Who is Narendra Modi?
India's new Prime Minister has been in power for a month now, and still little is known about this mysterious man who is now leading one of the worlds biggest and rising countries. Here are 5 facts about Modi which might help you understand a bit of history behind the man:
1) He went from tea-seller to administrator-in-chief of the worlds most populous democracy
As a teenager, he and his brother ran a tea stall. Now he is the Prime Minister of India. His image is thus one that appeals to the masses, an underdog whose story has the ability to inspire millions with a real-life rags-to-riches story.
2) He is a Hindu nationalist
His election victory marked the first real shift in political leadership as the Congress Party has been in almost steady power since India’s independence in 1947. His nationalist affiliation has sparked debate on tensions with Muslims especially, and questions have been raised over his capability to govern a country so ethnically and religiously diverse as india. In fact, his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has close ties to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a right-wing Hindu organisation that aims to redraw an Indian nation on Hindu lines.
3) Hasta la Visa!
The issue of hostility toward Muslims remains a problem, with religious riots taking place September of last year. It was the infamous riots of 2002 that received widespread criticism as up to 2,000 people were killed in the riots and their suppression (BBC). Following his extraordinarily tough response against these protests in the region of Gujarat, targeting Muslims in particular, the United States and the United Kingdom denied him visas to their respective countries. The ban was of course lifted alongside his rapid rise to Indian leadership…
4) His economic policy is tough... and praised
He’s seen as the man to take India out of their economic woes, and credited with turning it into an economic powerhouse. The Gujarat model: Modi had been the chief minister of the state of Gujarat since 2001, and has been credited with improving its economy immensely.
5) His private life and marital status are murky to say the least
Modi’s private life remains much of a secret, meaning many speculations have been made about his personal relationships. Although he was always assumed a “bachelor”, facts arose during his election that Modi has actually been married since the age of 17 and he has been trying to hide his marriage for Hindu nationalist reasons (the RSS prizes celibacy, for example). His premature union has been described as an arranged marriage from when the two were barely teenagers, and was apparently never consummated. Modi claims to have chosen to never re-marry and to remain a bachelor whilst focusing on his political career.
1) He went from tea-seller to administrator-in-chief of the worlds most populous democracy
As a teenager, he and his brother ran a tea stall. Now he is the Prime Minister of India. His image is thus one that appeals to the masses, an underdog whose story has the ability to inspire millions with a real-life rags-to-riches story.
2) He is a Hindu nationalist
His election victory marked the first real shift in political leadership as the Congress Party has been in almost steady power since India’s independence in 1947. His nationalist affiliation has sparked debate on tensions with Muslims especially, and questions have been raised over his capability to govern a country so ethnically and religiously diverse as india. In fact, his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has close ties to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a right-wing Hindu organisation that aims to redraw an Indian nation on Hindu lines.
The issue of hostility toward Muslims remains a problem, with religious riots taking place September of last year. It was the infamous riots of 2002 that received widespread criticism as up to 2,000 people were killed in the riots and their suppression (BBC). Following his extraordinarily tough response against these protests in the region of Gujarat, targeting Muslims in particular, the United States and the United Kingdom denied him visas to their respective countries. The ban was of course lifted alongside his rapid rise to Indian leadership…
He’s seen as the man to take India out of their economic woes, and credited with turning it into an economic powerhouse. The Gujarat model: Modi had been the chief minister of the state of Gujarat since 2001, and has been credited with improving its economy immensely.
5) His private life and marital status are murky to say the least
Modi’s private life remains much of a secret, meaning many speculations have been made about his personal relationships. Although he was always assumed a “bachelor”, facts arose during his election that Modi has actually been married since the age of 17 and he has been trying to hide his marriage for Hindu nationalist reasons (the RSS prizes celibacy, for example). His premature union has been described as an arranged marriage from when the two were barely teenagers, and was apparently never consummated. Modi claims to have chosen to never re-marry and to remain a bachelor whilst focusing on his political career.
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