IMPORTANCE OF BEING NARENDRA MODI

In the largest democracy on earth, citizens and state leaders should not take the law into their own hands or take actions whose visuals beamed to billions of homes abroad tarnish India’s image and go against the positivity which the Prime Minister creates on his visits globally.

- SURENDRA KUMAR

After a bitter defeat in the recently held Karnataka state elections, the warmth and bonhomie shown, media attention focused and praise and accolades showered on him in Hiroshima, Papua New Guinea and Australia would have been a much-needed therapeutic rejuvenation for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The American, the Australian and the Papua New Guinea leaders seemed to be vying with each other in choosing the right compliments for the Indian PM. The US President, Joe Biden, who came to Modi and hugged him warmly stressed his immense popularity among Indian Americans who wish to attend the dinner next month in Washington in his honour and jocularly said that given Modi’s popularity Biden might have to request for his autograph. More seriously, he acknowledged Modi’s positive contribution: “You made a fundamental shift in climate. You have influence in Indo-Pacific.” In fact, he believed Modi was impacting everything including the Quad and was demonstrating that “democracies matter”.

PNG PM James Marape, who came to the airport to receive the Indian PM, tried to greet him in the typical Indian tradition by touching his feet and calling him his Guru/the “Vishwa Guru” and leader of the Global South. He urged him to take up their concerns and interest at international forums. Modi became the first Indian PM ever to visit PNG, whose increasing strategic significance was underlined by the fact that the US has signed a security agreement with them to counter China’s footprints which had signed an agreement with the Solomon Islands last year to establish its naval bases.