Modi: From Enigma to Phenomenon

Prabin Kumar Padhy

(prabin.padhy@gmail.com)

Enigma' literally means mysterious or difficult to understand. And this is the notion the people opposing Prime Minister Narendra Modi have been trying to propagate across many media and social media platforms. Their idea was to create an image of Modi that is critical, mysterious, secretive and villainous in front of the people of India. Some even termed him as a fashion-loving socialite who loves party-hopping and travelling. While Modi was solidifying India's position globally, people back home used to term him as a professional hugger who will sometimes pounce on foreign heads of states and give them bear hugs.

These were just starters when Modi ji became the Prime Minister of India in 2014 and subsequent years, when the Opposition and their team of propagandists were spewing venom against a person who rose to power beyond all the ill-will against him.

But what exactly were the reasons that made PM Modi an enigmatic person? For one thing, he is a complete workaholic unlike what normally people had seen with a Prime Minister during UPA rule. He has no private life, all that's there to him is a totally public life dedicated to service of people of India. He is a fitness enthusiast who does Yoga regularly, maintains a good diet and observes fasts during festivities while sleeping less. He is a perfectionist, he expects things done with precision and delivered with quality on time. With an extraordinary memory power, he surprises people he meets with his sharp memory and brain. A charismatic leader, he drives his team to deliver goals expected of them for the betterment of the country. He has no intention of making riches for himself or his relations, beyond corruption with his "na khaunga na khane doonga" attitude.

Well, if the above qualities make him an Enigma, then it's welcome for the greater good of the country.

Over the years and during his 20 years of public service - first as the Chief Minister of Gujarat and then the Prime Minister of India - he has come a long way with an agenda of making India great and raising the standards of Indians. The difference between an ordinary person and an extraordinary person lies in thinking ability, passion for delivering and commitment to achieve.

Modi ji's charisma, strong will, dedication, intelligence with intuition, body language, strong voice and heart-touching speeches were an immediate success in reaching out to the whole of India and the world. Here comes a leader who means "business", that is holistic development of his country and its citizens.

In the words of Bharat Ratna ji, "He has no attachment to power. His goal is larger; to be able to do something for the people of India. His passion lies in the fact that he wants the growth story to be meaningful for every person in our country. In India's history, the name of Mahatma Gandhi is etched in golden letters because he turned the entire freedom struggle into a mass movement. He motivated every citizen to think that any action they do would strengthen India's resolve for freedom. In the same spirit, Narendra Bhai is turning India's development journey into a mass movement. He is connecting every citizen of India to this goal."

Be it "Gujarat Model", "Jan Bhagidari" or "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Viswas" or even the "Mann Ki Baat" where he speaks his heart out with the citizens of India, his popularity cuts across class, gender, region, religion, geography and age. He has ultimately become a 'phenomenon' himself. He has already made a class distinction of history, where people will judge the growth of India in "Post-Modi Era and Pre-Modi Era" in times to come.

Coming from a very humble background, he understood the prime issue of housewives in the kitchens of India who used to struggle with smoke from burning of wood in the kitchen along with threats during collection of wood in forests. He brought in the revolutionary "Ujjwala Yojana" provisioning cooking gas for free in households of rural India. Quite a visionary he is, because the gas provided in the kitchens gave the women plenty of time for other productive works, thereby empowering the once socially-deprived women. The "Vocal for Local" slogan by Modi ji is slowly transforming the economies of the local produce and making smooth pathways for success of "Aatmanirbhar Bharat". His approach to small things in life and looking for profit out of it is redefining the economy of India and has already famous with the buzzword "Modinomics".

He revolutionized healthcare of India with movements like "Swachh Bharat" and schemes like "Ayushman Bharat Yojana". His visionary move during Covid-19 has led to indigenous production of vaccines and free support to many countrie,s keeping India's head high and proud. A record 200 crore free vaccination has been done so far across India. making it a world record.

After attaining the office of the Prime Minister of India, Modi ji has been instrumental in bringing forth many revolutionary programmes and ensuring their timely execution. With abolition of many draconian and colonial era laws and bureaucratic systems, his administration has established "Ease of Doing Business" formula in the country, bringing in good FDI and generation of employment. Be it "Beti Bachao Beti Padhao", "Nirbhaya" or "Mission Poshan", "Mission Shakti", "Mission Vatsalya" and many more, the visions of PM Modi are securing the future of mothers and children in India.

Thousands of years ago, our country was the education capital of the world with famous universities like Takshashila and Nalanda, where youths from across the world queued up to gain knowledge. While at present the world is undergoing rapid changes in the knowledge landscape, a nation needs a good education system to become self-reliant by gaining rich knowledge and contributing to development. Holistic Education and Skill Development leads to solidify the strength of a country. Prime Minister Modi's mission "to keep India's current and next generations future-ready" and every student should get an opportunity to follow their passion has made possible the implementation of National Education Policy (NEP) in 2020. The NEP 2020 is going to revamp the existing education system to create a new system aligned with the aspirational goals of 21st-century education.

His knack for finding tourism opportunities in unimaginable areas that can create huge employment opportunities and sustainable development for the people, has led to development some spiritual centres like Kashi Viswanath Corridor, Mahakal Corridor or even the Statue of Unity in Gujarat or Statue of Equality in Bhagyanagar in Hyderabad are just real time examples of this phenomenon called Modi.

The rise of Narendra Modi ji is treated as a defining moment in India's political history and his magnanimity has brought about a paradigm shift in how governance should work in a country."Modi Hai Toh Mumkin Hai" means when Modi is there anything is possible. His clear-cut vision and grass-root development plans - that are beyond politics - have made him stand apart while reaching out to the hearts of people even on the fringes of society.

King Bhagirath took up the herculean task of bringing Mother Ganga to Earth and river Ganga has been an epitome of India's identity since ages. Thus, "Bhagirath-prayaas" is a phrase used to denote a formidable, paradigm-shift task and Prime Minister Modi has undertaken such an effort, a Bhagirath-prayaas for the uplift of Indian civilisation in modern times.

Needless to say the enigma that was Modi has already been transformed into a global phenomenon and is still going strong amid adversities.