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It may be raining books in the country. And the books are a sharp contrast to each other if one were to review them. While the two books launched over the last seven days brought with them brickbats for the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, another few are showering rose petals (with occasional hailstones) on BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.
Authored by print and television journalist Vivian Fernandes, the new book on the Gujarat Chief Minister is titled Modi: Leadership, Governance and Performance .
The book is not a biography but an account of Gujarat’s economic development under Modi, says the author. Those looking for the more personal aspects of Modi’s lifeshould consider reading Narendra Modi: The Man, The Times by Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay. Academician Madhu Kishwar also bats for Modi in her book Modi, Muslims and Media.
Fernandes’ book looks at how Modi managed to fast-track business development, along with better governance in Gujarat.The author calls himself a liberal who believes in free markets, individual liberties and the rule of law. He defines his book as a journalistic account that steers clear of ideologues. In contrast, The Accidental Prime Minister written by the ex-Press Secretary to the PM, Sanjaya Baru, and Crusader or Conspirator? Coalgate and Other Truths by the former Coal Secretary, PC Parakh, portray Singh in a poor light.
In Modi: Leadership, Governance and Performance , the author observes that Modi being pro-business does not necessarily mean he is pro-markets as well. He is a liberal, but a measured one.
Disinvestment Unlike Vajpayee’s National Democratic Alliance government which was big on disinvestment (selling stake in State enterprises), Modi does not believe in privatisation. Instead, he tries to make them profitable by giving bureaucrats a free hand, and keeping politicians away.
The book describes the Gujarat development model as having Chinese characteristics, with a blend of Hindu cultural nationalism and economic development. It says there is an uncanny similarity between Modi wearing the mantle of Development Man soon after the 2002 riots, the Vibrant Gujarat investment summits, and the development of Shanghai’s Pudong financial district as the ‘dragonhead’ of the Chinese economy after the Tiananmen massacre.
However, the book is not all praise for Modi and points out that all totalitarian philosophies glorify the nation and the State. The Chinese Communist Party sees itself as the flag-bearer of Chinese nationalism.
Development plus muscular nationalism is the formula for perpetuating a one-party rule in China.
Modi seeks to ride into South Block with development plus Congress’ Mukt Bharat , the book says.
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