India's Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi, recently achieved two milestones. First, he turned 75 (Happy birthday, sir!), and second, he completed 25 years either as a Chief Minister or a Prime Minister. Turning 75 healthy is an achievement worth celebrating. Despite severe pressure from various quarters, Modi ji is still cruising comfortably. But his turning 75 is not ordinary, and I am not talking about his achievements as a Chief Minister or as a Prime Minister. He has been an RSS Swayamsevak and then a full-time Pracharak for almost 60 years. He has truly risen from the ground up. Modi ji has travelled across India like very few people in recent times. He has seen society very closely. Behind the scenes, he tirelessly worked to improve the lives of the masses as a Pracharak. And when needed, like hoisting the Indian Tricolor in the Lal Chowk in Srinagar, in front of the cameras. Given the current situation in Kashmir, the young generation may find it hard to believe that in the 1980s it was virtually impossible even to hoist India's flag in Kashmir. Taking that as a challenge, he worked closely under the leadership of senior BJP leader Mr. Murali Manohar Joshi to march towards Srinagar and hoist the tricolor. This sort of courage comes from conviction and belief in ideology, as well as from putting ideology above self-interest.
Apart from Mr. Nehru, Mr. Modi is the only Prime Minister to be elected to the office for three consecutive terms. He is also the only non-Congress Prime Minister to have been elected twice with an absolute majority. Currently, he is the third-longest-serving Prime Minister in India; by the time he completes his current five-year term, he will ascend to become the second-longest-serving Prime Minister.
The Gandhi family held the position of Prime Minister for such an extended period that many would have thought it impossible for anyone outside their family to reach such political milestones. However, Mr. Modi is no stranger to achieving significant milestones; he was the longest-serving Chief Minister of Gujarat.
These accomplishments are remarkable, especially when we consider the size and complexity of India and its electoral politics.
Mr. Modi's leadership over the last 11 years, along with the subsequent 4 years, will be remembered for much more than just electoral successes. His influence on India's politics, economy, foreign policy, policymaking, Lok Sabha dynamics, and party politics is so significant that it may take several decades for people to grasp the extent of his impact fully. The only other politician who comes close to this level of influence is Mrs. Indira Gandhi. However, unlike Mr. Modi, Mrs. Gandhi's tenure was marked by widespread corruption in governance, economic difficulties, highly personalized politics, and divisiveness, resulting in adverse economic and social outcomes for India.
We have at least another 4 years of Modi government. The party has grown strong, but India votes for larger-than-life personalities, and the BJP has none after Modi ji. The elections of 2029 will be dramatic. Though the good work in governance, infrastructure development, and international relations continues in the third Modi term, the hubris is setting in. There is an initial inertia to interacting with people. Lack of any credible voice beyond Modi ji will prove to be a formidable electoral problem for BJP in the near future. But that's in the future. We can and should celebrate Modi ji's achievements in present.
Happy birthday, Modi ji!
