It is not easy to govern a country as diverse as India. It is the world's second-largest populated country, with over a thousand languages- including 20 major ones. There is diversity in all forms. The people are all divided into hundreds of ethnic groups who follow different religions, and vary from the world's poorest to the richest.
Ever since its independence in 1947, India has been served by 14 prime ministers, all who have given justice to their responsibilities in their own ways. While it is easy to point fingers at the least popular leaders, this Independence Day, we pay respect to the ones who are loved the most.
JAWAHARLAL NEHRU
The one who shaped our country and pioneered its evolution. Nehru was a charismatic leader. He became the first Prime Minister of swatantra Bharat and turned it into the multi-ethnic democracy we see today. He served for a collective 17 years, at a time when India was fresh out of British rule and was taking baby steps, and the outside world was recuperating from the Second Great War.
The most prominent controversy circling Nehru was his role in the partition of India, something for which he is often criticised even to this day. While many believe both, Pakistan and Bangladesh should have remained a part of the country, Nehru's decision seems wise in retrospect. Both the countries in modern India's boundaries would have been rife with violence and steady civil war.
India is one of the few nations that maintains good relations with both, the US and Russia. It was under Nehru's Non-alignment Movement that allowed India to pursue its own strategic autonomy and sphere of influence in its backyard. Not a fan of populist or nationalist governing, Nehru made sure India walked on a steady path of democracy. He made sure our country received a western-style constitution – making it one of the few “free” countries in Asia.
He strongly emphasised secularism, and often called it a necessity for a modern, multi-confessional country.
ATAL BIHARI VAJPAYEE
India's tenth prime minister, Vajpayee was the first from outside of the Indian National Congress to serve a full five-year term. From the Bharatiya Janta Party, he served from 1996 to 1998-2004. His term is considered of vital importance as it saw a change in the face of India's several foreign and domestic policies.
While the Indian economy abandoned socialism and opened up in 1991 under the Congress, Bajpayee welcomed development and modernisation in a way the previous government could not. Follwoing years of pro-poor and development policies, it was only under the new government that the country began to establish itself. The Vajpayee government also introduced the 86th amendment in 2002, providing mandated primary education for all Indian children. Almost half of India's road network constructed in the past three decades was built by the same administration, connecting major Indian cities.
A few years into power, Vajpayee pursued Indian foreign and defense policy, ordering nuclear tests and helping India emerge as a nuclear power. He also expertly handled the first confrontation between South Asia's two nuclear-armed powers.
NARENDRA MODI
A champion of 'development', and the architect of achche din, Narendra Modi's vision has remained visibly different from the others who governed before him. After being voted to power in 2014, Modi brought about several initiatives including Jan Dhan Yojana, Start up India, Make in India, and others. It has been revealed that following his Make in India scheme, foreign investment has increased by 40 per cent in the country.
His handling of security threats and issues of terrorism remains the most fierce yet. Infiltration bids have been noted to have drastically fallen under the Modi Sarkar. India has also entered joint partnerships with France, USA, Russia, and Israel- mostly in nuclear capable submarines, F-16s, rockets and choppers.
Modi has also been reasonably successful in his dealings with West Asian countries. His engagement with the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Iran, and Oman reveals New Delhi's tactic to wean the countries away from Pakistan.
