4,000-day journey makes Narendra Modi from a defiant CM to a Modi-fied one

Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, who entered his 63rd year on Monday, is set to achieve another significant milestone on Tuesday. The controversial leader, already the longest serving CM of Gujarat, is set to complete 4,000 days as the CM, a landmark very few leaders have achieved, or can hope to achieve.

Modi took over reins of the state on October 7, 2001, after the unceremonious exit of Keshubhai Patel as the chief minister for poor handling of Kutch earthquake relief work. Modi, who had not contested a single election till then, and was the party’s general secretary, was brought to resurrect the dwindling fortunes of the party during Patel’s tenure.

Known for his excellent organisational skills, Modi was soon to be in the eye of the storm. Just a few months into the job, Modi failed to check one of the worst riots in the history of India as more than 2,000 persons, mostly Muslims, died in the aftermath of Godhra train carnage of February 27, 2002. (However, government records put the death at 1,000.)

He has been accused of letting the rioters have a free run as they went on a rampage against the minority community across the state.

Even though Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation team (SIT) has given him a clean chit in the riots, the stigma of the massacre still haunts him, something he has been unable to get rid of.

The riots resulted in extreme polarisation of votes, leading to a clean sweep for Modi in the ensuing assembly elections in 2002. Since then, it has been Modi all the way. He has gone on to win the assembly polls in 2007 and seems poised to repeat the heroics of 2002 and 2007 this year as well, as he seeks his third successive win.

The 11 years of his tenure have been nothing short of a saga. Ever since he took charge, Modi has silenced any kind of opposition from outside or from within party. He has reduced the influence of organisations like RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal, which were once a dominant force in the state.

Modi’s authoritarian style of functioning has often been subject of severe criticism, but he has also earned praise and acclaim for fast economic growth in Gujarat under his reign. Industry captains have minced no words in appreciation of ‘pro-industry’ CM who has tried to make himself synonymous with his six crore Gujaratis.

As he completes his 4,000 days in office, he is being projected by certain sections of media as the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate in 2014. Even though party and Modi himself have been denying any such move, he realises that with the taint of 2002 riots, he can’t aspire to head a multi-cultural and plural country like India.

To change his hardliner and pro-Hindutva image, the chief minister is desperately trying for a makeover. Eyeing a potential shot at prime minister’s chair post the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Modi has been projecting himself as a Vikas Purush (development man), rather than being seen only as a rightwing Hindu leader.

Modi has ruled out apologising for the 2002 riots, but has been trying to build bridges with the minority community. It was on his last birthday that he launched the Sadbhavana Mission, embarking on a series of fasts across the state, and talking about communal harmony, peace and brotherhood.

It remains to be seen whether Modi is able to break ice with Muslims, a crucial factor for his PM ambitions. The upcoming elections will also show the impact of CM’s leanings towards the minority community on his traditional Hindu voters.

But, at the moment, it would be a safe assumption to say that Modi is unlikely to remain in Gujarat for 1,000 more days as a win in the upcoming elections would almost certainly propel him to the national stage.