Modi Led Relief Efforts in Uttarakhand – Neither a Rambo Act Nor a Publicity Gimmick

When Saturday evening T.V channels brought the news that Narendra Modi’s visit to Uttrakhand to oversee relief operations had kicked off a major political storm, I decided to go and check for myself whether this was indeed a cheap publicity gimmick as alleged by the Congress and its minions or a serious response to a humongous tragedy. During the course of my study of post 2002 Gujarat, I had heard glowing accounts of how Narendra Modi had handled the reconstruction of towns and villages affected by the Bhuj earthquake.  Even during the Surat floods, Modi combined efficient short term relief with long term measures to avert such tragedies. All that was in past tense. I wanted to see if the Disaster Management system was still in place.

Those who disparagingly called Modi a Rambo or a publicity hungry politician have no clue what they are dealing with. He is an institution builder par excellence and a statesman who believes in using state power to serve people and knows how to do it. This is proved by the fact that:

Gujarat today has a fighting fit bureaucracy because it was enabled to develop expertise, team spirit and deliver results under the most adverse circumstances. It is also empowered and encouraged to take on-the-spot decisions rather than wait to seek “permission” from “higher ups”.

The Gujarat Disaster Management Authority (GDMA) has become a thoroughly professional institution capable of responding to natural or manmade disasters.  It has a 24×7 monitoring system and well publicized helpline numbers well known to Gujaratis—both in the country and abroad.

Modi has succeeded in conveying to the citizens of Gujarat that the Government is always there to serve them. That is why the first response of Gujaratis anywhere in the world is to contact the CM’s office if they are caught in a calamity. He himself acts with lightning speed, anticipating problems and finding advance solutions rather than be overwhelmed by them.

Modi’s deep personal knowledge of every region of India and contacts with an amazing range of people and institutions in almost every part of India, thanks to the years he spent as a pracharak are a big asset in responding creatively to sudden challenges.

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