Modern-day journalism occasionally throws up a curious challenge. It requires publications to present a balanced and holistic portrait of a public figure they unreservedly abhor. I am giving away no secrets when I reveal that for some years Mr Modi has been Villain No. 1 for our journal. Therefore, when we hear reports of the "good work" he is allegedly doing we have tended to discount them, reminding ourselves that he is also a "monster". The question is: how long can we live in a state of denial? Without whitewashing his past sins, can we present him as he is perceived today?
I have had the opportunity of meeting and talking to Mr Modi. He is a charming and engaging person with a razor-sharp tongue. However, there is no mistaking his chilling ruthlessness. Whether he is intrinsically communal or tactically so is an issue to which I have no clear answer. All I can say is that he has a sinister aspect. You don't want to unnecessarily tangle with him. The massacres Narendra Modi organised need no elaboration. Not even the fact that at the recent Vibrant Gujarat meet he collected 56 billion dollars worth of investments or the expansive kudos he received from top industrialists can atone for the terror he unleashed in 2002. When we praise this "dynamic visionary" we should remember who he is—and then praise him.
Having said that, I congratulate Mr Modi for the strides Gujarat has made under his stewardship.
