Benito Z. Swu
[dropcap]W[/dropcap]e can also definitely say, “Yes, We can” when a boy with a skin color not exactly white, raised by a single mother climbed up the ladder of life with nothing but dreams, and one day was seen and heard crying out “Yes, We can,” and found himself living in the White House which he, forget about living, never even dreamed of posing for a photograph with it as the background.Just last fortnight, during his and Prime Minister Modi’s “Maan ki baat” radio session with both the people of India and America, what he replied back to a question posed was that, leaders just can’t govern through the top-down strategy. That leaders have to reach out to people in an inclusive way.
When I said, and again say “the imitator,” I am never being demeaning. Infact Prime Minister Modi has, for all time, proved that the production that follows after the invention is never a duplicate, but a more sophisticated and lethal version of the original. Just those three simple words and he won not just India hands down, but, hold your breath – the United States of America. Finding nothing to throw at him, one fails to see logic in detractors making an issue of India not displaying her N-missiles during the 26th January parade. What is there to boast about? It is but an open book. Everybody knows what India has and has not. Matter closed.
During the mentioned “Maan ki baat” session, what Prime Minister Modi answered to a question is the need of the hour in the context of we Nagas today as well. “Do not dream of becoming someone. Dream of doing something.” That is what the Prime Minister said. It is very grounding and holds so very true. Prime Minister Modi is not having ‘self’ before the job. He is not on a self promoting spree as some detractors seems to be suggesting. He means what he says and does, and he wants people to keep the faith.
It did not escape eyeballs when Prime Minister Modi picked up the pot, poured into the cup, held up the cup in the saucer, and with both hands handed it over to President Barack during the duo’s session of “Chai par charcha.” Prime Ministership has never gone to his head. He has clearly never forgotten his beginning. And just for this, I as any individual citizen of the country, might become a member of any political party but my individual vote will always be for the BJP as long as Modiji is there in the BJP.
Recently, during a get together of my not so small family of a wife, two sons and a daughter, one of my son had this to tell me; “Dad, you’re pretty famous these days. Even one of my friend knows your name.” Come-on son, he must be talking about that bad guy in history with whom I share the first man.” No, no, no, dad. Its you, I’m positive, he replied. Well, it was a moment to smile, open up the chest, and tell not just him but all the three. OK, here’s the reason why your friend might be knowing my name. The fact is, earlier two guys did not know daddy. But thanks to the God fearing life of your late grandfather and the constant prayer of your grandmother, the two guys – one, a Governor, the other an MP, both of them former Chief Ministers came to know me and that’s the reason your dad got automatically famous. So just for that you three can be a little proud and thank God that daddy got recognized. Otherwise evvverything remains the same. If luck smiles just a little bit better, for convenience. That is it. And remember, just as daddy has been trained and fitted with shock absorbers, you three must also learn to take both the good as well as the bad and also the ugly in your stride. I do not know what the three pairs of eyes understood but three heads shook in unison.
End piece: “We must never be a by-stander.” – A survivor of Auschwitz.
