted &ith deight that .FP0Modi &o*d s&ing India &a! o*t to the right) A ha/e
#een ,ro/ed &rong) Wh! $o*d the! not see the o#/io*sD Sear$h %eG
I &o*d o/e to thin+ that the Pri%e Minister o" India reads %! essa!s) On 35 F*!
@;Poiti$a!0$a*tio*s gro&th0oriented #*dget<B I dre& attention to and ,ro/ided a #ar0
$hart de$r!ing that 89: %iion Indians de"e$ate in the &ide o*tdoors) As i" #! %agi$ he
see%s to ha/e res,ondedG Modi s,ent a "* se/en %in*tes @to A*dge "ro% the Engish
trans$ri,tB on sanitation' /o&ing to %a+e o*tdoor de"e$ation a thing o" the ,ast' and
,ro%ising se,arate toiets "or the seCes in s$hoos) (e $o%%itted his go/ern%ent and
i%,ored States and #*siness $or,orations to Aoin in #! in/esting in sanitation to end
*#i=*ito*s a "res$o $ra,,ing) Modi is a doer and i" he gets this done &ithin a "e& !ears'
India &i o/erta+e -hina' at east in ,*#i$ sanitation) I a% not #eing "a$etio*s> these are
the ,eo,e?s needs> these are the *rgent tas+s that an! good ,o,*ist eader %*st ta$+e)
2here &ere n*%ero*s ,o,*ist the%es in the H8 %in*te Inde,enden$e Da! s,ee$h' the
%ost nota#e are as "oo&s) Lo$a $!ni$s &i sa! ;Don?t #eie/e a &ord<> I sa! &e need to
&ait and see)
A commitment to Pradhanmantri Jan-Dhan Yojana, a scheme to open
bank accounts on a mass scale for the poorest families in India.
Government ill !uarantee the accounts to the tune of "s #$$,$$$. %he
scheme, if it comes to fruition, ill much increase the scope for informal
economic activit& and enhance national savin!s for productive
investment albeit throu!h the populous small accounts sector.
%he 'ansad Aadarsh Gram Yojana scheme under hich members of the
(ok 'abaha and "aja 'abaha ill choose one villa!e each, of population
)$$$ to *$$$ and build it into a model villa!e b& +$#,, to more
beteen this date and the +$#- !eneral elections, and .ve more durin!
the tenure of the ne/t parliament. %he parameters of a model villa!e are
bein! orked out. I do not kno hether this 0I(( !et done, but it I'
eminentl& doable and the knock on e1ect ill spread far be&ond the ,$$$
villa!es as 2hinese e/perience has shon.
A stron! statement of opposition to, and an appeal to families and the
medical profession to stand a!ainst female abortion and infanticide.
A stand a!ainst se/ual harassment of omen and a demand that parents
take education and instruction of their sons in hand, because this lacuna
is the source of the canker.
I &as not #orn !esterda! and I $on$ede that ,ro%ises o" ,oiti$ians need to #e Ia/o*red
&ith $artoads o" sat) I" that is the tho*ght ,assing thro*gh readers %inds I &i not
hesitate to $on$*r) M! ,oint here' ho&e/er' is so%e&hat di""erent> the h*ge =*estion o"
ho& %*$h o" a this &i get done aside' there is no& the +e! iss*e o" o$ating the
ideoog! o" Modi0no& as Pri%e Minister) 2his s,ee$h' the #*dget and the re"*sa' so "ar'
to retreat in the "a$e o" W2O0US ,ress*re on se$*re s*#sidised "ood "or the ,oor' do not
$o%e thro*gh as the $anon o" a i$+0s,itte stooge o" IMF neo0i#erais% or the "aith0#ase
o" an anti0M*si% fre0#reathing (ind*t/a ideoog*e)
It is %ore the ideoog! o" ,o,*is% and an e$ono%i$ orientation to oi the &hees o"
gro&th &hie #road! ,reser/ing esta#ished ,oiti$a str*$t*res) 2he /ie& "ro%
-oo%#o is that Modi is %odi0"!ing' not doing a&a! &ith the e$ono%i$ initiati/es that
-entre and States %*st ead &ith' and he is retaining' not atte%,ting to %odi"! the
"*nda%entas o" India?s se$*ar de%o$ra$!)
I" this assess%ent is right' it is heartening "or those on this side o" the Pa+ Strait)
2here $ertain! &as a $a to "oreign in/estors ;-o%e %an*"a$t*re in India> ,a,er to
,asti$s' sateites to s*#%arines' a*to%o#ies to agro ,rod*$ts<) Interesting! these
,assages a,,eaing to "oreign $a,ita &ere #ended &ith a,,eas to s%a ind*str!'
te$hno0sa//! !o*th and the need "or te$hni$a ed*$ation and I2 $o%,eten$e)
Modi see%s to #e =*ite sod on I2' there &ere ength! re"eren$es to te$hnoog! and an
interesting ,assage that &ent ;O*r drea% is there"ore o" Digita India) When I ta+ o"
Digita India I don?t s,ea+ o" the eite' it is "or the ,oor ,eo,e<) 2his $annot a #e
hog&ash and ,reten$e "ro% start to fnish> this Modi is not &hat &e o" radi$as and the
e"t tho*ght he &as) It?s ti%e to set aside o*r ,reA*di$es and gi/e the #o+e a $han$e) In
the frst instan$e' in his frst ter%' one sho*d #e $a*tio*s! $oo,erati/e> &hat other
$hoi$e do &e in Lan+a ha/e an!&a!G
2here &as the eC,e$ted e%,hasis on ed*$ation' ee$troni$ %an*"a$t*ring' e0
go/ernan$e' de"en$e and the %iitar!) For Modi %odernisation is in the air ;India is no
onger a nation o" sna+e $har%ers<)
Fro% a ,rogressi/e Sri Lan+an ,ers,e$ti/e a $o%%it%ent that &as %ost en$o*raging
&as Modi?s "aith and ,ro%ise to dee,en "ederais% and re,a$e the Panning
-o%%ission #! a de$entraised instr*%ent)
India?s "edera str*$t*re is %ore i%,ortant toda! than in the ast H5 !ears) 2o
strengthen o*r "edera str*$t*re' to %a+e o*r "edera str*$t*re /i#rant' to ta+e o*r
"edera str*$t*re as a heritage o" de/eo,%ent' a tea% o" -hie" Ministers and the Pri%e
Minister sho*d #e there' a Aoint tea% o" the -entre and the States sho*d %o/e "or&ard)
We &i ha/e to thin+ a#o*t gi/ing the Panning -o%%ission a oo+> it is a /er! od s!ste%
and ha/e to #e reA*/enated and $hanged a ot) We &i re,a$e the ,anning $o%%ission
&ith a ne& instit*tion ha/ing a ne& design and str*$t*re' a ne& #od!' a ne& so*' a ne&
thin+ing' a ne& dire$tion' a ne& "aith to&ards "orging a ne& dire$tion to ead the $o*ntr!
#ased on $reati/e thin+ing' ,*#i$0,ri/ate ,artnershi,' o,ti%*% *tiiJation o" reso*r$es'
*tiiJation o" !o*th ,o&er o" the nation' to ,ro%ote the as,irations o" State
go/ern%ents see+ing de/eo,%ent' to e%,o&er the State go/ern%ents and to e%,o&er
the "edera str*$t*re<)
2here is a reIeC negati/e rea$tion a%ong od e"tists &hen dis%anting the Panning
-o%%ission &hi$h has $ra"ted %an! f/e0!ear ,ans' is %entioned) .*t it is aso tr*e that
it is an od instr*%ent and needs re/a%,ing) It is e/en tr*er that $entraised ,anning has
to gi/e &a! to de$entraised instr*%ents that $an #etter ser/e India?s ,o&er"* State
go/ern%ents to ad/an$e e$ono%i$ de/eo,%ent) Indian readers %a! +no& o" Lan+a?s
%ote! $ir$*s o" Pro/in$ia -o*n$is' #*t the /ie& here is that Indian State go/ern%ents
are energeti$ and ro#*st tho*gh ,er/aded #! horrendo*s $orr*,tion in %ost $ases)
I" Modi %a+es an i%,a$t on sanitation' #an+ a$$o*nts "or $o*ntr!?s ,oorest 73K &ho
ha/e none' se/era tho*sand %ode /iages' strengthening "ederais% and ad/an$ing
&o%en?s iss*es' he &i go do&n in histor! as a ,otent grass0roots ,o,*ist) 2he -entre
and the States &i ha/e to ,* together in these initiati/es) Foreign in/ests ha/e an
i%,ortant ,art to ,a! and ,*#i$0,ri/ate ,artnershi,s are %*$h needed' #*t these &i
not set the nationa agenda or the ,oiti$a tone> the! &i not #e the deter%ining
ee%ent) Poiti$a hege%on! &i not reside in the neo0i#era "ore$o*rt i" the readings in
this essa! are $orre$t)
Posted by Thavam