SRCC speech: Modi the visionary trumps Modi the politician

Brilliant. That’s probably an understatement. In a long, long time here’s a speech from a leader that actually carries a vision for the future, promise of happy possibilities and, in the end, inspires. Narendra Modi is known to be an outstanding orator, but he certainly outdid himself while speaking at Sri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) in New Delhi. It was a made-for-the-youth speech, catering to the hope and aspirations of the young India. “It is important how we view the youth of the nation. For most of the political leadership the youth is only a new age voter. I don’t see this attitude benefitting the nation…Leaders should see the youth as a power for the nation to progress.” [caption id=“attachment_616345” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Narendra Modi. PTI.[/caption] When did you last hear a leader talking of the youth with such clarity and confidence? If the speech was cleverly designed for a much wider national audience too, there’s no harm. It was not Modi the politician speaking out there, it was Modi the visionary. The speech carried no rancour or malice towards anyone, but subtly hinted at maily failures of the country in the years since Independence. “I told a diplomat who had come to meet me recently that our greatest challenge is how to use opportunities. We have the youngest population in the world. In spite of being a young country we are being unable to use the opportunities we have,” he said. Modi reads the pulse of the nation well. He made it clear while talking about the negativity all around and the general mood of despondency. “Even after six decades, the country is still looking for good governance. We have failed in this field. This has created a negative environment all around. There is disappointment all around us. People say that everyone is a thief. The youth want to leave the country.” The youth of the country has certainly been on the boil over the last many years, pouring onto the streets with anger at every perceived act of injustice. Modi is too smart a politician to miss that. His speech reflected that amply. He was not making empty statements out there. If he had read the problems of the country well, he had solution for these too. “We are not a poor country. We are rich in natural resources. We are not using our resources properly, our challenge is to use them fully,” he said, adding, “We have developed our state on three pillars - agriculture, industry and service sector. Even if one pillar fails, the other two can support the economy of the state.’’ The range of subjects he took up was impressive. There has been no speech in recent times talking about development, education, youth, progress, right branding, profit, pride and technology in the same breath. There’s no evidence yet that Modi has developed all of that into a comprehensive economic ideology or a tool of revolution - the country cannot make Gujarat a model in any case - but the fact that a leader was taking up such issues was impressive enough. One is afraid not many of our current bunch of leaders are capable of that. It’s difficult to say that Modi’s vision is flawless. In India, things always go wrong in the vast gap between visions and the ground reality. The Gujarat story he narrated with great pride is not blemishless either. But give it to the man. He exudes a sense of authority and conviction. If he did not have a past and friends with a dirty track record, you would probably buy his vision without questions and vote him your leader. At SRCC it was Modi’s show and as is usual with all Modi shows, he hogged the limelight. The Congress is not impressed. But it does not matter. Let the party come up with a similar vision of its own. For now, Narendra Modi take a bow.