The distinctive feature of UPA's two avatars from 2004 till now has been about pouring of adulation in plenty for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh abroad, while Congress president Sonia Gandhi steadied the coalition ship in the domestic waters.
But the script started weakening from 2010, as Delhi geared up to host the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. The dark underbelly of the UPA begun baring self. The corruption muck began splattering fast onto the faces of the UPA's cherished leaders.
From 2010 onward the slide in stock of Manmohan Singh in foreign capitals and Congress' within the country have been on the lines of a rock hurtling down from the peak of a mountain.
India was central to the constitution of the Bric, now Brics, an abbreviation for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. But the recently held Durban conclave of Bricks saw Manmohan Singh cold-shouldered so much so that the head of the host nation did not bother even to have a separate meeting with the turbaned leader for whom top world leaders used to "ear up". Now, the buzz is that Indonesia is seen a better candidate than India for the Brics grouping.
The Congress had been exploiting the top standing of Manmohan Singh in foreign capitals to drum up political support. The image of an upright person, who is fountain of knowledge, had people joyously voting the Congress win 2009 elections despite odds of price rise. But the growth story since 2012 began disappointing all.
The man who steadied the Indian economy amid the global meltdown appeared to have lost the appetite and energy to further push the India story on the growth trajectory.
The man who steadied the Indian economy amid the global meltdown appeared to have lost the appetite and energy to further push the India story on the growth trajectory.
The gloom spread within India and abroad too. The world had though that Manmohan Singh would give them an anchor to the global economy with a parallel of the China story. Within India, the hopes of the rising middle class had enough wings to keep flying unmindful of the hiccups.
The BJP had largely been clueless to capitalize on the loss of face by the UPA. The party stalwart L. K. Advani, though healthy and hearty, has been past his prime for all political purposes. He blundered the election campaign of 2009 by misreading the pulse of the people and followed up with some ill-advised display of wades of notes in the Parliament only to score self goals. Gradually the BJP became a ship lost on the high sea, with no captains on board to anchor it.
The BJP had largely been clueless to capitalize on the loss of face by the UPA. The party stalwart L. K. Advani, though healthy and hearty, has been past his prime for all political purposes. He blundered the election campaign of 2009 by misreading the pulse of the people and followed up with some ill-advised display of wades of notes in the Parliament only to score self goals. Gradually the BJP became a ship lost on the high sea, with no captains on board to anchor it.
Ironically, the UPA all along had been also like the BJP ship adrift on the high sea, with captains on drugged sleep, refusing to listen to the hammering of the sea waters thrust with angry waves.
The inauguration of 2013, however, began with the roaring of a man condemned for over a decade with abuses of "mass murderer, Nazi, despot, Yamraj riding the buffalo, etc.". The man is Gujrat chief minister Narendra Modi, with his third consecutive state poll victory, and is impatient to soar high on the Indian horizon. He is emboldened enough to spread out of the Gujrat confines. He has vanquished the Congress in the state to the extent that the top leadership of the grand old party avoids to campaign against him.
Naturally, Modi has stirred up hot debates in the Indian political discourse. In the Opposition NDA camp, his rise is like a cat having been let loose among the pigeons. The JD (U) leaders -- Sharad Yadav and Nitish Kumar -- wish Advani rediscover his charm fast enough.
If not, they fear, Modi could emerge a domineering force to stitch around an alliance of his choice where allies may not call the shorts, as had been the cases during Atal Bihari Vajpayee's NDA and Manmohan Singh's UPA rules.
If not, they fear, Modi could emerge a domineering force to stitch around an alliance of his choice where allies may not call the shorts, as had been the cases during Atal Bihari Vajpayee's NDA and Manmohan Singh's UPA rules.
Incidentally, Manmohan Singh ignited the hope globally and locally of fast growth and collective prosperity. But having abandoned the ship midway, Modi senses an opportunity to not only board it but even captain the wayward carrier. In Gujrat, Modi appears to have given a semblance of the China story. He thinks that the Gujrat story could be of India too.
The negativity is in plenty currently in India. "India story can not be of a five per cent growth," Manmohan Singh lamented recently. But the anguish largely is that the Manmohan Singh opera is talking of the malaise only. They have no solution in sight on why the the Indian summer faded after the initial short-lived bursts.
Undoubtedly, India story is tottering and is gasping for breath. The ailment is policy paralysis on the back of torrents of corruption.
Undoubtedly, India story is tottering and is gasping for breath. The ailment is policy paralysis on the back of torrents of corruption.
But Modi claims to have the medicine to enliven the Indian summer. He has demonstrated the ills and proffered cure too. Therefore, the corporate India is falling over each other to ride on the Modi juggernaut. The message is spreading abroad too and, hence, the beeline from the US to the UK to Germany to be seen as birds who sighted the first rays of the morning.
While the UPA story has been about two individuals playing on two turfs, Modi promises to simplify it to one entity. Two creates dichotomy, as had been the case so far with the UPA, as Manmohan Singh had been conveniently passing the buck on to the coalition compulsions for all the mucks in his regime.
Therefore, Indian interest would be served least with such arrangements any more even though those sucked into the corruption would wish that such weak system at the top continues.
Hence, Modi strikes the chord with so many people effortlessly, as he is seen no-nonsense, decisive and a man with purpose. In short, the people see In Modi what Manmohan Singh could not be though hoped for by millions.
Therefore, Indian interest would be served least with such arrangements any more even though those sucked into the corruption would wish that such weak system at the top continues.
Hence, Modi strikes the chord with so many people effortlessly, as he is seen no-nonsense, decisive and a man with purpose. In short, the people see In Modi what Manmohan Singh could not be though hoped for by millions.
When the ship is adrift on the high sea the immediate challenge is to seek a captain who knows the waters. He has to calm down the nerves of the panic stricken passengers. Quick decisions are to be taken and the umbilical chord of corruption with the polity has to be snapped once and for all with ferocity that no blood flows through it ever again. There is none other than Modi who could take such onerous task. And he promises to answer the demands with elan and conviction.
After nine years in the office the "reluctant" leader in light blue turban gave only fodder for imagination to the billion strong Indians. Modi has his audience already filled with enough imagination. He has pilot the safe and smooth landing of the Indian dream.
The runway at the Ashok Rajpath awaits Narendra Modi's landing. But the weather has already become turbulent. Therefore, the landing can not be on an auto-pilot mode but would require immense manual maneuvering.
