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Brand Modi sells what buyer wants
Narendra Modi seems to have struck a chord with youngsters by riding on a wave of college canteen one-liners, management evangelism usually found in self-help books, national pride and a blackout of unpleasant home truths. On a day when BJP president Rajnath Singh was reiterating BJP’s “commitment” to the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya, the BJP’s Hindutva posterboy from Gujarat stuck to development as his mantra while addressing the students of Shri Ram College of Commerce in Delhi. Surely, the controversial chief minister, who is seen as a presumptive prime-ministerial candidate of BJP, knew what would sell among such an audience. He knowingly kept away from politics and harped on development and progress. He emphasised that India needed better work culture and also better branding, something he himself does very well. JS ACHARYA, Hyderabad
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With Narendra Modi’s over-75 minute address to the students of the Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), another aspect came to the fore — ‘Modi — vational’. Once again NaMo proved that he is a good politician and an equally good salesman. Hence, whatever he speaks a half-truth or a half-lie sounds true. One main point in his speech was the absence of a reference to Hindutva, though his party president Rajnath Singh has re-ignited the issue of Ram temple.
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Modi’s speech was only about good governance and pro-people policies. Not to forget that Gujarat lags behind a number of Indian states like Maharashtra and most of the southern states in terms of economy, infrastructure and social equality. Maharashtra and Bihar have a higher growth rate than Gujarat. Gujarat was a progressive and innovative Indian state even before Independence, but it is the beauty of Modi how he has manoeuvred the credit and convinced the people. BIDYUT KUMAR CHATTERJEE, Faridabad Progress or regress? Written word, stage performances, cinema, etc are different hues of art. Therefore, thinkers, artistes, performers, etc need a free, wide and open field to flourish and multiply. The kernel idea of Aristotle’s poetics is that art purges and cleanses the mental psyche. All this, if the same is not ‘policed’. Without getting into the rigmarole of what was right or wrong, in 2012 and 2013 it could be said that the atmosphere pervading the art world was unconducive for a salutary conclusion. Rushdie was banned last year and Ashis Nandy bore the brunt this time around. Normally, when great minds clash, the yield enriches the literary world. During the reign of Henry VIII, William Tyndule, who faultered on account of daring to translate the holy Bible from Latin to English was captured in Antwerp and executed as a heretic. By then, 50,000 copies of the New Testament had been produced, inspiring numerous translations later. His translation facilitated the ‘authorised version’ of the Bible in the reign of James I. Progress or regress is the moot point, the rest depends on how the civil society reacts. VIK SHARMA, Jalandhar Future investment Education is the most important investment the country can make today, a point that has been very rightly emphasised in the editorial ‘Leaning for future’ (February 7). Education, the most important and valuable component of our national assets, has always been ignored by our policy makers. It is high time our government recognises the potential of higher education as a future investment. Measures taken now to bring qualitative change in the curriculum, infrastructure and human component in education will certainly pay rich dividends later. Public Private Partnership in higher education should also be explored. Dr V K ANAND, Patiala
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