Shinzo Abe followed Narendra Modi on Twitter even before the latter became PM: A look at their bonhomie

For a long time, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe followed only three people on Twitter.   One of them was Indian PM Narendra Modi. The other two were his wife Akie Abe and Japanese journalist Naoki Inose. Some years down the lane, the list grew to 23 and also included Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh and former US President Barack Obama. But what is notable about Abe following Modi is that he did so even before the latter became PM. This bonhomie in the digital space was also a reflection of the bond shared between the leaders in real life and their two nations. The duo shared several similarities even though they came from polar opposite backgrounds. Abenomics & Modinomics While Abe belonged to an elite political dynasty, Modi grew up in a poor family. The two leaders struck a common chord in their political careers. With a focus on nationalism, they pushed for economic reforms in their respective countries. Abe began his second term as PM in 2012 when Japan was struggling to recover from the devastating tsunami and the subsequent Fukushima nuclear disaster that took place the previous year. He launched a series of initiatives commonly known as Abenomics. In the Indian context, such a plan has often been dubbed as ‘Modinomics’. As for Abe, he ramped up government spending and took measures to curb bureaucratic red tape. Some of his reforms like a tax hike were met with criticism but Abe’s larger goal was to revive the economy. From Varanasi to Ahmedabad: Abe’s India trips In 2014, Abe visited India just a couple of months after PM Modi was sworn in. The trips continued. Unlike several diplomatic visits which are limited to capital New Delhi, in 2015, Modi and Abe visited Varanasi- the Indian PM’s constituency. In 2017, Abe and his wife Akei visited Ahmedabad in Modi’s home state Gujarat. The visit marked a special occasion- the laying of the foundation stone of the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train, India’s first. The high-speed rail corridor is being funded by a Japanese agency via a loan to the Indian Railways. Steps taken by Abe to bolster ties with India were not limited to the economy. It was in 2007 that he proposed a dialogue between Japan, India, US and Australia to counter China.  The alliance is popularly known as QUAD. Abe was a leader who did not hesitate to confront China with whom Japan like India, has territorial disputes. His 2016 visits to the Philippines, Australia, Indonesia and Vietnam rubbed Beijing the wrong way. China accused Abe of trying to ‘divide the region.’ Notably, the trips came at a time of heightened tensions between China and South East nations over territorial disputes in the South China Sea. When Abe stepped down as the PM amid health concerns in 2020, his departure stunned world leaders. Abe was honoured with Padma Vibhushan But Abe’s personal chemistry with Modi continued which was evident when he along with two other former PMs of Japan called on the Indian Prime Minister in Tokyo. Modi met Abe along with Yoshihide Suga and Yoshiro Mori on the sidelines of the QUAD summit in the Japanese capital in May 2022. Abe’s special relationship with India was mutual. In 2021, he was conferred with the Padma Vibhushan- India’s second-highest civilian honour for his exceptional and distinguished service in public affairs. Unsurprisingly, the former Japanese PM’s assassination was met with shock and grief in India with PM Modi declaring a national day of mourning. To say that with Abe’s demise, India has lost a true friend will be an understatement. Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.