U.S. GOVERNMENT DENIES VISA: U.S. CONGRESS THINKTANK SALUTES MODI
Way back in 1930 Mahatma Gandhi appeared on the cover of American news magazine TIME dated March 31st. The caption read: ‘Saint Gandhi.’
In 1947, the year which saw the Britishers quit India and the country suffer the traumatic events that accompanied partition, the January 27 issue of the same magazine bore on its cover a picture of Sardar Patel with the caption ‘India’s Vallabhabhai Patel.’
This year, this U.S. periodical reputed to be the world’s largest circulated news weekly carried on the cover of its issue dated March 26- Gujarat’s Narendra Bhai Modi. The caption given to the cover is: Modi Means Business.
Some Indian dailies reported the story with the heading: “After Gandhi and Patel, Modi third Gujarati on Time cover.”
An excellent photograph of Narendra Modi relaxing in his lawns has been displayed on full two pages preceding the 2-page write-up on the BJP leader.
The write-up by Jyoti Thottam notes at the very outset :
“Narendra Modi has defied humble origins to become the powerful leader of booming Gujarat state.” Jyoti Thottam then goes on to give her analysis of why Indians “both love and loathe him.”
She however sums up her comments by quoting Tridip Suhrad, social scientist and expert on Gujarat who says “the future belongs to him.”
Jyoti Thottam writes: His (Modi’s) ability to get things done is in stark contrast to the Congress-led central government in New Delhi. “If you look at the rest of the country, Who’s in charge is a big issue, if at all anybody’s in charge,” says Sebastian Morris, a professor of economics at the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad. “The difference here is that somebody’s in charge, whatever he may do.” In a recent opinion poll by the magazine India Today, 24% of those surveyed thought Modi should be the next Prime Minister; Rahul Gandhi polled 17%.
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I recall that in August, 2008 U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, during an official visit to India, called at my residence. Apart from discussions on issues like Indo-U.S. relations and the global war against terrorism etc. I raised with her the issue of denial of U.S. visa to Narendra Bhai Modi. I said to her: “This may be the first time that an elected Chief Minister of a state in the world’s largest and most vibrant democracy has been denied a visa. What really surprised all of us here was that the denial of visa had been announced by Washington without Modi having sought it. “I have not even applied for a visa, Modi has informed me,” I told Ms. Condoleezza.
She looked at the officials accompanying her, “Is that true?”, she asked. The officials confirmed this, and added that the report was based on an official reply given to a letter from a senator.
The irony is that while the U.S. Government has refused a visa to Modi, a report prepared by a think tank of the U.S. Congress has in a 100 page report assigned very high marks to Modi for his governance.
This Congressional Research Service (CRS) is a bipartisan and independent research wing of the U.S. Congress which compiles reports of interest to U.S. lawmakers.
This Report says: “Perhaps India’s best example of effective governance and impressive development is found in Gujarat (population 60 million), where controversial Chief Minister Narendra Modi has streamlined economic processes, removing red tape and curtailing corruption in ways that have made the state a key driver of national economic growth.”
L.K. Advani
New Delhi
25 March, 2012
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March 25th, 2012 at 10:30 am
Dear Advaniji,
The funny thing is that the same Congress, the so called ‘intellectuals’ and the ‘English Media’ hold Time as the Holy Grail for certifyting any personality if the personality in question is one amongst them. If the country is presented with one opportunity to change its course for good, its now with Mr. Modi as the PM and you as his guide… the way Chanakya was to Chandragupta. It may alienate few of the allies like JD(U), but BJP has to introspect on why it was formed in the first place and whats its core ideology is. And what i believe, the core ideology of BJP is not to be ‘anti -minorities’ but to instil a feeling of nationalism among we Indians and not carry on the same British culture which the the Congress has been following. For that BJP needs to go back to its roots and not care of whether it would get power or not but only work for its ideology. As long as BJP gives a corrupt-free govt while instilling the feeling of nationalism, people will vote for BJP.
March 26th, 2012 at 1:14 pm
Mr. Advani,
First of all, I respect you for your age and the valuable role you have played in the Indian political situation over the past few decades. Your image has been clean and your public life has been above the average moral fold of the average politician of our country.
For me, you are like a Sachin Tendulkar of the BJP. While you have been instrumental in bring BJP to the National mainstream as the only credible alternative to the Congress, I can say that you are actually facing the same mental block as Sachin is facing at this point of time. Both of you are so young at heart that you do not want to retire from your active public life. So, Sachin wants to try his luck in the next World Cup and you seem to be inclined towards giving the Prime Ministerial post another shot. However, you need to realize that all good things come to an end someday.So, when would you delegate and publically appoint Mr. Modi as the next PM candidate from BJP?
Thanks,
Rajesh Dhawan
March 26th, 2012 at 5:12 pm
When people love Mr Modi , why do the media hates him ? Modi has built a casteless and religionless secular gujarat by working for 6 crore gujaratis but this has troubled the christian missionaries who cannot do conversions in gujarat if people are united, hence they want to frighten the muslims by misleading them. Rapid and aggressive all round development in gujarat by modi has defeated the evil plans of christian missionaries to convert the entire scheduled caste and scheduled tribe to christianity.80% of the english media in India is owned and controlled by christian missionaries and that is the reason they hate HINDUTVA rabidly.These paid journalists like Rajdeep Sardesai and Barkha Dutt will continue to serve the congress and defame gujarat and modi. MUSLIMS IN GUJARAT HAVE RECEIVED THE HIGHEST FRUITS OF DEVELOPMENT AND ARE FAR BETTER PLACED AND PROSPEROUS THAN THEIR COUNTERPARTS ACROSS INDIA THEY ARE PRAISING MODI . TODAY GUJARAT IS 30 YEARS AHEAD OF REST OF INDIA .
April 2nd, 2012 at 7:42 am
The Christian right wing in the USA loathes Mr. Modi and the US congress is playing a balancing act keeping Mr. Modi in good humor while continuing to condemn him. It is pure double speak and typical behavior of the USA. For one thing, I don’t understand why we need a certificate from the USA on the caliber of our leaders. The people of Gujarat know the good things and the bad things that have happened to them and they are voting for Mr. Modi due to the fact that he has improved their quality of life.
April 5th, 2012 at 5:51 pm
Other than the Fateful Episode of Godhra all other things in the State of Gujarat are going well, rather I can tell you that all the other States in India can take Gujarat as a Role Model for Infrastructure, Growth and Good Governance. US has but no choice other-than to give Visa to him.
But on the other side, The Higher Management in BJP can they see the same in Gujarat? If Yes, Why are you not announcing Mr. N.B. Modi as your next PM Candidate?
BR, Harinadham………….
May 2nd, 2012 at 9:49 pm
Today the BJP has declared that they expect to win at least 200 seats in 2014 on its own. While it is not impossible, it definitely is a thoroughly uphill task for BJP, at least as long as you do not declare a PM candidate. Narendra Modi has won a lot of appreciation and popularity across the country transcending regional and communal barriers, the main reason being the progress that he brings to the state of Gujarat. Today the only thing that the people really care about is law and order and development. Please give this country a chance and declare him the candidate. Since he has already caught public attention, the BJP would get a solid footing as to where they are going in 2014. Sir your contribution to this country has been enormous but keeping in mind the extremely urgent need to remove congress and move the country on the path of development, please let Narendra Modi be the PM candidate under your astute guidance.