Narendra Modi : The Image of a “ Vikas-Purush”

In his Pracharak days, Modi understood the complications of human life, its solutions, and its necessities. He learnt the harsh realities of poverty-stricken life. All these factors helped him while preparing plans and policies, programmes and objectives. He understood and experienced common angles and dimensions of life from different parts of India – be it in Maharashtra, or Tamilnadu, or West Bengal, Assam or Punjab. Likewise, the people of Gujarat unequivocally appreciated the economic development initiated by Narendra Modi. Moreover they translated this appreciation into electoral fruits by awarding the Modi Government two-third majority in the general elections of the Gujarat State Assembly. ….. Thrice!

 

The political signal is that there is a ‘raison d’etre’ for Gujarat development, and it is Narendra Modi. What is the stuff that he is made of? How did this happen? The observers look at the personality of Narendra Modi. What is the stuff that he is made of? What is it that Gujarat suddenly became an important imitation model? What is it that Shri Narendra Modi too became imitation personality? How has Gujarat become so advanced State? The question is, what is the secret of the Gujarat success. The secret can be discovered in the following strategic platform: a) honest implementation of the policies and programmes, b) preparing plans of development with socio-cultural outlook with economics contents, c) clean image and its assurance of the political leadership i.e. the CM, and d) the cultural bondage and influence of the social organization which has influenced the course of action and the psyche of the leaders while designing economic policies and programmes for the State.

 

 

The ‘Prachaarak’ in him dominates the administrator in him. Living a simple way of life, Modi exhibits the qualities of an excellent leader. Feeling the pulse of the people, his personal integrity is beyond doubts. Giving his entire life for the nation, as a youth, Modi lived a very hard life making himself comfortable with getting involved in social and public activities. Modi always looked beyond Gujarat, for him, Nation first was more important.!

As a pracharak, he was responsible to plan, organize and execute the scheme or the event. Preparing everything with minute details, the end result for the same was excellent. He accomplished this difficult work with great humour relaxing the possible tensions. Releasing the tensions and unnecessary seriousness was his great ability in doing things. He believed in what he did or accomplished. Having faith in God, Modi believes in humanity and its dimensions. Modi’s destiny with the RSS and the statutory governance in Gujarat was the translation of his ideas and methods which he drew from all these beliefs, makings and convictions. He made distinction between crime and anti-national and anti-social terrorism. He invited the wrath of the legal luminaries and even the judiciary. Modi has drawn his abilities and all his traits from his association with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Modi is the product of national spirit. Modi is the manifestation of Sangh ideology viz., cultural nationalism and its materialisation. He weeps for poverty and that is where he draws his strength to work for its eradication. He believed in the cultural unity of the people of India. People in Gujarat are not different from people residing in other states. Therein he sees the integral humanism of Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya. Shri Narendra Modi’s faith in this integral humanism has geared his administrative drive for growth.

When the Narendra Modi government was sworn-in on October 7, 2001, in Gujarat, the economy of Gujarat was reeling under the adverse effects of several natural calamities, including a gigantic earthquake in January 2001. Having put the economy back on an even keel in a short period of three years, the government today has reason to feel sanguine about its performance. In December 2002, elections were held a few months ahead of schedule and the Narendra Modi government was voted back to power with a massive majority of 128 in a house of 182. Look at destiny. The history repeated in 2019 at the Union level.

 

As a Chief Minister of Gujarat since 2001, he had his own norms and ideas on different policymaking planks. This could be considered as initiatives in the following fields viz. i) Economic development goals. ii) Political initiatives and programs, iii) Public administration iv) Social awakening, v) Cultural origins and programs. Owing a conviction of the new Government in 2001 in Gujarat, it was believed that economic development of the people and the region was essentially a political directive. The achievement of economic goals was through political initiatives and therefore the entire policy-making was required to be a political initiative. The government and the Chief Minister, in particular, insisted on certain work culture to be developed both amongst the political executives and the administrator's class. Believing that technology can alone foster e-Governance and that good governance can only happen through an efficient, proactive and citizen-friendly civil service. Shri. Modi leading the Government of Gujarat initiated a massive training programme to reorient over 5,00,000 state government employees and to strengthen the administrative machinery. Starting the unique initiative, Karmayogi Maha Abhiyan (Literally meaning a mega campaign to transform employees into sincere workers ), was all about harnessing the strengths of government employees and sensitizing them towards their accountability as public servants.

Gujarat took the efforts of training the (employees) karmacharis with self-motivation, communication skills, an empathetic response, a proactive attitude, cost consciousness, teamwork as no government employee ever had any formal training in these essential values of work. The Karmayogi Maha Abhiyan consists of Chintan Shibirs (refection workshops for profound thinking) as well as E-Governance. Chintan Shibirs are annual retreats for ministers and senior government officials for brainstorming, progress review, goal setting and developing a collective vision while V-Governance is a unique training initiative for Vibrant Governance through ‘change in mindset’. In addition to government officials, over 2.5 lac teachers too had undergone the karma yogi training. Over a period of time, Gujarat transformed an ‘asarkari’ (non-governmental) mode of functioning to become “asarkari” (effective) developing positive attitudes and citizen-friendly nature.

 

A)Political leadership with personal integrity and high degree of commitment to Development; B) Disaster management decision making competence; C) Responsive political leadership; D) Youthful and energetic) Innovative thoughts; F) Determination to implement; G)Astuteness; H) Skilled orator; I) Deft negotiator)Acceptability by the people; K) Lovable and affectionate; L)Across villages and cities; M)Ability to research spirits of economy, livelihood; N) Reconstruct infrastructure; O) Reorienting and reorganizing administrative structure; P) Identifying genuine needs of the citizens: a. Water, b. Education, c. Human resource development, d. Power-electricity e. Security sense condenser; Q) Good infrastructure – Physical and social (welfare schemes); R) Involving private sector 9crises, earthquake etc.) by persuasion; S) Attention to ports, roads, railways, LNG terminals, gas distribution, water distribution growth plans; T) Upgrading civic amenities – drainage etc., cleanliness, pollution-free; U) Tribal/backward classes special case; V) Teamwork and good work culture; W) Justice accelerated (evening courts); X )Application of high technology e-Governance; Y) Direct link with citizens; Z) Faith in “Good governance is good politics”. The bureaucracy was required to take into account all these factors while drafting the administrative mode.