one needs to revolutionise the prevailing settings in order to be remembered as a great leader. what narendra modi has done or achieved to date isn’t anything extraordinary. he was blessed with oil prices at their historical low, and although such initiatives as mudra and skill india are promising, these are not enough to earn the prime minister the tag of ‘a great reformer’ or to bring the promised socio-economic progress.
what lacks is the will to alter the political landscape of india that is inundated with dishonest and prejudiced politicians. to form governments in states, the bjp not only welcomed goons but also has compromised the ideals of good governance. present bjp leaders not only publicly endorse accused and convicted men, they also try to make a hero out of them only to gain electoral support. unless politics of country is rid of vested interests, no reform can sustain in the medium and long run.
second, india’s public sector space is riddled with lackadaisical attitude of staffers and their want for kickbacks in return of favours. be it police, bank officials, psu staffers or government contractors, the sense of impunity and privilege, coupled with fixed tenure and relatively high salaries, has taken over the sense of dutifulness and this has resulted in continued suppression of human rights and even oppression of faith and caste minorities.
even after 4 years of modi-rule at the centre and with more than 20 states under direct or indirect rule of the party, no government department or organization could be purged of corruption and lack of sense of duty. the country where stringent rules and laws were required to rein in corrupt officials, the government diluted the anti-corruption act to the detriment of the common man.
in almost every other crime, there is some involvement of a politician or a government official, either by being directly complicit or by not responding to the wrongdoing when necessary. as if this wasn’t enough, the bjp’s unwanted stress on protection of cows and other chauvinistic elements have provided the local level elements with enough ammunition to target the already suppressed classes, be it the poor, women or caste or faith minority.
yes, narendra modi may not have any vested interests and may be completely patriotic and duty-bound. but for him to go down in history as a truly reformist leader, he needs to initiate a program to clean up indian polity and state institutions. else, all his schemes and policy actions- which already aren’t producing projected outcomes due to inept implementation- will end up being yet-another failed promise by a past prime minister.
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