This man might very well be the next Prime Minister of India. Narendra Modi is the head of the country’s main opposition party. He’s working hard to win next year’s general elections. But he is a deeply polarizing figure with his critics saying the unabashed Hindu nationalist is too pro-business and that he shuns the poor and minority communities.
"I'm nationalist. I'm patriotic. Nothing is wrong. I'm a born Hindu. Nothing is wrong. So, I'm a Hindu nationalist so yes, you can say I'm a Hindu nationalist because I am a born Hindu, I'm patriotic, so nothing is wrong in it. As far as progressive, development oriented, workaholic, whatever they say, this is what they see. So there's no contradiction between the two,"
While Gujarat is held up as a model for economic development in India, the state is also notorious for bitter sectarian rivalries. In 2002, clashes between Hindu and Muslim communities left more than two and a half thousand people, mostly Muslims dead. Modi has faced widespread criticism for encouraging the communal bloodletting. But despite the controversy in his past, Modi has managed to cement his reputation as a can-do administrator with a bright future.
"Bureaucracy wants him, diplomats want him, industries want him, FICCI, Associate Chamber of Commerce and CII, they all want him because deliverance. The other aspect, what I would see in Narendra Modi is, the central government is not functional, dysfunctional, at least one person, one chief minister is delivering goods. That is why the entire country, the bureaucracy, they are going for Narendra Modi.”
His critics are not swayed and are no less vocal in their criticism than they were before.
“It’s a nightmare for our, the peace-loving people that the man like Modi is inspiring and his party is pushing him for the top job.”
But Modi seems to have the thick skin required of politicians gunning for the top job.
“People have a right to be critical. We are a democratic country. Everyone has their own view. I would feel guilty if I did something wrong. Frustration comes when you think ‘I got caught. I was stealing and I got caught.’ But that’s not what happened in my case.”
