Many people political or apolitical, from opposition or supporters have been cracking jokes on Narendra Modi & his foreign trips. However most of them have miserably failed to understand the importance of those trips. Let me try to explain it in simple words.
1) Top Reason : People in India have short memory that’s why majority of them kept choosing congress for 50yrs and still complained about things not happening in our country. People forgot how our country’s image was totally ruined by 2014. There was complete hopelessness due to massive big ticket scams & zero governance. Most cabinet ministers in UPA had at-least 1 scam attached to their name. World saw India as a nation where nothing moves due to red-tapism & scams. Industries were running away from India due to political dishonesty while doing business. For e.g. In 2G spectrum, Telecom operators had to first bribe to get spectrum at lower rate, then after the scam was exposed they were asked to pay fine by court and then they had to repurchase the same spectrum again in re auction. This also led to their loss in share market. (Triple Loss). It eventually leads to massive Job loss in telecom sector of salaried people who are mostly making fun of PM’s trip.
Now Modi promised #AcheDin to us, how was that possible. It is by bringing new policies for ease of doing business so that foreign investors regain trust on India.
1st year of Modi was full of foreign trips.
Yes. Unofficial Trip started when he invited SAARC country heads during Oath taking ceremony in May 2014 as an indication, India is ready be friends with everyone. Then he started visiting other asian countries except Pak & China (India is a threat to both) mainly to clear border related issues & to counter Chinese aggression. Only After this, he went to western countries and addressed multiple groups including government functionaries, business, Industry heads & most importantly Indian community etc with 1 simple & common message
“Indians have imposed faith on a government that is honest, non-corrupt & decisive. We as a government will increase ease of doing business, we are making small but multiple important changes. India is ready with hardworking talented young Indians, but are you ready to reimpose faith on our youth” (most of this youth makes fun of Modi’s trip). 2nd year had lot lesser trips. In almost every nation he raised the following points:
a) Black Money (Tax avoidance treaties signed with many nations)
b) Terrorism
c) India has massive opportunities for everyone
d) Youth power
e) Demographic divide
2) Number & Output – Not many people know that Ex PM Manmohan Singh visited similar (or more) number of foreign visits but output of those trips was nothing as compared to trips by now PM Modi. A report was published in various papers comparing the same. (please google) The noise around Modi’s trip is more because the number of people in opposition are much higher than any PM for multiple reasons and importantly PM acts as brand ambassador of India and ensures that there is enough talk about it in the country he visits. Its India that is gaining more by every visit our PM. Infact PM spends much lesser money in trips as compared to Manmohan singh because he doesnt take tonnes of journos on tax payers money.
3) Time Management – If you notice PM Modi mostly travels to a foreign countries during night hours in onward and return journey so that he can utilize next morning by meeting people and working for our country. It may shock you that in last 2 years, he has not taken a single leave. He also plans his travel like a pure Gujju and tries to cover maximum countries during his tours.
4) Now some people like always may throw an argument – why not work inside India first and then look for investment. To answer them – World will not wait endlessly for India to first resolve its domestic issues. They will move to countries who are strong, decisive & clear in their approach that is where China took over India in many aspects post 1990 while we were busy in politics. So both domestic and internationals relations must go hand in hand. In todays global market, every nation is dependent on others for one or the other thing especially in a country like India which was destroyed by Congress for 50+ yrs.
5) And for those who think nothing has happened in 2 yrs – i can only ask them to follow PMO India Report Card facebook page for day to day updates. A lot has been done in last 2 yrs. Foundation is set for big jump. For e.g. 71000 crore black money is recovered in 2 yrs; just in case you are one of those “What about Black Money” guy.