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Mountain of expectations in the sea of challenges!

  By Vijay Darda | 29-05-2017

If the energy of the youth who ensured the victory of Modi does not get the right direction, then Modi’s path is not easy as Prime Minister

Even if Narendra Modi is the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party, at present, he is the Prime Minister of the country, so his functionings should not be seen from any party’s perspective. I am a born Congress man and can sharply be critical but when I analyse the term of Narendra Modi as an editor, then a scene floats before me, in which the challenges are like the ocean and there is a mountain of expectations in it. Now the moot point is will the mountain of expectations be able to save people from the waves of problems?

Bypassing all electoral predictions three years ago, Modi’s charisma netted the BJP as many as 282 seats out of the 543 Lok Sabha seats and ensured a whopping 336 seats to its alliance. Of course, what Modi has said has drawn the youth of this country towards him. Modiji appeared to be a ray of hope for the youth. After three years this hope is also Modi’s biggest challenge. At present, about 50 per cent of the population of India is 25 years old and 65 per cent of the population is under 35 years of age. Narendra Modi has a great responsibility to channelise the energy of this young population. The formula of ‘Make in India’ is very attractive and if it is implemented properly then this can be the best recipe to remove unemployment. China has spread its mantra of ‘Made in China’ to the whole world. Will we be able to spread the recipe of ‘Make in India’ outside the country? Such a scheme called Skilled India has been launched, but it will also take time to show results. Will our country’s youth wait for long?

There is no doubt that Modi ji is trying day and night to see the results of the schemes in the near future. He works 14 to 16 hours a day. His time management is very good. His ability to understand the issues is amazing. Whatever his views may be in the eyes of others, but Modi ji is very clear about his ideas and there is no confusion. Of course, this is his positive side. He has linked the 28 million poor to the banks. LPG connections have been provided to more than 2 crore poor households.

Modi ji took the bold step of declaring a war on corruption. Today, from minister to bureaucrat all are frightened. This is no small matter! Bureaucrats are coming to the office well in time and the playing of golf in lunch time has stopped. Everyone’s accountability has been fixed. He has strengthened the Prime Minister’s Office and enhanced the involvement of Intelligence Bureau (IB).

The bold step taken by Modi about demonetisation may have attracted a storm of protest and opposition but its benefits will become apparent in the times to come. My guess is that within five years the cash currency will end. Crores of people will fall in the tax slab. One thing seems very good to me that when he was chief minister, he had criticised the plans of the Centre, but now he is implementing the same as Prime Minister. He did not let his ego come in the way. Indeed, on becoming the Prime Minister, many such things are known, which nobody knew about. Not even the Deputy Prime Minister.

I would like to tell you an incident. When Morarji Desai became the Prime Minister, then Inder Kumar Gujral was the Ambassador of India in Russia. Morarji Bhai was a fan of America and Gujral Sahib was a person of the Left thinking! Gujral Sahib immediately resigned. Morarji Bhai called him and asked the reason. Gujral Saheb told the reason for the difference between both of them. Morarji Bhai said that ‘you have to be there for friendship with Russia in the information that has come to me after becoming Prime Minister’. Gujral Saheb believed and I should tell you that the major arms deals were executed during his tenure. It is good that Modi ji did not allow politics to come in the plans designed for the good of the country’s people and continued it.

I would also like to appreciate that Modi ji has given more respect to Gandhi ji than even the Congress. Before Independence, Gandhi ji spoke of clean India. Now Modi ji has given a glimpse of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. Whenever I go abroad, I wonder if our country will be so clean. The mind is pleased to see the clean rivers. In Japan, even the garbage house looks like an art gallery! Hope that Modi ji will take this campaign of hygiene far ahead.

During his election campaign, Modi ji gave a slogan of ‘achche din’. Now people are asking when will the good days come? Job promises have not been fulfilled. Inflation is getting uncontrollable. I believe that unless small industries are started in the different parts of the country, till the closed industries are restarted, infrastructure work is increased, from where will employment be generated and how inflation will reduce? The problem can not end so long as the banks do not stop harassing the new entrepreneurs. Large industrial houses have taken lakhs of crores of loans and they take new loans too. Those who do not have their assets, they should get more loan than their assets. The challenge to control these situation is on Modi ji. 

One big issue is that of the farmers of this country too. If the BJP waives off the debt of the farmers as soon as the BJP came to power in UP, then the question arises as to why the debts in other BJP-ruled states have not been waived off? Farmers are expecting this from Modi!

When Modi ji took oath as the Prime Minister, the heads of SAARC countries had come with the best wishes. Now we have to see whether we have fulfilled those expectations? Can you remove their pain by building a strong India? There is an old saying that you can live happily when your neighbours are also happy! Modi ji needs to do a lot on foreign policy.

Within the country there are many such issues like Naxalism, terrorism in Kashmir, and insurgency in north eastern India. If Modiji can overcome them, generations will remember him. In recent years, atrocities against women have increased, incidents of offending their honour have increased. It can be said that law and order is the responsibility of the state, but the women of this country are looking at Modi ji with hopeful eyes for protecting their honour.

 Another big responsibility on Modi ji is to respect the critics. Opposition is scattered and fragile. In this situation, Modi ji will have to work on the theories of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. In Nehru ji’s time the opposition was weak but still he gave opportunity and respect to the voice of the opposition. He used to inspire the young MPs to speak. He used to listen to his criticism. Right now some people in the country are making a mistake of treating criticism as pure antagonism. Modi ji must curb this.

Nonetheless, whether there be a Congress government or a government of Modi ji in the country, we have to see that India becomes strong. Tricolour keeps fluttering proudly, India becomes a poverty-free country, Indian youth’s aspirations are fulfilled. Farmers should become strong and India should become the guide of the world. Our neighbours should become our friends. If Modi ji can do all this, then his stature will rise even higher.

Before I conclude…

After the terrorist attack in Manchester, there was an extraordinary expression of human emotion. The people gave shelter to the children who had got separated from their parents. Muslim taxi drivers ferried many injured to hospital and brought other people home but did not take a single penny. The nearby gurudwaras not only provided food to the affected people but also accommodated them. Many people in the Sikh community came forward to help the victims. I salute these captains of compassion.

 

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Mountain of expectations in the sea of challenges!

 

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