Key Points
At his rallies, tens of thousands gather in near frenzied religious devotion in support of a man whose policies they say have transformed the lives of ordinary Indians and helped enshrine the nascent promise of social mobility in a country still riven by caste divisions.. . Modi projects himself as an outsider from humble origins..
His political rise in some ways mirrors Indias own path from a newly independent nation freed from the shackles of colonialism to a confident, secure country inching ever closer to superpower status albeit one wracked by deep and abiding fault lines.. . Modi, his opponents argue, has done little to soothe those divisions.. . Religious persecution and Islamophobia have increased sharply on his watch, with many accusing the prime minister of tacitly endorsing sectarianism as a means of further bolstering his Hindu-nationalist credentials, while diverting from policy failures such as youth unemployment, which now stands at close to 50% among 20- to 24-year-olds.. ..
Many dont believe Modi is watching out for them instead, they say they are marginalized as he fulfills his partys dream of transforming secular, pluralisticIndia into a majoritarian Hindu state.. . . As he goes toward seeking a third term, Prime Minister Modi has positioned himself as a head priest alongside the head of the political system the protector of the nation (and), as the creator of a Hindu-first nation, said Saba Naqvi, author of The Saffron Storm: From Vajpayee to Modi.. ..
Today India is strong, capable, and self-reliant under the prime ministers leadership, he said.. Modis official party biography tells the story of a poor boy, the third of six children, whose father was a chaiwallah or tea seller, whod serve customers at the local train station to support his young family.. . Promoted by the BJP, analysts say this tale of humble beginnings makes him relatable to hundreds of millions across the country..
Modi joined the BJP in 1987, when the fringe political party started gaining traction fueled by the rise of Hindu nationalism in India.. . Considered to be the political arm of the RSS, the BJP gained prominence that decade when it advocated for the destruction of the Babri Masjid, a 16th-century mosque believed by Hindus to have been built on the site of the birthplace of the religions revered Lord Ram.. ..
