White Paper, Reforms, Criticism, And The Real Modi
What PM Modi had to say on the economy, governance and himself
Prime Minister Narendra Modi blamed the previous United Progressive Alliance government for the continued sluggishness in private investment and said that he had considered bringing out a white paper on the state of the economy after ten years of Congress rule.
In an interview to Network18 aired on Friday, Modi added that his government hadn’t taken any shortcuts on reforms, and that the “results are showing.”
Here are some of the key takeaways from interview.
Evaluating The Government’s Performance
Modi said he’d leave it to the people to evaluate how his government has performed. However he urged citizens to keep in mind India’s economic situation when he came to power.
But I will definitely want that whenever my government is evaluated, the situation of the government before we came to power must be kept in mind, what the state of the country was, what the media was discussing. If we keep that in view, those days newspapers were filled with news of corruption, despair... People had lost hope, they thought everything had sunk.
White Paper Considered, Discarded
Modi drove home his point about the state of the economy in 2014 by saying that he considered releasing a white paper ahead of his government’s first budget, but decided against it for fear that it would hurt the country’s interest.
I had two paths then. Politics told me that I should put out all the details. But the nation’s interest told me that this information would increase the sense of hopelessness, markets would be badly hit, it would be big blow to the economy and the world’s view of India would get worse. It would have been very difficult to get the economy out of that... I chose to stay silent in the national interest at the risk of political damage.
No Shortcut On Reforms
Modi said that the economic situation has improved even though his government refrained from any taking shortcuts for development.
…the pace at which roads are being made, how railways is expanding, the six-fold increase in electronic goods manufacturing… these things show we haven’t taken shortcuts. And my motto is, as it says on railway platforms: ‘short cut will cut you short’. We don’t want to take any shortcuts and the results are showing.
The Prime Minister hailed the Goods and Services Tax as “perhaps the biggest tax reform since the independence of India.”
Taxation systems will also be simplified and this will not only benefit the common man, the revenues will help develop the nation. Today, there are incidents of mistrust between states. This will end that situation, it will be transparent and strengthen the federal structure.
In the interview, the Prime Minister also fielded a few questions on his personal side, his working style and his place in India’s history.
Here are a few takeaways.
The Real Modi
The Prime Minister said he makes no effort to “suppress or hide what’s inside” and that people will get to see him for what he is if they shed their ‘political glasses.’
There is nothing like real or fake Modi. Human being is a human being. If you take off your political glasses, then you will see the real Modi. But you will do a mistake if you continue to judge Modi through your perceived notions.
Living Every Moment In The Present
Modi admitted he is a workaholic and that he enjoys working 16-18 hours a day. He said he never tires of work.
I’m a workaholic, but basically I always like to live in the present. If you have come to meet me then I get immersed in that meeting. I don’t touch the phone or see the paper and I don’t lose focus. When I see files I similarly get immersed and get lost in those files.
On Being An Outsider To Lutyens Delhi
Modi has positioned himself as an outsider from the corridors of power in Lutyens Delhi, and he reiterated his stance in the interview.
These custodians who are dedicated to a select few will never accept anyone who is linked to the roots of this country. So I too do not want to waste my time addressing this group. The welfare of the billion people is my biggest task and I will not lose anything if I do not associate myself with Lutyens Delhi. It’s better if I live with the poor people of this country who are like me.
Place In History?
The Prime Minister played down a question on his place in India’s history, saying that he is just one among the 1.25 billion Indians.
Modi is just one of those 1.25 billion Indians, nothing more. Modi’s identity must get lost among those 1.25 billion people. There will be no greater joy for me than Modi getting lost in the pages of history.
Criticize Based On Facts
The PM, who has had a tenuous relationship with the media, said that he welcomes criticism from journalists, as long as it based on facts.
But unfortunately, in this TRP rat-race, the media doesn’t have enough time for research. Criticism is not possible without research. For 10 minutes of criticism you need 10 hours of research. Instead of criticism, it gets into levelling allegations. As a result democracy gets weakened. Governments must be afraid of media criticisms, but that’s fast going away. I want media to be very critical based on facts. The country will benefit from this.
Also Read: Devoted To The Development Of Dalits: Modi