The goodness of good fate does not smile on every one

L Luingam *

So much have been talked about Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India all over India. Some eulogized him to the sky; some hurled him to the ground. But, for a right thinking person with no bias towards any political party and judging by the achievements and political maturity, considering Shri Modi as one of the most successful Prime Ministers of India cannot be denied. He was given the chief ministership of Gujarat in 2001 right after being elected for the first time to the state legislative Assembly and held the post for 2 terms consecutively.

Likewise, he was chosen again as the Prime Ministeral candidate for 2014 Lok Sabha election and thereby became the Prime Minister of India although contested for the first time to the Indian Parliament. His swift accession from state to central leadership and remarkable achievements reminds me of an old adage “The Goddess of good fate does not smile on everyone but on selected few”.

The Political thinkers and analysts are seriously pondering upon his quick transition with some arguing that mankind’s ability or human ingenuity is not suffice to achieve such an accomplishment without divine intervention. It must be remembered that nothing happens in this world by chance. Nobody can deny the fact that there is no power on earth that does not ultimately come from God.

Despite Modi’s great achievements in many fronts during this short period of 5 years of his Prime Ministership, many political parties are united against him and are fighting with him like kilkenny cats to dethrone him. Yet, the world extols Modi and sees in him the outstanding figure of the time. Several awards have been accorded to him, the latest being the Zayed Medal, the highest civil award granted by United Arab Emirates this week.

And at the same time, his dynamic personality, his transparency and sincerity of purpose, his uprightness and sterling character, his impeccable wisdom and charisma for good governance, his courage coupled with great eloquence, his gigantic influence abroad, rendered through is diplomatic prowess and continuous plethora of change within, manifested through his tireless and persistent initiative won for him the spontaneous love and esteem of millions of Indian. I say this not on political expediency but purely on morale principles.

However, it is beyond my comprehension to justify as to why Modi’s adversaries are pulling his legs to bring him down. I also wonder and cannot visualize why people living in the mainland of India failed to understand and appreciate a person like Modi when a simple commoner like me hailing from extreme corner of North East India, a small state like Manipur bordering Myanmar, could clearly acknowledge and give credence to Modi and his government.

It must be recalled that even a man of genius seldom acquired success in a day or two and as Rome was not built in a day, so also is the case with the achievement of the government. It must also be noted that distorting the truth and spreading false and unsubstantiated propaganda will desperately mislead the innocent and unwary public because human mind is more easily swayed by evil than by good.

Excessive criticism and intemperate and provocative speeches will engender a feeling of hatred and create unethical atmosphere of maneuvering situations and also sap the moral foundation of our society. Modern thinkers are of the opinion that healthy growth of society demands the observance of certain fundamental moral principles and therefore, anything that pollutes the mind and goes against the moral health of the society deserves severe condemnation.

So, I beseech the political leaders that the craze for power and personal aggrandizement should not make them forget the moral and spiritual ethics. They must also not leave the path of rectitude and righteousness. It is righteousness, not unrighteousness that exalts a nation. It is common knowledge that India is exercising considerable moral force on international affairs and sooner or later India may be elevated to the position of greatness.

So far as the secularism is concerned, religious neutrality is the very basis of secular state. We all are well aware that India is a secular state which means that the state does not accord any official recognition to or encourage any particular religion. That, however, does not imply an anti-religious attitude or lack of respect for any religion. The state only follows a policy of religious neutrality and leaves the people completely free to follow any religious belief.

It is a policy favouring peaceful co-existence of all faiths in India. Besides, the state is debarred from spending money out of public exchequer for the construction or up keeping of church, temple and mosque. Religion, on the other hand is essentially a man’s private affair; it is a matter wholly and solely between him and his Master only.

So, if religion is mingled with politics it will give rise to strain relations among different sections of the people and even open conflicts and endless complications in the country. Therefore, religion should always be kept aloof from politics.

As such, a large section of society in Manipur in particular and in India in general had the inclination to believe that Modi and his regime is anti-Christian and an enemy to the minorities leading to Christians and other minorities becoming sceptical of his government.

In the contrary, I would like to quote Modi’s statement and views towards religion to prove otherwise. He said, “my government will ensure that there is complete freedom of faith and that everyone has undeniable right to retain or adopt religion of his or her own choice without coercion or undue influence.

He also said, the constitution of India is like a holy book for every citizen of India. “It reflects his commitment to tolerance on religion in its true spirit and propagate secularism as enshrined in the Indian constitution.

Therefore, in my opinion there is nothing to scare of Modiji and his regime by Christians and other minorities rather let us always be aware of unsubstantiated rumours and recall how the unsubstantiated voice of the people once removed the mighty Churchill from the seat of the premier of the united kingdom.