Modi’s audacious air strikes bolstered his image as a decisive leader

This huge electorate victory with improved mandate has reiterated peoples trust in the leadership of Prime Minister whose resounding popularity is intact and growing with every passing day. Often times, elections are fought on the core issues of poverty alleviation, inflation, farmers suicides, unemployment, electricity and infrastructure development. An incumbent government’s return to power is entirely dependent on its impactful governance.

In 2014, Modi stormed to power with absolute majority on the promise of steering the country towards higher realms. As a leader of country of 1.3 billion, in his first tenure Modi made relentless efforts and displayed spirited conviction to take up new challenges for a better and brighter future of the country. Irrespective of the consequences his stead-fast approach and the determination to face the challenges have increased his popularity. Consequently, every challenge undertaken and a mission accomplished was closely watched and analysed by the people who made their own assessments. While high-nigh analysts fretted and fumed at Modi government’s inability to create jobs and pilloried him for demonetisation and hiccups in GST, people reposed faith in him. Brushing away the bombastic editorials aflush with high-sounding indicators divested of ground realities, people began to take stock of issues that mattered to them the most. The hue and cry over orchestrated campaign of burgeoning polarisation, and intolerance utterly failed in dissuading people.

While the economic reforms initiated are yet to yield outcomes, issues of national security, sovereignty, terrorism, threat of a plausible two-front war turned into central theme of elections. Soon enough credentials of the government on national security and foreign policy began to dominate the election narrative. In tune with the aspirations of the Indians settled across the globe, on his state visits, Modi revitalised connect with India diaspora and invoked a pride towards motherland. These renewed efforts to reshape India’s identity among resident Indians and Indians abroad generated a nationalistic outlook. Modi’s strategic diaspora connect together with his unprecedented outreach evoked new interest towards India’s emerging role in global affairs.

Modi galvanised India’s foreign policy shedding the diffidence and indecisiveness that throttled India’s global rise. Epitomising India’s role as a responsible player in the region, Modi revved up India’s engagement with its immediate and extended neighbourhood and revitalised ties with ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Countries) countries. By reviving BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi Sectoral Economic and Regional Cooperation), IONS (Indian Ocean Naval Symposium), IORA (India Ocean Rim Association) Modi reinforced New Delhi’s role of principal security provider in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Indeed, last five years, India conducted joint exercises with all the P5 nations which vouches for India’s improved maritime cooperation. Besides, as a good will gesture Indian Navy participated in several rescue operations. Giving massive fillip to Link West and Connect Central Asia, Modi transformed India’s relationships with Middle East, Africa and European countries. Reconfiguring India’s responses to global issues like terrorism, climate change, black money and tax havens at the international forums like G-20 and United Nations Modi effectively changed global perception towards India. Through eloquent promotion of India’s core values like vasudaivakutumbakam (World is one family), integral to India’s civilisation and elevation of Indic knowledge system Yoga Modi enhanced India’s global image. In the process, Modi managed to draw the attention of World’s attention to India’s troubling issues like terrorism. Modi indeed, maintained a fine balance of cooperation and countering the Middle Kingdom by taking an active part in SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation) and Quad. While stepping up engagement and economic ties, India stalled the belligerent attempts of Chinese aggressive transgression across LAC (Line of Actual Control). India’s amicable resolution of the 73-day long standoff with China at Doklam holds a testimony to Modi government’s adept diplomacy.

The World gave up on India encumbered by indecisiveness and policy paralysis during the decade long UPA rule. Through confident assertion of India’s aspirations at various global platforms and by taking a lead the climate change Modi single-handedly recovered India’s lost ground. India is now widely recognised for its potential like investment opportunities, growing middle class, demographic dividend and fast economic growth.

Over past seven decades, India’s troubled relationship with Pakistan turned out be an Achilles heel unworthy of New Delhi’s strategic patience. India’s time tested “blow hot blow cold” has ended up emboldening the deep state at Rawalpindi. Despite being at the receiving end of Pakistan’s asymmetric warfare international community often persuaded India to refrain from escalating the rivalry. India was dissuaded from giving a befitting reply to Islamabad’s repeated provocations. Detesting tactical reticence, Modi embarked on the path of retribution of “operation hot pursuit”. The 2015 surgical strikes in response to dastardly terrorist along the Myanmar border and destruction of terrorist camps Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) in the aftermath of the Uri attack in 2016 has revived the spirits of security forces and Indian public alike. Marshalling diplomatic corps, Modi government managed to diplomatically isolate Pakistan and called the bluff of Pakistan’s nuclear threshold. Undeterred by repeated attempts of China to defend Pakistan at international platforms, Modi government rallied the world to support India’s war against terrorism perpetrated by the mothership of terror, Pakistan. 

Modi government’s audacious aerial strikes on the terror camps in Balakot, Muzaffarabad and Chakoti in response to Pulwama attacks struck right notes with the Indian public that lamented India’s reluctance to retaliate. With months to elections, Modi’s swift use of force established BJP’s preferential priority towards national security. Even as nation welcomed Modi’s decision, opposition undermined air strikes, eulogised the largesse of Pakistan for returning captured wing commander and portrayed Modi as an aggressor. People disapproved opposition’s narrative and detested debates on the ineluctable issue of national security. India has been a victim of terror and Modi’s strategic decision of zero tolerance towards terrorism resonated well with concerns of burgeoning terrorism. Opposition even discredited Modi for his bold actions and attempted to undermine the political decision of the incumbent government’s robust response. Given electorate’s overwhelming approval for surgical strikes as a last-ditch attempt to garner some political mileage Congress party hurriedly announced execution of six surgical strikes during UPA regime. After retired officials challenged the veracity its claims and quashed these attacks which don’t qualify to be surgical strikes, opposition lost its face. While it is disingenuous to subject national security issues to debates and political contestations, Modi government deserves credit for its bold political decision that accrued strategical benefits to India.

In democracies, national security issues have always been the top of the agenda in elections. This new trend of judging the political parties for national security credentials prevalent in Israel is now shaping up in India. Burgeoning geopolitical contestation in the rapidly changing world order and shifting the political narratives to the right. Increased assertiveness towards national identity across the globe turned discussions on nationalism and national security issues a norm. This global shift is in line with ideology of BJP which is unapologetic about its nationalistic credentials.

In the past five years, Modi enhanced India’s global visibility, adeptly maintained ties with rival countries like the US and Russia, Israel and Palestine, Saudi Arabia and Iran and unveiled an era of fine-diplomatic balancing. Modi unveiled a new strategic engagement with Japan and America through “JAI” (Japan, America and India) and emphatically engaged with Russia and China through “RIC” (Russia China and India). Modi at the helm of affairs, shredded India’s “soft state” approach with an aggressive military action coupled with posturing. BJP’s surge in popularity in opinion polls post-Balakot attacks suffice to say that national security credentials have elevated its political fortunes. 

The panoply of recognitions and highest civilian awards conferred on Modi by governments of Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, South Korea, Russia, Palestine and the UN signalled the arrival of India on the global stage. In March, India successfully tested ASAT (Anti-Satellite) Missile joining the elite group of military space power comprising of the US, Russia and China. To enhance national security and as credible deterrence to India’s growing space assets, unlike his predecessors who baulked, fearing international condemnation, Modi approved the “Operation Shakti”. In May, China withdrew technical hold to proscribe Pakistani terrorist Masood Azhar at the UNSC after decade-long India’s persuasive diplomacy. This iconic diplomatic milestone epitomised the ascendancy of Modi’s foreign policy doctrine. Modi’s proactive foreign policy coupled with economic reforms and corruption-free governance instrumental in attracting FDI, improvement in ease of doing business have laid foundation for changing the developmental contours of the country.

Modi’s proactive engagement and pragmatic diplomacy has elevated India’s global stature and infused a new optimism. His gutsy leadership gave wings to the upward aspirations of young India eagerly waiting to reclaim its space in the global arena. During his first tenure with his characteristic out-of-the box initiatives Modi ardently engaged with global powers, traditional partners and energised India’s strategic ties. Steering clear of traditional idealism and ambivalence, Modi’s foreign policy guided by national interests made a formidable beginning. Changing world order and dynamic geopolitical calculus demand an imaginative diplomacy. Having positioned India as a dynamic global players Modi raised the bar for India. To accelerate India’s global ascent Prime Minister Modi must now effectively sustain the momentum and retain the focus on his foreign policy doctrine.

@ Copyrights reserved.