NARENDRA MODI would like to believe he has broken the mould as India’s leader. He is personally powerful and keener on a big international role for his country than his predecessors were. As he says, “there are huge global expectations for India.” Showing more openness than earlier leaders, he agreed to be interviewed on the eve of his first anniversary in power.
In conversation he is thoughtful, sincere and well briefed. He is driven (staff say he takes no holidays) and can be charming, though he is also intensely self-regarding. For example, he explains his many foreign trips as necessary for the “international community to get an opportunity to assess me directly”.
There are several broad concerns about his record so far. Though he seeks economic growth and national strength, he has not yet shown a clear vision for bringing these about; nor has he appointed the right ministers to deliver sweeping change. He is not speaking up enough for a noisy liberal democracy and the need to protect religious minorities, and he is not showing sufficient tolerance of criticism.
Ask about his vision, and he talks of jobs: “My government...
from The Economist: Special report http://ift.tt/1FzJWKV
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