G R O U N D   Z E R O

In the 100 days that he has been in power Modi comes across as focused, confident, hardworking, diligent, tough and unafraid to speak his mind. So far, so good.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day speech sought to reach out to all. Photo: Mukesh Aggarwal

Just before he left for Japan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with his penchant for rhyming slogans, told visiting Japanese journalists: "While Japan is the land of the rising sun, India is the land of the shining sun." Lest it be mistaken for the "India-shining" campaign line that saw NDA 1.0 crash to defeat in 2004, Modi clarified that he meant given India’s tropical climate the sun was always shining and kept the country warm. After close to 100 days as Prime Minister, Modi, who heads NDA 2.0, could now claim that he is on his way to making India the land of the ‘smiling sun’.

After a seemingly slow start, which saw concerns sprout about his ability to deliver, Modi has gathered momentum in the past month, even coming out blazing. On the economy, the Jan Dhan scheme to ensure that every Indian household has a bank account with a debit card by 2015 would, as Modi put it, "end the financial untouchability of the poor." It is not clear though what the terms are for the promised overdraft provision.

The Jan Dhan scheme would lay the base for implementing Modi’s dream of a digital India, including facilitating direct cash transfers of subsidy that UPA II had pushed for under the Aadhar programme. By announcing in his Independence Day Address that he would also be focusing on providing toilets for schoolchildren, particularly girls, he touched a chord with the aam admi that would be the envy of Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP. Modi also abrogated another AAP plank: corruption. He made it clear to his Cabinet ministers and party men that he would not tolerate graft, stating famously: "Na khayenge, na khane denge" (Neither will I take bribe, nor let others do so).

On manufacturing, he set the tone with his "Come, make in India" call by raising the ceiling of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in railway to 100 per cent and defence and insurance from 26 per cent to 49 per cent, but sent a clear signal, particularly to the defence sector, that the era of blind imports was over. By insisting on co-development, co-production and offsets, Modi was building the base for the domestic industry to develop indigenous capability and subsequently even export equipment.

On foreign policy, Modi startled everyone by inviting SAARC heads of state, including Pakistan, for his swearing-in ceremony. He bolstered his "neighbours first" policy by making visits to Bhutan and Nepal in quick succession. He was decisive in calling off talks with Pakistan when he found it crossing the red lines, and opposing the WTO’s trade facilitation agreement despite criticism. By choosing Japan for his first bilateral visit outside the neighbourhood, he sent a not-so-subtle signal to China that he was not averse to seriously examining Shinzo Abe’s proposal of forming a Democratic Diamond Quadrant of Japan, India, Australia and the US to protect the maritime commons in the region. With the Chinese President visiting India in mid-September and Modi going to the US for a bilateral visit by end of the month, he has a chance to show the big boys of the world that he means business.

In the short span that he has been in power Modi comes across as focused, confident, hardworking, diligent, tough and unafraid to speak his mind eloquently. Many of his ideas like creating smart cities and industrial corridors may have already been enunciated by the UPA, but Modi has shown far greater determination and skill in having them implemented as quickly as possible.

That the mood of the nation is positive and hopeful is apparent. The country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 5.7 per cent in the quarter ending June 2014, making it the highest in any quarter since 2012. It is too early though to break out into a cheer. Given the erratic monsoon, which may affect overall agricultural production, the next quarter’s results may not be so buoyant. But the stock market remained bullish and the BSE Sensex soared to new heights breaching 26,000 points last week.

Yet despite the sunny smiles, there are plenty of clouds that Modi would have to dispel before he can truly shine. Heading the negatives is allowing the idea of India to be steadily hijacked by some of his extreme saffron compatriots without ticking them off. Modi may have called for a 10-year moratorium on communal conflict but many of his party colleagues find it difficult to even observe a 10-day restraint on their prejudices.

The other major issue is providing jobs for the country’s burgeoning unemployed in a hurry. While Modi announced major plans for a ‘Skilled India’, which is good in itself, he needs to give a major push to manufacturing, particularly in the BJP’s holy cow sectors like organised retail, to generate employment for the young. Overall though, Modi is off to a flying start and that is good for India.

raj@tribuneindia.com