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Democracy does not fetter growth and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a clear road map to channel India towards growth. After a slew of pro-poor policy interventions, this was the clear message from Modi's interview, the first to any media house after he became the Prime Minister, to CNN's Fareed Zakaria.
Apart from expressing unambiguous faith in Indian Muslims' commitment to India ("Indian Muslims will live for India. They will die for India. They will not want anything bad for India"), a clear distancing from some of the other incendiary anti-Muslim statements by members of the Sangh as well as from his own party, the interview stood out for maturity on world issues such as the tension between Russia and Ukraine, where Modi refused to take sides condemning only the bombing of a civilian airplane that took many lives, invoking "humanity".
Appropriating a Biblical simile in the Indian context, he said: "There is a saying in India that the person who should throw a stone first is one who has not committed any sins. There are a lot of people in the world who want to give advice. But look at them, and they too must have sinned in some way. Ultimately, India's view point is that efforts need to be made to sit together and talk."
On China's place in the world, he said along with India, it had always had a dominant role. And so long as it submitted to "global laws", China, along with India, would play a major role in the coming years, a century that would belong to rising Asia. He betrayed no bitterness or ill will towards the US for the past misunderstandings and perceived insults, and reached out to the Indians in the US, as a way of bonding with that country. "Relations between India and America should not be seen within the limits of just Delhi and Washington. It's a much larger sphere. The good thing is that the mood of both Delhi and Washington is in harmony with this understanding. Both sides have played a role in this."
Although Modi has been described as a micro-manager and centralising influence, he asserted a robust faith in democracy. "Democracy is our commitment. It is our great legacy, a legacy we simply cannot compromise. Democracy is in our DNA," he said, adding it was because of democracy that he, born in a poor family, could rise to become Prime Minister.
On being asked about the position of women in India, he advised against 'over analysis'. "Dignity of women is our collective responsibility. There should be no compromise on this matter. There should be no erosion in the law and order situation. We have to revive the family culture in which a woman is respected and considered equal, her dignity encouraged. The main thing here is girl child education," he said, adding his government was committed to this.
In the interview, there was no element of Hindutva thinking. Nor was there any reflection of cultural nationalism. Modi appeared to answer questions like any other liberal leader.
