New Delhi: India lost 30 years due to instability resulting from “mili-juli sarkar” or coalition governments, and the country thus doesn’t need one now, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said in an apparent reference to the Opposition’s INDIA alliance, which was formed last year in an attempt to dislodge the BJP from power in 2024.
“There is a consensus among the people, the experts, the opinion-makers and friends from the media too that our country doesn’t need a mili-juli sarkar (hotchpotch government)…” Modi said in an interview to India Today magazine.
“People have seen the lack of governance, the appeasement politics, corruption in the era of mili-juli sarkars. This resulted in a loss of optimism and confidence among the people and gave a bad image to India in the world,” he added. “So, naturally, the choice of people is the BJP.”
Part of the magazine’s 8 January edition, the interview comes as India steps into the year of the 2024 Lok Sabha election, when Modi will vie for a third term as PM.
Modi dwelt on a host of issues in the interview, from the BJP’s decision to pick relatively low-profile leaders as chief ministers for Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh last month, to his policy vis-a-vis Pakistan and China.
Asked how he defined the “Modi guarantee”, a term he used in his campaign in the assembly elections last November, in the context of 2024 general election, he said “Modi’s guarantee is not a formula made for winning elections”.
“Modi’s guarantee is the trust of the poor. Today, every poor person in the country knows that Modi will not back down from his duty. Today, every poor person is aware of how political parties in the past have broken their trust,” he added. “But they also know that Modi’s guarantee can be trusted. This trust of the poor also gives me my energy — even if I completely exhaust myself or push myself over my limit, I will not let this trust be violated.”
This guarantee, Modi said, “is not mere words or election promises”.
“It is the outcome of decades of my hard work. It is an expression of sensitivity towards society. When I talk about the ‘guarantee’, I bind myself to it,” he added. “It doesn’t let me sleep, it propels me to work harder, it leads me to give my everything for the people of the country. So please don’t look for a dictionary meaning of guarantee.”
Another question asked of Modi was how the BJP plans to become a truly pan-Indian party given that it’s not ruling any of the big southern or eastern states.
Modi called this “an incorrect assessment”, saying there have been “contrived opinions” about the BJP, which was at times labelled a “Brahmin-Bania party”, and a “Hindi-heartland” party at other times.
“We were even labelled a party that has support only in the cities. However, in election after election, we’ve proven these labels wrong,” he said.
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‘BJP nurtures leadership’
Talking about the new CMs in the three Hindi heartland states swept by the BJP last month, he said it was not a new trend for the party to appoint administrative greenhorns to lead states.
“In fact, I am the best example of this practice within the BJP. When I became the CM of Gujarat, I had no prior administrative experience and was not even elected to the legislative assembly,” he said, adding that “it may appear like a fresh trend, because most of the other parties today are parivarvadi (dynasty-based) parties”.
“Parivarvadi parties find this democratic churn difficult. The BJP has the ability to nurture multiple generations of leadership at the same time,” Modi said.
“Look at the presidents of the BJP and you will see fresh faces every few years. Ours is a cadre-based party, driven by a clear mission. We all began as grassroots workers and rose through the ranks on the back of dedication and hard work,” he added. “This commitment is why the nation, especially the youth, feels a strong connection with the BJP.”
Referring to his dealings with neighbours like China and Pakistan, he said, “The Modi way of dealing with our neighbours is to be constructive and cooperative when required and, equally, to be firm and steadfast when needed. Both on initiatives and challenges, you can see the difference with the past.”
Asked whether there is a ‘Modi way’ out of the current “global disorder”, the PM said: “I have always believed that honest dialogue and sincere diplomacy, in an atmosphere free from fear and coercion, should be the preferred path to resolve differences.”
“Be it Ukraine or Gaza, our approach has been guided by this belief. We cannot let terrorists or violence set the agenda. Those who had no role in causing conflicts are often the most affected by them, either directly or indirectly,” he added. “Giving primacy to diplomacy does not mean that we compromise when it comes to terrorism and territorial sovereignty.”
Talking about India’s road ahead, he harked back to history and pointed out how, 100 years ago, there was “optimism” about gaining freedom. Between 1922 and 1947, he added, “everyone wanted to contribute towards the freedom movement”.
“The next 25 years are crucial for the nation,” he said. “I see a similar optimism among the people to make India a developed country by the time we celebrate 100 years of independence.”
“This energy is my driving force,” he added, emphasising the need to focus on ‘GYAN’. The Hindi word for knowledge, Modi described GYAN as an abbreviation for key focus groups — Garib-Yuva-Annadata-Narishakti.
“Hum ‘GYAN’ pe dhyaan denge, ‘GYAN’ ko sammaan denge, toh viksit Bharat banega (If we focus on GYAN and respect it, we will become a developed nation),” he said.
“India has a demographic advantage. This advantage must be converted to productivity and economic growth.”
(Edited by Sunanda Ranjan)
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