Narendra Modi: A Political Biography

Trying to understand high profile public persons through the media blitz is like the legend of the blind men trying to understand the elephant. Driven by an agenda, the media harps and highlights one or two most controversial episodes of the personality, even risking their own credibility in the gamble.

The vilification campaign running for a decade against Modi made one to wonder how on earth such an individual became accepted by a section of his party and 25 crore people of India! That is why it becomes vital to have access to an unbiased biography of the public person to understand his personality. The study of a successful personality’s life is a lesson in the art and science of success.

The course of history of great people in industry, business or politics has a common thread, they don’t become what they are by birth or by wanting to be something but by what they want to do to others with their lives. They are not needy but they are needed, they are contributors to the better life of others than claiming something for their own consumption.

Like all other great people, Modi is a man of character. He is disciplined, self-assured, an inexhaustible reservoir of ideas. He had been sidelined and rejected by his own party people jealous of his efficiency and dedicated performances. Having known that ‘no good deed goes unpunished’ he was patient and shrewd, throwing himself into more work with the confidence that ‘results will make them convinced’. He was consciously aware that the opponents are on the other side but your enemies are in your own party.

The one quality which Modi acknowledges in himself is that he could happily turn adversity into opportunity. He also prides himself for being practical than ideological. He also has the talent of creativity and lateral thinking as in ‘bring cows to the fodder rather than fodder to the cows.

As fervent as he hopes to write an ‘objective and balanced assessment of Modi’s life and work’ it is inescapable that Andy Marino has written a work which puts Modi in a completely positive light. He has been given the opportunity to explain away and paint a gloss over the possible faults in his character, like for example his dominating and authoritarian nature.

You walk behind me
Or go your own way
But never walk
By my side!

The popular hallmark of Modi’s dominant leadership mind to brook no competition is justified as his determination to have a disciplined force with him, acquired in his days of grooming in RSS. However it is clear that Modi has been successful in proving the people’s faith in him right.

Defying the opinion
of everyone
I made you mine
And you proved
In due course
What we all
Had hoped and prayed!