As Indians elected Narendra Modi-who has a history of espousing anti-secularism nationalist ideology and vigorously pursuing development as leader of his Gujarat state-to be their next prime minister, The Washington Post has questioned if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) politician would lead India to economic boom like Chinese reformer Deng Xiaopeng or derail his country like Russia’s authoritarian ruler Vladimir Putin.
“What remains to be seen is whether Modi will be the Deng Xiaopeng of India or its Vladimir Putin-a leader whose economic ambitions are derailed by nationalism and authoritarian temptations,” an editorial in the Post mused.
The newspaper noted that “for India’s 165 million Muslims, and for much of the outside world, Modi is still notorious for his lifelong membership in a quasi-martial Hindu nationalist movement and his failure to stop anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat in 2002”.
“Though he has recently steered away from sectarianism, Modi remains intolerant of critics, both in his own party and in the media. Some accuse him of fostering a cult of personality during the election campaign, which was focused on him more than his right-wing party.”
Reflecting on the landslide victory of the BJP and Modi in India’s general election, the Post said it is, first and foremost, a reflection of deep popular dissatisfaction with the declining momentum of what once was known as “rising India”.
Turnout in the five weeks of voting was a resounding 66 percent-or more than 500 million people-and Modi’s party became the first in 30 years to capture a parliamentary majority on its own. The incumbent Congress Party suffered a historic defeat that can only be attributed to its failure to sustain India’s economic growth or effectively combat corruption, it said.
“Modi offered a compelling alternative as a leader with a record of overseeing a decade-long boom in the state of Gujarat, primed by aggressively tackling infrastructure and energy bottlenecks, paring excessive regulation and attracting private investment. He has promised to do the same for the country at large, sketching ambitious plans for new cities linked by bullet trains. A frequent visitor to China, he clearly aspires to show that India can match Chinese dynamism.”
