Modi: The New Gandhi!
PM Modi’s ‘Gandhi tactic’ is working well for him meanwhile resulting in creating a global influence and building an international reputation for him as one of the strongest world leaders and a phenomenal global icon.
Perhaps, Gandhi’s life was so impressive that it inspired even people who had never met him. Whether it was Martin Luther King Jr. or Nelson Mandela, their beliefs were heavily influenced by Mahatma Gandhi’s vision.
Today, we tend to live in an associate degree era of ‘How to Impress’ however Gandhiji’s vision was – ‘How to Inspire’. And Modi Ji is downright on the path to outdo Gandhi Ji’s popularity by leveraging ‘The Father of the Nation’ himself. Critics accuse Prime Minister Narendra Modi of opportunistically appropriating the legacy of the Mahatma Gandhi and twisting it in favour of his popularity.
Modi is setting his foot into Father of the Nation’s shoes, propagating his ideas and walking up his path trying to match his vision with that of the Mahatma Gandhi. All this whilst boosting his popularity as a global leader.
India, on 2nd October 2019, marked the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth. Gandhi Jayanti 2019 ceremonies kicked off last year, with the formation of an anniversary executive committee chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and are set to end on October 2, 2020. The official 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi spans two years.
ONE GREAT VISIONARY TO ANOTHER ONE
Since he came to power in 2014, Modi has gone out of the way to appropriate the legacy and symbolism of the 20th century’s best-known icons of peace and tolerance.
A new mega memorial in the Indian state of Gujarat marking Gandhi’s 1930 Salt March features paeans to the current prime minister, including a backlit panel hails “a monumental tribute from one great visionary to another” while another congratulates “SHRI NARENDRA MODI, The Visionary Architect of Mahatma Mandir”.
At a book launch on Gandhi, for instance, then culture minister, Mahesh Sharma, said the country was “fortunate to have another Gandhiji in the form of our prime minister”.
MODI’S SWACHH BHARAT CAMPAIGN – AN ODE TO GANDHI
On October 2, 2014, Narendra Modi launched the Swachh Bharat mission. Modi’s clean India campaign is inspired by and a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th anniversary.
PM Modi’s several speeches, programs, and schemes reflect Gandhi’s vision and ideologies. PM Modi is not just a follower of Gandhi but a doer and in many ways capturing the global audience through Gandhi’s legacy and fame.
MODI’s UN ADDRESS ( TRIBUTE TO GANDHI)
On September 25, 2019, Modi said Bapu’s vision, reforms, and teachings are very relevant even today and that Gandhi’s principles “act as a guide to protecting humanity”
PM Modi was speaking at the ‘Leadership Matters: Relevance of Gandhi in Temporary Times’. The event was organised by the Indian mission to the UN in New York to commemorate Gandhi’s 150th anniversary.
While addressing the UN, PM Modi said:
“In the last five years, we have given priority to people’s participation. Whether it is Swachh Bharat Abhiyan or Digital India, people are now leading these campaigns themselves.”
SUCH POPULARITY WAS SEEN SECOND TIME IN HISTORY
“Gandhiji was an Indian, but he did not just belong to India,” said PM Modi at an event.
Modi is talked a lot about his frequent foreign travels. So practically, even Modi is an Indian who does not just belong to India. [Pun intended].
This year, Modi addressed a wide Indian diaspora at the Howdy Modi event in Houston, Texas, USA. The NRG Stadium in Houston was packed with 50,000+ people.
The Howdy Modi rally in Houston witnessed a glimpse of Modi-Gandhi popularity, a Modi supporter came dressed as Gandhi — khadi cloth and rimmed glasses — told journalists, “Modi and Gandhi are the same. They are saints, fakirs.”
MODI, GANDHI AND THE FILM FRATERNITY
In an event organised in October 2019, at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, PM Modi released four cultural videos, marking the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
Actors Shahrukh Khan and Aamir Khan lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his initiative to give the responsibility of popularising Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals to the film industry.
PM Modi, on 19th October, interacted with the members of the creative and entertainment world on the ways to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
“Several people from the world of films and television have been doing great work when it comes to popularising the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi,” PM Modi said.
The event was attended by a wide range of members belonging to the Indian film and entertainment industry including – Aamir Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Rajkumar Hirani, Kangana Ranaut, Anand L Rai, SP Balasubrahmanyam, Sonam Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Sonu Nigam, Ekta Kapoor, and other bigger dignitaries attended the event.
Extolling Mahatma Gandhi’s efforts to bring about social reform in India, PM Modi said, “Mahatma Gandhi pioneered a social system that did not depend on the government.”
GANDHI’S SELF-RELIANCE MODI’S NOW POWER TOOL
Addressing the United Nations assembly event — ‘Leadership Matters’ on 25, 2019 PM Modi spoke expansively about Mahatma Gandhi’s policy of self-reliance. Using this in a crafty manner Modi reiterated that Mahatma Gandhi showed the direction in which people should not depend on governance and become self-reliant.
Apart from mentioning Mahatma Gandhi’s values and their self-reliance relevance in the current scenario, PM Modi thanked the UN for issuing a special commemorative stamp on the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
TRUMP’S MODI-GANDHI MIX UP
US President Donald Trump in Modi’s recent US visit told reporters:
“I remember India before was very torn. There was a lot of dissension; fighting and he [Modi] brought it all together. Like a father would. Maybe he is the father of India.” This mix-up of Modi Gandhi’s popularity is strange, isn’t it?
THE IMPACT OF GANDHI ON MODI AND HIS POPULARITY
Highlighting the impact of Mahatma Gandhi in the present day, PM said that “if there is one thought, one person, who can establish a connect with people all over the world, it is Gandhiji”. PM Modi is projecting himself on the same lines.
DRAWING SIMILARITIES BETWEEN GANDHI AND MODI, ONE OF A SAME KIND
One man changed our entire nation; Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi instrumented India into attaining its full freedom from the British govt about 70 years ago. Fast forward to 2019, another man is disrupting the lines on which India would operate.
It is only the first time in India after its independence that India has seen such strong leadership at the top brass with humongous popularity.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the only PM until now that has won two-consecutive terms at the Lok Sabha with single-majority. Downright from striking down the counterfeit economy at one stroke to brining-in an entire tax-reform to the nation, Narendra Modi is disrupting the face of ‘new India’.
Gandhi’s struggle for freedom in many ways is inspiring that changed the leap of time and the Nation’s fortune.
Undoubtedly Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the most popular leader in present-day India who has come from the masses and rose to popularity because of his hard work dedication and spotless political career.
Narendra Modi perhaps is rated as one of the best Prime ministers India has ever seen because of his sheer hard work commitment and vision.
His vision for a modern and strong India compounded with tough and pragmatic decisions in national interest places him on a pedestal where very few political leaders can aspire or even aim to reach.
His ability to connect to the masses because of his extraordinary oratory skills and his charisma adds on to his popularity.
PM MODI ONE OF MOST POPULAR LEADER IN PRESENT DAY INDIA
Undoubtedly Prime Minister Narendra Modi is one of the most popular leaders in present-day India. He has come from the masses and rose to popularity because of his hard work dedication and spotless political career.
His vision for a modern and strong India compounded with tough and pragmatic decisions in the national interest has placed him on a pedestal were very few political leaders can aspire to reach.
Well, time alone will answer this question. But the fact remains that Modi has become an ICON of modern India and is emerging as a popular global leader in the international arena because of the dynamic initiatives taken by his government in the last few years.
The Jan Dhan Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana have benefited millions of Indians in rural India and are rated as some of the best schemes. Aadhaar for direct bank transfer scheme and Ayushman Bharat for health care for the poorest of the poor are some beneficial schemes for the poor masses.
India’s firm stand on a large number of international issues such as Paris climate agreement or border disputes with china or countering global terrorism has added on to the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He has acquired a towering status globally.
