MODI IS BEYOND MILESTONES, SAYS Dr JAGDEESH CHANDRA

Dr Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO and Editor-in-Chief, Bharat24-Vision of New India; CMD and Editor-in-Chief of First India, reflects upon the recently concluded G20 summit and how it has changed India’s position among the nations of the world. Dr Chandra also details how Modi’s leadership has put India in a driving position to the extent that nations that do not look eye to eye have agreed upon the ‘New Delhi Declaration’, how Modi’s foreign policy and diplomacy has paved the way for a resurgent India that is being looked upon by the world, and specially the smaller nations, to lead the global humanity. Excerpts… (Part I)

• The term ‘Modi means Milestone’ is now being attributed to PM Narendra Modi. What does this entail?
  Dr Jagdeesh Chandra: Today it feels that the entire nation has surrendered to Modi. Any milestone, any destination, they all end at Modi. This is a miracle in itself since there is one person who has gone beyond any milestone or parameter. So practically we should be saying that Modi has no milestone. Look at it politically, there is no other option to Modi. He is the prime minister for the past nine years and it surely appears that he will become the Prime Minister again in 2024. Now look at it from the economical standpoint. Nation has achieved something which has not been achieved before. Be it economy, corona pandemic, Article 370, infrastructure development, everywhere Modi is the milestone. It was said in the beginning that Modi means Milestones, but I would amend it and say that Modi has not milestones.

• Don’t you feel that after the successful G20 Presidency, it has also been stamped that in diplomacy too, Modi is the milestone?
  Exactly. It is true that Narendra Modi has empowered Bharat. Today, India’s goodwill and branding, after G20, is miraculous and wonderful. As far as G20 is concerned, he is in total and complete command and control of Indian foreign policy. He has reformed our foreign policy and brought it in tune with out national interest. G20 is the epitome of foreign policy. It has two parts. In the first part we saw how US President Biden asked for Modi’s autograph, Australian Prime Minister called Modi ‘the boss’, PM of Papua New Guinea touched Modi’s feet. That was the first part. Now look at the second part. Getting the New Delhi resolution pass unanimously is a major development in itself. What happened in Bali could not go forward and as a result it failed. But on the other hand, the efforts made in Delhi were a success. Just imagine how difficult it was to make Russia, China and USA to agree on one point as there were sensitive issues like Ukraine. But they agreed on all issues. For this, team of bureaucrats and PM’s own team worked hard around the clock and ultimately Modi succeeded in getting cleared the New Delhi declaration. Today, on the same declaration, Russia says they are happy with it and on the other hand, France says it is Europe’s victory. So Modi has managed all contradictions through his foreign policy and hence it can surely be said that Modi is at the epitome of foreign policy and it can be said for sure that he is the numero uno diplomatic victor too! Modi has no parallels in foreign policy and diplomacy in the world!

• So does this mean that after G20, Modi has further emerged as a ‘Vishwaguru’? Is it really that the premier of every nation wants to meet PM Modi for economic and political reasons?
  He has already become a ‘Vishwaguru’. Today he is already seen as a global leader. You have witnessed his craze during G20, during his foreign visits we have witnessed what craze people have for him, I just told you the remarks of Australian PM and US President, so he has become Vishwaguru in a way. Rajnath Singh, citing PM as Vishwaguru, recently added the term Vishwa-Bandhu, but in reality the point is that Modi’s aura, his stature and personality has become greater than Bharat. It may not go down well with few individuals, but it is a fact. So when we talk about Vishwaguru, we are not talking about India, but are rather talking about Modi. Rajnath Singh had to say that Modi’s vision, popularity and aura is wonderful. So broadly we can conclude that he has become Vishwaguru, and if there is some shortfall, then he is walking on the path to reach that pedestal.

• In G20 meetings, PM took the mission to sixty cities. How do you rate this move?
  This is a major development. It is Narendra Modi’s brainchild which ensured to escalate the entire development to such an extant that it becomes a stand-off development not just in India, but across the world too! In its several years of being in existence, such a grand-scale organisation of G20 meets have never happened wherein 200 meetings have happened across sixty cities. All the foreign delegated, the ambassadors and various other dignitaries were elated as they explored the cities, culture, life, food and received gifts too, all while ensuring that India’s development is shown to them first hand. As a result of this, the entire world is praising Modi over G20. It was a well thought out plan of Narendra Modi which has given great results. Thus, people from foreign nations are making a beeline to India because there are political and economic reasons behind it. India is a huge market and is one of the biggest consumer market. Today, economy has taken a front seat and politics has taken the back seat. So, world over, nation’s politics is being dominated by economic reasons and not by political reasons. In the days to come, New Delhi, and in particular Narendra Modi’s New Delhi, will be the most sought after destination for foreign dignitaries.

• But Congress has objected as to why Mallikarjun Kharge and Sonia Gandhi were not invited for G20 dinner. What was the reason behind this?
  There is no reason but sometimes it happens that those who sent out the invites, forget to do so out of their casual approach. I don’t think there was some strategy or ulterior motive of not inviting them, simply because there were several others present who tow the opposition line. Nitish Kumar was there, Mamata Banerjee was there so were several others. But then there were a few Chief Ministers who did not attend the dinner like Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann. Perhaps Nitish came so as to give message to INDIA Alliance that his door are open for BJP too. Mamata came for the program so some critics claimed that perhaps due to ED issue against her nephew Abhishek she came so that Delhi becomes slightly soft on him. Everyone that reached there did so out of their own situation. But this is true that when Sonia and Kharge were not given an invite, so Rahul Gandhi raised the issue. I feel that may be it was some procedural mistake. So many people came and went, and did so singing praises for Modi. If these two had come, they would not have been able to tow a line different than PM’s.

• Has PM Modi brought down the fort of the Opposition alliance through this successful organisation of G20?
  Definitely they must be demoralised. Modi’s aura and persona has captured the hearts and minds of the general public to the extent that everyone feels as if we have won a war against Pakistan. This is the narrative that has come out of the G20 meet. While there is direct competition with the opposition, but there is no clear face of the opposition to say that the competition is between Modi and so and so leader. A major drawback of the opposition alliance and their biggest strategical mistake is that it is still not clear who is the face of that opposition. So opposition unity recently broke away when AAP said it would contest the election on its own. The claim that a united opposition will be a success is highly suspicious. So since there is no viable alternative to Modi, it wont be wrong to say that he has already won the 2024 election.

• During the G20 meets, Rahul Gandhi was making random comments from foreign soil. When will Rahul become a mature politician?
  He certainly is politically immature. He may be miffed at Modi and he may be disgruntled with the success of G20. But this was not the right time to sit somewhere in foreign land and say that Modi is hiding the poor and ill areas and people of India. What really happened was that there are slums in cities and when VIPs come, these slums are not shown to them directly and sometimes arrangements are made so that they do not become visible. So when such arrangements were being made, someone must have clicked a picture and made the pic go viral. Rahul, in turn, picked up this issue asking why Modi is trying to hide the slums and the animals tied there. This is political immaturity. It does not suit the status and dignity of Rahul Gandhi. It should not have happened.

• Chinese President Xi Jinping did not take part in G20 meetings. Why did this happen?
  See, this is best known to the Chinese President himself. But I am sure he must be thinking over his decision that Modi has taken all the limelight. In fact, China has found itself all alone. Everyone is fed up of China’s expansionist motives as it at times threatens Vietnam or Korea or at times lays claim over Arunachal or threatens USA in SouthChina sea. So everyone has got together during this G20 meet. had Chinese President been there, perhaps then all the nations might not have been able to come united against China. But he did not come and I believe this was his strategic mistake. Now China is kind of isolated among the league of nations.

TO BE CONTUNIED…

During the show #JConModiMilestone trended top All-India Dr Jagdeesh Chandra during the JC Show. on Twitter