WASHINGTON: Riding on the Wharton episode and the US government’s continued ban on his entry to America, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi sought to expand his outreach among non-resident Indians, particularly in America, saying secularism for him meant “India first”. And, in what seemed a reply to his critics on the Godhra riots of 2002, he said people would forgive the “mistakes” of a government if it served them well.
In a live 50-minute address from India on Sunday morning, organized by the Overseas Friends of BJP, Modi talked up his achievements in Gujarat, spoke about the loss of India’s economic momentum in the last 6-7 years and pledged to propel the country to the front again in the race for 21st century leadership, although he did not specifically mention any national role for himself.
Modi did not refer to any of the hot button issues that haunt his fans — the continued American ban on his entry to the US, the Wharton episode in which the business school rescinded an invitation for a keynote address, or indeed the riots in Gujarat that in the eyes of many has stained his stewardship of the state. Instead, he spoke at length of the economic advances made in Gujarat under his leadership and of the work that remains to be done.
“When we get a mandate of five years, we must work on that and serve people selflessly. If we do that then people will forgive our mistakes as well,” Modi said.
Gujarat, he maintained, continued to grow in the face of national and international recession and downturn, because of good governance and efficiency. When people discussed Gujarat, it was always with reference to its economic development, he said, making light of the communal issues that are sought to be highlighted by his critics.
In one oblique reference to his travails on this front, Modi said, “‘Whatever you do, wherever you work, India should be the top priority for all its citizens. Country is above all religions and ideologies. Nothing less than India’s well-being should be our goal. And if this happens, secularism will automatically run in our blood,” the man seen in some quarters as a potential Indian prime minister said.
Aside broad generalities, there was little specificity in economic proposals from the Gujarat chief minister in his much-touted address to NRIs which was scheduled before the Wharton fiasco but took on a higher profile after the controversial episode. It was difficult to estimate how many NRIs watched the live broadcast, considering it took place at 6.30am on a weekend that involved time change as much of the US had to “spring forward” by an hour. But the 51-minute video of the address was quickly uploaded on social media networks to let Modi’s fans and critics watch it at leisure and scrap over it as they are wont to do.
The archly nationalist leader prefaced his address with a lengthy preamble on mahashivratri, the Hindu festival, mixing tradition, folklore and mythology in a transparent appeal to his constituency. There was no reference to India’s minorities in his address. The closest he came to offering any specific economic ideas was to encourage the Gujarati diaspora to help drum up tourism in a state that boasted of Somnath, Dwarka, Porbandar, 1600km of coastline and the lions of Gir forest.
”Gujaratis are best tourists but Gujarat was never a tourist destination,” Modi said in the only line he delivered in English in a Hindi speech.
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