Russian President Vladimir Putin’s lavish praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is only the latest from world leaders who have time and again spoken highly of Modi’s policies like ‘India First’, ‘Digital India’, ‘Make in India’ and his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic or his actions on climate change.
“PM Modi’s policy of putting ‘India First’ has ensured that in the interests of Indian citizens, be it at home or abroad, every step is taken, every partner is engaged and no stone is left unturned. His personal and dynamic relations with many global leaders have ensured that India has robust relations with foreign nations even when they may not be on friendly terms with each other,” officials said.
They pointed out how Modi evoked wholesome praise from former US Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump and even the current President Joe Biden.
In a QUAD meeting closed to the public, Biden praised the PM for his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and said his success has shown the world that democracies can deliver. Obama, for his part, listed out how Modi’s life story – from poverty to Prime Minister— reflects the dynamism and potential of India’s rise. “Modi, the statesman, has achieved positive results from events as diverse as the Howdy Modi with Trump in the USA or the Mamallapuram summit with Chinese Premier Xi Jinping. Or for that matter, a summit like the one in Vladivostok with Putin,” the officials said. In Covid times, India supplying vaccines to scores of countries across the globe has enhanced both India and Modi’s standing in the world.
“During the lockdown, it was Modi’s dynamic relations with world leaders that led to the establishment of safety bubbles between India and other nations and enabled the Modi Government to bring back Indians stranded abroad under the Vander Bharat Mission,” officials pointed out.
One of Modi’s “close” friends, late Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, had commended his strong initiatives such as ‘Make in India,’ ‘Digital India,’ ''Skill India,'' ''Clean India'' and ''Smart City Mission''. Abe committed US$12 billion to Modi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative that aims to transform India into a global design, manufacturing, and export hub.
Boris Johnson, the former UK Prime Minister, had at the COP 26 Summit last year singled out Modi for the job of uniting the world to tackle climate change.
“There is one guy who particularly knows how to do that, who shares that agenda and who understands that a single hour of sunshine provides enough energy to power the whole human activity on earth for a year – the one man who understands that so well and has achieved absolutely extraordinary things in his own country of India, is the Prime Minister of India – there is One Sun, One World, One Grid and One Narendra Modi,” he had said.
It is Modi who has been the pioneer of the International Solar Alliance. The officials also cited how Emmanuel Macron, the President of France at the United Nations General Assembly praised Modi’s approach and his ‘not an era of war’ message to Putin. If former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett termed him as “the most popular man in Israel” invited him to join his party, in the neighbourhood Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina has expressed her “thanks” to Modi for getting Bangladeshi students evacuated from Ukraine.
In fact, Imran Khan, the former Pakistan PM has time and again cited India’s “independent” foreign policy and his zero tolerance for corruption.
“Today, India has a policy of Multi-alignment. In west Asia, PM Modi encourages cooperation with Iran while simultaneously engaging Saudi Arabia, Israel and also, Palestine.
“Similarly, it was a result of this ‘India First’ Policy that Modi pushed for setting up hotlines with the Presidents of Russia and Ukraine even while conflict raged between the two nations since he wanted to ensure the safety of Indians stranded in Ukraine.