Narendra Modi: The rise and rise of the reluctant leaderByShikhar Jiwrajka@shikharjiwrajka|May 03, 2014 3:06 AM|commentTags:BJP,Gujarat,Lok Sabha Elections 2014,Narendra Modi

Narendra Modiis one of those few politicians whose name when heard brings to mind several images the next Prime Minister, a mass murderer, a proven Chief Minister, and sometimes a person making tall claims. No other politician in Indian history after Independence has been scrutinised as severely as Modi. On the flip side, no Chief Minister has been loved so much that he is already being seen as the next Prime Minister even before the poll results have been declared. Standing brave, he has withstood all the wild allegations and false accusations against him.Modi hails from a poor background and now has become the Chief Minister ofGujaratfor a record fourth (thrice elected) time. Modi is controversys favourite child. Whatever he says or does, hes under immense scrutiny. Of all the possible candidates of the countrys next top job, Modi stands miles ahead of its opponents.So how does a small kid belonging to a poor family with no background, manage to scale so high in his life?

ChildhoodNarendra Modi was born on 17thSeptember, 1950 to Damodardas Modi and Heeraben. Little did they know that their son would ever be vying for the countrys top post. Modi was the third child in the family of six. He used to work at a tea stall with his father in his hometown, Mehsana in Gujarat. Modi, is known to be patriotic since his childhood. As a 15-year-old he used to serve the soldiers in transit at railway stations during the Indo-Pak War in 1965. At 17, he volunteered to serve the flood victims of Gujarat at that time. His teachers remarks about him werent exemplary but interesting; an average student but a keen debater. Modi started his journey into politics right from his childhood days. He began his political journey when he joined the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) in his late teens and later became a full-timepracharak(propagator).

A Born LeaderNarendra Modi had this quality from the very beginning. It was seen when he became the leader of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) students union, in his student life. He played a major role in eradicating anti-corruption in Gujarat in the 80s. He lead many activities during those times and his leadership abilities made him rise to such prominence that he was endorsed by the BJP in the late 1987 where he effectively made his party win the Gujarat assembly elections in late 1990s.Narendra Modi rose to prominence when he successfully organised Ekta Yatra for Murli Manohar Joshi a veteran BJP leader. It is believed that it was Modis electoral strategy, that made BJP successful in the 1995 and 1998 Gujarat state election campaigns.

The Chief MinisterNarendra Modi is termed as a decisive leader. His decision-making quality is what Gujarat is reaping fruits from. One such instance would highlight this personality trait. There was infighting in the BJP in late 90s which were damaging the partys image in Gujarat. Allegations on former Gujarat chief minister Keshubhai Patel were spoiling BJPs hopes to be re-elected. L K Advani proposed Modis name as the next face of Gujarat, but he was reluctant as Modi was inexperienced. Later, he along with Atal Bihari Vajpayee decided that Narendra Modi should be made the next Deputy Chief Minister. Modi had then informed the head honchos of BJP that he was going to be fully responsible for Gujarat or not at all. He was then appointed as the 14thChief Minister of Gujarat in 2001 and was the face of the party for the elections in December, 2002.Godhra riotsIt is said that 2002 Godhra riots remain to be a blot on his otherwise illustrious career. A section of the media has been gunning after him since then and almost every national as well as regional party wants him to apologise for the riots.Modi determinedly says, Agar Modi gunehgar hai toh usey faansi par chadha do. Aise gunaah ki koi maafi nahi(If Modi is guilty he should be hanged and should not be pardoned for his crime.Due to pressure from the opposition in the parliament and also from his party leaders he had to resign and the assembly dissolved. In the very next elections held in 2002, Modi emerged victorious and won the election with flying colours (127 seats). Since then there has been no looking back.

Second chanceAfter winning the elections in 2002, Modi took Gujarat to a whole new level. Be it development in infrastructure, electricity, agriculture, helping small scale and large businesses grow or the tourism sector. The state, which had witnessed riots and curfew every other month in the past hasnt witnessed any tension in the last 10 years. Villages which were deprived of basic necessities like water, food, shelter, and electricity; he made sure that most of the villages and people anywhere in his state are satisfied now and that their demands are fulfilled.His development model took Gujarat to new heights. There is no village in Gujarat without electricity. For the Rann of Kutch, which was rotting earlier, he made various water conservation policies which now helps people earn their bread through tourism. Every village in Gujarat has a broadband connection.Modi made sure that Gujarat is seen as investment friendly destination on his second term. His decision to drop the aggressive VHP leader Praveen Togadia from his cabinet and demolishing 200 illegal temples shows his other side.

PersonaNarendra Modi is currently the Chief Minister of Gujarat, successfully running his third term. People often refer him as NaMo or Narendra Bhai.Modi in his words is a Hindu Nationalist. He is fierce, combative, and robust; one who carries his heart on his sleeves. His self-proclaimed Chappan-Inch-ka-Seena image augurs well with the public. His favourite dialogue Mere 6 Crore Gujarati is loved by many and is criticized equally. There have been many controversies because of his straight forward, no nonsense charismatic outlook.Contrary to this, Modi is known to be workaholic. He is a nature loving person whose favourite pastime is writing poems. Modi is a vegetarian and is also known to be a yoga loving person. It is been told that he has also done a course of Public Relations and Image Making in the US for three months in his earlier days.

His remark, If someone else is driving a car and were sitting behind, even then if a puppy comes under the wheel, will it be painful or not? Of course it is. If I am a chief minister or not, I am a human being. If something bad happens anywhere, it is natural to be sad, created a furore among the political parties with many asking for his apology.On the other side his remark, I will make India such a place that Americans would queue up for an Indian visa, shows his nationalist-cum-visionary outlook of a man whose vying to make India the next top bastion of development.There is always a sword of the Godhra Riots, which keeps hanging over his head. Political parties have since 2002 sought for an apology from him.Women in Gujarat absolutely adore Modi. Hes been a sex symbol there. The ratio of women to men in his meetings is higher than any politician in the state.

The image makeoverBe it Japan, United Kingdom or South Korea, representatives from these and other countries have come and praised his development model. Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal or John Abraham, everyones view about Modi has been very positive.Last year, when British High Commissioner, James Bevan sat down with Modi to discuss business and investment in a remarkable meeting, it ended the 10-year diplomatic ban imposed on him by the United Kingdoms government in failing to stop riots.Another instance of Nancy Powell from United States raised a lot of eyebrows when she met Modi at his residence ending a 9-year boycott.Man of Glorious pastsDespite being acquitted by the several Special Investigation Teams (SITs) in 2007, 2010 and 2012 appointed by the Supreme Court, hes still been kindled with the false accusations of involvement in Godhra riots.

The Ground RealityNarendra Modi has created a spot for himself in almost every second Indian heart. People see him as a hope that would dislodge the existing corrupt system; a man who would abolish all the ill planned policies of the existing government; cOn the flip side, Modi has had the sharpest of critics, ridiculing him for even the smallest mistakes/lapses. The opposition parties have always maintained that Modi is a man of dreams; a blatant liar and someone who has false claims in reality.He was termed as a Merchant of Death by Sonia Gandhi, in a run up to state elections in 2002.There was a recent controversy of Modi backing out of an online talk show held on Facebook; but it should be known that Modi was the first Indian politician to opt for online chatting (Google Hangout) with citizens way back in 2012. On one side, hes the most liked politician on Facebook and also has the maximum followers on Twitter; and on the other side the social media hasnt been far behind in lambasting Modi, calling him names like Feku a person who fakes.

Official Prime Ministerial CandidateAfter a lot of hullabaloo Narendra Modi was made the opposition partys prime ministerial candidate last year in September. His Vision 272+ has been actively raising his party workers morale. People in record numbers have been attending his rallies across the nation. Meanwhile when all the government ministers are accusing him of being a communalist, Modi says, India first, is my definition of secularism.Now when the country is facing political unrest (anti-incumbency) and theres an atmosphere of complete corruption and falsehood everywhere, India needs a leader with a dynamic personality, and Modi fits the bill very well. Another possible PM candidate, Rahul Gandhi who lacks vision and leadership, has a tough task in these elections.Being a great orator, Modi has to know that his remarks could be a backlash to his developmental image. I am known to be a Hindutva leader. My image does not permit to say so, but I dare to say. My real thought is Pehle shauchalaya, phir devalaya (toilets first, temple later), he said. The sentiment was right, but the timing of such statements did backfire.

Will he become the Prime Minister?Despite all the controversies around him, Narendra Modi is the most favoured politician-to-be-prime minister in India. His mega rallies indicate his popularity. Although a certain section of the society would dislike Modi being the next PM, people of different age groups have been yearning to see him hoisting the Indian Flag on 15thAugust 2014 at the Red Fort.WithRahul Gandhivirtually out of the race, willArvind Kejriwalbe the game changer or will Modi withstand another hurdle and become the countrys next Prime Minister, is to be seen in the next couple of weeks.Modi and a large number of people may have moved on from 2002, but his critics have not. Vested interests in keeping Muslims as their vote banks, theyve ensured that their old wounds remain raw.10 unknown and interesting facts about Narendra Modi are:#1:Putting Gujarat in the World MapGandhinagar has been termed as the Greenest Capital City in whole Asia. Under his reign as Chief Minister, Surat has become the fastest growing city in theworld. Gujarat is now the favorite choice for many business establishments beating many other contemporary states who are still coping with internal problems to support new establishments.#2:World Bank10 years back Gujarat had a huge loan of almost 50,000 crores on itself from the World Bank but now it has deposited 1 lakh crore in the World Bank which proves his credibility as a Chief Minister and how well he is leading the state towards success and overall development.#3:His Reign as Chief MinisterGujarat has bagged the award of the 2ndbest state in the world by UN in the year 2010. Another important and most relevant feature that Narendra Modi has been able to provide is the security of women in his state. When every state is fighting their own devils within the society Narendra Modi has gifted a safe land for the women in his state by providing strict law and order to safeguard the women making it the 2ndleast crime against women among all other states.#4:HobbiesModi loves writing poetry during his leisure time and also has published some of books written by him. He also loves photography and had held one exhibition showcasing his collections of photographs clicked by him.#5:Mr. PopularNarendra Modi is the 2ndmost followed Indian leader on Twitter just after Shashi Tharoor. He is very popular with women in his states and that his evident during the rallies where he is followed by women more than men.

#6:SecularHe has ordered to demolish many Hindu temples which dont have proper government sanction and he is also admired by many Muslims of his state. But he is not much loved by the Muslim communities as it is said that he did not do anything to control 2002 Gujarat riot in which many innocent Muslims were killed, the riot took place under his ministry but he never apologized for it.#7:Political styleHe is largely influenced by the leadership style of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and is a fan and follower of Swami Vivekananda and his principles.#8:LanguageHe has a strong hold on each language that he speaks. He can speak in Gujarati that is his mother tongue,Hindifluently although is not much fluent inEnglish. He is a good orator and this may contribute to the fact that he has taken training for three months in the US on public relations and image management.#9:Teenaged ModiAs a teenager he ran away to the Himalayas and stayed there for 2 years with the yogic sadhus and studied Hindutva.#10:Modi and his MotherHe takes the blessing of his mother before starting any new venture.

Indians have chosen Narendra Modi'sBharatiya Janata Party (BJP)in ahistoric landslide victorythat unseated the ruling Indian National Congress party and signifies the return of a single-party majority.Modi will soon be at the helm ofthe world's largest democracy and an economic powerhouse.He has received criticism from many people, including writerSalman Rushdieand Harvard University professorHomi Bhabha,among others, in ajoint statement against his candidacy.But who is this charismatic but polemic leader? What does he stand for? There arethings that are important to know, and not all of them bad. 1. He is controversial for his role in the 2002 Gujarat riotsModi was chief minister of the state of Gujarat in 2002 whenriots broke outin the city of Godhra after a train carrying Hindus was burnt down as it was coming from the holy city of Ayodhya in North India. In the ensuring Hindi-Muslim violence, between 900 and 2,000 people were killed, predominantly Muslim.Modi, a Hindu nationalist, reportedly expressed satisfaction after the dismal events of 2002. His only regret was that hedid not handle the news media better, according to the New York Times.Though he has been cleared by thecourts of India, some still believe he allowed the Gujarat riots to rage on. Senior police officer in the Gujarat intelligence bureau Sanjiv Bhatt alleges thatModi told officials that the Muslim communityneeded to be taught a lesson.2. He may prove to have a positive impact on the economyModi's win is expected toimprove trade with the United Statesand boost the Indian economy. After interviewing 68,500 voters before and after the elections, a group ofresearchersfrom the University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Endowment and India's Lok Foundation reported that 57 percent of interviewees mentioned economic issues as most important.As chief minister of Gujarat, he oversaw the rapid industrialization of once sleepy areas, a feat he says he wants to replicate elsewhere in India.Modi has used his successes in Gujarat as election leverage, holding up the Gujarat model to differentiate himself, as news siteLive Mintreported.If the 2002 riots hurt his campaign, the economic angle helped boost him back up.As Rajeev Malik, a Singapore-based economist, said in aFinancial Timescolumn:It is not as if the 2002 [Gujarat riots] blot has been wiped out; it is just that the broader current urgency of economic well-being has overtaken a dated tragedy.3. His track record on women's issues may be lackingWill the role of women improve under a Modi lead government? In an article for the Hindu Centre for Politics and Public Policy,Hardeep Dhilloncriticized bothcandidates for seeing women through the lens of safety, security and education. She argued Modi specifically sees women as passive:women are imagined to behave, think, and perform in uniformity and their politics are established prior to their emergence on the political landscape. As a result, Indian women are stripped of the very political agency Mr. Modi claims to advocate for, rendering them as passive rather than active political actors.The author also raised concerns about thecontrast between Modis vocal condemnations of the rape culture that led to the 2012 Delhi gang rape and his silence on the treatment of Muslim and minority women in his state. His secret wife Modi had presented himself as a bachelor until this election cycle has also caused some to question his treatment of women.4. He maintains an anti-immigrant stanceAsignificant numberof Bangladeshis have migrated to India in the past decade to reunite with family members, for job opportunities, and to escapeenvironmentalcrises, among other reasons. The wave of people has prompted India to step up security along its border with Bangladesh, including installing barbed-wire fences.If Modi has his way, he would send all theundocumented Bangaldeshi immigrantsback. In a speech on April 28, 2014, Modithreatened:I want to warn from here, brothers and sisters write down, that after May 16, will send these Bangladeshis beyond the border with their bags and baggages.The reaction to Modi's speech on social media showed people are listening. Posts under the#deportbangladeshishashtag made it to at the top of Twitter's trend list in India.5. His past religious fervor sets a questionable example for a secular IndiaModi was a youth member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh(RSS), a right-wing, volunteer Hindu nationalist group, and describes himself as aHindu nationalist. In contrast to his youth as an RSS member, Modi has recently said he does not believe individing voters along religious lines.Yet some still worry his election doesn't bode well for religious tolerance.AsSunny Hundalwrote in an opinion piece for CNN:The broader context is that India is seeing arising tide of intolerancewhipped up by Hindu nationalist groups that haveforced books to be banned,intimidated journalistsandthreatened peoplefor criticizing their leaders.French Political ScientistChristophe Jaffrelot, in an interview withScroll.in, alleged:Plan A for Modi is to succeed on the economic front, and if that does not work then emphasising on Hindutva politics may be an important Plan B.Indian author Pankaj Mishra painted a particularly dark picture inThe Guardian, sayingModi's election means a new turbulent phase for the country arguably, the most sinister since its independence from British rule in 1947.For his part, Modi hasmaintainedhe speaks to all of India, regardless of religion:For the nation my mantra is 125 crore Indians. Hindu, Muslim, Christians The country had enough of all these terminologies. The new terminologies will be youth, poor, farmer, village, city, education.

Narendra Damodardas Modi, probably the next Prime Minister ofIndiain making if media polls are to be believed, is someone whom you can eitherloveor hate but can never ignore totally. He was elected as the Chief Minister of Gujarat for 3 consecutive years overcoming all the campaigning that was done against him by the media. As a politician he has to maintain an image but apart from that there are someinteresting factsabout Narendra Modi which the common masses are unaware of.