Two-three days ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had invited the Indian players, who went to the Paris Paralympics, at his residence. In this meeting, javelin thrower Navdeep Singh expressed his wish to the Prime Minister, “Sir, I want to make you wear a cap.” To this end, the Prime Minister had very casually said, “If you want to make me wear a cap, then I will sit here so that you make me wear the cap.” Stating this, the Prime Minister sat down in a great gesture on the ground in front of Navdeep Singh, who is of relatively short stature, and made him wear the cap.
In contrast, people may recall an earlier incident when Narendra Modi, as Chief Minister, had refused to wear a cap offered by a Muslim Maulana at a public function in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Years later, when questioned about this incident, Prime Minister Modi explained, “I could not wear the cap given by the Maulana just for the sake of getting a photo op or to show off. I do not want to deceive people with mere appearances.” These two instances clearly illustrate Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s personality. He is adaptable and comfortable when necessary and demonstrates firmness when required.
These traits of his personality have been evident in recent political developments and would likely continue to be seen in the future. With these qualities, he follows in the footsteps of his inspiration, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. In 2013, he pledged to walk the path of national politics with unwavering resolve, inspired by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
He has consistently followed this path, whether in the construction of the Shri Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the abrogation of Article 370 in Kashmir, the elimination of triple talaq for Muslim women, or in taking decisive steps during the COVID-19 pandemic to make the country self-reliant by providing indigenous vaccines. During the pandemic, he not only prevented starvation by providing free rations to 80 crore people but also ensured that many public welfare schemes benefited ordinary people without discrimination.
This includes a significant number of people who openly speak against him. Yet, the Prime Minister remains impartial in his role as a public servant. Perhaps, these qualities contributed to his election for a third consecutive term as Prime Minister in the recent Lok Sabha elections. Despite facing numerous international conspiracies, he has achieved this feat and, after taking oath for his third term, has remained steadfast in his agenda. Even the conspiracies against him have not deterred his resolve.
On one hand, during his visit to America, Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, was seen making anti-India statements and associating with forces that are constantly involved in opposing India. On the other hand, the Muslim community has been running a ‘QR code’ campaign across the country in connection with the Waqf Amendment Bill.
However, the people of the country have come to realize the reality of such campaigns. This is why; following Rahul Gandhi’s statement regarding Sikhs in America, the Sikh community across the country has condemned his remarks. But condemnation alone will not solve the problem. It is also crucial for the general public to understand that achieving the desired transformation in the country requires a government with a nationalist approach at the Center for 25-30 years.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological parent of the ruling BJP, also holds the same view. But the RSS believes that political power is a tool for transforming society. Hence, the Sangh intends the BJP government to remain in power at the Centre for the next 25-30 years.
It is evident that the Prime Minister has laid a strong foundation for such a government in his 10-years of regime. Exactly a year ago, all the top office bearers of the RSS, along with the office bears and representatives of its 36 affiliated organizations had also participated in the three-day coordination meeting of the RSS at Pune.
The BJP was one of the organizations in the meeting. In the press conference on the third day of the meeting, when Sah Sarkaryavah of RSS, Dr. Manmohan Vaidya, was asked to assess the BJP’s 10-year regime, Mr Vaidya immediately responded that while the direction of the government is correct, but a regime of 25-30 years is needed for the desired results. He had further noted that during this period, India is standing on its cultural identity. Significant transformations in the country’s foreign policy, defense policy, and education policy have occurred as a result. The whole world is recognizing these transformations, which are revealing India’s cultural heritage.
Manmohan Vaidya had mentioned that the world sensed these transformations as soon as the results of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections were announced. On the fourth day after the 2014 election results, the ‘Sunday Guardian,’ a newspaper published in England, wrote in its editorial that British rule in India had truly been eliminated now.
By re-electing Narendra Modi for a third consecutive term as Prime Minister, the people of the country have endorsed the words of the ‘Sunday Guardian.’ Indeed, the Modi government has successfully balanced maintaining its special identity based on cultural heritage with keeping pace with global economic policies. A recent statement by Russian President Putin in connection with the Russia-Ukraine war further underscores India’s growing prestige on the world stage.
The Modi government continues to advance without compromise on national interest issues like Article 370, the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the formation of an education policy aligned with India’s cultural identity and the needs of young India, and the Uniform Civil Code. Not only the central government but also the BJP-ruled state governments under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership have implemented agendas of national and public interest. The BJP has benefited from this in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections and will likely continue to benefit in the future as well.
The writer is Vice-president of Mumbai BJP
