From chaiwala to Chowkidar: The rise and rise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi

On May 23, India was waiting with baited breath for their prime minister to be announced. But they didn't have to wait long — it was clear by late afternoon that Narendra Modi was making a comeback, and how.

In the evening, PM Modi came to the BJP headquarters with party chief Amit Shah to celebrate the thumping victory. It was raining in New Delhi, which many consider a lucky omen, and karyakartas left no stone unturned in decorating the party headquarters for a royal welcome.

Rose petals were showered on the duo, and chants of 'Modi, Modi' and 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' filled the air.

But let's try and see what it is that makes PM Modi so endearing for the masses in this country.

Early Days

Narendra Modi’s journey began in the bylanes of Vadnagar, a small and nondescript town in North Gujarat’s Mehsana district. Born on September 17, 1950, he was the third of the six children born to Damodardas Modi and Hiraba Modi. Belonging to a modest family, Modi often used to lend a helping hand to his father, who used to sell tea at a small stall set up at the local railway station.

At a very young age, Modi was inclined to the idea of renunciation and asceticism. He started immersing himself in the works of Swami Vivekananda. As a young boy, he yearned to join the Indian Army, but fate had different plans for him.

At 17, Modi left his house to travel across India. He came back after two years, and soon joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Ahmedabad. It was here when he met his mentor Laxmanrao Inamdar, also known as ‘Vakil Saheb’. In 1972, Modi was anointed as a pracharak, dedicating his full time to the RSS, following a rigorous disciplined routine.

In 1973, resistance movements were taking shape in Gujarat against the Indira Gandhi government at the Centre. Soon, these protests gained widespread support and came to be known as the Navnirman Movement. The movement was further strengthened when it gained the support of Jayparakash Narayan.

Narendra Modi as a part of the Anti-Emergency movement. (Image: Twitter)

In 1975, when Indira Gandhi proclaimed nationwide Emergency, Modi was at the core of the resistance movement. He was then the General Secretary of the Gujarat Lok Sangharsh Samiti (GLSS). In 1977, Congress was routed and the Jan Sangh formed the government at the Centre.

In the 80’s, Narendra Modi was actively traversing through the length and breadth of Gujarat, studying the masses and actively involved with the RSS. In 1987, senior leaders of the newly-formed BJP inducted Modi into the party, thus beginning a new chapter in his life.

Rise of Narendra Modi

In 1995, Modi was made secretary of the BJP, and three years later, he was promoted to General Secretary. In October 2001, Modi replaced sitting Gujarat chief minister Keshubhai Patel, who was heavily criticized for his complacency during the Bhuj earthquake in which 20,000 people lost their lives. In 2002, he won the assembly elections from Maninagar and was appointed as the chief minister. Thus began a political career full of crests and troughs as Gujarat was ravaged by riots in 2002. Modi fought elections on the poll planks of development and infrastructure, emerging victorious three times in a row.

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. (Image: Reuters)

An excellent orator, Modi was chosen by the BJP to campaign for the party for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Such was the aura of his personality and the power of his words, that the people were awestruck by the leader, a phenomenon often referred to as the ‘Modi wave’ in political parlance.

Add to that the numerous corruption charges and anti-incumbency against the Congress government, the BJP came to power with a landslide majority, and Narendra Modi became Prime Minister. Now was the time when the Modi-led government had to go through the litmus test.

Premiership

The five years of the Modi government have been marked by excessive policy making and a multitude of reforms. One such was demonetization – a rather radical step to deal with the menace of black money in the Indian economy. The exercise has had critics and appraisers both, the former in a larger number.

Another such reform was unifying all taxes under five tax slabs — also known as Goods and Services Tax (GST). The Opposition heavily castigated this move, saying it adversely affected MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises).

PM Modi takes a strong stance on issues, which takes him on the wrong side of his adversaries, and yet highlights his decisiveness.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (Image Reuters)

On the national security front, PM Modi came down heavily on neighbouring state Pakistan for harbouring Jihadist groups. He conducted unprecedented military operations, such as the Surgical Strike (on the intervening night of September 29-30 in 2016; in response to the Army base attack in Uri) and the Balakot Air Strike (during wee hours on February 26, 2019; in response to the Pulwama terror attack).

His show of muscle power was an affirmation of India’s strong stance against terrorism for many international organisations.

Besides, Narendra Modi has also taken the foreign stage by storm. PM Modi has been active in re-energising India’s relations with the US, China, Europe and Central Asian Countries. Since 2014, Modi travelled to around 92 countries, embarking on a journey to strengthen diplomatic relations and pinning India on the map of the world.

This time around, PM Modi assumed himself to be a champion against corruption and thus wore an epithet of 'Chowkidar', which roughly translates to a guard. Wherever he used to go and campaign, people used to chant the mantra 'Main Bhi Chowkidar'. Maybe, it is this relatability of a small-town nobody, manifesting his will and determination to serve the people, and accomplishing it, that makes him so endearing, almost aspirational.