NARENDRA MODI
“I am a very optimistic man, and only an optimistic man can bring optimism in the country.”
Narendra Modi is best known for rising from humble beginnings to become prime minister of India.
Synopsis
Narendra
Modi grew up poor in northern India, the son of a street merchant. He
entered politics as a youth and quickly rose through the ranks of
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a Hindu nationalist political party. In
2002, he was alleged to be responsible for the deaths of more than 1,000
Muslims during civil unrest, but he was later exonerated. In 2014 he
was elected prime minister of India.
Early Life
Narendra
Modi was born in the small town of Vadnagar, in northern Gujarat,
India. His father was a street merchant who struggled to support the
family. Young Narendra and his brother sold tea near a bus terminal to
help out. Though an average students in school, Modi spent hours in the
library and was known as a strong debater. In his early teens, he joined
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the student wing of Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu nationalist political party.
A Life Dedicated to Politics
Modi
married at 18 but spent little time with his bride and eventually ended
the marriage. He dedicated his life to politics in Gujarat, joining the
RSS in 1971. During the 1975-77 political crisis, Prime Minister Indira
Gandhi declared a state of emergency, banning political organizations
such as the RSS. Modi went underground and wrote a book, Sangharsh ma Gujarat (Gujarat in Emergency),
which chronicles his experiences as a political fugitive. In 1978, Modi
graduated from Delhi University with a degree in political science and
completed his master’s work at Gujarat University in 1983.
In
1987, Narendra Modi joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which stood
for Hindu nationalism. His rise through the ranks was rapid, as he
wisely chose mentors to further his career. He promoted privatization of
businesses, small government and Hindu values. In 1995, Modi was
elected BJP national secretary, a position from which he successfully
helped settle internal leadership disputes, paving the way for BJP
election victories in 1998.
The Gulbarg Massacre and Alleged Complicity
In
February 2002, while Modi served as chief minister of Gujarat, a
commuter train was attacked, allegedly by Muslims. In retaliation, an
attack was carried out on the Muslim neighborhood of Gulbarg. Violence
spread, and Modi imposed a curfew granting police shoot-to-kill orders.
After peace was restored, Modi’s government was criticized for the harsh
crackdown, and he was accused of allowing the killings of more than
1,000 Muslims. After two investigations contradicted one other, the
Indian Supreme Court concluded there was no evidence Modi was at fault.
Narendra
Modi was reelected chief minister of Gujarat in 2007 and 2012. Through
those campaigns, Modi's hard-line Hinduism softened and he spoke more
about economic growth. He is credited with bringing prosperity and
development to Gujarat and is seen as a corrupt-free and efficient
administrator. However, some say he has done little to alleviate poverty
and improve living standards.
Elected Prime Minister
In
June 2013, Modi was selected to head the BJP’s 2014 election campaign
to the Lok Sabha (the lower house of India’s parliament), while a
grassroots campaign was already in place to elect him prime minister.
Modi campaigned hard, portraying himself as a pragmatic candidate
capable of turning around India’s economy. In May 2014, he and his party
were victorious, taking 282 of the 534 seats in the Lok Sabha. The
victory marked a crushing defeat to the Indian National Congress, which
had controlled Indian politics for most of the previous 60 years, and
sent a message that India’s citizens were behind an agenda of radical
change
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