For Indo-Australians, it would be ‘Modi Sarkar’

modi

The fact that most of Indo-Australians are naming Modi as the next PM does not mean that there is overwhelming support for BJP down under

 

By Rekha Bhattacharjee

 

Sydney 21.4.2014:  While there is still three weeks before the election results would be known, a large section of the Indian Diaspora settled in Australia  is of the opinion that Bhartiya Janata Party’s Narendra Modi would lead the next government in  New Delhi.

“Modi seems to be the call of the hour and all Indians must back and give him a chance to prove himself. And we hope that Indian voters will realise this and give him the absolute majority so that he does not have to depend on any of the alliances to push forward India on the world map,” says Sanjay Dulloo a Sydney-based consultant and social activist.

The fact that most of Indo-Australians are naming Narendra Modi as the next Prime Minister of  India  does not mean that there is overwhelming support for BJP down under. The opinion of the prominent Indians interviewed by this writer is driven more by the disenchantment with the ruling party.

The social and electronic media also seem to have played a significant role in convincing a discernible majority of Indians settled here about the outcome of the Parliament elections which are also being dubbed as the greatest show on earth.

“The Congress party has lost the gloss,” says Dr Hem Chandra Rao. “Sonia may be very wise and tactful but does not inspire being a non “desi”,” opines the Sydney-based specialist.

The theme of Congress presiding over a corrupt regime is repeated while talking to a cross-section of Indians living inAustralia  and so is the hold of Nehru-Gandhi family over the largest political party in the South Asian country.

“The Dynasty charm may be fading and Rahuljee is unable to restore,” says Dr Hem Chandra Rao while lamenting the fact thatIndia  today “lacks the leadership of the past with administrative experience statesmanship”.

“Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) would emerge as the largest political party as people want a change from Congress and mismanagement of corruption and nepotism,” says a Sydney-based community leader Vish Viswanathan.
The BJP nominee Narendra Modi is seen by the Indian Diaspora as free from corruption charges and also as a competent administrator.

“He is resolute, assertive and makes firm decisions,” says well-known radio broadcaster Kumud Merani when asked the question whether Narendra Modi would be able to lead  India  in a better way than Manmohan Singh.

A  Sydney  engineer and Editor of The Indian down Under Vijay Badhwar also agrees with Kumud Merani. “Modi’s plus point is leadership and negative point is extremism,” he says while asserting that the BJP nominee’s ascension to the top Executive position would not make any difference to the efforts to control corruption. Rahul Gandhi comes a distant second in this impromptu opinion poll. As far as other contenders are concerned, they are not being taken seriously here.

“Mamata Banerjee? Do not even think about her as a contender for the Prime Ministership,” says Dr Nani Gopal Kundu.

The Indian Diaspora also seems to be well-informed about the way major political parties are running their election campaigns. The fact that almost all the parties are using communal card to lure voters is not oblivious to the Indo-Australian this writer interviewed.

The meeting between Sonia Gandhi and the Shahi Imam of  Delhi’s Jama Masjid has not gone unnoticed here. The efforts of the saffron nominee to the Prime Ministership are also being watched by those Indians who take keen interest in the political developments in the country of their origin. “BJP is trying to rectify their image to a more secular one though Modi’s stance has been anti-Muslim,” says Kumud Merani.

Even though she acknowledges deterioration in the political discourse, the Sydneysider radio journalist expresses optimism in the younger generation. “We have to give new people a chance instead of despairing,” Kumud Merani opines.

Most of the Indo-Australians interviewed by this writer were of the opinion that if Narendra Modi became the PM it would not make any difference to the bilateral relations between  India  and  Australia.

“I don’t think it would change anything in the bilateral relations,” says Dr Samir Dutta when asked if Narendra Modi became the PM, would it make any difference to Indo-Australian relations.

(Courtesy – The Indian Diaspora)

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