A Zephyr Of New Ideas for India
Mr. Narendra Modi, consciously addressing an audience of
sophisticated Indians and the world beyond, demonstrated considerable tech
savvy and comfort with its possibilities
today. He was the first Chief Minister invited to speak on Google’s Big Tent Activate
Summit 2013 event for India, part of the series being conducted around the globe.
Here was a silver-bearded young man in his sixties, talking
technology with Guinness Book Record achieving ease. And this is not hyperbole,
because Modi is indeed entered in the book for using 3D holographic technology
for the first time, for such an application. He addressed 53 election meetings
at the same time, in what he now called “different geographies”, during his
winning 2012 campaign to rule Gujarat for the fourth consecutive term.
As Modi’s 18 plus minutes of address covered how he has employed
the internet and land surveying technology to improve the water recharging and
ground water levels in Gujarat, the revolutionary virtues of two way and
interactive communication now made possible via the internet, using GIS
technology to fine tune fund allocations to hospitals, and so on, he gave
vibrant meaning to Bob Dylan’s enigmatic line that said: “Ah, but I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now”.
Speaking in accented but reasonably fluent English, Mr.
Modi, grown from an RSS Pracharak and a
modest OBC background, into Gujarat’s celebrated three terms completed and
counting Chief Minister, he began by quoting Alvin Toffler of futurist
classic Future Shock fame.
Specifically, Mr. Modi
spoke of Toffler’s 21st century definition of literacy which is not just being
able to read and write and being educated as such, but having the mental dexterity
to “learn, unlearn and relearn”.
Modi quoted former President Bill Clinton also, an ace
communicator, who has called the Internet “The new Town Square”. Modi Indianised the concept to “Nukkad”, all the while
reminding one of the sweeping vision of a historic game- changer like current President Barack
Obama.
There were, inevitably, some clever speech written lines,
such as the very quotable “IT plus IT is equal to IT”, but the sentiments it
stood for, bore the hallmark of Modi’s progressive vision for the future of
India and its people.
Modi has, it is evident, not let up on his campaign for the
leadership of India ever since his first nationally broadcast speech at the SRCC
in Delhi just over a month ago.
It is clear he fervently believes that the Gujarat model of
development is ideal for the rest of India and he wants an opportunity to
implement it.
And increasingly, the warm reception to his ideas is
indicative of the fact that larger and larger numbers of Indians are heeding
his call. But the subtext seems to say people are beginning to regard Narendra
Modi as something of a saviour, a messiah come to rescue India from the mess
created by the UPA over almost ten years of corrupt and inept misrule.
Modi spoke of “direct democracy” via the net, and the value
of “informed citizens” and said it was time to “perform” and not just
“promise”.
This is a new and accountable zephyr, this unfolding Modinama, developing like a gentle
summer wind on the threshold of the festival of colours.
Narendra Modi fully intends to harness more and more
technology towards better governance, but this he has already demonstrated in
Gujarat. There is greater connectivity, precision, time- saving, interactivity
and efficiency there as a consequence.
The bottom line, in Modi’s own words: “the crux of politics
lies in connecting to the people”. Narendra Modi has done so very ably in
Gujarat. He is now in the process of doing likewise throughout India and
overseas.
(612 words)
March 21st,
2013
Gautam Mukherjee
No comments:
Post a Comment