Narendra Modi must be flabbergasted at the negative review given by the top American magazine Time in its latest edition. The magazine has no doubt given front-page coverage to Narendra Modi, but in an article published by the magazine written by Aatish Taseer, he is categorized as a man who is the divider in chief in the country. Aatish Taseer is the son of the Sikh Indian writer/journalist Tavleen Singh. Times Now has published the article by Taseer who has accused the prime minister of silence about 2002 Gujarat program proving him to be “a friend of the mob.” The report also accuses the Modi government of being silent on a spate of cow lynchings.
On Cover
There is a second article published by the magazine which says the Modi is the biggest hope for the country for economic reforms. Modi has been featured on the cover of Time magazine earlier and in 2015 was named as the person of the year. Modi's fall from grace has been precipitous, and this year with the election in full swing the magazine has labeled the Indian PM as a divider in chief. The Economic Times has reported that Modi featured on the International edition of the magazine while the US edition has a cover story on Democrat Elizabeth Warren who is running for the White House in 2020.
Good days
Modi came to power in 2014 with the promise of " good days ahead" and "development and progress for all." Somewhere down the years his real face probably showed up and thinking he may lose the election started pandering to an aggressive form of Hindutva.
The general election is in full swing, and this mammoth exercise will be over by May 19, and the results will be out by May 23 this year. Modi and his allies who form the National Democratic Alliance must win 272 seats in the house to be able to form the government. This is not an easy task, though Modi as a leader is miles ahead in popularity to the next man in the list-Rahul Gandhi.
Fall from grace
Modi's fall from grace is partly his inability to keep his promises. He also angered the ex-servicemen and armed forces by soft-pedaling the issue of One Rank One Pension and curtailing many of the facilities like free rations for officers which were in vogue for decades. Many accuse him of trying to undermine the secular character of the constitution.
The Time cover story at this juncture can only add to his discomfort and is ammunition to the opposition which eyes the possibility of a government sans the BJP.
Last word
Despite the fond hope of the opposition Gallup polls show that Modi will be back to power albeit with a reduced majority. In that case, many of his pet social development programs like abolishing triple talk (instant divorce) for Muslims may go into cold storage.
America and Donald Trump will be following this election with great interest as India is a strategic partner of the USA and with China conducting war drills some time back in Taiwan Strait and start looming as a great power, the US needs India as a counterweight.
