Modi’s meet with the Pope might be poll-driven, but it can change how the world sees India

The Prime Minister is in Rome on a three-day visit to attend the G20 summit. Nevertheless, as always, it is an opportunity to make the right noises and further the national interest and some serious image building. This visit can already be termed as successful in the positive response the Prime Minister has garnered so far. In his address to the first session of the G20 first summit on “Global Economy Global Health”, he said that the world must fight it together and that India is ready to produce 5 billion vaccine doses by the end of next year. In his address, Narendra Modi invited G20 countries to make India their partner in their economic recovery. The Prime Minister also met several world leaders at one of what may be termed the main charms of G20 summits, as leaders can meet one-on-one on the sidelines and strike a personal rapport with one another. The meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong deserve a special mention. He also interacted with Italian counterpart Mario Draghi and held talks with US President Joe Biden. However, what would grab the headlines is Prime Minister Modi’s invitation to Pope Francis to visit India that has been well received even by the RSS that is conservative, to say the least, in its approach.

The right-wing Hindu organisation has welcomed the Prime Minister’s friendly gesture saying it is in line with the Indian tradition of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'. The Pope himself thanked the Prime Minister for the invite and said it is the biggest gift he could have received from him. This should somewhat help PM Modi to shun his Hindu hardliner approach that the world is wary of, especially as the Christian-majority Goa polls arrive. The Pope is likely to visit India after 20 long years. However, the Prime Minister’s invitation to the Pope seems largely driven by the electoral politics back home as Goa and Kerala that go to polls soon have a sizeable Christian population. It is still a welcome move, notwithstanding the ballot. Not that everything is going to change after this visit but an effort has been made in the right direction. India’s image has suffered in recent years for reasons that are beyond the scope of this piece. After the not-so-successful visit to the US recently, the Prime Minister must be a relieved man as he has been well received this time. A little change in perception and approach can change the way the world sees India.