With the runaway success of “Howdy Modi!” … the Prime Minister hit many targets with one stone
By SUNJOY HANS
Editor-in-Chief
A defining quality of great leaders is their uncanny ability to turn challenges into opportunities.
At a time when the nation was staring at an economic slowdown and the government was facing intense scrutiny from global media for the strong steps it had taken to deal with the long-festering Kashmir issue, Prime Minister Narendra Modi went to the United States of America and put on a grand show of strength and popularity at a mega rally in Houston, Texas.
With the runaway success of “Howdy Modi!”, which was attended by more than 50,000 Indian Americans along with President Donald Trump and a strong lineup of senators and Congressmen, the Prime Minister hit many targets with one stone.
He showed the world that India’s relationship with the United States not only was stronger than ever before but also was firmly on an upward tick – despite past strains in trading ties under the Trump regime. President Trump’s announcement about the imminence of new trade deals with India laid to rest all speculations to the contrary.
The deafening roar of the cheering crowd in NRG Stadium sent the message loud and clear to Washington DC that the Modi government enjoyed the overwhelming support of Indians across the world on the Kashmir issue.
The undeniable camaraderie between Trump and Modi in Houston was such a setback to Islamabad’s efforts to garner support against New Delhi over the lockdown in the Valley that within a day after its conclusion Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan openly expressed his disappointment with the international community for failing to put pressure on Modi.
The success of the rally also sent a message to Modi’s political rivals and critics back home that his numerous foreign visits over the past few years were not an exercise in futility but were crucial to raising India’s influence in the international community.
These developments will further boost the Bharatiya Janata Party’s chances of success in poll-bound Maharashtra and Haryana where a fragmented opposition seems anyway unlikely to give the saffron party a run for its money.
Whether the Modi government’s recent measures to tackle the economic slowdown will meet with as much success remains a moot point between economic experts and India Inc.
Back in Odisha, five-time Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s rare leadership qualities are on full display as his administration is taking one pioneering step after another to steer the state towards a brighter future. As the Biju Janata Dal government launches the “Mo Sarkar” initiative on the august occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, there is little doubt that Naveen’s efforts to take governance to the people will reap rich dividends.
With the Chief Minister himself and capable bureaucrats such as new Chief Secretary Asit Kumar Tripathy committed towards ensuring the on-ground implementation of the 5T model of governance, Odisha is well on its way to becoming a model state for the rest of India.
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