Modi just concluded yet another successful visit to America, with President Biden hosting him in Private for a dinner and throwing a State Luncheon as well. He met the most influential investors, intellectuals, and academics, including Elon Musk and the like, and of course the Indian diaspora, which went berserk, shouting nationalist slogans and hailing Modi on the White House lawns and elsewhere.
The Nehru era saw India shrug off its colonial country image and begin its international tryst by forming the non-aligned nations group, with Nehru, Marshal Tito of Yugoslavia, and Nasser of Egypt leading. The world was then forming into pro- and anti-West camps on one side and pro-Soviet camps on the other. Notwithstanding his non-aligned leanings, he chose the Soviets as his partner for industrialization and development, distancing the West further. Nixon-Kissinger distinctly tilted towards Pakistan during the Indo-Pak War in 1971, which is now only a faded memory.
The present India’s bonhomie with the U.S. has never been as high. Other influencing factors, particularly the China factor, might have left their mark on it. America created China as an economic giant, which now seems to have grown bigger to threaten U.S. global interests. The only country that can stand up to President Xi and China is Modi, and he has to be supported. Despite the China factor, India has been expanding rapidly ever since the former PM Narasimha Rao ended a license-raj and later leaders ably continued his work.
The opposition, deeply worried about the growing influence of Modi and the likely fallout in the 2024 general elections, called a meeting of the opposition parties in Patna to take on Modi. It included parties like Congress, Trinamool, DMK, AAP, Uddahv Sena, NCP, the left, and the RJD, among the 17 others. Most are harried and threatened by corruption cases. A few are severely opposed to each other and to the Congress, like the AAP and Trinamool. A few wily players like the Trinamool may even be happier with the status quo, as they have nothing to lose as regional players, wielding greater influence without yielding any space to others in their respective states.
I saw a clip of Lalu mimicking Modi in a most derogatory way. He is a criminal, an accused out on bail, and his presence in the group itself may not go well with Gen-X. There cannot be any doubt that the quality of politics and politicians must improve if the country’s dream of reaching $5 trillion is to be reached, which does seem a distinct possibility. As of today, there is no power right now to shake Modi and his party by a group of sadists and corrupt leaders.
The opposition has failed to differentiate between Modi of the BJP party and his role as Prime Minister of India. There can be no doubt that India is standing taller than ever and is no more an impoverished nation.
The future belongs to us.
Sampath Kumar
Intrépide Voix
