Modi era: The tectonic shift in Indian politics and governance
Born poor but rising to become Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi’s life journey defines the power of Indian democracy. It was not mere chance that propelled Modi to the highest office but the consequence of years of hard work, service and sacrifices that prepared him for the long journey ahead. On October 7, he would complete 20 years as an elected head of government. The two decades of the Modi era stand out for the tectonic shift they have brought about in Indian politics and governance. AsChief Minister of Gujarat, he faced innumerable challenges but tackled them with steely determination and compassionate zeal. The first was the devastation caused by the earthquake in Gujarat. He took that as an opportunity to lay the foundation to transform Gujarat into a world-class investment destination. During his tenure as CM, Modi introduced governance reforms focused on deepening inclusion and enhancing accessibility through technology. Under the ‘SWAGAT’ initiative, he would interact with people once a month to resolve their issues. He would be joined by senior officers through video conferencing to ensure quick resolution of people’s grievances. The programme was recognized by the UN as one of the best initiatives to enable people to reach the government through technology. After assuming prime ministership, Modi launched a multi-purpose and multi-modal platform PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance And Timely Implementation). In each session, PM reviews the status of projects and schemes to resolve any lacunae.
As CM, he began spending three days every year in villages where literacy rates were low and encouraged people to send girls to school. The push for girl child’s education was further supported by his move to build separate toilets for girls in school on a massive scale. He launched the Jyotigram Yojna to push for a complete overhaul of the power sector in Gujarat. He set the target of 1000 days for 100 per cent electrification in all villages. In 2006, Gujarat was declared the first state to achieve 100 per cent village electrification. Post 2014, PM Modi found a bigger canvas to implement his vision for social transformation, making ‘Jan Andolan’ an integral part of his governance model. From Swachh Bharat Mission to India’s fight against Covid-19, his unique style of connecting with the masses is prevalent in all his flagship schemes and initiatives. On every front, Narendra Modi has walked the talk, both as the CM and now as the PM. From the time he took oath as the CM, he shunned politics of divisiveness and spoke of development for all. If Vibrant Gujarat Summit catapulted Gujarat as a cynosure of global investors, ‘Make in India’ affirmed India’s position in the global supply chain. During the pandemic, India displayed its rising prowess as it expanded its manufacturing capabilities to produce and export PPE kits, N95 masks and even came to the world’s rescue exporting essential medical supplies to those in need. In a post-pandemic world, global chains are being restructured and India finds itself in a sweet spot, having a government that is primarily focused on creating a conducive environment for manufacturing sector to flourish. As CM of Gujarat, Narendra Modi spent considerable amount of time in understanding the gaps within the system as well as the ground realities. He deep dived into every aspect of governance, only to bring out the most innovative, technology driven, holistic solution to overcome years of inertia that impeded progress. He put in practice more than a decade of learning as he took office at the Centre. It is his ‘tapasya’ of 20 years that is leading to a national reawakening to see India’s rise as a global powerhouse.
(The writer is a BJP MLA, Delhi Assembly, and former Leader of Opposition, Delhi. The views expressed are personal.)