Sat Sharma
India is a lumbering, elephantine State that cannot be expected to pivot around its heels, irrespective of the capability, intentions and skills of its present mahout. That may explain why it took 67 long years to resurrect prime minister-ship by electing for the first time a deserving astute down to earth eminently-suited politician who had tasted poverty and hard work and seems to be the one to relate to citizens’ aspirations and needs. He possesses vision and necessary will to transform a fledgling country into a mega economy and world power. Narendra Modi, as a truly nationalistic politician, may be taller than Nehru. He became the first ever PM to visit INA Memorial in Singapore. And the first Indian in four centuries to inspect a ’Guard of Honor’ from the British Army in London! However, thanks to Congress party’s dirty politics, he inherited a deeply divisive polity, rusted three pillars of democracy muddled with long-nurtured anti-nationalistic media. Modi earned kudos whichever nation he visited. His maiden American trip four months after taking over was a raving success hitherto not achieved by any of his predecessors that included three trips each by Nehru and Indira and double that number by Modi’s incompetent and ineffectual immediate predecessor - a puppet in the hands of his Italy-born white Catholic lady boss! During the 18 months, Modi has been showing promise by undoubtedly raising the stature of the country globally. Back home, deeply and widely pervading corruption, divisiveness, illiteracy and lack of nationalism are sinister and life-threatening ailments needing drastic cure. We are corrupt and, therefore, elect corrupt politicians. The latest is Bihar’s humongous mandate on communal lines: First-time MLA sons of a convicted (for corruption) politician become ministers - the ninth class-fail deputy CM and 12th class as health minister. Till the time we become dutiful, nationalistic and sincere the status quo is not going to change. We must ’educate’ our masses in general but our youngsters who are the future custodians of the country in particular but not up to the mark in many ways. The generations born after independence have to understand the true account/value of the hard-won freedom and imbibe our civilization and culture. Only then the misconceptions on created ’fictional’ heroes can be rectified. Only then our younger folks can appreciate the importance of their duties to their motherland. Our politicians must become Hindustanis first and foremost, start working for the benefit of their compatriots rather their own families. They must forthwith stop eschew vote-bank politics. Only when all of us are patriotic enough we can offer a united front against biggest threat to us from terrorism incited and inflicted by Pakistan for decades; aided and abetted by so many anti-nationalistic political parties who also will have to mend their nasty ways and allow the parliament to function smoothly so that agenda on economic reforms can move forward. All of us have to contribute whole-heartedly for progress and development. Every citizen irrespective of caste/creed must exhibit an apparent firm and free will to work towards the betterment of the land. We must weed out the mindset where people live here but their loyalty lies elsewhere as dictated by the leaders of their faith. No religious law can take priority over the national law. There has to be common civil code so that everyone is treated equally. The way things stand today, we are only going down and down. This will continue unless we correct our mindset and course radically! Hindus’ extreme tolerance during last millennium led to rise of intolerant Islam aided and abetted by Congress and its cronies and like-minded parties. Hindustan has been looted and marauded by foreigners and bled high and dry of its richness and natural resources. Alas! This loot continued after independence by parties in power. Modi has somehow disturbed the looters’ political tho
