Here's a short summary to help others who haven't heard much about him.
Short background - Has been the Chief Minister (equivalent to Governer) of the Western Indian state of Gujarat for 14 years now.
The Good
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* Achieved a very high GDP growth rate for Gujarat
* Made Gujarat a preferred destination for big industrialists to set up their factories since he gives land & clearances very readily.
* Developed infrastructure in Gujarat - built roads, highways, flyovers.
* Known to rule with an iron fist - a "my way or the highway" style of politician.
The Bad
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* Accused of not practising all inclusive development. Critics point to poor performance of metrics such as child mortality rates, education, Human Development Index (HDI) etc.
* Many believe that he did not do enough to stop the Gujarat riots in 2001 where 1000 people were killed. After this incident, the governments of US and UK denied Modi a visa to enter their countries
* Describes himself as a "Hindu nationalist", has a history of making communally charged statements although seems to have cleaned up in recent years focusing on development.
The Ugly
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* Believes homosexuality is unnatural and is against repealing an 100+ year old law which makes gay sex a criminal offence.
* Formed political alliances with leaders such as Yeddyurappa who has many cases of corruption pending and parties such as Shiv Sena who are notorious for using violence to target ethnic groups.
I no longer live in India but have a large extended family that does. Being in the minority, they are filled with paranoia about what this could mean. I'm still skeptical if anything bad will happen but I am also not living there.
there is nothing to worry about. India has always been a secular country/land from time immemorial. The idea of muslim hindu division is of recent times, starting from british rule.
India has been ruled for many centuries by muslims and christians (british).
I think Modi knows that indulging in any mischief will (a) hurt business prospects and (b) make him look more of a fanatic in the eyes of the broader world. If anything I see him pushing for development to erase the legacy of the 2002 riots from memory. He said in the campaign - and this is true - 'toilets not temples', a reference to the building of a temple over the razed site of one of the oldest mosques in India from the 1500s or so. Also, he knows that if he's fomenting discord and doesn't get substantial anything done, the voters will throw him out with the same gusto as they did the Congress, for the very same reasons.
EDIT: Why the hell is this getting down voted? Can't the RSS Internet wing engage in reasoned debate?
Yep, basically what I believe too. Also, if you look at history, a lot of the worst troubles for the minorities have come during Congress' rule(which further bolsters your argument that those in power want stability more than those not in power).
I'm actually more wary of vested interests other than Modi who want there to be riots so they can position themselves as the saviors of minority. These groups exist on both sides. Hopefully the saner people on both sides will keep them in check.
There was also a hidden camera operation which interviewed quite a few of the perpetrators who were leaders of VHP and Bajrang Dal (A few of the right-wing Hindu organizations). A bunch of them claim Modi's explicit approval for the riots.
The comments and the interviews are disturbing to say the least.
> Known to rule with an iron fist - a "my way or the highway" style of politician.
Under "The Good". I certainly wouldn't classify that as a good characteristic in a leader. You want someone who will get things done, yes, but someone who will ignore and bully minority opinions is not a good leader.
I agree with you (FWIW - I didn't vote for him), however it is often cited as one of his positive qualities by the Indian media since there is the perception that the outgoing Prime Minister Mammohan Singh was too soft and was unable to rein in his ministers and push through policy changes.
Short background - Has been the Chief Minister (equivalent to Governer) of the Western Indian state of Gujarat for 14 years now.
The Good
---
* Achieved a very high GDP growth rate for Gujarat
* Made Gujarat a preferred destination for big industrialists to set up their factories since he gives land & clearances very readily.
* Developed infrastructure in Gujarat - built roads, highways, flyovers.
* Known to rule with an iron fist - a "my way or the highway" style of politician.
The Bad
---
* Accused of not practising all inclusive development. Critics point to poor performance of metrics such as child mortality rates, education, Human Development Index (HDI) etc.
* Many believe that he did not do enough to stop the Gujarat riots in 2001 where 1000 people were killed. After this incident, the governments of US and UK denied Modi a visa to enter their countries
* Describes himself as a "Hindu nationalist", has a history of making communally charged statements although seems to have cleaned up in recent years focusing on development.
The Ugly
---
* Believes homosexuality is unnatural and is against repealing an 100+ year old law which makes gay sex a criminal offence.
* Formed political alliances with leaders such as Yeddyurappa who has many cases of corruption pending and parties such as Shiv Sena who are notorious for using violence to target ethnic groups.